pickering college summer 2015

the

PILLARS

m i n d , b o d y , s p i r i t

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3

Head Shots 4

Light The Way is Underway! 6

Educating the Whole Child: Mind, Body, Spirit 8

Student Life 14

Kudos 22

Residence Life 23

Athletics 24

Grade 8 Graduation and Kindergrads 25

Class of 2015 26

Alumni News 28

Passings 30

Alumni Reunions 32

Staff News 34

PCA Update 35

Three Cheers for Our Talented PC Volunteers 36

Upcoming Events 38

table of contents

Vanessa Chiu, Grade 12Pencil crayon on paper

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Head Shots MIND | BODY | SPIRIT

In this issue you will be interested to learn more about the long-standing approach at Pickering College that has always made our school truly

innovative and, consistent with our Mission, a leader in education. Embodied in the theme of Mind, Body, Spirit is the recognition that successful teaching and learning is grounded in a belief that focuses on the potential of each individual.

Today, with the introduction of our Global Leadership Program, we continue to build on that belief to create the type of young people—entrepreneurial, innovative, creative, open-minded and resilient—who will be contributors to their community and who will offer their leadership when the opportunity arises, whatever that might mean for them individually.

What has uniquely distinguished our school throughout our history is the role that Quakerism has played in defining our approach to teaching and learning. This includes the belief that there is a divine spirit in every human being and therefore the belief that all human beings have equal worth and dignity. At Pickering we often refer to this as “finding the light” within each child—that inner potential that is waiting to shine upon the world. Hence, Quakers believe that education is an ‘opening up,’ rather than a ‘filling up’ and we therefore work with each student to find and express their unique qualities and passions.

We also seek to instil in our students the recognition that they must approach the world in a similar way. This means using silence and stillness to search for truth; it means a focus on simplicity, equality, peace and consensus-building. Quakers are known for leading purposeful lives and have made major sacrifices for social justice. Staying true to these values means that we want to be creating ethical, values-based social innovators who look for the best in every person; who work to empower others; who have the moral courage and capability to make informed and ethical decisions and take purposeful actions that inspire others; who display a spirit of care and compassion for those in the world who are disadvantaged or dispossessed; and who have the courage to accept their ability and their responsibility to change the world.

At the Closing Meeting for Worship each year, the well-known “Message from an Old Boy” poses the following question:

False propaganda, age-old prejudices, hasty decisions and jealousies are hard things to combat. But they have been combatted successfully at Pickering. There you live with people of almost every creed, of many races, of many tongues. Do the students of Pickering ever stop to think why they can do this, while so many in other places cannot? I’ll bet most of them don’t.

Although written decades ago, the same question could still be asked today. The answer, I believe, lies in the pages ahead; a consistent focus on academic excellence, physical resiliency and moral depth—Mind, Body, Spirit. That is the heart and soul of a Pickering education.

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Just before school ended for 2014-2015, I took some time to pause and consider

the construction underway for the Dining Hall expansion. Work is steadily progressing to add space for 100 more students. The children in Junior School have been delighted by the presence of “mighty machines” out the window as they eat lunch.

It is exhilarating to realize that this very tangible step in the Campus Master Plan is now reality.

Back in 2010, we outlined an exciting future for Pickering College in our Strategic Plan. And we have progressed through that plan, from the implementation of the Global Leadership Program, to outdoor education, to finding our ideal size, to a rigorous new financial plan for the future, to providing exceptional teaching and learning spaces. Past Board Chair Ian Proudfoot was the architect

of that ambitious effort. He was fond of saying, “If we don’t move boldly, we will be in the same place, having the same conversations about the future of the school five years from now.” Thank you, Ian, for encouraging the Board to make these bold plans a reality. Look at us now!

Unlike many other schools, family-style

dining, led by a teacher, is an essential part of the Pickering College

educational experience. –Kelly Mason, PC Board Chair

The Light The Way campaign, which is dedicated to raising funds necessary for our campus improvements, captures so

much of the imagination of the strategic plan. Funding teaching and learning spaces means ambitious educational plans can find a home. We are very grateful that funding for the Dining Hall is a priority for many of our initial donors. As a Community, we must continue the momentum through donating to the Light The Way capital campaign. The Dining Hall is a perfect start for our campus improvement efforts. Unlike many other schools, family-style dining, led by a teacher, is an essential part of the Pickering College educational experience. It has been so since the implementation of the advisor, or counsellor, system developed by PC in the 1930s. The opportunity to engage and interact, learn table manners and share customs, the opportunity for a teacher to note a student’s needs or their achievements in a casual and friendly atmosphere, provides lasting value for child and parent alike.

REPORT FROM KELLY MASON, CHAIR

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The expanded Dining Hall will have some much needed improvements, like a vestibule with new washrooms, doors outside to a future patio space, energy efficient windows and walls, new air conditioning and heating systems for comfort, a sound system and a new floor. However, the spirit and look of the Dining Hall, built in 1966, remains. We plan to dedicate the Dining Hall in honour of an individual important to our school, who started here as a student and progressed to involvement in every facet of Pickering. The naming will be unveiled at the Welcome BBQ in the fall, followed by a formal dedication during Reunion Weekend 2015 (October 1–3). We hope as many alumni and friends as possible will return for this event!

But this is an article about Light The Way—a $10 million capital campaign. I am so proud to say that we have raised $2 million from kind and generous

donors, including a lead gift of $1 million from the Waters family.

Past parents Jim and Sheila Waters, together with their daughters Maxine ’02 and Ellie Mae ’05, said simply that they wanted to give back, to recognize the good in Pickering, and to provide for the school’s future. The Waters also provided us with our wonderful CHOP FM radio station in 2007 and Jim remains Chair of the CHOP FM board. CHOP FM plays a key role in teaching and learning in our Global Leadership Program and allows Pickering to play a leading role in providing communications and media education.

We have also received generous leadership gifts from alumni, board members, corporation members, staff and parents. We have received gifts-in-kind of construction materials and essential advice and guidance. Adam

Floyd, current parent and Chair of the Facilities Committee, seems to spend most of his time these days in meetings to move this project forward and his time and effort have been Herculean.

So much is underway! We welcome your support and feedback. Together with Headmaster Peter Sturrup; Kim Bilous, Executive Director Development; and dedicated senior fundraising volunteers, we will be in touch about your opportunity to support the future of Pickering College, your opportunity to Light The Way.

I hope you had a wonderful summer. I look forward to seeing all of our current families in September, and welcoming our alumni and alumni parents in October and during the school year.

You and your family are a part of Pickering College’s history. Support the Light The Way campaign and be a part of our future.

IS UNDERWAY!

The Dining Hall expansion broke ground in early May and will be unveiled at the Welcome Barbecue on September 8, 2015.

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OF THE PC BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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TO EDUCATE THE WHOLE CHILD—

MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT—IS WHAT

PICKERING COLLEGE HAS ALWAYS

DONE. IN THIS ISSUE OF THE PILLARS,

YOU WILL LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW

PICKERING HAS SHAPED GRADUATES

OVER OUR 173-YEAR HISTORY AND

HOW WE ARE PREPARING FUTURE

GLOBAL LEADERS TO BE READY FOR

WHATEVER OCCURS, WHEREVER THEIR

LIFE JOURNEYS TAKE THEM.

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EDUCATING THE WHOLE CHILD:

HELPING STUDENTS TO SUCCEED THROUGH INDIVIDUALIZED LEARNING

Pickering College has always prided it-self on being a pioneer in education.

With our roots as a Quaker school stretch-ing back over 170 years, we have evolved with the times yet stayed true to the prin-ciples on which we were founded.

After serving as a military hospital follow-ing the First World War, when the school re-opened in 1927 it reaffirmed its com-mitment to character education with a strong focus on individualized learn-ing under the guidance of Headmaster Joseph McCulley.

In the school’s prospectus, published in 1927, Albert S. Rogers, Chair, stated: “It is recognized that it is impossible for all pupils to proceed at an equal rate in all subjects, and for this reason much of the work of the school will be conducted by the small group and individual method. This system provides greater opportunity for thorough teaching by the staff and a fuller appreciation and understanding of the work by the pupils.”

Individualized learning is an approach to education that goes against the tradi-tional school model of students adapting to fit the environment. Instead, Pickering College adapts the environment to fit the students.

“Education is very different from mere instruction,” McCulley once wrote. “It is not just the ‘hammering in’ of a series of facts but rather the bringing out of capa-bilities, innate and inherent, in every in-dividual. Nor is it, as many insist, training for life. Education is life itself.”

In this, and in many other respects, Mc-Culley was ahead of his time.

“We were the first school to have a psy-chologist on staff,” says Stephanie Forgie,

Learning Services. “Joe was really ahead of his time in terms of being forward thinking and looking at the students as a whole and not just compartmentalized into educational pieces.”

Forgie’s grandfather, Harry Beer, became Headmaster in 1953. Beer carried on the philosophy and work that began with McCulley.

Differentiated instruction is responsive to students’ readiness, interests and learning preferences.

It gives teachers flexibility to meet the needs of

different learners and it offers students choice.

“Under his care, Pickering was often thought of as a place where students could go that maybe needed a second chance and there are a lot of success sto-ries out of that,” says Forgie.

In a note to students at the conclusion of the school year in 1960, Beer wrote: “You go to school for self-knowledge and for the training of the mind through self-dis-cipline, so that you may be of service to mankind. The complexity of our society today demands well-trained and highly-skilled minds. Each of you must therefore develop his own potential to the full and now is the time to measure your growth in things of the mind.”

Fast forward over half a century—the groundwork laid by McCulley and Beer continues on, today. Individualized learn-ing now takes shape as differentiated instruction in the classroom and the stu-dents who need a little extra help have the support of Learning Services.

Differentiated instruction is responsive to students’ readiness, interests and learning preferences. It gives teachers flexibility to meet the needs of different learners and it offers students choice.

“We now understand that excellence in teaching comes from the ability of know-ing each child’s strengths, their learning preferences and areas they need to im-prove,” says Kimberly Bartlett, Director of Teaching and Learning. “Faculty at Pick-ering College have had extensive profes-sional development in accomplishing this in their teaching. All of our faculty differ-entiate their teaching and assessments to reach each individual child in the classroom. In fact, our Global Leadership Program is grounded in this philosophy. Through our unique program, students have the opportunity to strive and chal-lenge themselves in a multitude of ways, through their academics and co-curric-ulars. We believe in giving each student their chance to shine.”

And shine they do. You just need to look through the Student Life and Kudos sec-tions in this issue of The Pillars to see countless examples of how PC students are striving to achieve.

But sometimes figuring out how children learn best requires assistance from Learn-ing Services. In recent years, the con-cept of having a learning disability has emerged from the shadows and no lon-ger carries the stigma it once did.

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EDUCATING THE WHOLE CHILD:

OUTDOOR EDUCATION TAKES THE CLASSROOM OUTSIDE

Pickering College has always prided itself on teaching outdoor education

skills that move students beyond the classroom and out into the natural world.

When the school relocated to Newmarket in 1909, thanks to a generous gift of land from the Rogers family, it was situated on 250 acres of wilderness that had a working farm. As part of their curriculum, students took part in everything from helping at the dairy farm, to looking after the pigs, to picking apples and working in the vegetable gardens.

In the 1930s, at the initiative of Headmaster Joseph McCulley and C.R. “Blackie” Blackstock, Head of Physical Education, senior students travelled to week-long adventures at Limberlost Lodge in Algonquin Park for days of skiing and sledding. McCulley had previously served for three years as Assistant Director of the YMCA Boys Camp in Muskoka and, with Blackie, instituted our long history of outdoor education.

Junior students constructed “Myerstown,” a replica pioneer village, on school property in 1942. Outdoor projects included navigation, archery (with bows and arrows made in the shop, under the careful watch of shop teacher and artist Rudy Renzius), a fish pond and a vegetable garden.

Beginning in the 1950s, students in Grades 7 and 8 also enjoyed camping trips to the bush to “make a concentrated

study of conservation.” Overnight camp-ing trips began under the direction of W.H. Jackman, Director of the Preparatory Department. In the 1960s, the program moved from Limberlost to Albion Hills School in Caledon.

“The body and soul are sensitive in that they

require complete harmony if we wish to

be successful and benefiting to those

around us.” –Ray McLellan ’67

From 1909 to 1982, the school property was the “playground” for the local and school community, with trees to climb, rivers for tug-of-war competitions, swimming holes to bathe in, forests to play ‘capture the flag,’ fields to run in, and hills to ski. Our annual Booker’s Run, started in 1980 by French teacher Larry Thornton, and named in honour of the late Keith McLaren, former teacher, coach and Assistant Headmaster at Pickering College, was designed to make use of the farmland at a time of the year when the sports program was in a transition period between fall and winter. Today, outdoor education at Pickering College begins in Kindergarten.

“I think the big thing is really under-standing that to have a learning disability is that it’s not a disability. You learn dif-ferently—end of story,” says Forgie, who works with students in the Junior and Middle School.

Learning Services helps students to iden-tify how they learn best with one-on-one attention. In addition, it ensures students who are high achievers are sufficiently challenged. It also teaches students to advocate for themselves by speaking up if they’re having trouble understanding or not getting what they need to learn. By doing so, the students feel empowered which builds their self-confidence.

“It is teaching them how they learn best and giving them very specific skills and strategies that will enhance their learning,” says Penny Lawson-Cameron, Learning Services, who works with the Senior School and teaches a learning strategies class to Grade 9 and 10 students.

Bronwyn Andrews ’12 says before she recieved help, she felt very frustrated as some areas of study were not com-ing as easily to her as to the rest of her classmates. “My learning experience at Pickering was great!” says Andrews, who currently attends Ryerson University, majoring in psychology. “All of the [PC] teachers were very supportive. Learning Services also helped me to realize my po-tential as a student and to become my own advocate.”

Pickering pioneered a commitment to reaching all learners that is now incorpo-rated into the wider education system. Forgie says over the years she has been approached by a number of Old Boys at PC functions who have said how Pickering helped them to accept and understand the way they learn.

“Pickering was a wonderful time for them,” she says. “I think it’s a combination of firmness with affection and that’s something we work really hard at foster-ing—not just Learning Services, but all of our teachers. It all helps to feed into that idea of forming these bonds and making these relationships, and I think that’s something my grandfather would have been proud of, to know that is the direction we’re taking.”

In 2012, Charles Boyd bequeathed his beloved farm, Blue and Silver, to Pickering and agreed to its immediate use for outdoor education for students. Boyd still lives on the property and our students visit there regularly, building their under-standing of nature and the outdoors.

Children are fascinated with making the connection between food sources, predators and prey, and ecosystems. At Blue and Silver, we, again, have our own dedicated space for children to explore the outdoors and familiarize themselves with the natural world, through nature walks, snowshoeing and outdoor photography sessions. Our students can learn basic orienteering skills, how to identify animal species and habitats as well as different varieties of trees and basic survival skills.

Beyond the farm, PC uses additional local resources such as Seneca College’s

King Campus. In the fall, students in Grades 4-6 participate in a day of outdoor teambuilding and learn the importance of following instruction and working together to build confidence, through large group games, canoeing and high-ropes challenge courses.

The ROC facility in Georgina offers our students the chance to use a 10-metre climbing wall, low ropes circuits and to play teambuilding games that test their decision-making, listening, attention and collaboration skills.

Overnight camping experiences begin in Grade 4 with either a fall or winter trip to Bark Lake Leadership Centre. In Grade 9, students spend three nights at Camp

Tawingo in Huntsville and in Grade 11, Geography students can take a three-day camping and canoeing trip in Killarney Provincial Park.

Outdoor education trips are open to all Senior School students and provide the opportunity to push their boundaries and test their sense of adventure. Every February, a group of Senior School

students braves the cold to complete a three-night dogsledding adventure with Chocpaw Expeditions. The trip is eligible for the Adventurous Journey component of all levels of the Duke of Edinburgh Award.

“Children and young people today are moving farther away from the natural environment,” says Tom Lewis, Pickering College outdoor education specialist. “They like to spend time indoors, close to an electrical outlet. Even when they’re with their friends they’re texting. Kids benefit from unplugged time outside. Children have a natural sense of adventure and they are constantly asking questions about everything, learning through observation and testing themselves. Young people need to be sensitive to the environment in order to care for it. The role of outdoor education is to connect the children physically with the things they are learning about in class; they can study biodiversity right in front of them. They see the interconnectivity.”

In nature, he says, students are encouraged to stop, look, listen, smell, touch and reflect.

“Students become reliant on one another through outdoor teamwork. The annual dogsledding excursion pushes the bound-aries of comfort zones and that builds character. There is a certain amount of risk, but in a protected way. The more familiar you are with your environment, the less likely you are to abuse it,” Lewis says.

Another positive aspect of our Outdoor Education Program is that boarding students from densely-populated urban settings can now experience wide-open spaces.

And the PC faculty have begun to tie their classroom lessons to outdoor education more and more. For instance, French teacher Andrea Cleland recently had her Grade 5 students compile a field guide in French, based on what they saw at Blue and Silver.

Through outdoor education, every student in every grade has the opportunity for experiential learning and to become good stewards of the environment. “For the students to become leaders in an outdoor setting, they need the background education, and we can provide that,” says Lewis.

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EDUCATING THE WHOLE CHILD:

A COMMITMENT TO FINDING THE LIGHT IN EACH CHILD

For the Quaker community, education and the development of young minds,

bodies and spirits is a fundamental priority. The Quakers opened schools as they established settlements, including our first location in West Lake, Ontario in 1842, welcoming children of any race or creed, girls and boys.

Quaker education focuses on the individual child, the commitment to “finding the light” in each. This translated at Pickering College to the overwhelming sense that alumni share of being respected and valued for who they were, what they were capable of, and who they aspired to be. This simple conviction sustains and develops the spirit.

It also requires exceptional teaching ability. Headmaster Joe McCulley was brilliant at attracting talented teaching staff, beginning when the school reopened in Newmarket in 1927. Michael Mackenzie, who was a tutor in 1945 and who built lifelong friendships in his time here, said: “Joe noticed. Nothing got by him and he wanted to be sure every student knew they had his attention. He was the son of a cop and had absorbed that ability to observe. We felt like he was there for us.” Similarly, teachers like Barney Jackson, Reg “Blackie” Blackstock, Ran Ide, Harry Beer and shop teacher and artist Rudy Renzius, all took a similar approach to know and understand the individual student. Sometimes that meant showing them the correct path.

Fred Thompson ’44 and Bob Moffat ’44 tell a story of Barney Jackson, a beloved Pickering English teacher and basketball coach who went on to become the Head of the English Department at McMaster University. The boys were very good basketball players and helped lead the Pickering team to victory time and again.

The night before a final Ontario championship game, Thompson and Moffat slipped away from the residence for a little taste of freedom. When they arrived back at their room, Jackson was waiting there for them. He reminded the boys of the rules that the team themselves had decided at the first of the season, including that everyone had to stay in and go to bed early the night before games, or else they would not be allowed to play. Knowing that losing his two stars would likely mean losing the game the next day, Jackson announced to the boys that they would not play. The boys were confident that Jackson would change his mind, after all, the team was just about to have an incredible victory. The boys did not play. Pickering lost. The wins that season may have faded from their memories, but the two boys never forgot the impact of that loss and the lesson they learned from Jackson: the value of integrity and keeping one’s word, values that carried them both through very successful careers, and helped sustain their 75-year friendship.

Fast forward to the ’60s and ’70s, times of great social change. Headmaster Harry Beer did not vary from the Quaker model of respecting the individual and he never gave up on a student. He pioneered teaching methods that fostered understanding of students’ different learning styles, and a commitment to understanding each student’s individual needs. Charles Boyd, former teacher and current alumni ambassador, says, “Harry believed we had to find what he called ‘that ray of hope’ in each student, however it might manifest itself. He saw value in building up the spirit, not ‘breaking’ a child’s will as was sometimes the practice in other schools then. It was difficult sometimes to follow through, but so rewarding when we watched the boys succeed. Now, when they come back, they tell us what a difference those years at Pickering made.”

“I grin inwardly when I think about the incredible luck and good fortune I had in being allowed to spend my time wandering around the edges of a first-class educational, if not spiritual, institution. Pickering being Quaker did not seem to matter

to me at the time… I was always treated with a great deal of dignity and respect by everyone at Pickering College for which I will always be grateful, ” says Chuck Barton ’70.

Beer’s granddaughter, Stephanie Forgie, Learning Services, remembers her grandfather for his gentleness, but with a core of strength that helped build up all around him. She says, “I learned so much from my grandfather, especially that if you can establish a mutual respect and trust with your students you are able to achieve a great deal together. This is why I think our Morning Meeting time together is invaluable.”

Major Jonathan Knaul ’87 of the Canadian Air Force says of his Headmaster Sheldon Clark, that “no school before had really listened to me, about what I wanted in my education. When my parents and I came for our interview at Pickering, after having visited many Toronto-area schools, Sheldon was the only Headmaster who specifically wanted to speak with me, to learn what my expectations of the school experience were. Others were focussed on my parents. That feeling that I mattered here

remained throughout my education, and as an alumnus and PC Board member, I still feel this way.”

While Pickering is no longer a “Friends School,” as Quaker schools are called, we stay true to the beliefs and ideals deeply held by our Quaker founders, combining academic excellence with moral and spiritual depth. Finding the light in each child, their individual capabilities and talents, is still at the forefront of our teaching methods.

We are proud to include a study of Quakerism as part of the Global Leadership Program, to work with the Quakers of our local community, and beyond as we reach out to Quaker organizations and schools in the UK, in Australia and in the US.

Students in Grade 10 now have an exploration of Quakerism as part of their curriculum. “Reflection” on learning opportunities is an essential part of the Global Leadership Program teaching agenda, and the Quaker Exploration Day was no exception. Sydney Stevenson, Grade 10, reflected on her learning experience and the value of educating the spirit:

“...Throughout history Quakers have saved so many lives, and this silent leadership and courage is still present in today’s society. Many Quakers are still putting their time into current issues here and abroad. They have so much integrity, and always believe in and fight for peace no matter what.

I was very inspired by this. We got to visit the Quaker cemetery later on, and see the resting place of all of these people who made such a silent impact on history. Through each of these people’s own simple ways, they followed Quaker values and fought for peace, equality, and so many other things. All of these people were leaders. I have been really touched by learning about this subject, and hope to always follow the values of a Quaker throughout the rest of my life.”

“Times of silence nurture and connect us to the common center of all that is, regardless of our separate heritages.

At Pickering the daily Morning Meeting silence is real … before it is broken for announcements. The peace encircles naturally as the same people gather each day. The leadership training is not about general leading and commanding. True leadership training makes us more aware of one another and able to recognize each one’s gifts for the accomplishment of greater goals in society. This cooperative and stronger effort also brings individual happiness and satisfaction, but as a by-product, not the aim of activity.”

–Jane Zavitz-Bond, former PC Teacher and Librarian,

Member of the Class of 1842, Archivist for the Canadian Yearly Quaker Meeting, and recipient of

the Lieutenant Governor’s Lifetime Volunteer Heritage Award

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KINDERGARTEN TREASURE HUNT Yo Ho Ho! The Kindergarten and Grade 11 Geography students teamed up for a GPS Pirate Treasure Hunt. The Grade 11 students embraced the challenge to plan a geocache course around campus. In their problem solving, the older students had to design a safe course of appropriate size, with enough variety in location to prevent groups from following each other. They also designed a paper map to back up the technology in case of emergency. Guided by a GPS, with treasure sacks in hand and donning the signature eye patches, all of the students headed outside to discover buried treasure. The Grade 11 students facilitated the learning for their younger buddies as they taught them how to walk in a straight line and follow the arrow on the GPS to the desired spot.

The Kindergarten Pirates found gold and silver crowns, gold coins, beaded necklaces, bracelets and ring pops hidden in gold shiny bags! The older students experienced the joy of teaching someone else a brand new skill and the younger students returned to the classroom musing aboutcompasses, satellites and the sky. It was a wonderful afternoon of leadership and loot!

STUDENT LIFE

GRADE 1 UNDERTAKES THE CLEAN BIN PROJECTThe Grade 1 class participated in a Clean Bin Project for a period of four weeks. Each student became responsible for his/her own garbage during the school day and the project required the children to think critically about the waste they create.

There were three winners: Dylan had the fewest number of items in his bin. Jason’s waste took up the least amount of space while Maliha’s garbage weighed in at a low 114 grams. All of the Grade 1s now understand the importance of taking action, protecting their environ-ment and will become the stewards of their community.

What Did You Learn Today?GRADE 4 GETS TECH SAVVYGrade 4 students recently met with Mr. David Rosenberg, National Director of Intrepid Investigations, to watch a flight demonstration of a sophisticated surveillance drone. The students were excited to learn about the amazing possibilities of drone technology and Mr. Rosenberg answered questions about flying cars, unmanned airplanes and artificial intelligence.

GRADE 5 STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT STRUCTURESIn the Grade 5 Structures and Mechanisms Unit, the students have been learning about the different forces that act upon structures (e.g. tension, torsion, shear, compression, buckle) as well as some of the different types of bridges that exist around the world today (e.g. arch, beam, bascule and suspension bridges). This activity has not only given the students an opportunity to apply and develop their critical thinking skills to build a bridge collaboratively but it has also helped them learn about working within a budget and managing money.

GRADE 7 BRAVES TERRIFYING TOBOGGANS Pickering College’s Grade 7 students have put what they have learned about form and function to the test with a real-life design challenge. The students worked in teams to develop blueprints for card-board toboggans. They constructed their devices and then subjected them to a number of tests in the school’s first Terrifying Toboggan Competition.

CRACKING THE CODEMembers of the Grade 12 Computer Science class helped the Grade 6 students complete “The Hour of Code.” This initiative held during Computer Science Education Week offers students of all ages and ability the chance to try computer programming. Students were able to explore basic programming concepts while solving puzzles, sword fighting and defeating ogres. While only one hour was completed in class, the game offers 20 levels of programming fun.

INTRODUCTION TO FORENSICSGrade 2 was visited by Matthew Robinson-Vincent of the York Regional Police (and dad to Ethan). He spoke with the students about policing and forensics. The students also had their fingerprints taken.

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STUDENT LIFE

HANDS-ON LEARNING WITH ANCIENT ARTIFACTSGrade 11 World History students embarked on a journey to one of Canada’s foremost cultural institutions, The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). This excursion provided students with an opportunity to see and work with the ROM’s collection of Greek and Roman artifacts. Boasting a collection of over 1500 rare objects from Ancient, Classical and Alexandrian Greece and over 500 from Rome, the ROM offers students a unique learning opportunity.

Our students got to do something possible at few museums—they were given an opportunity to work directly with the artifacts. Rather than discouraging hands-on interaction with historical treasures, the ROM has created a workspace for students to analyze primary source materials. These materials, ranging from small votive objects to an iron dagger, highlighted the diversity of Roman daily life. The objects also gave students an appreciation for the level of detail dedicated to even the smallest objects. Among the diminutive objects that students examined was a tear catcher from Ancient Rome. Mourners filled these novel devices with their tears and placed them into tombs to represent love and respect. According to tradition, when the tears had evaporated, the time of mourning was over.

Hands On !

GRADE 10 CULTURAL EXPLORATIONThe Grade 10 students completed the second half of their Cultural Investigation excursion project in Toronto in April. The students participated in a walking tour of the Spadina and Dundas area, wandering through sites of cultural significance including Ontario College of Art and Design, Chinatown, graffiti alleys, Kensington Market and the Anshei Minsk synagogue. Our guide gave us the historical context of each site as we stopped to look closer. The day was capped off with a debriefing session where students worked together to analyze their photos and their interpretations of what they saw.

QUAKER EXPLORATION DAYThe Grade 10 students engaged in a Quaker exploration day as part of the Global Leadership Program. The purpose was to allow the students to investigate their perceptions of Quakerism and its role at PC and in the community. A high-light was the visit to the Yonge Street Meeting House where students learned about what Quakers are currently doing in Newmarket in areas of social justice.

MIDDLE SCHOOL DEBATE: SHOULD CELLULAR PHONES BE MANDATORY FOR ALL CHILDREN? This was the timely question posed to the 14 members of the Middle School Debate Team who travelled to the Sterling Hall School in January. Using a graphic organizer and their critical thinking skills, debaters were given 15 minutes to prepare arguments for both sides of this contentious resolution. PC students brought forth a diverse set of points concerning the impact of cell phones on personal security, social relationships and education, as they vigorously argued both sides of the topic.

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STUDENT LIFE

TOWN OF NEWMARKET DISPLAYS PC STUDENT ARTThe work of four Senior School art stu-dents was on display at the Town Of Newmarket Municipal Office during the month of April. Pickering College was one of six local high schools invited to participate. The work of Betty Lu (Grade 12), Camille Kiffin (Grade 11), Karen Ji (Grade 11) and Shannon Pang (Grade 10) was featured. A special Open House took place in March, where Betty Lu ’15 was presented with a certificate from the Mayor and the Council members for her watercolour painting, “Untitled.”

GRADE 10 CAREER CRUISINGHave you ever wondered what it would be like to be a helicopter pilot, a chef, an architect, an interior designer, an actor or a nano-engineer? In January, Grade 10 students participated in Pickering College’s first Career Cruising Event. Mr. Louis Anagnostakos gave an inspiring keynote address encouraging students to follow their passions and to think outside the box when it comes to career paths. Students then had the opportunity to hear from four diverse panels of speakers who shared their personal stories and insights. The room was abuzz with conversation as students asked questions and delved deeper into the world of work from these various perspectives.

PC MUSIC STUDENTS PLAY ROY THOMSON HALLIn April, 15 music students participated in the Conference of Independent Schools’ Music Festival. CISMF gives students from Independent Schools across Ontario the opportunity to work together and combine talents in preparation for a final concert at Roy Thomson Hall. Acceptance into the instrumental ensembles and the Senior Choir are based on an audition in which students compete for a position in the band or choir against other young, talented musicians from over 30 Independent Schools in Ontario. Students in the choirs have the opportunity to work with an elite guest conductor who prepares a grand finale with the students to finalize the fantastic concert and weekend of music making.

Showcase Your ManyTalents

Explore Your Many Options

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STUDENT LIFEin the contest. The winners include: Modernization and Old Trees: Is It Worth the Trade-Off? by Duong Bach Pham (Vietnam); Overpopulation or, Perhaps, Overestimation? by Nazariy Tymofyeyev (Ukraine); Clean Water for Everyone by Deniz Vural (Turkey); and Speaking of Powerful… by Mariana Gonzalez (Mexico).

JOSHUA WEINZWEIG MEMORIAL LITERARY AWARDSStudents whose work is published in the Pickering College Review of Writing are eligible to win the Joshua Weinzweig Memorial Literary Awards. At the end of the academic school year, one winner from each grade (Grades 9-12) may be selected at the discretion of the English Department.

The winners received a first-place certifi-cate from Pickering College, a $50 book store gift card and publication of their work in our annual student anthology, the Pickering College Review of Writing.

Winners of the Joshua Weinzweig Original Poetry Contest: Grade 9: Victoria Sharpe; Grade 10: Izzy Darvay-Carnavor; Grade 11: Mandy Coleman; Grade 12: Jessica Buckmaster.

Winners of the Joshua Weinzweig Postcard Fiction: Grade 9: Patrick Prochazka; Grade 10: Iman Nooristani; Grade 11: Emily Perkovic; Grade 12: Amanda McDougall.

STUDENTS DEVELOP CURRICULUM FOR BOOK THE INCONVENIENT INDIAN Seven PC students took part in developing curriculum-based learning modules based on award-winning author Thomas King’s book The Inconvenient Indian. In April, the students received a certificate in recognition of their work.

The students, including Julianna Cook (Grade 6), Jake Mevissen (Grade 7), Meghan Beswick (Grade 7), Elexis (Lexi) Charles (Grade 9), Julien Chretien (Grade 9), Patrick Prochazka (Grade 9), Sydney Stevenson (Grade 10) and Brenna Duggan-Smith (a Grade 12 student at Rosedale Heights), were invited to read the book and then participate in several hands-on workshops facilitated by professional educators and curriculum developers.

“This is a part of our history that I had never learned in school,” said 14-year-old Julien Chretien, a Grade 9 student who is part Ojibwa. “I hope that the work we’ve done will help more students learn the story of our First Nations people.”

The idea to convert King’s writings into a curriculum-based learning program was formed by K12 Global, a curriculum-based education developer designed to provide teachers with free, downloadable teaching materials.

“Our Global Leadership students understand the importance of investigating perspectives and challenging accepted narratives,” said Julia Hunt, Director of Global Leadership. “It is important to apply these principles globally, but even more crucial to look closely at our own Canadian contexts and legacies.”

“The book is done...it has its own life,” says the book’s author Thomas King. He went on to paraphrase Craig Kielburger who, when defending King’s book on CBC’s Canada Reads, stated how amazing it would be if there were real, tangible learning outcome actions inspired by this book. “These students have been inspired and these students have inspired me,” says King.

GLOBAL LEADERSHIP PERSONAL ESSAY COMPETITION WINNERSIn May, the winners of our annual Global Leadership Personal Essay Competition were announced. The winner of the Global Leadership Personal Essay Competition for Grade 9 was Nupur Krishnan for her essay, Physician Assisted Suicide: Where We Stand and the winner of the Global Leadership Personal Essay Competition for Grade 10 was Sydney Stevenson for her essay, Their Story: The Story of the Children Who Bring Us Chocolate.

The winners each received a first place certificate and a book store gift card. Their essays will also be published in our annual student anthology, the Pickering College Review of Writing.

There were also a number of inter-national entries

Put it in Writing

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STUDENT LIFE

PC STUDENTS SCORE WELL IN MATH COMPETITIONSWe’re very pleased that our Grade 9-12 students participated in a number of math and science competitions during the school year.

Beaver Computing: Top 25 per cent of contestants: Megan Robinson, Julien Chretien and Vanessa Zykova. Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge: Scoring above average and earning an Honours Certificate were Lucinda Yang, Kevin Tan, Mandy Coleman and Alba Lu. Scoring in the top 25 per cent of participants: Joe Li and Patrick Prochazka (Patrick earned the Bronze award for Grade 9 students in central Ontario). Canadian Intermediate and Senior Math Contests: Senior level—certificate and school medal winner, Kevin Tan, ranking 417th out of 4118 students in Ontario. Intermediate level—certificate winner Sophia Husein ranked 283rd and our certificate and school medal winner was Patrick Prochazka ranking 27th out of 3197 students in Ontario. Pascal con-test: Top 25 per cent of contestants: Ricki Zhang, Hayden Spiers, Shuyan Dong, Yiqu Ding, Kenya Kimata, Tony Zhang, Sunny Qiu and tying as the school’s top finishers Rictol Ren and Patrick Prochazka who finished 272/10755 contestants in Ontario. Cayley contest: Top 25 per cent of contestants: Steven Sun, Sophia Husein and the top finisher Teddy Ding who finished 170/8336 contestants in Ontario. Fermat contest: Top 25 per cent

of contestants: Amber Gocool and top finisher Derek Qiu who finished 846/7239 contestants in Ontario. Grade 9 Fryer contest: Top 25 per cent of contestants: Rictol Ren, Kenya Kimata and our top finisher Patrick Prochazka with a score of 38/40. Grade 10 Galois contest: Top 25 per cent of contestants: George Gong and our top finisher Teddy Ding with a score of 37/40. Grade 12 Euclid contest: Top 25 per cent of contestants: Joe Li, Vivian Xin, Jessie Hu, Betty Lu, Patrick Prochazka and our top finisher Alba Lu. The Michael Smith Challenge: A very challenging contest open to Grades 9/10 students with Patrick Prochazka finishing in the top 10 per cent.

PC FINISHES STRONG AT WINTER FULFORDIn late February, Polikon attended the Winter Fulford debate, hosted at De la Salle Oaklands. This was the third in a series of four annual Fulford debates. This time around, the debaters had to grapple with whether Prime Minister Stephen Harper deserves another term in office.

At the end of the day, in the junior division (parliamentary) Sterling Mancuso took 1st place out of a pool of 40 debaters from 20 CIS schools. Combined with Patrick Prochazka’s 10th-place ranking, Pickering College won 1st place in the parliamentary division, bringing home a beautiful trophy. In the senior division (cross-examination), Grant Kavanagh also took 1st place out of a pool of 36 debaters from 18 CIS schools. Special mention goes to Polikoner Christopher Nam, who had his work cut out for him (not being a Canadian citizen). He showed a tremendous amount of heart to finish all three rounds.

MUNK TEAM: INCREASING FINANCIAL INCLUSIONIn the fall, five Pickering College students joined the Global Ideas Institute Mentorship Program, which is a partnership with the University of Toronto’s Asian Institute and The Munk School of Global Affairs, in cooperation with University Toronto School. The team of students was: Maurice Berleth, Jessie Hu, Joe Li, Kevin Tan and Samantha Tan. The problem they set out to solve was how to increase financial inclusion in India, particularly for the poor, without increasing infrastructure.

Our team decided to implement financial inclusion through a business model for their “company” Abridged Finances with the slogan “Banking Made Easy.” The plan was to have their company act as a connection between the people, who often do not trust banks, and the banking sector itself. As a part of their plan, they even created a feasibility formula which would calculate which areas in India would best suit their services. They were the only team to have designed this type of framework to tackle the problem.

Our team were excellent ambassadors for our school and their willingness to take a risk, be creative, empathetic and innovative in trying to solve a problem such as financial inclusion that is so important to the developing world.

C elebrate Your Achievements

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STUDENT LIFE

GRADE 9 ENTERS THE PUMA’S DENFor their Global Leadership project, “Change Makes Cents,” the Grade 9 students recently entered the Puma’s Den. This new initiative gave students the chance to hone their leadership skills by forming “consulting groups” and creating plans to help companies to become better citizens of the world through social innovation.

The new initiative is part of the school’s Global Leadership Program which ensures students are equipped to understand and address complex global issues through a carefully-planned curriculum, co-curricular opportunities, community service, authentic experiential learning opportunities, educational partnerships and cross-disciplinary independent projects.

The students made a pitch to help a company or industry to implement a social innovation that addresses a Canadian issue. They presented their idea to a panel of judges in a setting similar to the television show Dragon’s Den. The judges then decided which group gained the support of the wealthy and influential “Pumas for Change.”

Some of the ideas that were presented included: testing cosmetics on lab-grown cheek cells rather than on animals; redesigning the iPhone to be more environmentally friendly, efficient and use recyclable products; and creating an organization to address youth hunger, teaching them the necessary skills to pull themselves out of hunger and to build a sustainable life.

LEADERS IN RESIDENCE: Dr. Samir Sinha, Director of Geriatrics at Mount Sinai and the University Health Network Hospitals in Toronto, spent the day with us in April. Dr. Sinha explored the connection between evolution and aging with the Grade 11 Biology classes, connected demograph-ics and aging for Grade 9 Geography, and even looked at what aging means for our Grade 1 students.

PC welcomed Leader-In-Residence, Angela Tessier, in November. Angela gave a stirring presentation to the Senior School detailing her positive experiences teaching English in Northern Iraq last summer. Ms. Tessier also spent time with the Grade 5 class exploring the story The Librarian of Basra, explored interdisciplinary perspectives with the Grade 12 Leadership class and worked through case studies on teaching language abroad with the Grade 9 English class.

In February, we welcomed dynamic entrepreneur and speaker, Sean Stephens, from Treefrog multimedia web company. Sean engaged us all with his Morning Meeting presentation on innovation in business, and spent time with students in a number of different Senior School classes such as Grade 11 Introduction to Computer Science, Grade 9 Business and Technology and Grade 11 Entrepreneurship.

GRANDPARENT AND SPECIAL FRIEND DAYPickering College held another wonderful Grandparent and Special Friend Afternoon in May. Preceding the Springfest concert, students from Kindergarten to Grade 6 had the opportunity to invite their Grandparent and/or Special Friend for a visit to the school. Guests were treated to a presentation by the Grade 4 class about their experiences at Blue and Silver Farm. Jonathan Danigelis, Danica Khanna, Hannah Kim and Elisheva Rosenberg did an outstanding job with the support of their homeroom teacher, Alex Au Yong. Following their presentation, PC’s Grandparent Chair, Ajit Khanna, spoke to our guests about the exciting renovations to the Dining Hall, to provide more room for our growing student population.

Sharing a Wealth of Exp erience

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STUDENT LIFE

GLOBAL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM: PC LAUNCHES STUDENT EXCHANGES 2014 – 2015 was an exciting year for stu-dents interested in gaining understanding of British culture: Pickering College initiated an exchange with Brighton College, and participants raved about the success of the program.

Our students hosted their partners in December for the two weeks leading up to the Christmas holidays. The British students saw the magic of winter in Canada and even experienced a snow day. Our students went beyond expectations in ensuring that their guests had a wide range of experiences in Canada: they cheered on the Toronto Maple Leafs (and also the PC Pumas in a nail-biting hockey game against Country Day School), they saw Niagara Falls lit up and frozen over, visited the University of Toronto and made many memories with the whole PC community.

In March, our students travelled to Brighton, United Kingdom. Like us, Brighton College is a co-ed independent day and boarding school, founded in the 1840s. It is also one of the top-rated independent schools in the country. Attending classes on their campus and getting to know the British school system was a revealing experience for our students. Our students enjoyed British seaside life, visiting the piers in Brighton and poking around all the charming shops and cafés. They also spent time in London, experiencing iconic British sights such as Westminster Abbey and Big Ben.

Participating in an exchange is a challenging, rewarding experience that allows students to truly integrate into a different culture. It also gives students greater independence, unique experiences and memories that will last a lifetime. In the 2015-2016 school year, exchanges will again be offered to Brighton College as well as a new exchange to Goulburn Valley Grammar School in Australia.

PC EXPLORES: ICELANDThirteen adventurous students and four staff members had the unique opportunity to travel to Iceland during the March Break. They braved the elements to walk/crawl in a lava cave, hike a glacier, ride Icelandic horses and see some amazing geological formations including volcanoes, continental plates, glacial lagoons, waterfalls and geysers. Iceland makes extensive use of geothermal energy so with snow falling they enjoyed swimming in warm outdoor pools and hot tubs. This was indeed a memorable trip.

PC EXPLORES: FRANCENineteen French and World History students and two faculty members travelled to France in March. The journey gave these enthusiastic teenagers an opportunity to meaningfully use their French skills and to derive historical lessons at some of the greatest historic sites in the world. With overnight stays in Paris, Nimes and Nice, opportunities for lessons in French, history and culture abounded.

Learning Across the G lob e

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STUDENT LIFE

PC GIVES TO FREE THE CHILDRENA very special presentation took place during Morning Meeting, when we welcomed Michaela Evans, Free the Children’s Education Program Coordinator.

Since 2011, PC has had the unique opportunity to become a part of two very special communities; Mwangaza, in Kenya’s Maasai Mara, and the fishing village of Asemkow, Ghana. Three teams of PC students experienced life-changing

journeys.

Team Kenya 2011, led by Mr. and Mrs. Lewis, was extremely privileged to be the first group ever to live and work in the community of Mwangaza, and were there to begin building Free the Children’s first Mwangaza school. Pickering College had provided the funding for the building through our staff Social Justice Fund. With $8500 donated by the Social Justice Team, Kenya 2011 built the classroom’s foundation.

When Team Kenya 2012 returned to Mwangaza the following year, the classroom had been completed and was filled with children eager to learn. Team Kenya 2012 then added the walls for a second classroom building and dug the foundation for a third. While there, both teams witnessed the tremendous need for a clean water source for Mwangaza, which became PC’s next fundraising initiative. With a further $4500 from the staff Social Justice Fund and $1300 raised from the sale of Rafiki chains, a well for the community was provided. Faculty member Dean Gessie, who heads the Social Justice Fund, presented the cheque to Free the Children.

Team Ghana 2014 arrived in Asemkow and quickly became involved in both a sanitation and school building project. Nicola Shaw ’14 delivered an emotional speech about her life-changing experience. The funds being presented to Free The Children will help to address Mwangaza’s need of a permanent water source, to ensure that clean water is provided to the community and the students at the school.

Broadening Our World P ersp ectives

THE WORLD COMES TO PCThis past winter, the Global Leadership Program hosted a speaker series on World Perspectives. Speakers addressed a range of topics including social justice, entrepreneurship and cultural influence on how one views the world. The speakers hailed from a number of different countries including Nigeria, Guyana, Colombia and Canada, including Hiawatha First Nation. The takeaway message of the series was that considering the world from different perspectives encourages us to think critically about our global context. Video footage of all six speakers is available on the PC YouTube channel, through our website.

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KUDOS

PHILLIP CARSON NAMED TO TEAM ONTARIOAfter competing in the Provincial Championships in early April, Phillip was named to Team Ontario and was able to compete at the 2015 Eastern Canadian Gymnastic Championships, held at the University of Moncton, New Brunswick, May 9-10. Team Ontario put on a strong performance and came home with the Silver medal, right behind Québec. In addition to contributing to Team Ontario’s scores, Phillip finished 3rd All Round, with personal best scores in many events.

CELESTE FRANK AT ONTARIO VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS Kudos to Celeste Frank who played in the Ontario Volleyball Championships the weekend of April 25-26 in Waterloo. Her STORM ICE team entered the tournament ranked 14 out of 67 teams. After three days of play, STORM ICE finished the weekend placing 9 out of 67.

STERLING MANCUSO MAKES YOUTH SHORTLIST FOR 2014 EVERYDAY POLITICAL CITIZEN Sterling Mancuso, Grade 10, was one of ten Canadian youth shortlisted for the Everyday Political Citizen project. Organized by the non-profit organization Samara Canada, the project highlights people who are making their communities better every day. Sterling was selected for the shortlist

(under-18 category) by 16 judges from across Canada, including CBC personality Rick Mercer, NHL defenseman Grant Clitsome, Edmonton Councillor Michael Walker and former mayor of Iqaluit Madeleine Redfern.

In addition, Sterling Mancuso com-peted in the National Public Speaking and Debate Championships, hosted at St. John’s Ravenscourt in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It is known as the tough-est tournament on the Canadian circuit, drawing the best of the best high school orators from across the country. Sterling placed 14th overall.

JOSH SNOW PARTICIPATES IN PAN AM GAMES OPENING CEREMONIES Josh Snow, Grade 9, was chosen to perform for the Cirque du Soleil opening ceremo-nies of the Pan Am Games in July. Earlier this year, Josh also sang O Canada to open the Newmarket Hurricanes game against the Aurora Tigers at the Ray Twinney Recreation Complex.

PATRICK PROCHAZKA FINISHES IN TOP 5 AT CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC CHALLENGEPatrick Prochazka, Grade 9 (centre), secured a top-five finish at the Canadian Geographic Challenge, National Championship. Patrick was among the top 20 stu-dents in Canada (out of 15,000 competitors) who travelled to Ottawa to compete in two rounds of play at the National Championship.

RESIDENCE LIFE

The Residential Program is designed to encourage students to engage in a wide range of activities and experiences. Through the FAMILY PROGRAM our students

celebrate community, appreciate diversity and develop long lasting friendships. They mentor one another, support one another and cheer one another to the finish line. Residence curriculum is delivered for the most part through the residence families. This year we developed RESIDENCE LEARNING SKILLS REPORTS which are completed by our Family Heads as a means to keep our parents apprised of their child’s growth, development and general deportment.

This past school year we also trialed a new study program which was well received by students and very effective at supporting student learning. During OPEN SPACE STUDY, students work collaboratively on test preparation, assignments and homework. They tutor one another for assessments and encourage one another through major projects and presentations. Students are also supported by teachers that facilitate each study room.

The EVENING ACTIVITIES PROGRAM offers students a wide range of options to get students out of their room and involved. Over the winter and spring terms the evening program options included activities such as yoga, personal training, cooking, baking, basketball, badminton, volleyball and scrapbooking.

In addition, we offered a dynamic WEEKEND PROGRAM with day ski trips, trips to galleries, museums, the theatre, ballet and numerous sights around the greater Toronto area. Two favourite day trips this term were trampoline dodgeball and a trip to Burd’s fishing farm, where our students learned to fish and were able to bring their catch back to school to cook, under the supervision of our Dining Services staff. Over the LONG WEEKENDS a number of our students took advantage of the opportunity to visit local communities. For the Thanksgiving weekend our students enjoyed a trip to the Muskokas where we stayed at the beautiful Deerhurst Resort and Spa. Over the February long weekend, 52 students travelled to Blue Mountain in Collingwood, where we skied and snowboarded for four days.

A highlight of each year is the MULTICULTURAL DINNER; this year was no different. For this event students were assigned to teams. Students worked with student team leaders and a staff coach to plan a menu, set a budget, shop for food items and to cook a meal. Each cultural group set up a display and presented their food that the boarding community enjoyed buffet-style. This year was outstanding!

The RESIDENCE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM grew this year with the addition of the Cultural Council, BAthletic and BSocial. These leadership councils were put in place at the end of last year to offer students more opportunity to participate in development of the residence program. The councils have been very effective and well received.

RESIDENCE GAMES run each term as a means to create energy and to bring our students together. Our spring Residence Games and FAREWELL BBQ signal the end of the school year. The laughter and comradery experienced through the goodbye speeches, slide shows and time competing on the fields is both joyful and emotional as for some these events signify the end of their time as students or staff at PC. Taking the time to celebrate the year together through these events cements friendships for a lifetime and brings closure to those leaving us.

This year is a particularly poignant year for me as it marks my final year working in residence and student life. I feel very fortunate to have worked with hundreds of students over the years and will miss working with students to create experiences that will stay with them for a lifetime. Thank you for the memories! I look forward to working with you as alumni in my new role as the school’s Manager of Special Events.

–Shelley Frank, past Director of Residence Life

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ATHLETICSJUNIOR GIRLS VOLLEYBALLUndefeated in their regular season, Pick-ering College hosted the championships at the end of February. The girls won a tough semi-final game against Toronto Montessori School and moved on to play Albert College in the finals. Unfortunately, they were outmatched and lost in four sets. PC came away with the silver medal and the pledge to improve for next year! BADMINTONThe coed badminton team competed in May in their final tournament at Humber College. For the first time, PC was able to field a full girls and boys team for the championships. Out of all the CISAA schools in attendance, our girls’ team placed an exciting third. Individually, Seven Huang placed third as the first single girl, and both Rennie Ip and Tiffany Mok won gold in the second and third singles category.

The boys’ category met with some very difficult play. Showing a determined effort, George Gong and Jeffery Leung placed third in the second boys doubles category. JUNIOR GIRLS SOCCER SILVERPickering College hosted the Junior Girls Soccer Championship this spring. After defeating St. Mildred’s Lightbourn School 2-0 in the semi-finals, PC faced Albert College in the gold medal game. Tied at 1-1 for most of the game, Albert College was able to sneak in two goals defeating PC 3-1. The girls earned the silver medal. EQUESTRIANThe PC equestrian team rode at Water-stone each day to prepare for the horse show at Lakefield College. All of the riders improved greatly throughout the season and each one received at least one ribbon after the competition!

Some notable achievements were: Nicole Shouldice, in the open division, received second place in Flat and second place in Over Fences; in the novice division, Nicole Kelln received first in Flat and Reserved Champion, Karen Ji received second in Over Fences and Urmi Upadhyay received third in Over Fences.

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GRADE 8 STUDENT AWARDS

Samuel Correa: Valedictorian, Music Award, Male Athlete Award, Steward Award, Academic Award

Inaara Rajani: Junior School Community Service Award

Brooke Baker: The Good Friend Award

Justin Kim: The Good Friend Award

Emma Kerswill: Rogers Cane, Art Award, Female Athlete Award, Steward Award

Emily Golding: Le prix français

Adam Murphy: Male Athlete Award, Steward Award

Leonora Strawbridge: The Joshua Weinzweig Memorial Literary Award

Julia Bianco: Steward Award

Celine Barratt: Steward Award

Vanessa Gardner: Steward Award

Kayla Lucchese: Academic Award

CONGRATULATIONS, GRADE 8 GRADUATES!

Eight Senior Kindergarten students graduated this year, at a ceremony held on June 9. Family, friends and staff listened as each student shared their fondest memory of their time in Kindergarten and what they wanted to be when they grow up. Headmaster Peter Sturrup presented each student with a PC Guiding Value Award, followed by their diploma and a PC teddy bear.

On June 10, we celebrated the achievements of our Grade 8 students, as they graduate from the Middle School to the Senior School, starting in the fall. The students received their diplomas and a number of awards were presented for academic achievements, athletic achievements, school involvement and more. Following the ceremony there was a dinner and dance.

KNOX INGLES

CONCERN FOR OTHERS

KYLE JOHNSON

RESPECT

TRISTAN KARKOUTI

CARING

ISHAAN MEHTA

RESPONSIBILITYANIKA MERRICK

COURAGE

LEV MOSKALTCOV

OPENNESS

AIDEN ROBINSON-VINCENT

COMMUNITY DIVERSITY

SIENNA SEXSMITH-BROSSEAU

PROUD OF OUR KINDERGRADS

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CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2015!

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The pouring rain did not dampen the enthusiasm of our 2015 graduates as they celebrated with the annual hat toss on the steps of Rogers House.

This year’s graduating class was from 11 different countries, including Canada, Barbados, South Korea, Mexico, Nigeria, Japan, Bermuda, China, Hong Kong, Jamaica and Italy. They had a fantastic year, with 35 students achieving the distinction of Ontario Scholar. Fifteen students received the prestigious Pickering College Global Leadership Letter of Recommendation.

We wish them all the best and know that they will represent the vision of Pickering College well into the future. All of our graduates were accepted into the post-secondary institutions of their choice in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan and Italy.

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GRADE 12 COMMENCEMENT AWARD WINNERS

1. JUNE GLEEDValedictorian, Music Award, Canadian and World Studies Subject Award, University of Toronto National Book Award, Student Committee Chair, Widdrington Award

2. ISAIAH FONGSteward Award, Widdrington Award

3. GRANT KAVANAGHSteward Award, English Subject Award

4. AHKINA KIMSteward Award

5. KENNETH JOE-EZIGBOSteward Award, Harry M. Beer Award

6. BETTY LUSteward Award, Howarth Fine Arts Award

7. CALVIN NUNNSteward Award

8. CHARLES QIUSteward Award

9. ALEJANDRA CEBALLOS VARGASJoshua Weinzweig Memorial Literary Award, Modern Languages Subject Award

10. JESSIE HUThe Zetzl Family Science Award, The Governor General’s Medallion, The Widdrington Award, Technology Subject Award

11. JOE LIThe Good Friend Award, The Boarder Cup, The Lt. Governor’s Community Volunteer Award, The Widdrington Award, The Garratt Cane, Mathematics Subject Award

12. ALEXANDRA MCGILLThe Newmarket Historical Society Prize, French Book Award

13. KATE MOODYThe Four Pillars Award, The Blackstock Award

14. ZAHAN COOPERScience Subject Award

15. HOLLY ROUSELLEHumanities Subject Award

16. VANESSA CHIUFine Arts Subject Award

17. ERIC CUMISKEYAthlete of the Year – Male

18. SARAH RITCHIEAthlete of the Year - Female

19. SAMANTHA TANK-12 Graduate

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1960sRon Veale ’63, Yukon Supreme Court Justice, gar-nered some national attention by his ruling in December that the Canadian territory’s government did not have the authority to override a land-use plan to preserve the bulk of the 67,000-km2 Peel Watershed region.

1970SAllen Zee ’79: “I am doing fine and still in family practice in Toronto but working less hours. I was recently in Hong Kong and was able to connect with a few PC alum. Some of them I haven’t seen for over 20 years. I have two kids, my daughter, Annika, and my son, Kristopher.”

1980s

Tom Everson ’81 was awarded Team Cornwall Ambassador of the Year award at the Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards dinner.

Albert Chang ’81 from Hong Kong and his Toronto-based brother George Chang ’86 visited Pickering in May 2015, for a brief but delightful visit with a favourite teacher, coach and counsellor, Charles Boyd.

Mark Blades ’83 and Charles Beer ’59 met up in Mark’s Coconut Court Beach Hotel in Barbados.

Karo D Jr. Yiu ’85 returned to the track after 30 years last November and r e p r e s e n t e d Hong Kong at the Taiwan Masters Meet in April 2015,

where he received a gold and a silver medal.

Howie Murray ’86 married Lori Jursa-Helmkay on April 1, 2015.

2000s

Kurt Richardson ’02 and his wife Brett are very happy to announce they welcomed their son Hendrix to the world on November 20, 2014.

Brian Eun-Jin Choi ’04 married Hakyung Kim on January 3, 2015. Brian is currently living in Dubai, UAE, working as a business strategist.

Jason Lee ’07: “After graduating Parsons, I spent a year in New York looking for a job related to my major. That didn’t work out well, so I went back to Korea last August and did an internship at a major department store’s marketing department. In the meantime, I’ve applied for Fashion Institute of Technology and I was offered an admission for Fashion Merchandising Management. With my previous associate-

level degree at Parsons with fashion marketing, I am now focusing on developing other knowledge and skills in a broader scope of fashion business. I came back to New York for the spring semester.”

2010sAlex Gillespie ’10 graduated from Wilfred Laurier in June 2014 with an honours Bachelor of Political Science and History. He is currently studying in London England at the London School of Economics completing his master’s degree in International Relations. He will be returning to Canada this fall to attend Law School at the University of Ottawa.

Ryan Prittie ’10 is taking his Masters of Arts in English and has a Teaching Assistant position in the English Department at Carleton University.

Carolyn Gillespie ’11 has just completed her honours Bachelor of Architecture at Carleton University. This fall she will continue with her studies at Carleton in their Masters of Architecture program.

Mikayla Johnson ’11: “After PC, I went to the Ivey Business School at Western University and have now completed four years of my five-year under-graduate dual degree program in Chemistry and Business. In December, I was awarded the Cansbridge Fellowship grant through Queen’s University. I was successful in landing a job with a small consulting firm, SmithStreet, and am now in Shanghai from May-August to work as a Junior Analyst.

ALUMNI NEWS

FLASHBACK FOTO FILE The Unseen Hand by Sam Shepard, performed by the lads of Pickering College, 1978-79. Winner of the Drama Festival held at Crescent School. Front row: Chris Sartor ’82, Nick Brink ’80, Steven Baranyi ’79, John Brdar ’81, John Lockyer Behind and in the car: Ross Jones ’80, Martin Rabbets ’81 Back Row: Chris Munn ’80, John Brennan ’81, Allen Zee ’79, Bill Waddell ’79, Dag Spicer ’80

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PC gave me a first glance, through the boarding community, at the many cultures this world has to offer. I have always had an interest in seeing China and while I have only been here for a few days as I write this, I am loving it so far!”

Kate Niemuller ’11: “I am currently submitting Almost Strangers, a short drama film created through my Ryerson film program to various festivals as I further my career in screenwriting. We were awarded a $1000 grant from William F. White International Inc. to assist with the film.

I am also adapting a novel into a screenplay for a client, working as a script consultant on sellingyourscreenplay.com and building up a following for my own website www.wanderingwriters.com.”

Sophie Armstrong ’12 was on an exchange in Canberra, Australia, to continue her studies in International Development and took some time to explore while she was there. Here she is at Uluru (Ayers Rock).

Nick LaValle ’14 “My time teaching in Vietnam has been an incredible experience but also has brought on a new respect for my old teachers. The amount of energy and concentration it takes to keep a class in line but also keeping yourself going at 100 per cent enthusiasm is exhausting. After class, I join some of my students for soccer on a field a quarter regulation size and completely covered in sand, but despite that it’s some of the most competitive and fun soccer I’ve ever played.”

Samantha Tan ’15 continues to tear up the racetrack in the Canadian Touring Car Championship. She is one of the only female drivers on the circuit and the youngest. In May, Samantha had her first P1 finish in her class, and finished 3rd in her class at the Honda Indy in June! You can find more information on Sam’s racing career at www.samanthatanracing.com. In September, Sam begins her studies at University of California, Irvine, right after her last race of the season in Monterey, CA.

SPOTLIGHT ON THE1990s Rob Drynan ’91 is a member of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 and a two-time finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award. Rob has spent his career leading businesses in both the private and non-profit sectors and has an affinity for strategy, operations, marketing and business development. Rob attended Pickering College from 1988-1990, and is a member of the Class of 1991. He took psychology at Carleton and went on to take a number of executive education courses at University of Toronto–Rotman School of Management.

Rob is currently the Principal at BeachHead Strategic Consulting Services in Toronto, helping start-ups and small businesses grow by creating a solid operational foundation to build upon. Rob also advises in the field of marketing and business development strategy, as he had previously launched the cause-marketing arm of advertising giant, MacLaren McCann.

Rob is very committed to the non-profit sector, working with the Jays Care Foundation—the charitable arm of the Toronto Blue Jays—as a consultant and interim Executive Director. The foundation works to ensure children in need have the opportunity to make positive changes in life through programs that support physical activity, education and life-skill development. Rob started in the non-profit sector as the Executive Director of Camp Oochingeas, a camp for kids with cancer with facilities in Muskoka and downtown Toronto, and a full-time program at SickKids Hospital.

Giving back to the community, Rob has volunteered as: the co-chair of “The Emerging Leaders Network” and member of the advisory board for The Greater Toronto CivicAction Alliance; Chair of the Board for Planned Parenthood Toronto; as co-chair for the Art Gallery of Ontario’s “Massive Party;” and most recently, walked in high heels with hundreds of other men raising funds for the White Ribbon Campaign at the “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” in Toronto.

Rob spends the majority of his personal time with his wife of 17 years, Melissa, and their two children, Emma, 10, and Carter, 9. They reside in downtown Toronto. When asked about his experience with Pickering College, he had this to say: “My time at Pickering College had a very positive and lasting effect on me. It helped me to understand my role in the community, and how to become a leader. I would say that Pickering College was a key component to making me the man I am today.”

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PASSINGS

On behalf of Pickering College, our very

deepest sympathy is extended to all the

family members of our Pickering alumni, faculty,

staff and friends who have passed away.

Cameron Clark ’48January 1, 2015

Joan Clark (past staff) February 25, 2015

Bob Moffat ’44 June 15, 2015

Wilf Coutu ’44 February 18, 2015

Nancy Paige (past parent) December 8, 2014

Bob Rickwood ’67 April 20, 2015

Albert Underhill ’51 March 8, 2015

eOE

WHAT’SYour MORNING MEETING?

Morning Meetings are some of the fondest memories for alumni. Several alumni returned earlier this year to share their advice and encouragement, along with thought-provoking topics and reflections.

Dan ’09 and Kyle Foch ’13 presented their award-winning design to the Senior School students. Their innovative solution to the affordable-housing shortage in York Region, entitled “Think Outside the Box” won them first place in the “Make Rentals Happen” competition. In addition to addressing Morning Meeting about their project, they encouraged students to find opportunities to leverage their expertise towards projects in which they are emotionally

invested. Daniel and Kyle also mentored the Grade 9 students who were working on their Social Innovation Project. Thank you for demonstrating the value of innovation and creativity and how it can have a positive effect on our local community.

Lawyer Quinn Ross ’94 was not only part of the PCA Speaker Series addressing parents about “Social Media and Issues of Consent” but he also addressed the Middle and Senior School students in Morning Meeting and the Grade 9 and 10 classes about the same topic. Impactful and direct, he got the students’ attention and received very positive feedback from them. The parents appreciated his candor and clear information, as well as his efforts to help educate them about

the impact of their children’s online activities, issues of consent and the risks involved. Thank you to Quinn for continuing to contribute to Pickering College!

At Morning Meeting, Adam Camenzuli ’06 and his brother Brian presented their business “Karibu Solar,” which is bringing affordable solar energy to rural communities in Africa. Inspiring students with a real-life example of a social innovative project, Adam and Brian took the students through the process of setting up a business in Kenya and Tanzania, and discussed the challenges and successes they face as they

continue to develop their venture. They also addressed a few classes and were interviewed on CHOP FM. Thank you for inspiring our students with your example of entrepreneurship, risk-taking and your positive environmental approach to an identified problem in our world. www.karibusolar.com

puma’s den

PUMA’S DEN For their Global Leadership project, “Change Makes Cents,” the Grade 9 students entered the Puma’s Den. The students faced a panel of judges which included alumni Thomas Tam ’95 and Adam Shully ’78, current staff member Claudia Chavez, and past parent / past Chair of the Board of Directors, Beth Egan. Each judge played a role of one of the “Dragon’s Den” personalities, challenging and questioning each group’s pitch, providing students with the opportunity to think on their feet, defend their plans and begin to learn the art of negotiation. Thank you to Adam, Thomas, Claudia and Beth for participating. It was an amazing day!

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ALUMNI EVENTS

ALUMNI AT SPRINGFESTThe Pickering College community came together twice on May 7 to enjoy both the Junior and Senior Springfest concerts! Students from JK to Grade 12 shared their musical talents with a melodic repertoire that showcased both instru-mental and chorale ensembles. Our talented students entertained parents, grandparents and special friends, as well as some returning alumni, further enhancing a lovely spring day.

Kim Bartlett, Brendan Fitzgerald ’14, Meagan Fitzgerald ’13, Anastasia Macdougall ’13, Ioana Pop ’13

ALUMNI TRANSITION EVENT 2015“Did your grades drop?” “Did you have money problems?” “Were you homesick?” These were a few of the questions the Grade 12 class asked the alumni who came to talk about their post-secondary experiences on May 13. As most of the visiting alum graduated from PC last year, they had lots of advice to give, based on their recent personal experiences. Thanks for coming everyone!

Attendees back row: Mike Scott ’12, Mikayla Johnson ’11, Nicole Wolscht ’13, Kyle Foch ’13, Brendan Fitzgerald ’14, Alyssa Black ’14 , Aleksa MacDonald ’14, Michela Prefontaine ’14 Front row: Victor Chadarov ’14, Isaac Hambrock ’14, Justin Frando ’13, Martin Roodenburg ’14

Alumni Film Panel BRINGING REAL-WORLD FILM EXPERIENCE INTO THE CLASSROOM

THROUGH THE ALUMNI PROGRAM.

Alumni Film Panelists :Adam Bradley ’98Resides in LA; Production, Paramount Pictures; Film-writer.

Francis Coral-Melon ’06Resides in Waterloo Ontario; Owner, Red Dust Films; Independent filmmaker; Currently completed work on the documentary Transcend recently screened in Chicago.

Paolo Kernahan ’89Resides in Trinidad; Executive film producer, writer and host with Idiom Productions; Television series, video features and documentaries.

Brian Purdy ’56Resides in Grimsby, Ontario; Television Producer/Director; founded MEDIAIMAGE Communications Group; garnered 102 International Awards including a GEMINI Award; the Queen Elizabeth II - Diamond Jubilee Medal; Certificate of Congratulations - House of Commons, Ottawa; Grimsby Citizen of the Year, 2010; Initiated Canada’s first War of 1812 Peace Garden in Grimsby.

The Alumni Film Panel was a new initiative,

created to help provide concrete and practical help to

assist students in the film class with their projects.

Students shared their work in progress to PC Alumni in the

film industry for their feedback. The students found the advice

and the opportunity to share their work valuable. This program

is in its infant stages and has more room to grow next year!

Thank you to our 2014-2015 Alumni Film Panel volunteers

for their support and encouragement.

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ALUMNI REUNIONS

CHRISTMAS REUNIONOver 45 alumni including grads from 2014, participants in the Kenyan trips who reunited with Mr. and Mrs. Lewis, and alumni from many other years, all packed into the staff lounge for the annual Alumni Christmas Reunion bash. Highlights for the alumni included visiting with advisors and teachers, picking up the 2014 yearbooks and reliving some of the African adventures during the Me to We trips. Back row L to R: Grace Hilton ’14, Nico Macias ’14, Seamus Mulroy ’14, Michael Gautier ’14, Daniel Mulroy, Free the Children, Andrew Kazuba ’14, Brendan Fitzgerald ’14, Kevin Spiering ’14, Nick Lavalle ’14, Nicola Shaw ’14, Alex Floyd ’14 Front row L to R: Natasha Krstajic ’13, Kayli Demirli ’13, Jade Scrymgeour ’12, Tom Lewis, Patti Lewis, Sophie Armstrong ’14, Meg Geurts ’12

KINGSTON REUNIONLocal alumni in Kingston dined with current faculty members Graham Birt and Cristy Drake and the senior girls volleyball team for dinner. Enjoying the evening were: Front row: Holly Rouselle ’15, Kayli Demirli ’13, Ally Krstajic ’16, Kate Moody ’15, Mairead Mulroy ’13, Cristy Drake Middle row: Shayna Nicholls ’15, Mareena Mallory ’13, Sumana Gupta ’16, Vanessa Chiu ’15 Back row: Emily Perkovic ’16, Amber Gocool ’16, Lauren Jenkins ’16, Graham Birt, Alex Floyd ’14, Lindsay Floyd ’12, Courtney DeSouza ’12, Alycia Hubbard ’12, Amanda McDougall ’15, Alyssa Black ’14, Tom Hagias ’12, Emily Nunn ’14, Andrew Murphy ’14

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RETIREMENTLong-time faculty member Dean Gessie retired at the end of the 2014-2015 school year. During his time at PC, he contributed to the life and spirit of the school in many ways. Early on, Dean was the Dean of Residence while teaching. He lived on campus for 20 years with his wife and former PC faculty member, Julie Marchand and later their two children. Dean worked tirelessly on the school yearbook for over 15 years. Although Dean’s primary teaching subject has been English, he has also taught Family Studies, Philosophy and Dramatic Arts. Along with teaching Dean has always had a true passion for social justice. He founded the Staff Social Justice Fund which has raised thousands for people and projects locally and internationally and this passion transcended to the students through awareness campaigns and protests. For the last ten years, Dean led the very successful Joshua Weinzweig Creative Writing Program and more recently the Global Leadership Personal Essay Contest for PC students. He also featured literary work by students as the host of CHOP FM’s Literary Cafe. In collaboration with What If? magazine, Dean highlighted prize-winning student work from across the country. Congratulations on your retirement!

ALUMNI REUNIONS STAFF NEWS

THE “GOOD OLD BOYS” REUNION1967-1971 alumni, or the “Good Old Boys” as they call themselves, celebrated their lifelong connection with the school and each other in late March this year, under the continued leadership of Class Rep Greg Dopulos ’68. Seeing new faces join us this year was wonderful. While Greg is taking a break from leading the organization of this event in order to focus on their upcoming 50th anniversary in 2018, we are certain we shall see everyone next year!

Back row: James (Jim) Brown ’69, Brian Worrall ’69, Phil Allan ’71, Craig Spafford ’68, Gary McLean ’68, Chuck Barton ’71 Middle row: Mike Peters ’68, Greg Dopulos ’68, Malcolm MacNeil ’68, Bernie Hashmall ’70 Front row: Duncan Walker ’69, Monty Bourke ’69, Charles Boyd, Peter Sturrup, Phil McMicheal ’69

For his service to community, Pickering College is proud to announce:

JAMES BROWN ’69 to be inducted to

The Class of 1842 on October 3, 2015

“The Class of 1842” is a group of individuals who are honoured, recognized and appreciated by Pickering College for their service, achievement, or for their contribution to education. This is the highest honour that the school awards to Pickering’s alumni, former faculty, or staff who have distinguished themselves nationally or internationally.

Join us to celebrate Reunion Weekend, dedicate our newly expanded and refurbished Dining Hall and

recognize the accomplishments of James Brown ’69.

The PCA engages parents and friends in spirit and community-building

initiatives throughout the year. We continue to strengthen and expand our volunteer program as we adjust to the changing needs of our families and celebrate the wonderful people who are part of our vibrant community and who contribute so much.

The energy of our amazing volunteers has made the past two terms a whirlwind of activity: organizing a hot chocolate day for the Junior School, assisting at Carnaval, covering lunch for the Junior School teachers, hosting Coffee Socials, thanking our faculty and staff, welcoming new families, engaging new volunteers, attending Interguild meetings, organizing grade lunches, and more!

The PCA Speaker Series featured two interesting and dynamic presentations. The first speaker, PC faculty member Kim Bartlett, presented “Boys and Girls Learning Together: Research, Learning Styles and the Benefits of a Coeducational Environment.” This presentation brought insight about the current brain research and how PC’s approach through a coeducational environment brings many benefits to our students.

The second PCA speaker was alumnus and lawyer Quinn Ross ’94. Quinn returned this year to address parents (and students) with a dynamic and hard-hitting presentation “Social Media and Issues of Consent: What you need to know to protect your children and yourself.” Quinn’s presentations are sharp, witty, knowledgeable and dynamic,

and brought many issues for parents to consider as they attempt to guide their children through the online world. Quinn Ross has recently secured the post of second Vice President of the Ontario Bar Association.

Celebrating its 11th year, the Spring Luncheon Committee hosted the “Great Gatsby” Spring Luncheon at The Mansion. This friend-raiser featured flappers, pearls, champagne, a vintage photo-booth, quality vendors, fantastic décor and a lovely meal. Some guests said it was “the best Spring Luncheon, ever!” A huge thank you to the committee for the months of work they did to create such a memorable afternoon. Many thanks also to Catch the Spirit Photos by Rhonda for the beautiful photographs from the day.

PICKERING COLLEGE ASSOCIATION

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Celebrate!

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2014-2015Charles Beer ’59Christina Bianco Adam Floyd Ajit Khanna Jonathan Knaul ’87Kelly Mason Mirella Morra Ian Proudfoot Linda Stevenson Roger Veale ’61Stephen Widdrington ’83

CORPORATION MEMBERS 2014-2015Charles Beer ’59Dawn Beswick Christina Bianco Brian Blackstock ’56Angelica Blenich ’03Charles Boyd Paul Clubbe ’61Scott Cowling ’97Janet Downer Karen Dubeau Beth Egan Beric Farmer Adam Floyd Andrew Gordon ’02Andrew Grant ’92Beverly Jackson Ajit Khanna Jonathan Knaul ’87Christopher Lane Ailene MacDougall Kelly Mason Blake Melnick ’81Mirella Morra Glenor Pitters William Prittie Ian Proudfoot Brian Purdy ’56Ed Richardson ’45Edmund Rynard ’70Norman Smith Jason Smith Linda Stevenson Peter Sturrup Roger Veale ’61

James Waters Karen Whetstone Stephen Widdrington ’83Jane Zavitz-Bond

BOARD COMMITTTEES

Development CommitteeKim BilousKelly MasonJessie-May RowntreePeter Sturrup

Facilities CommitteeAlberto Alonso Kevin Desforges Adam Floyd David Lehto Malcolm Mason William Prittie Susan Strong Patrick Turner ’97

Finance CommitteeChristina Bianco Christopher Lane Nicole Murphy

Governance CommitteeAjit KhannaKelly MasonMirella MorraKaren Whetstone

Human Resources CommitteeAndrew Gordon ’02Shannon Kelly Ajit Khanna Mary Madigan-Lee Roger Veale ’61

Risk Management CommitteeSteve JohnsonJonathan Knaul ’87Robert MartinLaura MasonNicole MurphyIan ProudfootPeter Sturrup

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN ADVISORY COMMITTEECharles Beer ’59Kim BilousBeth EganAilene MacDougallKelly MasonBrian Purdy ’56Jessie-May RowntreeAlana SimonPeter Sturrup

PCA EXECUTIVE AND COMMITTEE CHAIRSLinda Stevenson, ChairPam FalconDonna FordyceAjit KhannaKelly MasonKirsten NicolsonKrystie Robinson-VincentEllen RosenSandra Scherre Mitch StevensonPeter Sturrup

PC AMBASSADORS – ADMISSION EVENTSPamela Gardner Maria Victoria Kadise SucarMargo Starr Adilzhan SuleimanovTatyana SuleimanovWilla Wang

GLOBAL LEADERSHIP SPEAKERS AND VOLUNTEERSHolly Blodgett Adam Camenzuli ’06Brian CamenzuliSantiago CorreaMarilyn ChurchDaniel Foch ’09Kyle Foch ’13Joyce HolmeidaBeverly JacksonAudrey Joe-Ezigbo Ruth MacLeanRanji Singh

Philip SmithTakashi YamashitaJane Zavitz-Bond

LEADERS IN RESIDENCEBev BradleySamir Sinha Sean Stephens Angela Tessier

PUMA’S DEN JUDGESClaudia ChavezBeth EganAdam Shully ’78Thomas Tam ’95

PCA GUEST SPEAKERSKimberly Bartlett Quinn Ross ’94

CLASSROOM, PROGRAM, CO-CURRICULAR SPEAKERS AND VOLUNTEERSMeghan Beswick ’20Dorothy Brace Beric Farmer Celeste Frank ’21Lorraine Gravelle-Buchan Mathieu Hubbard ’09Kristin Marshall ’05Andrea McMullen Dan MideoMargo Starr

NEW PARENT MENTORS AND ORIENTATION RECEPTION VOLUNTEERSKellie McKay, Parent Mentor ChairJoel BergerNicole Cannon ’18Elexis Charles ’18Diane FarmerDebbie FloydDonna FordyceJoanne GoldingBeverley HagiasNicolee HathawayDeana Ho-YanSusan Hundert

Volunteering is the essence of Pickering’s community spirit. Thank you to all those who give their time and talent in support of the school’s many events and initiatives.

Three Cheers for Our Talented PC Volunteers!

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Lisa Jeppesen-DhanjalSeira Kajiro ’18Elan MooreMirella MorraNilgen PerezDerek Qiu ’16Krystie Robinson-VincentSandra ScherreLisa Simmonds-KimAlana SimonDanielle ViscoElizabeth Walker Ada Wang ’15

HILLTOP SKATING PROGRAM AND EVENT VOLUNTEERS Sydney Berger ’21Jack Beswick ’22 Katelyn Beswick ’18Meghan Beswick ’20Kurt Browning Peter Bunnik Bob DelaneyDonna Fordyce Harrison Frank ’24Joseph Jenkins Katelyn Kwan ’18Mathea MacRae ’22Anastasia Moskaltcova ’19Sunny Qiu ’19Krystie Robinson-Vincent Heather R. Ellen Rosen Alana SimonKim Smith Heather Smith-Morton Grace Still ’21Tammy Ward

WINTER CARNIVALAmy BethSusan CooperDonna FordyceJoanne GoldingNicolee HathawayKirsten NicolsonAshley PowellKrystie Robinson-VincentLinda Stevenson

JUNIOR DRAMA PRODUCTION “TWEET”Kristen Arkell Rachelle DeBrouwer Jennifer Middleton Alana Simon

GRANDPARENT AND SPECIAL FRIEND DAY Kamryn Barnes ’20Rachelle DeBrouwer Hannah Floyd ’17Ajit Khanna Serena MacDonald ’17Kelly Mason Emily Querin ’20Derek Qiu ’16Sunny Qiu ’19Barbara Simmonds Alana Simon Sydney Uglow ’19Urmi Upadhyay ’20Ada Wang ’15

GRAD TRANSITION EVENTAlyssa Black ’14Victor Chadarov ’14Brendan Fitzgerald ’14Kyle Foch ’13Justin Frando ’13Isaac Hambrock ’14Mikayla Johnson ’11Aleksa MacDonald ’14Michela Prefontaine ’14Martin Roodenburg ’14Michael Scott ’12Nicole Wolscht ’13

SPRING LUNCHEONKrystie Robinson-Vincent, ChairAnna Cook Donna Fordyce Deana Ho-Yan Andrea McMullen Mirella Morra Juli Prochazka Ellen Rosen Sandra Scherre Linda Stevenson

CLASS OF 2015 GRAD GIFT FUNDRAISING Jessica Buckmaster ’15Kate Moody ’15, Student ChairShayna Nicholls ’15Sarah Ritchie ’15David Rouselle, Parent Co-ChairDonna Rouselle, Parent Co-Chair

16TH ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENTMitch Stevenson, ChairKristen Arkell Joel Berger Kim Bilous Charles Boyd Teresa Clune Anna Cook Marc delaBastide Laurie DiCarlo Carter Eby ’17David Eby Catherine Farquhar Brendan Fitzgerald ’14Adam Floyd Shelley Frank June Gleed ’15Alexis Hamilton Alycia Hubbard ’12Sheila JohnsonMichael Kelly ’14Shannon Kelly Kristen Kennedy ’05

Thomas Kim Penelope Lawson-Cameron Sean Malins-Umansky ’17Daniel Mason ’18Laura Mason Malcolm Mason Erin Matthews Kumail Meghani Karen Meisel Graeme Montgomery Jim Pedersen Rebeca Riojas-Ozturk Heather R. Quinn Ross ’94Alana Simon Kim Smith Adam Stella ’16Kevin Still Susan Strong Gareth Sturrup ’09Peter Sturrup Alice Sud Heather Suters

Thank You, Linda!

We would like to take this opportunity to express our thanks to outgoing Pickering College Association Chair, Linda Stevenson (L), who bravely served in this role for five years. Linda’s energy, enthusiasm, deeply positive and visionary approach to leading the PCA has left a lasting legacy and she looks forward to serving as Past Chair to continue to support Pickering College.

We welcome Donna Fordyce (R), parent, with Allan, of Sean in Grade 4, as incoming Chair. Donna has been an involved parent and active volunteer with Pickering since her son came to our school, and we warmly welcome her to this new role.

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PICKERING COLLEGENewmarket, Ontario16945 Bayview Avenue, Newmarket, ON, Canada L3Y 4X2TEL (905) 895-1700 • 1-877-895-1700 • FAX (905) 895-9076E-MAIL admissions@pickeringcollege.on.ca • WEB www.pickeringcollege.on.ca

PICKERING COLLEGENewmarket, Ontario16945 Bayview Avenue, Newmarket, ON, Canada L3Y 4X2TEL (905) 895-1700 • 1-877-895-1700 • FAX (905) 895-9076E-MAIL admissions@pickeringcollege.on.ca • WEB www.pickeringcollege.on.ca

PICKERING COLLEGENewmarket, Ontario16945 Bayview Avenue, Newmarket, ON, Canada L3Y 4X2TEL (905) 895-1700 • 1-877-895-1700 • FAX (905) 895-9076E-MAIL admissions@pickeringcollege.on.ca • WEB www.pickeringcollege.on.ca

VOLUME 37 ISSUE ONE

MANAGING EDITOR

JESSIE-MAY ROWNTREE

Director of Admission and Marketing

EDITOR

NAOMI CÔTÉ

Communications Manager

CONTRIBUTORS

ALEX AU YONG

KIMBERLY BARTLETT

KIM BILOUS

ETHAN BISHOP

CHARLES BOYD

ANNA COOK

CRISTY DRAKE

SHELLEY FRANK

JULIA HUNT

KAREN MEISEL

ALANA SIMON

LISA STURRUP

NICKY WOOD

GRAPHIC DESIGN

VANI ROUSE

TO SHARE YOUR COMMENTS, IDEAS

OR FOR ADVERTISING RATES AND

INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT

JESSIE-MAY ROWNTREE

905.895.1700 EXT. 234

jrowntree@pickeringcollege.on.ca

PICKERING COLLEGE

16945 BAYVIEW AVENUE

NEWMARKET, ONTARIO

CANADA L3Y 4X2

TEL: 905.895.1700

FAX: 905.895.8916

www.pickeringcollege.on.ca

THE PILLARS

IS PUBLISHED BY THE ADMISSION

AND MARKETING OFFICE FOR

ALUMNI, PARENTS, STUDENTS,

STAFF AND FRIENDS OF PICKERING

COLLEGE.

U P C O M I N G E V E N T SSEPTEMBER – DECEMBER 2015

Tuesday, September 8 6:00 p.m. Welcome BBQ

Wednesday, September 9 6:30 p.m. Senior School Curriculum Night

Thursday, September 10 8:30 a.m. Opening Meeting for Worship

Thursday, September 17 6:30 p.m. Junior School Curriculum Night

Thursday, October 1 9:45 a.m.Alumni Morning Meeting, reception to follow

Friday, October 2 10:30 a.m. 1940s Alumni Luncheon

Saturday, October 3

4:30 p.m.5:30 p.m.6:30 p.m.7:00 p.m.

School ToursAlumni ReceptionDedication of the new Dining HallClass of 1842 Award Presentation,Dinner and Dance

Wednesday, November 4 6:30 p.m. Introduction to Senior School

Tuesday, November 10 5:00 p.m. AGM and Volunteer Reception

Wednesday, November 11 10:45 a.m. Remembrance Day Meeting for Worship

Wednesday, November 18 6:30 p.m. Introduction to Middle School

Friday, November 20Saturday, November 21

5:30 p.m.10:00 a.m.

11th Annual Holiday Home Tour

Tuesday, December 15 7:00 p.m.Christmas Concert and Alumni Reception

Thursday, December 17 8:30 a.m. Christmas Meeting for Worship

Friday, December 18 Last day of classes before Christmas break

NOVEMBER 20-21, 2015

FRIDAY 5:30 P.M. - 9:30 P.M. SATURDAY 10:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.

HOLIDAY HOME TOUR TICKETS AND INFORMATION:

PHONE: (905) 895-1700 EXT. 360EMAIL: holidayhometour@pickeringcollege.on.ca

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket.

JOIN US!

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PICKERING COLLEGE IS ON THE THRESHOLD OF A NEW PHASE IN ITS REMARKABLE HISTORY.

PICKERING COLLEGENewmarket, Ontario16945 Bayview Avenue, Newmarket, ON, Canada L3Y 4X2TEL (905) 895-1700 • 1-877-895-1700 • FAX (905) 895-9076E-MAIL admissions@pickeringcollege.on.ca • WEB www.pickeringcollege.on.ca

PICKERING COLLEGENewmarket, Ontario16945 Bayview Avenue, Newmarket, ON, Canada L3Y 4X2TEL (905) 895-1700 • 1-877-895-1700 • FAX (905) 895-9076E-MAIL admissions@pickeringcollege.on.ca • WEB www.pickeringcollege.on.ca

PICKERING COLLEGENewmarket, Ontario16945 Bayview Avenue, Newmarket, ON, Canada L3Y 4X2TEL (905) 895-1700 • 1-877-895-1700 • FAX (905) 895-9076E-MAIL admissions@pickeringcollege.on.ca • WEB www.pickeringcollege.on.ca

PICKERING COLLEGE Learning for Life. Creating the Future.

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR SCHOOL’S CAMPUS MASTER PLAN IS UNDERWAY.

Based on an ambitious strategic plan developed collaboratively by our community, we will build a campus that supports our unique approach to teaching and allows the Global Leadership Program to flourish. There will be a number of exciting stages and announcements over the next year, including progress towards reaching our funding goals for this project; our work with the local community in support of facilities development; and more detailed reveals of the look and function of the facilities themselves.

Together, we will Light The Way for this generation of global leaders.

For more information, contact: Peter Sturrup, Headmaster, headmaster@pickeringcollege.on.ca or Kim Bilous in the Development Department, kbilous@pickeringcollege.on.ca

Tel. 905-895-1700

PICKERING COLLEGENewmarket, Ontario16945 Bayview Avenue, Newmarket, ON, Canada L3Y 4X2TEL (905) 895-1700 • 1-877-895-1700 • FAX (905) 895-9076E-MAIL admissions@pickeringcollege.on.ca • WEB www.pickeringcollege.on.ca

PICKERING COLLEGENewmarket, Ontario16945 Bayview Avenue, Newmarket, ON, Canada L3Y 4X2TEL (905) 895-1700 • 1-877-895-1700 • FAX (905) 895-9076E-MAIL admissions@pickeringcollege.on.ca • WEB www.pickeringcollege.on.ca

PICKERING COLLEGENewmarket, Ontario16945 Bayview Avenue, Newmarket, ON, Canada L3Y 4X2TEL (905) 895-1700 • 1-877-895-1700 • FAX (905) 895-9076E-MAIL admissions@pickeringcollege.on.ca • WEB www.pickeringcollege.on.ca

PICKERING COLLEGE Learning for Life. Creating the Future.

LEARNING FOR LIFE.CREATING THE FUTURE.

We focus on the whole child where students learn to excel, to developcharacter, to make friends and prepare for future endeavours and opportunities.It’s their community, and the experiences they have at school shape them asthey become citizens of the world.

At Pickering College, students, faculty and staff live the values that have guidedour school since 1842 in a stimulating and collegial environment. And, with 100international boarding students from more than 20 countries, our entire schoolcommunity benefits from a global perspective.

Diverse programming in small class settings allow students to excel academicallywith 100% of our graduates moving on to the post-secondary institute of theirchoice. And to ensure a well-rounded experience, students engage in a full-rangeof co-curricular activities like skating, filmmaking, soccer, music and equestrian.

To learn more about the Pickering College experience, please contact ourAdmission Office admission@pickeringcollege.on.ca or 905.895.1700 ext. 259or toll-free at 1.877.895.1700 ext. 259.

Independent Co-educational Day and Boarding Schoolsince 1842 | JK to University Preparatory

16945 Bayview Avenue, Newmarket, ON, Canada

Visit us at www.pickeringcollege.on.ca

Pickering College prepares generations of learners and leaders.

ADMISSION DATES FOR 2015-2016

OPEN HOUSEOctober 14 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

December 2 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

January 16 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

April 9 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.________________________________________

SPEND A HALF DAY Attend class, meet our teachers, join us for

lunch! Registration required.

October 16 8:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

November 27 8:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

February 26 8:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

April 22 8:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

May 13 8:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.________________________________________

INTRODUCTION TO SENIOR SCHOOLGRADES 9-12November 4 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.________________________________________

INTRODUCTION TO MIDDLE SCHOOLGRADES 6-8November 18 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

February 17 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.