Volume 20, Issue 2, June 2013 www.tcdsb.org/schools/lore oabbey.asp | 1Volume 20, Issue 2, June 2013 www.tcdsb.org/schools/lore oabbey.asp | 1

Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School Newsletter

It is hard to believe we are in June and fast approaching the end of the school year. We have had an incredibly successful year with many learning opportunities for the

students. The team effort of all members of the Loretto Ab-bey community is what makes the difference in ensuring that LAT is a great place to work and learn.

Congratulations to our graduates as you move on to the next stage of your lives. We wish you all the best in your future endeavours.

I would also like to congratulate Mrs. Nangini and Mrs. Fili-piuk on their retirement and thank them for the years of devoted service to the school and our profession. We wish them many happy years of retirement.

It is with mixed emotions that I write my last principal’s mes-sage. I will retire on June 30, 2013, after 32 years in Catho-lic education. Loretto Abbey has been a true blessing in my life and has afforded me the opportunity to use the gifts and talents the Lord has given me to serve you and your daughters over the past three years. It has been an excep-tional experience, both personally and professionally, and I will forever cherish the memories I take from this won-derful school. It has been a real pleasure to be part of the pride and tradition that is truly Loretto Abbey. I thank each and every teacher and staff member whom I have worked with over the past three years. I thank every family that I have had the privilege to meet, and most importantly, I thank each student whom I have had the opportunity to get to know and love. I will always remember, with fondness, each of you and the blessing you have been in my life!

In addition, I have received professional support and guidance from a highly effective school board, the TCDSB. I have worked with a strong Adminis-trative Team at Loretto Abbey with Vice-Principals Josie Pan-nozzo, Stephen Handrigan and Paolo Morrone. In addition, Sr. Evanne Hunter, former IBVM Provincial, and the Loretto Sis-ters were incredibly supportive and I would like to acknowl-edge and thank them for that.

Volume 20 Issue 2 June 2013

guidschowortratwitnoPaEPta

I want to again thank all of you for your support and confi-dence in me throughout the past three years. I will certainly miss working in this community and the opportunity to inter-act with such a special group of young women. I am very proud of the faculty and staff and I know that they will con-tinue to work tirelessly to provide a high quality education for your daughters. I look forward to watching the success and growth of LAT as it moves forward. It has been my privilege to be the leader of such a vibrant, high quality and hard working community.

As I leave Loretto Abbey, please know that there will always be a special place for this school in my heart.

Best wishes for a blessed summer!God bless,Alda Bassani, Principal

Table of Content

2 Chaplaincy 2012-2013 • LAT Debate Team: We Debate, Therefore We Are!

3 India Trip 2013 • ESP Safe Schools Action

4 Fantastic Arts Department Achievements

5 French Public Speaking Contest • English Corner

6 Social Science Department News • Cross Country 2012

7 OECTA Young Authors Awards/Prix Jeunes Écrivains • Health and Physical Education Department News

8 From the Abbey Sports Desk

9 Loretto Abbey Track and Field 2013 • Loretto Abbey’s Doors of Hope at Nuit Blanche

10 Multicultural Night 2013 • Literacy Test Results • Walk of the Witness to Faith Cross • Concours d’Art Oratoire

11 Let’s Have S.A.Y. (Solidarity Among Youth) • Mother-Daughter Mass and Tea • Father-Daughter Mass and BBQ

12 Math Contest Results • Project Love

13 The Creative Writing Club’s Published Words on Warfare • Friends of Loretto

14 Deux Langues: Un Monde de Possiblités (Two Languages: Twice the Opportunities) • Stop the Stigma Mental Health Awareness Week

15 Saint-Donat: More than a Ski Trip • OECTA Young Authors’ Competition 2013

16 New! Loretto Abbey’s Specialist High Skills Major Program: Non-Profi t

Volume 20, Issue 2, June 20132 | www.tcdsb.org/lore oabbey

Chaplaincy 2012-2013 Ms. D. Parente

The Loretto Abbey school community is driven by love and charity, and it is for this reason that we have, over the years, directed our annual fundrais-

ing efforts to meeting the needs of both global and local communities. Through our work, it is incredibly clear that the charism of Mary Ward and the Loretto Sisters contin-ues to inspire and challenge us today.

This year, Loretto Abbey chose to embrace the education and empowerment of youth as its Millennium Goal. In so doing, we were privileged to partner with The Angel Foun-dation For Learning, a registered Canadian charity within the TCDSB. The money raised through our numerous school fundraisers will be forwarded directly to them so that they may continue the work that they do to support youth all across the TCDSB.

Just as the Loretto Sisters have joyfully celebrated an in-credible 400 years of service, the Loretto Abbey school community has experienced much joy in its servant lead-ership and socially responsible endeavours. As Pope Benedict XVI so aptly said, “Faith, hope, and charity are a spiritual journey’s start and end, its departure and arrival, God’s gift, simple, not only accessible to moral heroes, but a true ladder to reach God.” The Chaplaincy team genu-inely wishes to thank students, staff, parents, and friends of the Loretto Abbey school community for their generous support of these life-sustaining projects.

LAT Debate Team: We Debate, Therefore We Are! Mrs. G. Racioppo, Mr. P. Andreacchi, and Mr. O. Lopes

The 2012/2013 Debating Season has come to an end and the LAT Debate Team was able to astound with their poise, rhetoric, and wit. There is much to cel-

ebrate this year, and having raised the bar quite high, there is much to live up to next year! Our Novice Debating Team, comprised of Paula Jaramillo, Katelyn Thomson, Dana Chisholm, and Tasha Behruz, were the champions at the Ontario Pro-Con Debating Tournament held at Brebeuf College on March 2, 2013. Dana Chisholm has also been consistently ranked as a top individual debater throughout all of her debating appearances.

Sadly, all of Senior Debaters will be graduating from the LAT Debate Club at the end of this year, having left quite an unforgettable mark through their leadership, mentor-ship, and ability to annihilate on the debating floor. This year alone, they were able to place in the top three in two Ontario Pro-Con Debating Tournaments while accumulat-ing exemplary individual scores.

Thank you to Pearl Almeida and Sara Maltese for their leadership as Presidents of the Debate Club. We wish the

Novice Debate Team consisting of

Paula Jaramillo, Katelyn Thomson,

Dana Chisholm, and Tasha Behruz

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:13

Build To Learn 5,100.00ESP 3,853.92Donations 64.05Donations from Biology class 43.34Donation from Class of 2013 400.00Donation from Me To We 500.00Fashion Show 1,500.84International Women’s Day 277.94Mary Ward’s Birthday Donation 161.35Multicultural Night 2,000.00Music Dept. Donations 900.00Student Council – Charity Events Donations 5,000.00Donation from Key Note Speaker at Graduation $250.00Staff Civvies 240.00GRAND TOTAL 20, 291.00

Loretto Abbey's Fundraising Projects 2012 - 2013for The Angel Foundation for Learning

two of them, and all our senior debaters, the best of luck in their post-secondary studies. Remember to keep calm and debate on!

Volume 20, Issue 2, June 2013 www.tcdsb.org/schools/lore oabbey.asp | 3

Safe Schools Action TeamMrs. L. Nacaratto

On May 16th and 23rd, the ESP Safe Schools Ac-tion committee delivered innovative and energiz-ing programs which targeted substance/tobacco

and alcohol abuse to their student body. “Life is a Toss” featured games which encouraged youth to toss ping pong balls into a variety of cups. Each cup revealed a prize which was centered around educating students about the myths and facts of substance and tobacco use among youth.

Our BYOB day on May 23rd was another great hit this year with our student body. Students were encouraged to “Bring Your Own Banana” to school to receive a large, free ba-nana split sundae. There is no need to bring alcohol to a gathering as youth are encouraged to have a good time without alcohol or drugs. Our Toronto Public Health Nurs-es, Debbie Jones and Gina Sarno, provided fun games to demonstrate how impairment affects one’s judgment while completing various tasks.

After participating in these events, students left with an increased awareness of how their lives can be altered significantly when using alcohol or drugs. It’s never too late to make a good decision which may save your life and the lives of others!

On March 1st, 2013, a group of nine students and teachers from various Toronto schools traveled to India. Here, they engaged with less-fortunate chil-

dren and had a chance to build life-long relationships in the span of just two-and-a-half weeks.

The group traveled to Kolkata where they worked in a Lore-to school and visited many Loreto organizations, including makeshift schools on brickfields. They visited breathtaking Darjeeling where they had a chance to meet Father John Kennedy and visit his organization, Hayden Hall. Students then traveled to the small tea village of Panaghatta where they were fortunate enough to teach in a Loreto school for several days. Students also had the opportunity to see world-famous monuments and locations, such as the Taj Mahal in Agra and Mother House (Mother Teresa’s home) in Kolkata. The entire experience was magnificent, filling students with much excitement and joy. Their hearts were touched by the children of India, leaving them with memo-ries that will last a lifetime.

Loretto Abbey student, Zuzana Kupcikova said, “I am so happy I have had the opportunity to engage in this incred-ible journey. It is the best thing that could have happened to me! It has opened my mind a great deal and has left me very aware of my surroundings.” Visiting the Loreto School in India provided students with a different view of the world, allowing them to look beyond Canada and come to a better understanding of the culture and lifestyle of others. India was breathtaking, leaving students with an experience they will never forget.

The trip was organized through Adventure Learning Ex-periences and runs every March for high school students and teachers. Students who complete the trip, along with a course component, gain a IDC4U credit. For more informa-tion on the program, visit adventurelearningexperiences.com.

India Trip 2013Ms. J. Sassine & Zuzana Kupcikova

Volume 20, Issue 2, June 20134 | www.tcdsb.org/lore oabbey

The second half of the 2012-2013 school year has flown by so quickly. Looking back, we see outstand-ing results from our students in all areas of the Arts.

Visual arts students, taught by Ms. K. Filipiuk, Mr. N. Caetano, and Ms. G. Racioppo, regularly displayed their students’ art work in our library, on the third and fourth floors, and in hallways during parent-teacher interviews. Some of the outstanding art work was brought to St. Mi-chael’s College School Centre for the Arts and was on display during the spring concert. In April, our visual art stu-dents participated in the Skills Canada 2D Computer Char-acter Animation Team Qualifying Competition at Humber College. Accompanied by their coach, Mr. N. Caetano, the two competitors achieved Loretto Abbey’s best result, plac-ing in second within the TCDSB 2D Computer Character Animation Team Competition.

Ms. G. Racioppo and Mr. O. Lopes led the students in the “Doors of Hope” project in celebration of the 100th anni-versary of Catholic charities. Three doors were decorated according to the theme of friendship, love, community, and faith, and will be displayed at this year’s Nuit Blanche.

The drama students and their teachers, Ms. M. Pereira and Mr. A. Muia, did not disappoint with this year’s drama productions. They presented both a comedy and a tragedy entitled “All I Really Needed to Know I Learned From Being in a Bad Play” and “The Women of Troy”. We would like to congratulate the students in Mr. Muia’s drama classes who participated in the Sears Ontario Drama Festival. They walked away with five awards for two shows, an impressive result considering there are thirty awards with the casts of sixteen productions vying for them.

The Music Department also worked very hard and were able to enjoy some outstanding results themselves. On February 12th, the Loretto Abbey Senior and Intermediate Concert Bands were put to the test at the annual Ontario Band Association Festival. The Senior Concert Band was awarded Silver Plus and the Rising Stars Awards, as well as an invitation to the Nationals. The Intermediate Concert Band came back with Gold and Excellence in Woodwind Awards. They, too, received an invitation to the Nationals in May 2013.

The Intermediate band accepted the invitation and, for the very first time in Loretto Abbey history, they partici-pated at the MusicFest Canada Nationals. Their work was

Fantastic Arts Department AchievementsMrs. N. Benotas, Head of Arts Department

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, fl ight to the imagination,

and life to everything.” ~ Plato

Volume 20, Issue 2, June 2013 www.tcdsb.org/schools/lore oabbey.asp | 5

English teachers are distributing registration forms for our September 25 excursion to the Stratford Festival to see “Fiddler On The Roof.”

Students are encouraged to keep up with their reading over the summer holiday. Consult your grade’s Supple-mental Reading List for titles of interesting books. See you in September!!

The Abbey English Department congratulates Marilyn D’Souza and Jennifer Boateng who represented To-ronto in the Provincial Finals of the OECTA Young

Authors Competition.

Welcome back to the thirty teachers, students, and parents who travelled on this year’s March Break trip to Greece. The trip’s highlight had to be our wonderful guide, Betty, and her spectacular 2-day tour through the Peloponnese to Olympia, Sparta, and Kalamata. Information and registra-tion forms for our March 2014 excursion to Portugal and Spain are available from Mr. Cluff.

Thanks to our dedicated team of Grade 10 English Teach-ers, Student Literacy Co-ordinator, after-school Literacy instructors, and teachers who helped with the administra-tion of this year’s very successful OSSLT. The eager and well-prepared students who wrote the “Literacy Test” set a record with 100% attendance.

English CornerMr. A. Cluff, Head of English

recognized with the Silver Award. Our Junior band as well as our concert choir participated at the TCDSB Music Festival in April 2013. Music students and their teachers were excited to particpate in all activities and events orga-nized at the Abbey. The hard work that was done over the course of the year, by both music students and their teach-ers Ms. N. Benotas and Ms. N. Hollington, came to fruition with the spring concert, “The Wonderful World of Music”. The concert was held on May 2nd at St. Michael’s College School Centre for the Arts.

A special thank you goes out to LAMPO members, espe-cially to the president, Mr. H.Gough, and vice president, Ms. S. Mondesir, Loretto Abbey staff and administration: Ms. A. Bassani, Ms. J. Pannozzo and Mr. P. Morrone for their con-tinuous support, help, and leadership. As we bid farewell to yet another successful and challenging school year, I would like to sincerely thank all of the Arts Department students, especially our graduates, and all the Arts teachers, Ms. N. Hollington, Ms. K. Filipiuk, Mr. N. Caetano, Mr. A. Muia, Ms. M. Pereira and Ms. G. Racioppo, for their unwavering sup-port and dedication to the most beautiful subject — one that truly manifests itself from the depths of our hearts — the Arts. Have a safe and joyous summer holiday!

French Public Speaking ContestMs. M. Thorpe

Once again, our Loretto Abbey students represented us extremely well at the French Public Speaking Contest that took place on March 25 and 26, 2013

at the Board office. The following students each captured the silver medal in their respective categories for their speech-es: Martha Kilian in the Extended French Junior category: Wangari Maathai, Jeanelle Bertheau in the FSL Plus Junior category: Le fossé entre les générations, and Natalie Kodsi in the FSL Plus Senior category: Tel chien, tel humain! As well, the following students each captured the bronze medal in their respective categories: Eden Gough in the Immersion French Junior category: Les nouveautés gastronomiques, Kristen Cooke in the Core French Senior category: Les pâtes, and Julia Frodyma in the Extended French Senior category: Les petites joies de la vie. Elisa Iacono also rep-resented us proudly in the Core French Junior category: La Californie: une aventure culturelle. Bravo les filles!

Volume 20, Issue 2, June 20136 | www.tcdsb.org/lore oabbey

From April 12th to 21st geography students embarked on a journey across the Atlantic Ocean to spectacu-lar Iceland and Scotland. For three months leading

up to the trip and over the nine day adventure, students learned about the varied geography of these two mag-nificent countries. Students were immersed in Geology, Glaciology, Volcanology, Climatology, and Geomorphol-ogy as well as to the unique inhabitants of both countries. Furthermore, Students were introduced to the Mid Atlantic Ridge in Iceland, which is the only place in the world where it appears above the water or on land; the vibrant city of Edinburgh with its amazing physical and human geogra-phy, how to pronounce Eyjafjallajökullm, the volcano which stopped transatlantic air travel in 2011, Monsters Macs and deep fried Mars Bars. For these participants, the memories of what they learned and experienced will last a lifetime.

The weather cooperated once again for our yearly trip to Niagara Falls. Grade 9 Students departed On May 21st for a hike into the Niagara Gorge and on the 22nd for an outing

in Niagara on the Lake. For many stu-dents this was the first time they par-ticipated in these activities. In addi-tion, the Maid of the Mist boat ride helped students experience and ap-preciate the sheer power of Niagara Falls and what the Plunge Pool actually is. Our hope is that they come away with a greater appreciation for the geo-graphical beauty and importance of the Niagara Region.

Last but certainly not least, I would like to personally thank all members of the Social Science department who worked tirelessly to make this year an unforgettable one.

Social Science Department NewsMr. H. Cappadocia, Social Science Department Head

Another school year has ended but it feelslike it just began. Where did the time go?

Cross Country 2012 Mr. A. Cluff

On our first day, more than one-hundred Abbey students came out to run. We began our official season with dedicated teams of thirty Midgets,

eighteen Juniors, and forty-five Seniors. [Roughly 10% of our student body]. For the twenty-third straight year, The Abbey had, by far, the largest female team in Ontario. Our first seasonal competition was at the Abbey Invitational Meet held at Centennial Park on October 3rd, 2012. The course, including the dreaded “ski-hill”, proved timely prep-aration for The Sacred Heart Invitational Meet held at Boyd Park in Woodbridge on October 10th, 2012. Our Midget Team made a fine performance coming in 9th place in a field of 512 runners. Emma Harris, a Midget who ran as a Junior, led the team to a 6th place finish of the sixty teams competing. Our Seniors, led by Dominique Ciullo, placed 7th to bring the Abbey to an overall 4th place finish among the 245 schools present. The weather was foggy and cold for The Neil McNeil Boardwalk Relays, held October 19th, 2012 at the Toronto Beaches. We were the largest regis-tered team, and our Midgets took a 4th place team finish.

Our regular season came to a close at the TDCAA League Finals which took place at Etobicoke’s Centennial Park

on October 26th, 2012. Our Midget Team, consisting of Emma Harris, Jacqueline Douglas, Shea Gentile, Sara Be-rardi, Emily MacKinnon, Hanna Campbell, and Rebecca Pompili, placed Second. The Junior Team, consisting of Madison MacCulloch, Martha Kilian, Shae Turner, and Al-ana-Sophia Goldnau-Vogt, a placed Fifth. The Seniors, led by Dominique Ciullo, Megan Casey, Meagan Lum, Emily McHale, and Sarah Chan, also ran to a Fifth Place finish. Loretto Abbey finished Third Place Overall in the Finals, and qualified to send the Midget Team to the OFSAA Pro-vincial Finals in Brampton on November 3rd, 2012.

OFSAA was another great showing with all of our runners achieving personal best times. Of special note is Emma Harris, who placed 23rd in a field of 300 of the best Midget runners in the province. This made an appropriate ending to the 2012 running season at Loretto Abbey. Coaches, Mrs. Pollard, Mr. Bregin, and Mr. Cluff, offer congratula-tions and thanks to all runners for their efforts and remind them to keep active in their off-season. Runners are en-couraged to resume their personal training in the spring to be ready for next September.

Volume 20, Issue 2, June 2013 www.tcdsb.org/schools/lore oabbey.asp | 7

Congratulations to Julia Swist (Grade 9 Ex-tended French student) who entered the OECTA Young Authors Awards writing

contest with a short play and won the provincial Young Authors Awards/Prix Jeunes Écrivains. This is a great honour for Julia and for the Loretto Abbey community.

Julia's play will be published in a commemorative book that will be distributed to all Catholic schools and all main branches of the Public Library in On-tario. We are very proud of Julia and wish her all the best with her budding writing career.

OECTA Young Authors Awards/Prix Jeunes ÉcrivainsMrs. E. Tonelli

Photo tag Photo tag

The grade ten students in the PAF201 course contin-ued to focus on keeping physically fit and improv-ing their eating habits during the second half of the

school year. A dietitian from the neighborhood Loblaw’s store spoke to students about food labels and making healthy food choices. On January 19th, the students had an enjoyable day cross-country skiing at Hardwood Ski and Bike located north of Barrie. In May, a guest Pilates instructor taught fitness classes using exercise tubing. The morning classes went to the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club to participate in an Aquafitness-Zumba class in the pool while the afternoon classes participated in an Aquafitness class at the Douglas Snow Aquatics Centre.

In the Nutrition unit, the students participated in a “Healthy Food Festival” where they made and enjoyed healthy foods. All the recipes were delicious and nutritious! At the end of the school year, the grade 10 students prepared a Nutrition Fair for the grade 9 Phys. Ed. students which involved them researching a variety of topics related to food. Their final ISU assignment involved preparing and leading their class in a fitness circuit using a wide vari-ety of fitness equipment. Their final fitness test results showed them that by doing fitness activities throughout the school year, their overall fitness level improved. The students also reflected that they noticed improvement in their ability to concentrate in their other classes, their mood, energy level, and vitality.

With the sedentary nature of our lives today, this fitness–focused course had so many wonderful health benefits for the students and, ultimately it is the hope of their teacher, Ms. Chandler, that the students are inspired to continue to lead a healthy active lifestyle throughout their lives.

Health and Physical Education Department NewsMs. D. Chandler, Assistant Head of Science & Physical Education

Volume 20, Issue 2, June 20138 | www.tcdsb.org/lore oabbey

From the Abbey Sports DeskMs. D. Chandler, Assistant Head of Science & Physical Education

Over 250 students participated on one or more sports teams this year. Abbey’s annual Athletic Banquet was held on May 31 at Avenue Banquet

Hall. Vicky Sunohara, who was a member of the Canadian Women’s Olympic Hockey team for three Olympics, was our keynote speaker. Her speech reflected on her experi-ence as a hockey player and she was an inspiration to both athletes and coaches. Many congratulations go to:• Rookie Athlete of the Year – Emily MacKinnon • Junior Athlete of the Year (gr. 10) – Claire McGivney• Junior Athlete of the Year (gr. 11) – Sarah Chan • Graduating Athlete of the Year – Zoe Mel• Athlete Displaying Most Leadership – Nadia Corsetti• Graduating Athlete Displaying Best Sportsmanship

– Meagan Lum

Our Sports Teams continued to be successful within the TD-CAA in the second half of the school year. Congratulations to the 38-member Swim team for placing third overall at the TDCAA Championships. The following seniors advanced to the Ontario Championships: Melanie Gavan, Hilda Chan, Stephanie Farkas, Abby McGivney, Sarah Chan, Amanda Giancola, and Lindsay Ormesher where they placed 5th in the 200 metre free relay event and Stephanie Farkas placed 5th in the 100 m free event. The team was coached by Ms. Chandler, Mr. Bregin, and Miss Steele.

Not only did the curling team win the TDCAA Champion-ships for the third straight year, they clinched the Ontario Championship Silver Medal in Ottawa in April! Coached by Mr. Hawkshaw and Mr. Berdenits the five team members had their most victorious year so far. The team members are Deborah Hawkshaw, Nicole Titkai, Sarah Chan, Katie Chanm and Mindy Chapman.

Three cheers for the Abbey Gators! Our hockey team coached by Mr. Salvas and Mr. Malvaso was also victo-rious, once again winning the TDCAA Championships for the third straight year. The hockey team players are: Britttany Caranci, Elisa Colella, Alexa Dumaine, Alison Hanson, Jackie Hamm, Gwyneth Jordan, Rachel Landry, Meagan Lum, Elisabeth Rylchik, Mary Rychlik, Sabreena Meneguzzi, Haley Motahedin, Sarah Novielli, Kim Tobin, Josefa Piazza, Shana Walker, Aryn Wiebe, Sara Berardi, Nicole Calderone, Hannah Campbell, Vanessa Cristini, Stephanie Colella, Olivia Lancefield, Laura Motahedin, Laura Murphy, Kristen Lumb and Alyssa Tobin.

Congratulations to Ruiyao (Ivy) Li who was the TDCAA ta-ble tennis champion for the junior girls singles division. The table tennis team was coached by Mr. Berdenits. In June, the following tennis players, coached by Ms. Musalem and Mr. Salvas, advanced to the Ontario Championships at the Rexdale Centre: TDCAA Junior Doubles Champi-ons - Claire McGivney & Paulina Zakaeva, Senior Doubles

Bronze Medallists - Jennifer Keida & Ioana Spatariu, and Senior Single Silver Medallist - Albina Mamonkina.

Eight of our track and field athletes, coached by Mr. Bregin and Miss Steele, have qualified to compete at the Ontario Track and Field Championships in June in Oshawa.

Both our soccer and softball teams did well in their league play and have advanced to the playoff round, the soc-cer team making it to the semi-finals. The soccer team is coached by Mr. Vergura, Mr. D. Femia, and Mr. C. Femia. The softball team is coached by Mr. Cappadocia, Mrs. Pol-lard and Mr. Andreacchi. Go Abbey Go!

Volume 20, Issue 2, June 2013 www.tcdsb.org/schools/lore oabbey.asp | 9

Loretto Abbey Track and Field 2013Mr. P. Bregin

Although the 2013 Track and Field season had many great performances, the unlikely story of the Se-nior Girls 4x100m relay team is truly remarkable.

Losing top runner Ally Christiani for most of the season due to injury meant that other runners would need to step up to fill the void. Although many combinations of runners were tested throughout the invitational meets, nothing truly stood out. At the TDCAA Championships on May 16-17, some last minute decisions needed to be made with the senior team, made up of Meighan Koo (gr. 12), Brittany Caranci (gr. 10), Jenna Rizzo (gr. 11), and anchored by Olivia Lancefield (gr. 9) who had just completed her midget girls race and was willing to step in on short notice. Despite the lack of practice time the girls had with this unique com-bination, the team ran a seasonal best of 52.77 seconds, placing 4th and advancing to the Metro regional qualifier.

On May 22-23, the girls took on the best of Catholic, Pub-lic, and Private schools in the GTA at the Metro Regional

Qualifying meet. The girls ran 51.83 seconds in the heats, placing 7th and qualifying for the finals later that afternoon.

Before the race, the team practiced hard and, as fate would have it, the girls pulled off a perfect race with three great exchanges, running 50.77 seconds, placing 4th, and quali-fying for OFSAA, beating several very strong teams. Even more impressive is the fact that this senior team had only one senior runner. The two junior runners, Olivia Lance-field in particular, showed great composure, held their own against older athletes, and pulled off a stunning upset.

On June 6-8, all of these runners competed at OFSAA for the first time. Ally Christiani joined the team as another alternate, as she was still recovering from injury. Other OFSAA competitors included standout grade 9 distance runner Emma Harris in the midget girls 3000m, and junior shot-putter, Alison Hanson. The future of Abbey sprinting is very bright!

Loretto Abbey’s Doors of Hope at Nuit BlancheMr. O. Lopes

To celebrate 100th Anniversary of Catholic Charities in Toronto and the TCDSB pas-toral plan focusing on the value of hope,

Loretto Abbey and 29 other TCDSB schools un-dertook a large art project entitled Doors of Hope. For two weeks after school, students would meet in room 330 under the supervision of Ms. Racioppo, Mr. Lopes, and Ms. Groom, in order to work on their contribution to this project. Using bright, comple-mentary colours and a bold design inspired by the work of artist and social activist Keith Haring, stu-dents designed, sketched, and painted their vision of hope in our world on a very unique canvas: three doors.

On October 5, 2013, over 100 doors from all over Toronto will be joined together to concretize hope at Scotiabank’s Nuit Blanche. Loretto Abbey is very excited to be a part of this renowned, annual art event!

A special thank you to the following students for under-taking such an important project: Laura Sannuto, Sara Di Battista, Michelle Yip, Catherine Pham, Laura Mota-hedin, Charlotte Biricz, Sierra Lo Monaco, and Penelope Diamantopolous.

-e -n e

ronto

Volume 20, Issue 2, June 201310 | www.tcdsb.org/lore oabbey

Loretto Abbey students did very well at this year’s Concours d’Art Oratoire. All three participants placed in the top three in each of their respective

categories.

Kristen Cooke (Core French category) placed third, receiv-ing a bronze medal for her speech. Julia Frodyma (Ex-tended French category) placed third, receiving a bronze medal. Natalie Kodsi (FSF Plus) placed second and re-ceived a silver medal.

All three students performed excellently, displaying both competence in and commitment to the French language. The Loretto Abbey community is very proud of their ac-complishments. Thank you to the coaches who worked tirelessly with the girls.

Walk of the Witness to Faith CrossMr. C. Femia

On October 29, 2012, Loretto Abbey's Religion De-partment, Chaplaincy team, and members of the Daughters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary club

participated in “The Walk of the Witness to Faith Cross”. The TCDSB Faith Cross had been proudly displayed on the main floor of our school. Students were encouraged to come together and be witnesses of our faith. Loretto Abbey students carried the cross to St. Margaret Elemen-tary School where they handed it over to the students to display in their school.

Loretto Abbey could not have been more honoured to have had the cross at the school and to have had partici-pated in such an event like “Walk of the Witness to Faith Cross” that brings students and teachers together. The Loretto Abbey Religion De-partment, the Daughters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and students and staff from across the TCDSB par-ticipated in the walk again on May 30th, when the cross will finally be returned to the Catholic Education Centre.

Students from Loretto Abbey walking through the neigh-bourhood on their way to St. Margaret.

Concours d’Art OratoireMrs. E. Tonelli

Multicultural Night 2013Ms. Y. Musalem

The Loretto Abbey community came together once again to celebrate the amalgamation of different cultures. On May 10, Loretto Abbey celebrated its

annual Multicultural Night, an evening to celebrate the cul-turally diverse community we are all proud to be a part of! Many of our talented students worked very hard through-out the year to prepare for a night of traditional food, song, and dance. This fundraising event would not have been possible without the help, support, and dedication of stu-dents, teachers, and staff. The well-attended event raised an incredible $2000, all of which will be donated to The An-gel Foundation on behalf of the student population. Thank you to everyone who participated and made this a beauti-fully memorable evening!

Literacy Test ResultsM. Chiera

Loretto Abbey staff and students worked long and hard to prepare our Grade 10’s for the Ontario Sec-ondary School Literacy Test, OSSLT. The students

were guided through important skills within their English course, as well as practicing literacy across the curriculum. We continued our practice of a mock-test in the winter, this time, adding feedback through a rubric which reflected the EQAO expectations. This was very important in commu-nicating with parents and encouraging students to attend the after school remedial program, an essential part of their preparation. After many months of dedication, we are proud to congratulate our students on a 94% pass rate for all first-time eligible students! Thank you to all of the teach-ers who worked diligently to ensure that our students were well prepared and to the students who worked hard all year long. Keep up the good work!

Loretto Abbey students preparing the Peace Garden found on the grounds of the school.

Volume 20, Issue 2, June 2013 www.tcdsb.org/schools/lore oabbey.asp | 11

Let’s Have S.A.Y. (Solidarity Among Youth)Mr. O. Lopes

On May 15, 2013 Loretto Abbey and Cardinal Cart-er students hosted the "Let's Have S.A.Y — Soli-darity Among Youth" leadership symposium. After

months of hard work, cooperation, innovation, and faith in action, approximately 150 students from five TCDSB high schools participated in this day to celebrate student activ-ism. It was an event entirely created by the students for the students, offering voice and value to their capacity for agency and social change.

Students from Loretto Abbey and Cardinal Carter worked in tandem to create twelve unique workshops based on different social justice concerns and issues requiring the involvement of our youth. Victim shaming, sweatshop labour, educational rights of women, cyber bullying, third world industrialization, and mental health were only some of the topics covered in these student-created workshops. At the end of each workshop, attendees were encouraged to return to their school communities to complete a small action piece that will contribute to a larger cause and en-liven our Catholic call to service!

In addition to the student workshops, two keynote speakers shared their stories, offering students insight and knowl-edge into the importance of courage and commitment in creating positive social change. Jennifer Pugliaro, an investigative journalist from The Toronto Star, addressed key issues in our own city that disproportionately affect teenagers. It was easy to see how Jennifer was the re-cipient of the Goff Penny Award, acclaiming her as one of the two best journalists under 25 years of age in Canada. She used her insight to highlight stories of student activ-ism where change was made possible through the student voice, inspiring our very own to do the same with great passion and dedication.

Student leaders from all across the city were also able to hear the inspirational story of Sami Jo Small and her par-ticipation in three different Olympic games. As Sami Jo captivated the students with her experiences of struggle, hardship, and perseverance, students recognized that leadership is not always about standing in the brilliance of the sun, but, sometimes requires us to stand in the shad-ows in order to allow others to experience the light. The insight that she gained and shared throughout her strug-gles and achievements provided a much-needed sense of optimism.

Sami Jo Small (member of two-time gold medal winning Canadian hockey team) with Loretto Abbey students (Stefanie Spagnuolo, Alannah Ongkeko, Penelope Diamantopolous and Camela Salde) and Cardinal Carter students.

On May 9th, the Loretto Abbey Chaplaincy Team and Loretto Abbey's Catholic School Advisory Council organized the Mother and Daughter Mass

and Tea. The evening was a memorable one, beginning with mass celebrated by Fr. Delaney. He spoke about the important role that a mother plays in the life of her child and he encouraged students to pray to our beloved Mother Mary who will always watch over us. The evening ended with a lovely High Tea that was enjoyed by students and mothers alike.

Mother-Daughter Mass and TeaMr. C. Femia

On June 6th, the Loretto Abbey Chaplaincy team, with the help of Loretto Abbey’s Student Coun-cil, celebrated their annual Father and Daughter

Mass and BBQ. Father Delaney celebrated mass, encour-aging Abbey students and their fathers to continue to nur-ture their relationships with one other. Fathers and their daughters then shared in a delicious BBQ dinner.

Father-Daughter Mass and BBQMr. C. Femia

Volume 20, Issue 2, June 201312 | www.tcdsb.org/lore oabbey

Project LOVEM. Chiera

Loretto’s Outstanding Volunteer Efforts (Project LOVE) is just wrapping up its second year. This initiative aims to help students realize the value of

stewardship and volunteerism by encouraging Grade 9 stu-dents to complete the Ministry required 40 hours of service within their first year of high school and continue to volun-teer throughout their high school experience. A breakfast honouring our Grade 9 students who meet this achieve-ment was held on June 6th in the Loretto Abbey Parlour.

Many of these events would not have been possible without outside funding. Not only were we lucky enough to receive an Ontario SpeakUp Grant for a second year, we were also recipients of the TCDSB Exemplary Practice Award. These monetary awards allowed us to create school-based events during the Ontario Youth Volunteer Challenge, “Change the World.” During the four week challenge, students at LAT were able to participate in two events which made it possible for students to take part in the challenge by be-ing accessible to those who may not be able to travel or volunteer without an adult. On May 7th, students gathered in the school to put together paper crane craft-making kits to be delivered to the children at SickKids Hospital. In addi-tion, on May 9th, student volunteers (including members of the Environmental Club) came together under the guidance of Mrs. Goodman to plant in the Peace Garden. Both events were well-attended and ensured that students were able to complete three hours of volunteering in order to earn a Min-istry Certificate and participate in the provincial challenge.

Another important aspect of Project LOVE is supporting the transition into high school through teacher and student mentorship. On May 15th, Grade 10 and 12 leaders, sup-ported by the LAT staff, conducted a very important Men-torship Morning to speak to our Grade 9 students about exam preparation. This morning was an opportunity to provide insight, helpful tips for studying, and methods for reducing anxiety in order to ensure that students are ready and confident leading into the exam period.

As we wrap up the year, we are grateful for the many students who continue to have a positive impact on oth-ers. We are confident, whether they return to us in September or are moving on to the next phase of their edu-cation, that we have had a small impact in encouraging them to spread the love.

Math Contest ResultsAuthor

The Mathematics Department wishes to congratulate the following 45 students, who achieved a score in the top 25% of participants in one or more contests

this year. These students received certificates of distinction and medals for the top scorers in the school will be pre-sented at our Academic Awards night in the fall.

Grade 9: Esi Aboagye, Joana Bargas (Medal-Pascal), Maria Condarcuri (Bronze-Fryer), Andrada Cretu, Kelsey Eakin, Kathleen Furtado (Medal-Pascal, Bronze-Fryer), Annamaria Marchesan, Karen Penaranda, Bianca Polsi-nelli (Silver-Fryer), Katelyn Thomson, Alyssa Tobin, Woo Lim Yoo

Grade 10: Muriel Barker, Marilyn D’Souza, Rosemary Jose, Alana Sophia Goldnau-Vogt, Meghan Keegan, Minju Kim, Amber Li (Gold-Galois), Ivy Li (Medal-Cayley, Med-al-CIMC), Albina Mamonkina, Marvie Quintana, Frances Shen, Nareh Tahmasian, Farrah Wan, Yi Wang, Sirui Wei, Sherry Xu (Bronze-Galois)

Grade 11: Rosalia Adamo, Hilda Chan, Sarah Chan, Bridget Donnelly, Emma Inacio, Linda Leung, Pelisha Samithamby (Bronze-Hypatia), Sicily Shi (Medal-CSMC), Corinna Smith (Medal-Fermat, Bronze-Hypatia), Hayley Sun, Khanh Ha Tran (Bronze-Hypatia), Annie Yu (Bronze-Hypatia), Chloe Zhang (Bronze-Hypatia)

Grade 12: Justine Czajka, Alexa Dumaine, Yifan Fang (Medal-Euclid), Sara Maltese

EQAO Prep Days On May 21st and 22nd, the Mathematics Department or-ganized two Grade 9 EQAO Prep Days, where students participated in a full day of mathematics activities in prepa-ration for the EQAO Mathematics Assessment on June 3rd and 4th. The days ran very smoothly, with the help of sev-eral Grade 12 students and four Loretto Abbey alumni, who volunteered their time to help out on these days. Overall, these days were a success and we look forward to continu-ing this practice in the future.

Author

hematics Department wishes to congratulate

Volume 20, Issue 2, June 2013 www.tcdsb.org/schools/lore oabbey.asp | 13

Loretto Abbey’s Creative Writing Club meets ev-ery Tuesday morning with like-minded individuals, who in this case, all enjoy expressing themselves.

Through their writing, students share their ideas and lit-erary inspirations, work on ways to improve their writing, learn strategies to avoid the dreaded writer’s block, and write to ultimately expand their creative ambitions. Under the guidance of Mr. Lopes, the club provides helpful di-rection and a productive atmosphere for student writers to grow and flourish in the Loretto Abbey community. The fruits of their labour have been published in an anthology entitled Words of Attrition.

Words of Attrition, written entirely by Loretto Abbey’s Cre-ative Writing Club, is composed of short stories, non-fiction essays, and poems on the subject of war. The war being referred to is not limited to the battles fought with guns or with swords. “War has many different interpretations. This topic is relatable in that there are personal wars and battles

The Creative Writing Club’s Published Words on WarfareBy: Rachel Lee Him

being faced on a daily ba-sis,” says Mindy Chapman, a grade 12 mentor of the Creative Writing Club.

Words of Attrition covers issues of feminism, mental illness, love and relation-ships, and loss, all within the context of internal and external conflict. The stu-dents of this club write religiously, and have aptly dedi-cated their anthology to "those who just have to write”.

Words of Attrition, featuring works by Katie Comper, Tay-lor Cenac, Esi Aboagye, Dana Chisholm, Mindy Chapman, Yloiza Francisco, Paula Jaramillo, and Karen Peñaranda, with accompanied illustrations by Jessica Alfante, is avail-able in the Loretto Abbey library.

The Friends of Loretto would like to thank every-one who contributed towards the raffle draw at the Mother and Daughter Mass and Tea in May and the

50/50 Draw at the Father and Daughter Mass and BBQ in June. The Spa basket draw generated $750 while $350 was realized through the 50/50 draw.

Many thanks to Carm Mazzilla and Jane Gazdic who orga-nized the raffle draw, and to Maureen McGivney and Jane Gazdic and their daughters, who helped with the 50/50 draw. Again, all proceeds will go towards the repair and restoration of the Auditorium seats. Stay tuned for further updates in the fall!

At this time, the Friends of Loretto would like to wish the Principal, Alda Bassani, all the best upon announcing her retirement from Loretto Abbey and thank her for all of her support throughout the year. The Friends of Loretto look forward to working with the new Principal to ensure that the goal of restoring the Auditorium to its classical beauty is realized and that the Friends of Loretto continue to work as a vibrant contributor towards the good of the Loretto Abbey community.

Catharina Gasser, Jane Gazdic, Amy Leung, Carm Mazzilli, Maureen McGivney, Elizabeth Polajnar

Friends of LorettoCatharina Gasser

Standing from left to right: Ladessa Rocco, Monica Macchiusi, Rosalia Adamo, Jessica Vitiritti and Natash Gasser

CONGRATULATIONS!2013 Verb Olympics Gold Medallists

and new record holders* — Mr. Tommasone’s Grade 11 Core French class,

FSF 3U1-01: Team Monaco

*New school record: 294 points

Volume 20, Issue 2, June 201314 | www.tcdsb.org/lore oabbey

On Thursday, April 25, 2013, ten of LAT’s finest FSL students, in both Grade 10 Extended and Grade 11 Core French, participated in the annual

French for the Future/Le Français Pour l’Avenir conference graciously hosted by Collège Universitaire Glendon. Fol-lowing the opening ceremony and keynote address, stu-dents participated in interactive workshops of their choice highlighting the importance of French and the benefits of bilingualism in the world of Psychology, Radio and Tele-vision, volunteer work, Teaching and Education, Theatre, etc. After lunch, students were treated to a live show per-formed by Andrea Lindsay, a Francophile pop singer and recording artist.

Deux Langues: Un Monde de Possiblités Two Languages : Twice the OpportunitiesMr. T. Tommasone

In the picture are Abbey participants:

Carina Couillard, Penelope

Diamantopoulos, Tiffany Tran,

Bridget Donelly, Brianna White, Natalia

Rischynski, Maria Mesic, Kristen Lumb,

Jeanelle Bertheau, and Martha Kilian

Loretto Abbey's Stop the Stigma team introduced the theme of "Live, Laugh, and Learn @ LAT" on a guid-ed, personal delivery system level this year. Creat-

ing and providing a personal approach to mental health, our school community was able to participate in 40 differ-ent Healthy Body, Healthy Mind workshops.

Nurses from the Community Care Access Centre and To-ronto Public Health, Occupational Therapists from A Dif-ferent Life, and Therapists from The Canadian College of Massage Therapists provided in-depth services about how to care for oneself through education and application. The ideology of one's personal care introduces how we are able to understand the dynamics of our body and our mind as the primary source of our own personal intervention and awareness. It is when we come to this understanding that we are able to further support ourselves when we are ex-periencing other feelings in our lives.

Students began the week with a classroom activity in which they learned about Mental Health and participated in a Pay it Forward activity. While students attended many workshops throughout the week, it was most-fitting to end the week by having the entire school shaking their bodies to the "Harlem Shake" in an effort to be one's true self and let go of the stress that a busy life can throw at us.

Loretto Abbey's Stop the Stigma team is already planning for 2014! Be well!

Stop the Stigma Mental Health Awareness Week — May 6-10th, 2013Mrs. L. Naccarato

Volume 20, Issue 2, June 2013 www.tcdsb.org/schools/lore oabbey.asp | 15

For four consecutive days in Janauary 2013, 25 students in the FSL program joined Mr. Tomma-sone and Mrs. Nangini for a fun-filled adventure in

Saint-Donat, Quebec. The annual trip to Saint-Donat is more than an opportunity to ski or learn to ski in a French-speaking milieu. It is a truly unique experience in that our students get to interact in French with their French lan-guage programme “moniteurs” and “monitrices” as well as the local townsfolk who are always more than enthusiastic to host and converse with our students.

Overall, the Saint-Donat programme boasts successful language acquisition through outdoor education, language workshops, treasure hunt activities, sports, music, arts and crafts, and drama. Many thanks to all the girls who participated this year. Your commitment to bilingualism is admirable!

Saint-Donat: More than a Ski TripMr. A. Tommasone

The Loretto Abbey English Department would like to thank those who participated in this year’s Ontario English Catholic Teachers Young Authors’ Compe-

tition. The following students had their entries sent to the semi-finals sponsored by The Toronto Secondary Unit of the Catholic Teachers’ Union.

Grade 9-10 Short Story: Taylor Cenac Grade 9-10 Poetry: Meghan KeeganGrade 9-10 Nonfiction: Marilyn D’Sousa*

Grade 11-12 Short Story: Vanessa Tolentino Grade 11-12 Poetry: Jennifer Boateng* Grade 11-12 Nonfiction: Ioana Spatariu * Marilyn and Jennifer qualified for the Provincial Finals.

Many thanks for entries from: Andrea Austerberry, Jenny Autillo, Sydney Balthazar, Arianna Cannarozzo, Tiffany Carter, Katie Comper, Melissa D’Mello, Yloiza Francisco, Camile Joyce Gaddi, Emma Gazzola, Melissa Gemmiti, Alana Sophia Goldnau-Vogt,Mary-Anne Iver, Rosemary Jose, Natasha Madassa, Albina Mamonkina, Jameel Ein-an Marix S. Lu, Maria Mesic, Madeleine Multari, Kassan-dra Neranjan, Katherine Savo-Sardaro, Debra Solis, Julia Swist, Sarah Swist, Chelsea Lucky Valino, Kate Vickery

Abbey English teachers will have information for the 2014 OECTA Competition this fall, and are looking forward to another excellent showing!

OECTA Young Authors’ Competition 2013Mr. A. Cluff, Head of English

Thank you and best wishes

Mrs. Alda Bassani!!From Loretta Abbey’s staff, past, and present students.p p

Volume 20, Issue 2, June 201316 | www.tcdsb.org/lore oabbey

Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School101 Mason Boulevard, North York, Ontario M5M 3E2Tel.: 416-393-5510 Fax: 416-397-6137

Superintendent John Shain Twitter@TCDSB_area4

Toronto Catholic District School Board Trustees 2012-2013

Wards

1 Peter Jakovcic 416-512-3401

2 Ann Andrachuk, Chair 416-512-3402

3 Sal Piccininni 416-512-3403

4 Patrizia Bottoni 416-512-3404

5 Maria Rizzo 416-512-3405

6 Frank D’Amico 416-512-3406

7 John Del Grande 416-512-3407

8 Garry Tanuan 416-512-3408

9 Jo-Ann Davis, Vice-Chair 416-512-3409

10 Barbara Poplawski 416-512-3410

11 Angela Kennedy 416-512-3411

12 Nancy Crawford 416-512-3412

13 Andrew Walker, Student Trustee 416-512-3413

NEW! Loretto Abbey’s Specialist High Skills Major Program: Non-ProfitLAT’s SHSM Team

Non-Profit Major Credits (Grades 11 and 12), earning two Co-Op Credits in the Non-Profit sector (can be earned in school or during summer school), completing seven Cer-tifications, participating in Reach Ahead and Experiential Learning opportunities, and familiarizing themselves and making use of the Ontario Skills Passport (OSP).

Enrolment in the SHSM Non-Profit program here at Loretto Abbey is beneficial as it:• provides opportunities for students to experience post-

secondary life while still in high school.• gives students opportunities to earn certifications, with-

out added costs.• enriches a student's résumé, allowing them to stand out

when they are applying to College or University. Their sector-specific training puts them ahead of their peers in their knowledge of how the non-profit sector oper-ates.

• increases a student's awareness of social justice issues in both their community and the world, helping them ac-tively live out their Catholicity.

Certification in the SHSM Non-Profit sector is tailored to suit the needs of students who are bound for university, college, and the workplace. Interested students who are currently finishing up their grade 9 or 10 year are encour-aged to speak with their guidance counsellor for further information about how to enrol in the program.

The non-profit sector offers a range of careers that are dynamic, engaging, and rewarding. Whether in the fields of art, culture, education, the environment,

information technology, health care, social development, or sport, countless career paths are available for people who share the sector’s common vision: to make a differ-ence. — Ontario Ministry of Education Policy Document, 2010.

The Loretto Abbey School Community is very happy to an-nounce the launch of the brand new Specialist High Skills Major Certification Program, with a focus in the Non-Profit sector. This SHSM Program, with a Non-Profit focus, is entirely new to the Toronto Catholic District School Board and Loretto Abbey is one of just four high schools that will implement the program in September 2013.

The SHSM Program allows students to earn a red seal cer-tification on their Ontario Secondary School Diploma. The seal indicates to post-secondary institutions and prospec-tive employers that the student has completed their high school career with a clear focus in the non-profit sector and that they have acquired the necessary knowledge, skills, and experience to be successful in this area of study/work.

Students can earn SHSM Non-Profit certification if they have completed a number of required program com-ponents including: earning a specific bundle of seven