THE MISSION OF ST. ELIZABETH CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL is to value learning and excellence through collaboration and

innovation as a Catholic community.

Mr. Johh R. Heinrich, PrincipalWelcome back to another year at St. Elizabeth Catholic High School. This year, we were honoured to welcome 1700 students to our school, about 500 of whom are in our Regional Arts Program. We begin each year in anticipation of the great things that happen in our school. And this year, as in all of them, we continue to strive to make the educational experience of your child a valued and valuable one.

After almost twenty-nine years of service to the York Catholic District School Board, Vice Principal Eleonora Morcos made the decision to retire. Mrs. Morcos was a stalwart member of our administrative team and her contributions were keenly felt. Mrs. Morcos began her career in our board as a Modern Languages teacher and then went on to serve as a department head of Modern Languages. As with all educators, there is something miraculous in the number of lives we touch, in the ways that we directly or indirectly have an impact on

I WILL MAKE EVERYONE FEEL WELCOMED AND APPRECIATED. I WILL VALUE ALL PEOPLE AS CHILDREN OF GOD. I WILL USE MY WORDS TO HELP AND NOT HARM. Y O R K C A T H O L I C E D U C A T I O N C E N T R E

the intellectual, spiritual, mental, and physical wellbeing of the students we serve. The pursuit of a career in education is a noble one and then, it seems fitting, that we pay tribute to those who have dedicated their lives to this service. On behalf of the entire community of St. Elizabeth Catholic High School, we thank Mrs. Morcos for her work here and wish her much happiness and good health in this next journey in her life.

In her place, we have Mr. Ray Lefaive. Mr. Lefaive brings many years of administrative experience to his work here. We welcome him and his contributions to our school.

It is always a pleasure, as well, to welcome the new and returning teaching staff to our school: Cassandra Boucher (Modern Languages, Arts), Kristen Cruz (Business), Sandra Fabris (Family Studies), Vince Galloro (Health and Physical Education), Esther Guobadia (Science), Joe Moriana (English, Student Services), Christina Resciniti (Science), Daniela Vyslouzil (Arts Music), Taylor Watt (Science), Stephen Peticca (Business), Vanessa Oliverio (English), Amanda Pacitti (Student Services), Arista

Pimentel (Science), Gianluca Lombardi (Student Services), Annalisa Sisti (ESL), Jamal Warda (ESL), and Julia Villani (Canadian and World Studies). We look forward to their contributions to our school.

We were very happy to welcome over 900 people to our Regional Arts Program Open House. It was an evening of inspired and gifted performances highlighting the talent of both our students and their teachers. It was also the night in which we introduced the sixth strand of our program, Digital Media Arts. This is an exciting evolution to our already awesome program. We are excited to welcome incoming grade nine students to this and all of our RAP disciplines. For more information, feel free to contact Ms. Sandra Abate, Vice Principal – Regional Arts Program.

This year we will see the expansion of our Bring Your Own Device program to our school. As part of this, an ever-growing group of teachers and students are using personal electronic devices as part of the pedagogy of the subject under study. Attempting to model a learning environment that pushes beyond

Principal’s Message ... /2

Find us at: seh.ycdsb.ca @StElizabeth2013 STEZiMEDIA

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HARNESSING THE POWER OF OUR STUDENTS

A Prayer for FamiliesGod of life and hope,

renew in us your vision of a community made new.

Where all children can eperiencesafety and guidance, nuture and

love.Where families are strengthened

by community concern and support.Where children are valued and no

child is left behind.

God give each of us the will to work diligently.

Your wisdom to work effectively,words to inspire and noursih,

and a spirit of cooperation for the good of all children and all families,

in your name we pray. Amen

Excellence is never an accident. It is achieved only as a result of an unrelenting and vigorous insistence on the hightest standards of performance. It requires an unswerving expectancy of quality from everyone.Excellence is contagious. It infects and affects everyone. It charts the direction of a program. It establishes the criteria for planning. It provides zest and vitality. Once achieved, excellence has a talent for permeating every aspect of life.

HIGHLIGHTS

A Publication for Parents of the St. Elizabeth Catholic High School Community October / November 2016

ABSENCES: Parents must report their child’s absence by 8:10 am on a daily basis by calling the Main Office. If leaving a message, clearly state the student’s name, grade and reason for absence. Upon return from the absence, students are also required to bring a note to the Homeroom Teacher explaining the reason for absence duly signed and dated by a parent/guardian. The Homeroom Teacher will provide an “Admit to Class” slip for the subject teacher whose class the student had missed. EARLY LEAVES: Medical or personal business appointments should not be

made during school time. If a student must leave early, a note duly signed and dated by a parent/guardian must be presented to the Main Office before 8:10 am, stating the reason for the early leave and the time of departure. Early leaves are not permitted without a telephone call. If a student is ill during the day, he/she must report to the Main Office. Failure to do so may be regarded as truancy and will result in disciplinary action from the Vice Principal. Permission to leave school early is granted by the Administration and is dependent on the school contacting a parent/guardian.

Exciting News in Chaplaincy/ReligionMrs. T. Sinisi, Department Head of ReligionThe Chaplaincy and Religion departments are working hard to provide insightful learning opportunities for our students this semester. It is our hope that their experiences in the various programs listed below will engage and motivate our students to do great things.

Torch Leadership: From October 5-7, 31 students attended our Annual TORCH Leadership Conference in Wainfleet, ON, under the guidance of Sister Jacquie and Brother Bill, along with our Peer Leaders – Rebecca De Santo, Teodora Neagu, Nancy Pierri, Emma Fraschetti, Matthew Faiella, Nicholas Dinatolo and Sabastian D’Amario. Our Junior Leaders led us through a number of activities aimed at preparing them to be effective leaders within our school community. Grade 9 Retreat: Our Grade 9 students once again attended a Retreat Day at Shadow Lake and St. Bonaventure Retreat Centre. The focus of the Retreat allowed students to recognize themselves as wonderful gifts created by God, blessed with their own unique gifts and talents, meant to be used for the building up of God’s Kingdom. Grade 10 Retreat: The focus of our Grade 10 Retreat was Social Justice. Students attended

a Retreat day. Through their experience, they were led to an awareness of our Christian obligation to respond to the needs of the less fortunate in our community.

Grade 11 Temple Tours: Grade 11 classes visited 3 places of worship which provided them with an opportunity to meet religious leaders and lay persons of the various religions studied in class.

Heartbeat: A 2-day speaker symposium for all grade 9-12 students taking Religion this semester. Grade-level coordinators were busy inviting speakers and groups to come to our school and share their stories with our students. Presentation content was reflective of the course expectations and subject-specific themes for each grade level. Our Heartbeat days this semester were November 4 and November 18.

Be the Change: As part of the grade 10 CPT this year, students will be organizing and participating in a Social Justice Fair on December 20 in our school library. Students will be using social media to bring out awareness on Social Justice issues in connection to what it means to be a digital disciple. The goal is to use twitter as a digital tool that will help students to share their work with fellow students, collaborate with others and gain support for their cause. So many great things to look forward to.

Principal’s Message continued...

the classroom, teachers often invoke the use of social media, project-based learning, and other methodologies that enhance the curricular experience.

We continue to look at the redesign of our school library to complement this movement. Recognizing some of the great library designs in the community and in post-secondary learning environments, we look to redesign and rebuild our library. In order to do so, we will be looking to you, our community, for financial assistance. Look for future alerts as we develop this exciting project.

We are also happy to have launched our new website. Leading the school board in doing so, the St. Elizabeth CHS website is less cluttered, more timely, and more visually effective. Please go to seh.ycdsb.ca to take a look and to find out what’s going on in our school.

As well, we are pleased to launch our school app. Available for download on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store, the St. Elizabeth Catholic High School app will keep you apprised of all the activities that go on here.

These are very exciting times at our school and I remain both humbled and honoured to be in service to this amazing and vibrant community. God bless…

Mr. Del Allan, Vice PrincipalOnce again, the St. Elizabeth students of 2016 showcased their excellent academic abilities. Over 40 percent of them from grade 9 to grade 11 received a certificate for Honour Roll at our Awards Ceremony held on October 27, 2016. We were honoured to have Mrs. Cathy Ferlisi, Trustee, congratulate each student on their well-deserved awards. Students were not only recognized for academic excellence but also for the way they contributed their

time, talents and giftedness in building a stronger, more caring and compassionate St. Elizabeth community. The committee along with Administrative Assistant, Mrs. Luba Papulkas; Co-Chair, Mr. Kenny Ho; and volunteer students did a magnificent job of preparing the many certificates, special awards and general set-up behind the scenes. Congratulations to the many students who were honoured on this day. Well done!

2 October/November 2016

Mrs. M. Young, Department of Canadian and World Studies On the beautiful day of October 12, VIMY 2017 student delegates traveled to CFB Borden to visit the training grounds from where soldiers of the First World War traveled to France and to the battle of Vimy Ridge. The base itself celebrated 100 years this summer and has gone through great effort to preserve many of its historic elements, remaining true to the base’s motto E. Principio- “From the Beginning.” n Our delegation of 28 students and 2 teachers were greeted at the Base Borden Museum by Major John Fisher, who led students through a plan of what they will see in Arras and Vimy and what to expect during their exploration of the sacred Canadian battle grounds. Each student delegate was assigned a particular soldier from the 157th CEF Battalion Simcoe Foresters, who served and died at Vimy. Having just returned from Vimy, Major Fisher was able to illustrate to students, in detail, where each of their men served, was wounded, fell in battle, and was buried. It was an eye-opening experience for everyone and brought the reality of the sacrifice closer to home. Following his presentation, students

VIMY EXPLORED BY STUDENT DELEGATES AT CFB BORDANwere able to see and hold a WWI rifle as well as view authentic uniforms, and other one-of-a-kind artefacts stored at the Base Borden Museum. The day included a tour of the museum where Major Fisher showed and explained to students the inner working of WWI and other vehicles as well as the various firearms and weaponry used throughout the decades. Another part of the base, which we were allowed to explore, thanks to the generous spirit of the director of the museum Mr. Stuart Beaton, was Hanger 11, an original hanger from WWI preserved and used now to store aircrafts and training crafts from WWI. Again, the group was in awe of the many artefacts, personal stories of servicemen and displays of 100 year-old technology. n The military experience continued into lunch, where students were able to share in the soldier experience by eating with the serving members at Vicars mess hall. This state-of-the-art kitchen and dining hall is unique in design, award-winning in architecture and as neat and orderly as a military establishment

should be. Though some students admitted to being intimidated in the well-organized environment, it was the soldiers, in fact, who found themselves staring in curiosity at our well-dressed and

well-behaved group of students in their midst. Having cleared off their tables, pushed in their chairs, it was time to continue visiting more historic features of the base. n Because of the amazing weather that day, the group was able to walk off their lunch at Worthington Park and observe the burial place of General Worthington and others, all the while surrounded by peaceful greenery, rustling trees and tanks permanently on display

throughout the green space. The group then got back on the bus and was driven into the woods where original WWI training trenches were recently uncovered

and preserved. It was there that students crawled into and through the trenches to see, albeit for a moment, what soldiers may have felt 100 years ago when they trained for what they would expect to encounter in the battle fields of Europe. On their quiet lengthy walk through the woods, students pondered what they had experienced throughout their day, and reappeared from outside the north gates of the base at the magnificent Memorial Wall- the recently unveiled war monument. The monument designed by Canadian artist and sculptor Marlene Hilton Moore, stuns with a nine-metre polished black and white granite wall with a bronze statue of a bugler nearby. The monument itself contains the sacred soil of Vimy. The urn, encased within the black wall, holds the sacred soil of Vimy Ridge - soil mixed with the blood, sweat and tears of the Canadian men who served, fought and died in Vimy France. Thanks to the donations of local businesses and individuals, the memorial was erected to help preserve the memory of men who fought and died and the role that CFB Borden and surrounding communities played in preparing those men for their service. The memorial wall reads: To those who fall I say, “You will not die, but step into immortality. Your mothers will not lament your fate, but will have been proud to have borne such sons. Your names will be revered for ever and ever by your grateful country, and God will take you unto Himself.” General Arthur CurrieThe day was a profoundly moving one for our delegates and made a positive impression on all. Many students commented afterwards that they arrived excited and left encouraged, impassioned and proud to continue their journey to France in memory of our Canadian men who traveled from CFB Borden 100 years ago.

St. Elizabeth Catholic High School 3

TECHNOLOGICAL STUDIES IN ACTION

Making Stuff to Make a Better World!Ms. J. Dowson, Department Head of Technological Studies/Computers

Plastic bags....? What do you do with all those plastic bags?

I know! Let’s make useful stuff with them and give it away to people who need it!

St Elizabeth’s Technological Studies Department can always get behind making things for a good cause and when Librarian Ms. Romeo requested that we make a frame that would support her project of making bed mats for people in need, Justin Dematteis, Giovanni Gatto, Brendan Link, and Marc Morrison sprung into action with the guidance of Ms. Dowson. Plans were drawn up and cutting lists were compiled. Compound mitersaws and drills were skillfully employed to produce two folding frames that will help make this project a success.

L-R: Justin Dematteis, Giovanni Gatto, Marc Anthony Dematteis (photo bomb), Brendan Link, and Marc Morrison

Making for Change…Ms. M. Miranda, Department Head of Canadian and World Studies; and Ms. T. Romeo, Department Head of Library Services

On October 4, 5, and 6, our grade 9 Geography students and grade 10 Civics students

participated in the Milk Bags Unlimited Weaving Project in our Library Learning Commons. Sharon Gusz, a retired YCDSB Teacher-Librarian, spent three days with our students sharing information about her cause and teaching them how to weave. Students learned how to turn unwanted milk bags, that would otherwise have been disposed of in a landfill, into comfortable sleeping mats for developing nations. These mats are shipped to various countries in need where they are used to protect people from dampness and disease, and can also be used as mats to perform surgeries or other medical procedures. The mats are durable and can be easily cleaned. A special thank you to Ms. Dowson and our St. Elizabeth technological studies students who built excellent looms for us to use, which are hinged for easier storage. All in all, it was an educational and rewarding experience and we hope to continue our work in the future.

GRAPHIC DESIGN, HALLOWEEN and MR. WALMARTMr. D. Paolini, Visual Arts DepartmentAt the beginning of this school year, the grade 10 comprehensive art class was given a hypothical assignment. They were asked to create designs for the upcoming HALLOWEEN market place. Mr. Walmart of Walmart Discount Stores was predicting a high demand for the products of this particular season. He, therefore, wished to supply his stores with new designs for the “Paper Plate and Cup” section. Students began the assignment in their sketchbooks, compiling symbols and imagery related to Halloween. From these symbols, a few were chosen along with associated colours, then organized as a whole to create related designs - one to compliment the other. Students were given instructions on the ‘Principals of Graphic Design and Methods of Application’. They then continued to work in their sketchbooks to resolve any compositional or aesthetic difficulties. Once the design was resolved and compositionally sound, students moved forward to complete a final version for submission.

4 October/November 2016

Believe in yourself…Ms. T. Romeo, Department Head of Library Services

On September 29 during period four, our St. Elizabeth community welcomed award-winning YA author, Teresa Toten. The event took place in our Library Learning Commons, and was sponsored by our community partners, Vaughan Public Libraries. Teresa spoke to over one hundred of our St. Elizabeth students about working through the creative process, finding your voice, belonging, and mental illness. The talk was very engaging and students asked many excellent questions. The session concluded with one of our St. Elizabeth students winning a hardcover copy of Teresa’s newest book

and all students had an opportunity to talk with Teresa and get an autograph. We look forward to more presentations like this in the future.

VISUAL ARTS BABY RAPS WELCOMED Mr. D. Paolini, Visual Arts DepartmentOn October 27, at the former home of Group of Seven founding member, J.E.H. Mac Donald, located at 121 Centre Street, Thornhill, Ontario, St. Elizabeth’s NEWEST group of ‘visual art’ students were welcomed into the visual arts community. The ‘welcome’ is a major event in the visual arts calendar. It is a vehicle where the families and friends of all students within the program are invited and culminate with an exhibition of art dominated by the ‘newly minted’ grade nine students, Isabella Alvarez, Chantal Atikian, Robin Bak, Isabela Campoli, Sofia Cerasuolo, Jaeda Charlery, Alexander Fusco, Jenna Iunni, Genevieve Kale, Nicole Kondratovits, Pauine Lexanova, Chiara McLean, Alizandra Membrere, Nicholas Nesci, Isabella Nicastro, Christian Paolercio, Francesca Servin, Alvin Tam, Cristina Tantalo, Sabrina Toma, Eleni Tsatsanis, Alexis Wigston, Priscilla Wong, Sarah Young, and Pegauh Yousefirad.

Mr. Chetty welcomed all who gathered and as the Teacher of this newest edition of ‘Baby RAPS’, he emphazied this ‘sense of community’ and how important a nurturing environment is to each student in order to maximize their potential. Mr. Paolini made reference to the necessary discipline each student needs to exhibit, so that success will be achieved. Ms. Czereyska thanked the grade 12 RAP students for their contributions to the program over the past four years. An exceptional evening was enjoyed by the many who attended the event. There was a constant flow of parents, students and friends throughout. It was a clear, fresh pre-Halloween evening with plenty of snacks and drinks and ‘good will’ mixed with many lighted ‘jack o lanterns’.

St. Elizabeth Catholic High School 5

MODERN LANGUAGES COUNCIL - UPDATING CULTURE AWARENESS!Andrew Hollinger, Grade 12Our members of the Modern Languages Council are astounded to witness the growing demand for cultural

expression within St. Elizabeth Catholic High School. From our very first meeting, we discovered many diverse cultural backgrounds from our members, such as Lebanese, Korean, Jamaican, Italian, German, Irish, and several other ethnicities (and that is only a small percentage of our school). Best of all, each and every one of them came to our meeting to represent and celebrate their culture with our school, and you can too! Celebration and awareness of diverse cultural identities are two concepts that we aim to bring together within the events we plan to organize this year. Our opening event where we demonstrated this was the European Day of Languages Booth set up by the main stairway on September 29. During this event, we organized a contest where students can attempt at answering trivia questions, based on Europe’s hundreds of native languages and cultures (found in only 50 countries) and enter a free raffle give-away (congratulations to the winner, Jerome Balancio!). We observed students conversing with one another to solve particularly difficult questions, and even observed students who live out those cultures, help other students with the answers. This is truly what Modern Languages Council stands for: conversation amongst diverse cultures. We are truly motivated to pursue this purpose within the coming months. Already we have discussed events celebrating island cultures and Asian cultures, but we are always looking for more people to bring forth their own ideas. We are currently planning a big, week-long event in February where international cultures will be displayed outlining each one’s uniqueness while the whole event is to demonstrate a global culture. To be a part of this, or to just come to learn and spend some time with your friends, contact Mlle Guinci or Madame Acacio, or drop by one of our meetings

Amato, Joseph; Ammendolia, Domenic & Linda; Argentino, Antonio & Lucia; Arnone, Cathy & Joseph;

Barbar, Massara & Georges Elkhoury; Bellisario, Grace & Vince; Bellotto Ann & Mark Palumbo; Bermingham, Kevin & Jenny;

Bernardini, Tania & Roly; Borghesani, Julie; Branco, Tony & Angela; Butt, Kimberly & Robert;

Cestra, Mauro & Lidia; Chattarpaul, Keshwar & Marissa; Colavecchia, Emilia & Robert; Corrado, Julie & Carmine;

D’Ascanio, Carlo & Carmelina; De Angelis, Filippa & Claudio; DeGasperis, Rocco & Elizabeth; D’Ercole, David;

Galzote, Rene; Giannitti, Suzanne & Sandro; Ginn, Gordon & Filomena Machado; Gobbatto, Nadia;

Hendive, Arnel & Lulu; Horawski, Paul & Patricia; Jardine, Michele; Javier Moya, Alberto & Mallarelys;

Kazakos, Jerry & Karen; Lexanov, Iouri & Yulia; Libertucci, Angelo & Carmen; Luchetta, Gina & Tony;

Macchia, Lisa & Salvatore; Magro, Paolo & Susan; Malfara-Taus, Giovanna & Leonardo Taus;

Marinelli, Robert & Mimi; Martinho, Elio & Briolange; Mauro, Fank & Associates; Mazzucco, Maria;

McGarry, Monica & Noel Doyle; Mendicino, Antonella; Miceli, Connie; Moretti, Rino & Anna;

Muraca, Frank & Anna; Musacato, Linda & Francesco; North End Interiors Ltd.; Nunez, Joselito & Shirley;

Ortega, Monica Vaneza; Primier, Margaret; Punzalan-Olazo, Wilma; Racanelli, Sandra & Joseph; Ragni, Frank & Carmela Camardi; Ricardos, Merlita;

Romano, Enzo & Maria; Sanchez, Roberto & Hernandez Claudia; Seo, Yoon Taek & Eun Hyun Kwon; Thompson, Catherine;

Toma, Patricia & Joseph; Vallescura, Domenic & Lucia; Wigston, Guy

THANK YOU, PARENTS, FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR DONATION

CAMPAIGN

RAP-ROM-PICASSO-AFRICAN ART-CUBISM.Connecting The Dots On History…Mr. D. Paolini, Visual Arts DepartmentIt was a visit to the Royal Ontario Museum, which allowed the grade 10 rap visual arts students an opportunity to examine, observe and familiarize themselves with the museum’s ‘African Mask’ collection. While at the

museum, students completed 3 Tonal Studies, in their sketchbooks, working directly from the ‘masks’ to better appreciate their construction and how these African works inspired a whole generation of artists, particularly Pablo Picasso and George Braque who moved this influence further than most artists of the period [1910-1920] and ultimately developed a new movement in art, which was to become known as ‘CUBISM’. The information obtained at the museum, by the students, was developed into an enlarged ‘graphite’ study of an African mask, which was then juxtaposed with a ‘gouache’ study of Picasso’s iconic painting, ’Les Demoiselles d Avignon’. One to compliment the other and illustrate the significance of the former to the later. Connecting the dots on history.

6 October/November 2016

VIVE LES MASQUES! Mme R. Bernabei, Department Head of FSL and International Languages

On October 17, all academic French classes were treated to a special theatrical mask presentation in the school Theater presented by Faustwork Mask Theatre. A single actress upon the stage, along with over 25 masks, transformed herself into different characters by altering her body language with minimal costume changes. The students were in awe as the different personalities came to life and the actress left unrecognizable. The actress spoke French and several students were asked to come on stage to act out an impromptu scene about the mask they chose. Students did a great job getting into character and allowing themselves to let the mask dictate their movement. Faust Work Theatre is committed to exploring and celebrating the art of the Mask, to challenging and delighting audiences of all ages with a unique synthesis of theatre, physical comedy, music, dance, and poetry. (Faustwork website) Faustwork has appeared since 1983 at a variety of venues, including the Sydney Opera House in Australia and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The Theatre’s solo and duo shows tour annually to theatres, festivals, universities, corporate events, and schools in the U.S. and Canada. They

On November 24, St. Elizabeth is proud to present “The 6ix,” a SEMI-FORMAL for our grade 11 students that not only celebrate the students of

our school, but the city in which we live. The event is sponsored by Student Council and will be held at The Royalton Banquet Hall in Woodbridge from 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm SHARP. This year, we are having a closed-door policy, whereby guests are asked to arrive at the hall no later than 7:00 pm sharp, or else entry will not be permitted. There will be no in-and-out privileges for security reasons as well. Music, generated from local and international artists, will entertain guests during the dinner hours. Guests will enjoy a scrumptious meal, dancing, and later in the evening, a yummy dessert table. In true form of being a Torontonian, a photo booth area, outfitted with Toronto-themed props, will allow students to capture these exciting moments with their friends, and allow them to take ‘selfies’ in true Toronto style. Student Council would like to encourage all grade 11s to attend this event. It is, after all, about you and your grade! Thank you to Principal, Mr. Heinrich and the entire St. Elizabeth administration team for their support in helping to bring this exciting event to life. Stay tuned to the St. Elizabeth Student Council Twitter for photos from this fantastic event! Only cheques will be accepted as a form of payment. If you haven’t purchased tickets yet, see your Student Council members in the SAC office on all three lunches.

INTRODUCING DIGITAL MEDIA ARTS TO OUR REGIONAL ARTS PROGRAMMr. F. Galang, Department of Digital Media Arts

The St. Elizabeth Regional Arts Program will be expanding to include a specialized Digital Media Arts program. Digital Media Arts will be another path in the Regional Arts Program and aligns well with many of the prospects that our graduates can explore in their post secondary experiences. Students can apply for this discipline for our upcoming school year - September 2017-18. Deemed as a first of its kind in our school board, St. Elizabeth Digital Media Arts will focus on all aspects of digital art (non-traditional practices), illustration, character design (for video game applications), and animation (both classical and digital). The Media Arts stream combines foundation studies in drawing and computer-based technology offering students high-demand skills in our ever-evolving digital landscape. The curriculum is designed to maximize student potential and develop their creative spirit through a variety of expanded opportunities. Students will use their art and technology skills for outreach projects that are developed with partners in our community as well. Aside from nurturing creative potential, the program also aims to prepare students for post secondary and workplace pathways. With an emphasis on portfolio development, every student will be given an opportunity to exhibit (through year-end and off-site shows), curate and prepare their own body of work for assessment within their chosen pathways. For more information about the program, Media Arts news, and student galleries, please visit our website: www.stedigital.com. Your creative future awaits.

offer performances suitable for a wide range of venues, from larger performing arts centers, to festival tents and school gymnasiums. What a wonderful, cultural opportunity for our students.

ADRIANA SUPPA AUDITIONS FOR SPOT IN ONTARIO HONOUR BAND Mr. J. Lettier i, Music Department

Adrianna Suppa auditioned for a spot in the Ontario Honour Band. The Honour Band performed at the Ontario Music Educators’ Conference held this year in Niagara Falls. On November 2 to 5, Adrianna participated all week in intense rehearsing and performing, working with the top music students in Ontario, under the leadership and conducting of Dr. Wendy McCallum. Adrianna represented our school with professionalism and exemplary artistry. Congratulations Adrianna, well done!

Adriana Suppa is trying-out a new trumpet on display at one of the booths.

St. Elizabeth Catholic High School 7

Mrs. M. Young, Department of Canadian and World Studies

…We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, loved and were loved, and now we lie in Flanders

Fields.Every November 11, we pause to remember the men and women of this great nation who paid the ultimate sacrifice in World War One and in all other wars and peace-keeping missions. The sacrifice of so many for so few is especially important to remember this year, as we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme (Beaumont-Hamel) and the upcoming 100th anniversary of Vimy Ridge - Canada’s greatest military victory. Remembrance Day, this year, is especially significant to the 28 student delegates who will be representing St. Elizabeth as they travel to participate in the 100th commemoration ceremonies at Vimy Ridge this coming April. There, they will see the names of tens of thousands etched into the monument that reminds us all that our freedom is not free. On November 11, we paused to remember the over 118,000 Canadians who gave their lives in defense of freedom and the values we hold so dear.

We began our commemorations this year during Veteran’s Week, where the Vimy 2017 Student Delegation hosted an evening of music, poetry and song to thank and honour veterans and serving members of the Canadian Armed forces for their service and sacrifice. “A Night to Remember… Lest We Forget”, hosted on Tuesday November 8, in the school cafeteria, included music, poetry and song from WWI as well as a piper from the 48th Highlander Regiment, and an array of student art, paying tribute to the sacrifice of those who served in war. We encouraged everyone to come and support this worthy event with their presence, as a personal way of saying thank you.

On Remembrance Day, the school participated in a solemn commemoration ceremony during period 2, which focused on our opportunity to reflect on the many contributions and sacrifices of Canadian men and women during war time, peace missions and National Defense, and to be grateful for their bravery and selflessness. This Remembrance Day also marked several important milestones in our country’s military history after WWI: the 100th anniversary of the formation of the No. 2 Construction Battalion, the first Black battalion in Canadian history, the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Hong Kong, the 65th anniversary of the Battle of Kapyong, the 60th anniversary of the Suez Crisis, the creation of Peacekeeping, and the 25th anniversary of the Gulf War, and liberation of Kuwait.

The special reflections throughout the week and the special prayer which began our solemn observance on November 11, set the respectful tone for Veteran’s Week and the Remembrance Day service. The 25-minute service highlighted this year’s memorials through reflection, poetry and songs performed by our staff and students. Mrs. Young and Mr. Cheng thank the Vimy 2017 delegation, as well as the staff and students who generously gave of their time to help make Veteran’s Week and Remembrance Day ceremony a meaningful and memorable one for the entire school and surrounding community. To all who served, who paid the ultimate sacrifice, and who continue to serve on our behalf, we at St. Elizabeth say Thank you. We Will Remember.

They shall not grow old as we that are young grow old.

Age shall not weary them, nor the years

condemn. At the going down of

the sun and in the morning, we well remember them.

November 11 Remembrance Day 2016 POST-SECONDARY TIMEThe Guidance Department The Guidance department welcomed various Universities, Colleges and Job Skills Canada to St. Elizabeth Catholic High School. The day was an excellent opportunity to inform students about life after St. Elizabeth. Post-Secondary realities came alive as University and College representatives discussed post-secondary options. Students were able to ask questions to University and College representatives about specific programs and course requirements. We would like to thank all of the post-secondary institutions for their time.

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STUDENT ACTIVITYFEE2016 - 2017 ALLOCATIONS(AS OF NOVEmbEr 1, 2016)

PROJECTED EXPENDITURESAthletics $34,000.00

Awards (Certificates, Trophies & Ceremonies $ 9,000.00

Catholic School Council Donation $ 8,425.00

Communications (Mailings, Newsletters, etc.) $ 8,000.00

Locks $ 4,500.00

Grade 9 Orientation, Heartbeat, Spiritual Ministry $ 5,000.00

Clubs, Councils and Leadership $ 8,845.00

School Assemblies, Guest Speakers, Special Events $ 8,000.00

School Production $ 9,000.00

Stewardship $ 4,000.00

Student Development & Technology $ 8,900.00

Yearbook $48,000.00

The following represents the distribution of the Student Activity Fee ($95.00). Student enrolment for 2016-2017 is 1682.1677 Students (Full Year) @ $95.00 $159,315.005 Students for One Semester @ $50.00 $250.00 TOTAL: $159,565.00

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENTMs. N. Filice, Department Head of Health and Physical EducationThe Health and Physical Education department is focusing on games for understanding and cooperative games to work on movement skills. Some outdoor activity classes are taking part in soccer, flag football, softball, tennis and ultimate frisbee. Also, the grade 10 classes will be going on a rock climbing field trip to True North Climbing at Dowsview Park. We look forward to the grade 9s taking part in their self defense as well as receiving certification in CPR. Our grade 11 and 12 fitness focus courses have been working out both in the weight room and the gym to improve their personal fitness goals.

On the academic side, we teach health units that include important topics and lifestyle information such as fitness, healthy eating, personal safety and injury prevention, substance use, addictions and related behaviours, human development, and sexual health. We are encouraging all our students to learn how to live a healthy, happy and productive life. The following is a list of the

fall season teams and the teachers that have volunteered to coach:FALL PANTHER ATHLETIC TEAMS – 2016 Junior Boys Soccer – Ms. Puopolo and Mr. ChieraSenior Boys Soccer – Mr. Chiera, Ms. Coulis and Ms. GuinciJunior Girls Basketball – Ms. Cruz and

Mrs. ZiorliSenior Girls Basketball – Ms. Watt and Ms. Murgaski

OSSLT: This year’s Grade 10 Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test will be written on

Thursday, March 30, 2017

To help our students achieve success, a series of in-school supports will be provided

for them. Students and parents are also encouraged to visit www.eqao.com for more information and strategies on how to prepare for writing the test. Every student must successfully pass this test in order to

meet graduation requirements.

TENNIS TEAM CAPTURES THE TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPMs. N. Filice and Mr. M. Snia-tenchuk, CoachesThis year’s tennis team was committed and worked to improve

their play. After the preliminary tournament, St. Elizabeth had seven athletes qualify for the York Region Championship Tournament: Christian D’Souza, Nicole Kondratovits, Cathy Xu, Monica Zmija, Emma Ammendolia, Jessica LaMantia, and Victoria Freitas. All these St. Elizabeth tennis players gave their best effort and we ended with two doubles teams capturing FIRST place gold medals, Christian D’Souza and Nicole Kondratovits in mix doubles and Cathy Xu and Monica Zmija in girls doubles. The two first place finishes allowed the Junior Tennis team to capture the Junior Team Championship for St. Elizabeth. Congratulations!

Senior Boys Volleyball – Mr. Galloro Cross Country – Mrs. Buzdon, Ms. Colburn and Ms. GuobadiaJunior & Senior Tennis – Mr. Sniatenchuk and Ms. FiliceBoys Golf – Mr. Cugliari and Mr. LayneGirls Golf – Ms. McKeough and Ms. Dowson We wish all these St. Elizabeth teams all the best in their

season.

St. Elizabeth Catholic High School 9

TRUSTEE MESSAGEMrs. Cathy Ferlisi and Mrs. Teresa CiaravellaA sincere welcome to new families and to those returning to the St. Elizabeth school community. Congratulations to the newly-elected and returning members of the St. Elizabeth Catholic School Council – involved parents really do make a difference. We look forward to working with you during the school year. We send our congratulations to all Honor Roll Students and students that have won various awards. We are very proud of your accomplishments. We look forward to attending many of the events for the RAP program and the comprehensive program throughout the school year. May the Holy Spirit guide our students during this school year in appreciating the love of Jesus Christ. As always, you may reach either of us at:

Concord/Thornhill Residents:Cathy Ferlisi

Tel: 416-565-7087Email: cathy.ferlisi@ycdsb.ca

Website: trustee.ycdsb.ca/ferlisiFacebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/trusteeferlisi/

Twitter: @TrusteeFerlisi

Maple Residents:Teresa Ciaravella

Tel: 416-832-4562Email: teresa.ciaravella@ycdsb.ca

Website: trustee.ycdsb.ca/ciaravella

COME JOIN US AT OUR PARENT WORKSHOPWe solemnly reflect on the martyrdom of our Saints and pray for the repose of our loved ones especially during the month of November. Please remember our fallen soldiers. Respectfully, pay tribute to veterans who served and are still with us today. It is our obligation to recall and appreciate their sacrifice. Together let us pray for peace, freedom and tolerance.

You are cordially invited to attend the upcoming workshop on Tuesday, November 22 at 7:00 pm at St. Joseph the Worker CES (475 Brownridge Drive) in the gym. Our Keynote speaker is Dr. Patricia Bucci. You’ll gain useful tips and strategies after hearing her speak on “Are We Stressing Out Our Children?” Light refreshments will be provided. Register online at: www.ycdsb.eventbrite.ca. Register by November 15, 2016. I also look forward to seeing you at the upcoming Santafest Parade taking place on Sunday, November 27 at 2:00 pm. The parade runs from Jane Street to Keele Street along Major Mackenzie Drive. As always, I remain a phone call or email away. Feel free to contact me at: cathy.ferlisi@ycdsb.ca or by phone at 416-565-7087. Feel free to visit my website at: www.trustee.ycdsb.ca/ferlisi; my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/trusteeferlisi or follow me on Twitter@TrusteeFerlisi

THE ST. ELIZABETH CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL “HIGHLIGHTS” is a newsletter that is published four times a year for parents of the St. Elizabeth Catholic High School community. ADMINISTRATIVE ADVISOR: Mr. John HeinrichEDITOR: Ms. Amy Del Greco

ENGLISH CLASSES PARTICIPATE IN THE GLOBAL READ ALOUDMs. Coniglio, English Department

Ms. Coniglio’s English classes participated in The Global Read Aloud. The project is truly a global one, as over 1,000,000 students from 60 differ-ent countries participated this year. Each year, participating students from kindergarten to high school, select a book from a recommended book list to read together and set out to make as many global connections with other students as possible. n This year, Ms. Coniglio’s classes read New York Times Best Seller and 2016 Coretta Scott King Award Winner All American Boys by Brendan Kiely and Jason Reynolds. The book is narrated from the perspec-tive of two teens—one black, one white—as they deal with the consequences of a deeply violent act that leaves their school, their community, and, the country bitterly divided by racial tension. n Students participated in weekly Twitter chats about the book with 20 schools worldwide —from Canada & the United States, and as far away as Tokyo and Sweden. The authors responded to student questions and participated in the Twitter chats. Monica Zmija, grade 9, says of the project: reading All American Boys with the Global Read Aloud made reading even more interesting; instead of just reading the book with only our class, the Twitter chats helped me appreciate what my peers, and other students around the world, had to say. After meeting through the Global Read Aloud, students also had the pleasure of working closely with Mrs. Bauer’s class from Manitoulin Secondary School. Via Google Hangouts and Google Slides, students from both schools cooperatively worked on researching and creating presentations about social justice issues they were interested in learning more about. n Ms. Coniglio’s grade 9 students will be discussing Romeo & Juliet with a school in Stockton, Missouri; the grade 11s will be reading A Raisin in The Sun with a school in Tidewater, Virginia; and grade 10s will be discussing Lord of the Flies with a school in Florida.

10 October/November 2016

GRADE 9 EQAO MATHEMATICS TESTING - 2017

This year’s Grade 9 EQAO Mathematics testing

will take place on:

JANUARY 24 & 25, 2017FOR SEMESTER 1 STUDENTS

**************************

JUNE 13 & 4, 2017FOR SEMESTER 2 STUDENTS

All grade 9 students are required to participate in the EQAO Mathematics testing. This test will take place in the semester in which Mathematics is taken. Grade 9 students who are struggling in their academic or applied mathematics courses are encouraged to register for an after school mathematics program, which will help them prepare for their EQAO mathematics test. For more information, please contact the Mathematics Department. Grade 9 students and their parents are encouraged to visit www.eqao.com for information and strategies on how to prepare for writing this test and to download sample practice booklets.

SCHOOL BUS CANCELLATION INFORMATIONOn occasion, service cancellation due to inclement weather conditions may be required. Parents, students and school staff are asked to access the following radio and television stations after 6:00 am. to receive bus cancellation information or check our website: www.schoolbuscity.com prior to heading out to your bus stop.NEWS 640 AM CJBC 860 AMCISS 92.5 FM CJKX 89.9 FMCFRB 1010 AM CHUM 1050 AMSRC 90.3 FM JACK 92.5 FMCHIN 1540 AM Q107 107 FMCKDX 88.5 FM CHFI 98.1 FMCBC 99.1 FM CKFM 99.9 FMCHUM 104.5 CHAY 93.1 FMCHIN 100.7 FM CJEZ 97.3 FMNEWS 680 AM CJCL 590 AMCITY TV THE NEW VR TVTHE WEATHER CHANNEL CFTO TVTHE A CHANNELPlease note that a bus cancellation message will also be available at 1-877-330-3001 after 6:30 a.m. Student Transportation Services of York Region thanks you for your support as we continually focus on providing safe transportation for all of our students. The above procedure is not applicable to School Charters. The school Principal is responsible for cancelling these arrangements.TO CHECK WHY YOUR BUS IS LATE OR HAS NOT SHOWN UP, PLEASE CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING SITE: www.ycdsb.ca Click Parents & Students Click School Buses

ST.EZ PRODUCTIONS IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE...our upcoming Spring performance of Disney’s The Little Mermaid on April 5-8, 2017. This magical story takes place “Under

the Sea” and will be a must see for all ages. Allow this musical to be “A Part of Your World” by staying tuned for further information regarding meetings, audition dates and ticket sales.

Catholic Student Award Winner 2016!

Each year, the Catholic Education Foundation of Ontario asks all of our Catholic High Schools in the province to nominate and submit the name of an outstanding student

to be the recipient of the C.E.F.O. Catholic Student Award. This is a unique opportunity for the Catholic education community, in a provincial forum, to recognize and celebrate the excellence and accomplishments of our young Catholic men and women. It is also a tribute to the positive influence, inspiration and works of our Catholic teachers, chaplains, school administrators and of course the students’ parents.

This year’s recipient is Adrianna Suppa. She is an amazing student leader in our school. She sits on many clubs and helps out on a wide variety of events. She is kind, helpful, considerate, dependable, and always wears this amazing smile that lights up anyone’s day. People are always impressed by her pure of heart nature and humility. She is truly unforgettable! Here is just a short list of some of Adrianna’s accomplishments. • Member of the Peer Ministry Team for the past 3 years• President of the Best Buddies program for the past 3 years• Member of many school bands• Member of the RAP (Regional Arts Program) Instrumental Program• Member of the President’s Council for the past 3 years• Outside of school, Adrianna participates in many music festivals• She has been a member of the Toronto Youth Wind Orchestra for the past 2 yearsCongratulations Adrianna!

St. Elizabeth Catholic High School 11

LOCAL PARISHESST. JOSEPH THE WORKER PARISH

191 Wade Gate, Thornhill L4J 5Y4

Tel: 905-660-1253Fax: 905-660-1254

Email: stjosephtheworker@rogers.com

ST. PASCHAL BAYLON CHURCH92 Steeles Avenue West, Thornhill,

L4J 1A1Tel: 905-889-9021

Fax: 905-889-7867Email: st.paschalbaylon@rogers.com

ST. DAVID’S PARISH2601 Major Mackenzie Drive, Maple

L6A 1C6Tel: 905-832-5595

Fax: 905-832-6524Email: stdavids@rogers.com

CONTACT INFORMATIONSt. Elizabeth Catholic High School

525 New Westminster DriveThornhill, Ontario L4J 7X3

Tel: 905-882-1460Fax: 905-882-5074

Guidance Fax: 905-882-9283Website: http://seh.ycdsb.ca

EVENTS CALENDARN O V E M B E RThursday, November 24SEMI-FORMAL6:00 pm at the Royalton Banquet Hall

Friday, November 25P.A. DAY (NO CLASSES)

Wednesday, November 30CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETING at 6:30 pm (Paraliturgy)

D E C E M B E R Wednesday, December 14ADVENT LITURGY

Monday, December 26 toFriday, January 6CHRISTMAS BREAK

J A N U A R YMonday, January 9CLASSES RESUME

Wednesday, January 11CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETING at 7:00 pm (Library)

Saturday, January 21REGIONAL ARTS PROGRAMWORKSHOP from 8:30 am to Noon

Tuesday, January 24Wednesday, January 25MATH EQAO TESTING for all Grade 9s taking Mathematics Semester One

Friday, January 27 toWednesday, February 1FORMAL EXAMS

CATHOLIC SCHOOL COUNCIL UPDATEMrs. Barbara Biggart, ChairA warm welcome to our new and returning families, administration and staff of St. Elizabeth Catholic High School to make this a fulfilling and successful year. I would like to introduce you to the newly elected Catholic School Council for this year. The members of the executive are Barbara Biggart, Chair; Lucy Mazzonna, Vice-Chair; Tomie Faiella, Treasurer; and Lucie Fank, Secretary. The parent representatives are Grace Bellisario, Kim Butt, Rob Butt, Julie Corrado, Ivana Dei Mei Sframeli, David D’Ercole, Diane Fuoco, Debra Iannatuono, Michael Iannatuono, Loretta Paterek-Mendes, Gary, Linda Sacino, Gary Thompson and Connie Vergura.

For upcoming meetings, please check our website: http://seh.ycdsb.ca

All parents are welcome to attend and participate, so please join us. You can learn a great deal about what is happening at your child’s school and network with other parents.

St. Elizabeth Catholic School Council raises funds every year to purchase materials and equipment for the enhancement of the curriculum for students. This is based on a student activity fee and additional fundraising by parents. The items purchased by Catholic School Council complement their programs and add to the education of students.

This past year, Council was asked to help fund the purchase of chromebooks for the school. We also helped pay for an upgrade to the dance floor in the dance practice room. In addition, we were able to help pay for OSSLT booklets and contribute to the grade 12 graduation. As you can see, without your generosity, these items would not be available to our students. We want to thank you for your support in the past and for any future contributions you wish to make. We appreciate your support and may God bless you.

HIGHLIGHTS is a newsletter that is published

four times a year for Parent(s)/Guardian(s) of the

St. Elizabeth Catholic High School community.

EDITORMs. Amy Del Greco

INTRODUCING THE ST. ELIZABETH APPMs. S. Abate, Vice PrincipalYou can now keep up to date with everything that is happening at St. Elizabeth CHS through the St. Elizabeth CHS app by SchoolInfoApp . This is available for all mobile devices.

With the St. Elizabeth CHS new app, you can:

n Keep up with all of our latest news, informa-tion and announcementsn Find out about events and activitiesn Contact teachers and staffn Get important documents, picture galleries & other median Track homework, tests and projects through a virtual assignment bookn Help promote school safety through the TipLinen Get emergency notificationsYou can download the app as follows:https://www.siacanada.com/api/global/MarketRedirector/1079

12 October/November 2016