Sacred Beat Newsletter March 2022

MARCH ISSUE 2022

VOLUME 4

THE SACRED BEAT Sacred Heart's Quarterly Pulse

Farewell Ms. Ferro!

Dear Sacred Heart Community:

GET IN THE KNOW:

Throughout the pages of The Sacred Beat, you will find stories that paint a picture of our wonderful Sacred Heart community. We cannot help but feel the school spirit that has returned to the Triangle and Great Hall. Our talented young writers and editors help us feel the excitement, as students once again fill the halls with joy and hope.

LENTEN REFLECTION

As your principal for the past four years, I witnessed this remarkable school spirit first-hand and will miss it dearly. I will be leaving Sacred Heart and retiring after many years of service to Catholic education. I leave at the end of April, with a full heart, knowing that you will embrace this change and continue to grow and thrive.

Our Sacred community continues to grow and change in the face of adversity. I know that we are stronger than ever and am confident that you will continue to thrive and build a legacy that we can all be proud of.

I am forever grateful for your warm embrace and this incredible opportunity to serve you. I will miss you all and will keep you in my prayers.

Let us come together to celebrate the Lenten season in preparation for Easter. The season of Lent is a time to reflect on Christ's sacrifice on the cross. Let us share in our commitment to our Faith and give hope and love to those around us.

May God Bless you and keep you safe. Farewell.

Mrs. Olga Ferro

PG. 2 CHRISTMAS AT SACRED

PG. 4 MARKETING FAIR

PG. 7 ATHLETIC COUNCIL EVENTS

PG. 12 SACRED HEART CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL 908 LEMAR RD, NEWMARKET, ON L3Y 1R9

Lenten Reflection

By Mrs. J. Sellecchia, Chaplain

Prayer, Fasting & Almsgiving: this is what we’re called to do during our Lenten journey. When you are preparing for something, a trip, a test, a job interview, it’s helpful to have a checklist of things to keep you on track. So, consider “Prayer, Fasting & Almsgiving” your checklist for Lent.

PRAYER. Every relationship needs intention and commitment in order to make it a positive one. Finding time to pray in an intentional way can help us work on our relationship with God. Have you prayed today?

During Lent, the Sacred Heart community continues to pray together during our Thursday morning liturgies in the Chapel. All are welcome to join us at 7:55am every Thursday.

FASTING. As Catholics, we abstain from large meals on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday; we are also asked to abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent. Another way you can fast during Lent is to give up something; many give up their favourite food or a specific behaviour. What are you fasting from this Lent?

On March10-11, many of our students participated in Development & Peace’s THINKfast. More than 60 students fasted for 25 hours, spending their time learning about climate challenges faced by those in the Global South. As a school community, we raised over $1000! See Ethan’s reflection on his experience on page 3.

ALMSGIVING. We are reminded to show love to our neigbour during Lent by doing acts of charity. We can show kindness to others by giving of our time to help someone in need, volunteering for local charities, or donating to a cause. How are you showing kindness and giving to others this Lent?

We were overwhelmed with the generosity of the Sacred Heart community during our Advent drive for the Community Bread program at St. John Chrysostom Church. During the week of March 7th, our grade 12 students worked diligently and happily to create over 300 care packages. Thank you for taking the time to help the needy in our community.

PAGE 2

MARCH 2022

Reflection by Ethan Stanesic I chose to participate in the ThinkFast because I think there is much to be found in an event which not only centers around the ordeal of fasting for the individual, but also around the idea of tackling such challenges as a school community. In many such events that Sacred Heart offers - team sports, school challenges, academic competitions - we see this action of confronting challenging tasks, relying not simply on solidarity but also on personal motivation and perseverance to hold everyone together.

The ThinkFast is yet another of these types of events which is less so burdened with heavy meaning than a break from the typical daily school routine. It’s a huge relief to be able to partake in a 24 hour fast with others.

Fasting is somewhat different for everyone, but my personal experience with the ThinkFast was conclusively that with enough distractions one could typically go through the day as if nothing was incredibly different.

. Although what stood out to me the most was definitely the chance to spend the day with some friends of mine and pass the time, there was also a complete roster of things to do organized by none other than Canada’s Development and Peace organization.

Being able to listen to impactful guest speakers, engage ourselves in fun activities, and enjoy some break time to talk, relax, and reflect along the way were a huge part of what made this event a smashing success for students and staff boardwide.

Thanks to all the teachers who helped out, and to the students at Sacred Heart I seriously recommend giving it a try next year - I’m certain the ThinkFast will go by as fast as the name suggests!

MARCH 2022

PAGE 3

At Sacred Corky’s Christmas has been a long-

The objects being wrapped were a

lived tradition here at Sacred Heart. It’s a

variety of miscellaneous objects which

time for us to gather together as a

included but were not limited to chairs,

community and celebrate the holiday

our Student Council President Noah

season before the break. Nowadays,

Totten’s collection of empty Axe Spray

events such as Corky’s Christmas can be

bottles (why he has so many, we will

difficult to organize due to health and

never know), and even their own

safety guidelines but the Student Council

teammates. The winners were decided

and Music Council partnered up to bring

by a round of applause from the

a safe and modified version of Corky’s

audience. Overall, Wednesday was a

Christmas to Sacred Heart.

great start to the week of fun.

We kicked off the events on

Thursday’s vibe was all about being

Wednesday where students and staff

cozy. Students came to school dressed

were asked to wear their most festive

in

holiday accessories. Students then made

Christmas sweaters and were asked to

their way down to the cafeteria for lunch

BYOM (bring your own mug) for the

and had the opportunity to participate in

free

a Christmas Wrap battle. In groups of

outside of the cafeteria. This day was

three, students came up on the stage

all about relaxing, before the big event

and were judged on their ability to wrap

on Friday.

an object in a limited amount of time.

PAGE 4

MARCH 2022

their

Hot

comfiest

Chocolate

PJ’s

or

being

ugliest

served

Finally, the week was over and before students left for the holidays, there was one more event: the official Corky’s Christmas and civvies day. In a regular year, this would entail students coming down to the cafeteria to watch some talented performances and listen to the MC’s corny jokes between the acts. This year some adjustments were made, but luckily the corny jokes remained.

Instead of gathering in the cafeteria, students were able to watch the event through a livestream in their classrooms. Although students weren’t there to witness the event live, the heart of Corky’s Christmas was still beating strong.

Our Music Council compiled

students’ video submissions and played them through the livestream, and there was even a surprise and somewhat impromptu guest performance from Mr. Fabris and Mr. Zeagman, with Mr. Zeagman on the guitar and Mr. Fabris’ improv lyrics and dance moves.

Of

course,

we

couldn’t

forget everyone’s favourite part of Corky's Christmas, the reason why most Grade 12’s come to school that day: the beloved raffle.

During 1st-period, Student Council members handed out raffle tickets to students and teachers were given some to put aside for those online, and the Raffle Reindeer anonymously selected the winning tickets. Prizes included snacks, gift cards, care packages and more.

A big thank you goes out to our Student Council, Music Council and the teacher advisors for planning the events. Thank you Tech Cru for setting up Mics and organizing the livestream, and thank you to all students and staff who participated in bringing the holiday spirit to Sacred. We hope your holiday season was restful, joyous and filled with laughter and love.

MARCH 2022

PAGE 5

What is Best Buddies all about?

nt vent CHRISTMAS Eve by. Reese McKean

Best Buddies is a non-profit international organization that establishes a global volunteer movement. In simple words, a "best buddy" is a good friend. By being a part of Best Buddies, you become a best buddy to someone with an intellectual or developmental disability. At Sacred Heart, Best Buddies plays an important role in involving those in our school community with intellectual or developmental disabilities with more social interaction and meaningful friendships. Best Buddies is a welcoming and inclusive environment that strives to support all members through student-led events. To welcome new members this school year, members created and executed a fun and exciting Christmas party filled with festive activities that sprouted new friendships. If you are a Sacred Heart student and are interested in helping create an inclusive environment and new friendships we encourage you in joining Best Buddies!

Festive Stations: Gingerbread Cookie Station: At this activity, club members decorated their own cookies with colorful icing, sprinkles, and candies.

Christmas Ornament Station: At this activity club members decorated their own ornaments with glitter, acrylic paint, and stickers.

To end this event, we danced to Christmas music and showed off our dance moves with the newly formed friendships that were sparked in the spirit of the winter season and Jesus Christ.

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MARCH 2022

BEFORE CHRISTMAS BREAK, MR ZEAGMAN AND HIS GRADE 11 STUDENTS HOSTED A WEEKLONG MARKETING FAIR IN THE CAFETERIA....

Ethan Rania The Marketing Fair is the grade 11 students' Business CPT, giving them experience in marketing and entrepreneurship. The assignment is to come up with a treat they could make and sell based on what they believe is most desired by the student body. Then they advertise and sell them with the purpose of achieving maximum profits.

The fair is formatted as a competition, and the winning group would keep 100% of all of the profits they made. All of the other groups would only keep 50% of their profits with the other half being donated to charity.

There was a wide variety of delicious treats freshly made and provided by our own Sacred Business Students. I myself tried some of the refreshments that were offered and was not disappointed. I tried a delicious strawberry crèpe with whipped cream from Crepeaders Crepeaders,, and washed it down

with

a

warm

hot

chocolate

topped

with

marshmallows and sprinkles to really get me into the spirit of Christmas. Sadly, I couldn't try all of the unique options that were being served, but I have to say that I was very impressed with what I did try. Altogether this was a great event and I can't wait to see what Sacred students come up with for next year.

Sacred Heart Marketing Fair MARCH 2022

PAGE 7

black history month At a Glance I dream a world where man No other man will scorn, Where love will bless the earth And peace its paths adorn I dream a world where all Will know sweet freedom's way, Where greed no longer saps the soul Nor avarice blights our day.

A world I dream where black or white, Whatever race you be, Will share the bounties of the earth And every man is free, Where wretchedness will hang its head And joy, like a pearl, Attends the needs of all mankindOf such I dream, my world!

-Langston Hughes

The new dawn blooms as we free it. For there is always light, if only we're brave enough to see it. If only we're brave enough to be it.

-Amanda Gorman

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MARCH 2022

Integrated Arts CPT

By Rahavan Kuganeswaran

Covid-19 has affected each and every one of us at Sacred Heart. To commemorate our hardship and the impact Covid-19 has left, our proud Grade 9 Integrated Arts classes have collaborated to produce a website full of art and experiences. It includes contributions of music, dance, drama, paintings, and more. I have featured a few pieces below but please visit the website yourself to see all of the exhibits: https://sites.google.com/ycdsb.ca/alccpt2022/introduction

Fractured By: Kiamehr, Daniel, and Euan

A Pandemic Story By: Louella and Andrea

God's Will, Hope and Love Tetiana V.

MARCH 2022

PAGE 9

Happy Valentine's Day Sacred

BY ANGELINA AZAR EL-HAJJ

Because of Covid-19 , Sacred was unable to celebrate Valentine's Day the way we wanted to have it celebrated, but that does not mean love wasn't spread around the school during that time. Our arts council were able to spread the love by creating heart origamis and teaching our community how to make our own.

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MARCH 2022

During all lunches for the whole week of February 14 till the 18th, art council had a table in the great hall where anyone could pass by to make a heart origami.

Students were taught how to make them stepby-step so they could have an art installation with all of the hearts created to display our "sacred hearts"

Sacred Heartists

MARCH 2022

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---------Athletic Council Events

By Vita Kolesnikova

In mid November, the Athletic Council hosted Sacred's first table tennis intramurals in the Great Hall.

Table tennis tables, were set up and some students came to play just for fun, while others played competitively. The tables dedicated to competitive table tennis had students playing and competing tournament style. Students played on teams with their friends and competed against each other. Grade 9 student Andrea Luca said, “It was super fun, I would totally recommend it to others.”

The table tennis intramurals were a great afternoon spent in the halls of Sacred Heart. We have Athletic Council to thank for this spectacular event, and hopefully they will be hosting more events like this soon for the students of Sacred.

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MARCH 2022

ESL Events

By Chenmin(Linda) Mao

Tubing Trip The English language learners were so excited to have the opportunity to go snow tubing on March 4th. It was the first trip outside of school in over 2 years!! The ESL Ambassadors’ Club felt honoured to be a part of such a wonderful experience.

All students represented Sacred Heart in a positive light and showed off that Sacred spirit to the other schools in attendance that day.

Council Fair For the annual council fair, the ESL Ambassadors’ Club prepared a poster, business cards, and a short introduction video for students. This council fair lets more people know about and get in touch with the Ambassadors’ Club. It’s a great opportunity to showcase the diverse cultures within our club.

Celebrating Christmas Although Ambassadors come from all different countries and have different backgrounds, we share a common interest — celebrating Christmas!!! During lunch, we decorated gingerbread cookies and after school we watched a Christmas movie. The Ambassadors' Club prepared pizza, hot chocolate, and a blessing for all students for their Christmas break. It was wonderful spending time with our big ESL family.

MARCH 2022

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A L U M N I

A T

Sacred Heart

Meet Ms Brennan!

One of Sacred Heart's most well known teachers for her constant charisma, energy, and friendly manner, Ms Brennan is also one of Sacred's very own alumni teachers. One thing that makes her stand out from other Alumni however, is that her father was also the principal of Sacred Heart, from (insert years). Take a look below to learn more about Ms Brennan.

1. What inspired you to become a teacher? More specifically a Physical Education Teacher?

There are many reasons why I became a phys ed teacher. When I was in high school, my phys ed teachers and coaches had a great impact on my life; I admired them. They taught me the importance of being physically active and having a good work ethic. I realized that physical education helped me become a better mover, a better thinker, and most importantly, a better person. Phys ed and athletics also helped me understand the importance of perseverance and being a team player. As a result, physical activity is very important to me and my lifestyle. So I enjoy teaching it! I love what I do! Most importantly, I wanted to become a phys ed teacher and have a positive impact on students.

Getting students on the road to forming a relationship with physical activity is so rewarding. Helping students to find activities that they enjoy and helping them learn how to keep themselves healthy for a lifetime is my ultimate goal.

I n t e r v i e w

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MARCH 2022

C o n t i n u e d

o n

n e x t

p a g e . . .

A L U M N I

A T

Sacred Heart

c o n t i n u e d . . .

2. In your opinion, why is it important for students to take physical education courses in high school?

PE is powerful education! It teaches great life and health lessons. Students develop skills that they can take into later life so they can continue to make the right healthy choices. Putting it simply, Physical Education conditions young people to be more active and healthy adults. You might ask, How does it directly benefit the high school student right now? Studies have shown that movement increases brain activity.

Physical activity enhances an individual's ability to think, concentrate, and focus, this results in better learning and higher test scores. Physical activity also helps relieve stress and anxiety and contributes to individual happiness. One of the biggest benefits for students in physical education class is that this is where friendships happen. I will end this question off with a quote from Allen Russell, PhD in Regenerative Medicine - “Of all the subject areas taught in school, Physical Education is the only subject which, by the very nature of its content, has the potential to affect how a person will feel every moment of every day for the rest of his or her life.”

3. Who or what has been your biggest inspiration in life?

As I mentioned, my teachers and coaches have been truly inspirational. However, the two individuals that have had the most impact on my life are my parents. Among the lessons that they have taught me are to focus on growth, not perfection. They often quoted Wayne Gretzky who said that you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

4. What has changed at Sacred Heart since you attended it yourself?

Everything but nothing. Much of the building inside and out, cafeteria, great hall, library, office, weight room, the fields, the faces (student and staff) have changed. But one thing remains the same: the spirit of the place.

5. Did your father being the principal at Sacred Heart have anything to do with your return to the school?

Sacred Heart has been like a second home to me. I had a great experience as a student here but it started way before that. I grew up here during the years my dad was the principal. As a young kid I often played in the gym. My elementary school, the old Notre Dame, was located on the upper soccer field. I was always comfortable here. So when I was given the opportunity to work here, I was more than happy to take it.

MARCH 2022

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October 2021 Samuel Diaz Ramirez (gr. 9); John A.shworth (gr. 12); Julian Torchia (gr.

12); Audric Baguio (gr. 12); Josephina Kim (gr. 11); Allison Kalist (gr. 11); Connor Laramee (gr. 10); Trey Kong (gr. 11); Abigail Obukuro (gr. 12); Laykhourcia Service (gr. 9); Jordan Allan (gr. 9)

November & December 2021 Natalie Competiello (gr. 11); Mary Calleja (gr. 11); James O'Neill (gr. 12); Mackenzie Sankar (gr. 12); Ariane Necesito (gr. 9); Preston Cosentino (gr. 10); Max Browne (gr. 12); Arno Nazarian (gr. 12); Peter Bai (gr. 11)

January & February 2022 Nora Gonzalez Villalobos (gr. 9); Reese Casella (gr. 10); Daniel Pasishnik (gr. 10); Karl Watson (gr.

10); Anita Abhuliman (gr. 11); Aidan Murray (gr. 12); Ella Silvestri (gr. 11); Sofia Mirenzi (gr. 9); Nardeen Youkhanna (gr. 12)

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MARCH 2022

THE SACRED BEAT TEAM BRINGING YOU SACRED STORIES

Angelina Azar El Hajj Allison Kalist Katerina Khilov Vitalia Kolesnikova Rahavan Kuganeswaran Sydney Macdonald Chenmin Mao Reese McKean Grace Moroney Ethan Rania Kristen Realejo Olivia Stone Carys Watson Nina Adout

OUR

SACRED

COMMUNITY

School Administration Olga Ferro, Principal Danny DiLallo, Vice Principal Frank Nardi, Vice Principal

Superintendent Joel Chiutsi

School Trustee Theresa McNicoll

Parent Council Co-Chair Rachel Egan Janice Mellary

Editors Lisa Loffredi Angely Paulino

School Address 908 Lemar Road, Newmarket, L3Y 1R9

@SacredHeartCHS

https://sahe.ycdsb.ca/