The Pillars (Spring 2021)

pickering college

the

s p r i n g 2021

PILLARS

steadfast

in

challenging

times

CONTENTS

Anonymous

by Tom Chen, Grade 10 “The front of the box is the skyline of Toronto, which I made with cardboard. In order to make my skyline more three-dimensional, I used many layers of cardboard.

On the front of the box is my signature. When you open the box, you will see the interior of the box. The inside of the box is a 13-inch laptop made of cardboard and acrylic paint.

It is realistic, you can even see every keyboard button on the laptop I made.”

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Ron Veale ’63’s distinguished career as a lawyer and judge has greatly impacted Canada’s North, particularly in environmental law and Indigenous issues.

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Reimagining the classroom to improve students’ overall health and wellness in Middle School.

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Boarding students demonstrate resilience, perseverance and a determination to not let COVID-19 take away from their unique experiences.

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This year, more than ever, thank you to our PC community for your generosity.

4 Head Shots 6 Meeting Challenges Head On 8 Junior School 10 Middle School 14 Keeping Students Active 16 Senior School 18 Boarding Life 21 Our Student Reporters 26 Teacher Feature: Alexis Furlan 28 Academic Feature: Business Stream Prepares Students for World of Work 30 Alumni Connections 38 In Memoriam: Bob Prittie ’48 40 Class of 1842 Profile: Ron Veale ’48 43 James M. Beer ’63 relects on the grand era of theatre at Pickering College 45 Farewell, Kelly Mason 46 Annual General Meeting Update 47 Thank You to Donors 62 Upcoming Events

HEAD SHOTS

Reflections on what it means to remain steadfast, with Peter Sturrup, Head of School

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“Night falls on all, yet our high thought, our holy devotions, and our steadfast loves shall live from age to age, from eternity to eternity. They shall not die, though all else sink into decay and oblivion, for they are woven of an immortal texture. That the breath of forgetfulness may never mar.“ –Bayne Cummer ’29 When I heard that the theme of this issue was “Steadfast in Challenging Times,” I immediately thought of the most well-known, well-loved of Pickering College readings, fondly known as Night Falls on All and written by Bayne Cummer.

Bayne Cummer ’29 was an outstanding scholar, loved by his fellow students, a model of the best things for which our school strives. Tragically, while working on the school farm the summer after he graduated, he succumbed to heat stroke and passed away, having just celebrated his 18th birthday.

Bayne left behind essays in the Voyageur as well as private journals. Many of his inspiring words have become part of the lore of Pickering College, the most famous being Night Falls on All, which serves as the final passage at Closing Meeting every June.

One does not hear the term steadfast much these days. Perhaps that is why my thoughts went immediately to Bayne’s words when I thought about steadfast in challenging times. For me steadfast implies a person who is firm in their opinions and beliefs, unyielding in the stand they take on something. It implies strength of character, determined resolve, unwavering loyalty, indominable courage. All qualities one could spend their life aspiring to; all qualities I would be proud to see Pickering students living … all qualities so many of them exemplify today.

Yet what moves me about the use of the word steadfast in Cummer’s passage is that he applies it to love, evoking images of deep, enduring, eternal love.

We have been inundated with reminders of how unprecedented the time is that we are living through right now. It is a perfect storm of economic malaise, political unrest, racial reckoning, tenuous mental health, a climate in crisis and, of course, a worldwide health catastrophe. And it strikes me that the solution to many, if not all, of these issues is the presence of steadfast love.

Not to sound naïve to the realities our world faces or Pollyannaish about what it will take to solve the incredible problems we face, but consider the qualities that love denotes: kindness, passion, commitment, tenderness, devotion, affection, longing, and understanding, to name just a few. Imagine if we used these traits to approach the problems we face today. Kindness to those who are suffering; passion to solve the insurmountable obstacles before us; commitment to changing the way we address racial injustice; understanding those with whom we disagree; tenderness and devotion to our planet.

Mother Teresa is quoted as saying, “We can do no great things, only small things with great love.” This is a call to action. We cannot afford to wait for the solutions to be given to us when the answers lie within us. Doing small things with great love does not require training, just practice; it does not require learning, just knowing; it does not require permission, just action. It will be hard work, requiring a leap of faith, a willingness to expose our vulnerabilities and the risk of being disappointed. We can each be steadfast in these challenging times; we each have the power within us to cope, to help, to inspire, and to resolve. All it takes is the quality we call love, put into action, one person at a time. Now, more than ever, what could be more important?

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A higher level of resiliency As we face this unprecedented time in our history, Pickering College’s staff and students have continued to meet the challenges head on.

The Global Leadership Program, which prepares our students with the skills and integrative thinking abilities required to manage whatever the future holds, has offered a modified program of activities this year due to the pandemic restrictions.

Though there are fewer opportunities for cross-class and cross-grade collaboration due to cohorting of students, the number of positives coming out of the modified program outweigh any drawbacks, believes Julia Hunt, Senior Director of Strategic Innovation.

“We’re actually further ahead on a lot of GLP projects because we deeply considered what we needed to have in place to support student success during restrictive times where they would not have access to traditional community resources. So, with careful planning by all the faculty and staff, we were well prepared,” says Hunt. “We moved all of our resources and found digital components so that we were able to not only complete our projects but complete them with enough time for students to be really reflective about the work that they’ve done and what their next steps are going to be when restrictions loosen up.”

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING CONTINUES Experiential learning, where students have traditionally ventured into the community, is a big part of the Global Leadership Program. This year, PC’s faculty have been very creative in coming up with replacement activities that still provide that hands-on learning but in a

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way that is compliant with the school’s health and safety protocols.

For instance, Grade 10 students typically travel to Toronto for at least one of their experiential learning opportunities, in addition to local destinations including the Quaker Meeting House on Yonge Street.

This year, the Grade 10 GLP Team, Senior School faculty, partnered with Anishinaabe Cultural Consultant Kim Wheatley, an Ojibwe Anishinaabe Grandmother from Shawanaga First Nation Reserve who carries the spirit name “Shkoden Neegaan Waawaaskonen” (Head or Leader of the Fireflower) and who is Turtle Clan.

“This is different from what we have done in the past but, in my opinion, will offer a deeper consideration of the question ‘to whom does land belong?’ There’s more to it than that,” adds Hunt.

PROGRAM DESIGNED FOR SUCCESS With students learning in person this academic year, the Global Leadership Program for Junior and Middle School, along with Grade 9’s Puma’s Den project, remain largely unchanged. However, our faculty have designed this year’s assignments so that they can be moved online at a moment’s notice.

“The pandemic has prompted our faculty to really consider their program and how they could ensure that the kids are successful no matter what—so whether we are face-to-face or at home, teachers have spent a lot of time putting things in place so that all of the critical components will be completed,” says Hunt.

In early February, she began meeting with the Grade 10 students virtually to teach them about appreciating the land. “Pickering College is honoured to have Ms. Wheatley speak to and engage our students. She provided the context necessary for us to better connect to the importance of Pickering College’s Land Acknowledgement and gave us new understandings of Anishinaabe culture,” said Grade 10 GLP co-lead, Josh Armstrong.

For PC’s most senior students, the apex of the Global Leadership Program is the Capstone Project and this year has meant our students have needed to be creative in new ways. Rather than approaching organizations face-to-face, the pandemic has pushed students to develop their executive functioning skills of organization and interacting with adults by phone and by email. “It doesn’t sound like a lot, but for teenagers to actually go and on their own call an organization and speak to someone about their idea—it can be really tough for them,” says Hunt.

ADAPTING LEADS TO INNOVATION Having to constantly adapt to changing circumstances has resulted in some innovative Capstone Projects this year. For instance, Thera Sze, Grade 12, developed a whole-school community-building program called the Puma Challenge.

Knowing the importance of taking care of one’s physical and mental wellbeing,

Thera developed weekly challenges that offer students an opportunity to earn House points—she then took it a step further by inviting students to propose environmental and social justice challenges that support their GLP projects.

“I believe this challenge can spread positive peer influence,” says Sze. “To promote others’ events, I created the Puma Challenge Instagram account to post posters and daily stories. Also, I decorated the bulletin board in the Senior School staircase to inform students about the upcoming events.”

Nick Hansraj, Grade 12, is one student who took up Sze’s call to action by proposing an environmental justice challenge connected with his Capstone Project with a focus on improving water conditions in local bodies of water. While he could not travel to Toronto for primary research due to lockdowns as he had originally planned, he worked with the PC community service co-ordinator to plan a safe outdoor event and organized 10 PC students to do a clean-up at Fairy Lake for the Town of Newmarket.

For her Capstone Project, Sasha Au Yong, Grade 12, has focused on teaching people about Parkinson’s Disease. She completed and exhibited a thought-provoking painting and wanted to go further but realized her idea of connecting youth to elders for game nights was not going to work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Instead, Sasha has harnessed her artistic talents and is writing and illustrating a storybook to teach young children about Parkinson’s.

“They have had to reframe so many different times that it’s really commendable when you look at what they’re doing,” says Hunt. “What the kids are showing us in much more subtle ways is a higher level of resiliency.”

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JUNIOR SCHOOL STUDENT LIFE

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Kindergarten students participated in an inquiry project to learn more about the eight phases of the moon. After spotting the moon high in the sky at recess, they returned inside to use chocolate and vanilla cream cookies to create each phase. 1 Students in Grades 3-5 participated in woodworking and design and build challenges for Junior School electives. In design and build, students had fun planning, constructing and testing structures that met the design criteria of being strong, stable and self-supporting. 2 Grade 4 had the opportunity to visit Blue & Silver Farm

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for Take Me Outside Day. As the students explored the farm, they learned about both the positive and negative impacts that humans have on the environment, and about animal habitats. They also explored the difference between producers and consumers and how they fit together to form a food chain. The students found many cool examples of fungi and had an opportunity to build shelters. 3 Grade 5 learned about the systems of the human body. Normally, our students enjoy the handson experience of examining life-size models of the vital

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The students in Junior Kindergarten have been exploring the art, drama and construction learning spaces in their classroom. Interacting with each other from a proper distance, students have Grade 3 participated in coding activities as part of the explored interesting openended materials while being Junior School electives. encouraged to embrace Students were challenged to new challenges to deepen find a problem to solve or a new design opportunity. Once learning. 6 they decided on a problem, Grade 3 students learned the students brainstormed art of letter writing, which solutions and decided on includes five main components. the criteria for a successful They then used their new design. Using the WeDo found knowledge to write 2.0 kits, students made a thank you letters to members dancing robot, testing and of our Food Services and analyzing their idea and Facility Services staff thanking making improvements where them for all their hard work. 7 necessary. 5 organs. However this year, due to health and safety guidelines, this activity turned into a “show and tell” demonstration led by one student volunteer. 4

SOPHIA MAC SWEENEY Finding happiness through simplicity “The best tips for staying positive in a difficult time, is to always think of happy things,” says Sophia Mac Sweeney, Grade 4 student at Pickering College.

But what is considered a happy thought?

For Sophia, happy thoughts during the pandemic consisted of feeding her animals (buffalo, horses, goats, chickens and donkeys, to name a few), helping her younger siblings and immersing herself in nature.

When we had to make the shift to online learning, Sophia managed to stay positive and motivated in her classes. Continuing to complete all her assignments on time with enthusiasm and determination, Sophia adapted well to the temporary new normal.

“What would get me through the school day while at home, was to think about happy things,” says Sophia.

Appreciating the help her parents provided while learning from home, the biggest motivator for her was knowing she was able to immerse herself in nature.

“My dad would say if we got all our work done, then we could go outside, and so that made me motivated to do my best because I love going outside!”

But one of her favourite things of all—and what also helped her stay positive while at home—was simply the element of being a big sister.

“I love looking out for my younger sister and brother, and so when we were all home, I had more responsibilities with them and it was nice.”

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THE CLASSROOM

RE IM AG IN ED

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Time spent outside boosts students’ overall health and wellness in Middle School

You have probably heard the expression “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.”

In Pickering College’s Middle School, it is an idea that our faculty has embraced fully during this strange time in our history.

Having returned to the familiarity of inperson classes at the start of September, this pandemic school year has proven to be anything but typical.

“There are two key changes that we focused on for the beginning of the school year—physical education and co-curriculars moving outdoors,” says Julie Clement, Director of Middle School at Pickering College. “Basically, every student is spending a minimum of five hours of instructional time outside during the week—that’s the equivalent of one full school day.”

Moving them entirely outside to adhere to physical distancing measures has provided our faculty with the opportunity to get creative, focusing on making it fun and engaging for students, rather than what they couldn’t do as a result of safety protocols.

“Over the fall term, students had the opportunity to participate in new

outdoor sports like field lacrosse and field hockey where they focused on building individual skills. These sports were chosen as they easily connected to curriculum expectations and could be played while physical distancing through the use of modified games and skill drills,” says David Fiscaletti, physical education teacher and faculty member. “Students have also enjoyed working on their individual target skills while participating in outdoor lawn games like bocce, horseshoes, darts and Frisbee golf.” In addition, students eagerly took part in skating activities in the arena and outdoor education pursuits like snowshoeing during the winter months.

A focus on mental health and wellness is a key part of the Middle School program at Pickering College. Clement recounts a recent news story that reported that kids who are engaged in anything extracurricular during the pandemic are in a much better place in terms of their mental health and wellness compared to those who are not able to access these activities. She says this is one of the many reasons Middle School has prioritized keeping the co-curricular program available to students and incorporating outdoor learning as much as possible.

This year, the school added three new outdoor classroom spaces that feature tree stumps as seats and centre around a firepit. Classes have continued to use these learning spaces throughout the fall and winter months for subjects beyond what would typically be considered “outdoor education.”

Daniele Di Nardo, Grade 7 teacher, incorporated the outdoor space into his fall language arts classes as he found

students reading stories to each other naturally blended with being outdoors.

“Since the ambiance and sounds of nature can play off urban legends, our Grade 7 classes went outside to read our stories,” he explains. “A lot of the students took the setting of their dramatic reading into consideration and wrote stories that involved being in a forest.”

Di Nardo has also worked in conjunction with Clement to teach a Grade 7 science unit on interactions in the ecosystem which began with a few campus walks exploring local habitats. Students gathered items to place in classroom terrariums where they were able to record what they observed over the weeks that followed.

Another change this year that has been very positive is that recess is never cancelled when inclement weather strikes.

Instead, students are expected to be prepared and dressed for whatever the weather brings and, more than that, learn to embrace it. In fact, an afternoon recess was added this year to give students an extra break outside during the day. After a two-month pilot, Clement checked in with the Middle School faculty to see if it should be kept or eliminated during the colder months.

“All of the teachers said keep it—and keep it outdoors—it’s so good for the kids! They come back in reset from being outside, focused and ready to learn,” says Clement. “It also helps to create the mentality that we’re not going to avoid going outside when the weather isn’t great. We’re teaching them that they can be out in this and can still be out enjoying nature and in fact there’s something really nice about the smell of the rain.”

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MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT LIFE

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Pickering College participated in Orange Shirt Day to honour the difficult journey of healing that residential school survivors and their families are walking.

Students showed their support by wearing orange with their regular school uniform. Our Middle School students also participated in a virtual event that brought together communities from across Canada to support and encourage meaningful reconciliation.

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Students in Grade 8 had the opportunity to learn more about the basic features and functions of the compound microscope while developing skills to build both dry and wet mount slides. Dry mount slides studied ink and pulp of magazine paper, while wet mount slides analyzed onion cells. 1 Our Middle School students celebrated this year’s launch of the Global Leadership Program with a variety of outdoor activities. In Middle School, the students focus on four Pillars: Wisdom, Community, Adventure and Freedom. This launch featured three collaborative challenges where each

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cohort worked together to try to successfully accomplish a task. 2 Being curious and adventurous by nature, it’s important that our Middle School students engage in a variety of engaging physical and skill development activities during this time in their lives.

This year, the school has been able to offer several co-curricular activities which allow our students to further explore who they are and what they can do. Some activities include soccer skills, podcasting, yoga, outdoor education workshops, skating, spike ball, Frisbee and walking club. 3

Despite the changes that have had to be implemented within our music classes, our Middle School students are still able to participate in fun and new activities including using cups to make music, as well as claves. 4 Our students are hard at work using their musical creativity. The Grade 6 and 7 classes wrote a Thank You composition dedicated to our frontline workers, thanking them for all the work they have been doing to keep us safe during this pandemic. Our Grade 8 students also composed their own jingles advertising a product of their choice (scan QR code below to listen). 5

SIOBHAN BONERATH Viewing life through a positive lens Passion, confidence and genuine kindness are only a few examples of the distinct traits that shine through when speaking with Grade 8 student Siobhan Bonerath.

Finishing up her final year in Middle School—and completing her second year at Pickering College—Siobhan has immersed herself into the school community seamlessly. Not only is she a member of the Youth Engagement Organization (YEO), she is also the Grade 8A Representative on the Middle School Student Committee, with a passion for singing and storytelling.

During the first transition to online learning, Siobhan took initiative to keep students connected while learning from home, even as a new student herself.

She focused on gratitude by having her classmates create a thank you video for their teachers. “I asked my class to contribute video submissions of what they could say about the teachers, especially during this challenging time of teaching and of being a student.”

Although this global pandemic has proven challenging for many, Siobhan is able to see the positive side to everything. “This pandemic has actually provided me with more time for reflection. I was able to learn more about myself and think deeply without the distractions of other people’s opinions—I wouldn’t have been able to discover this type of reflection as much if I was constantly surrounded by others.”

Even once the pandemic is over, “Our lives will not go back to how they were before, and I think that’s a good thing,” says Siobhan. “Growth is always a good thing.”

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KEEPING STUDENTS ACTIVE

Booker’s Run also took on a different form this year. Rather than taking place in a single afternoon, the event was spread out over five days, with individual cohorts running the course at its original location— the Pickering College campus. To ensure the event complied with all COVID-19 safety protocols, spectators were not able to attend the event which took place during the students’ co-curricular block.

As most families know, co-curricular activities are an important part of the Pickering College educational experience. They build on what is learned inside of the classroom and teach our students valuable lessons in leadership and teamwork. With school resuming in-person learning in September, we knew that the Co-curricular Program was going to have to be modified if we were going to be able to continue to offer it during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Director of the Co-curricular Program Marc de la Bastide, in partnership with physical education teacher David Fiscaletti, was tasked with figuring out how the school could run a comprehensive co-curricular program for our students while at the same time being safe, physically distanced and outside. “The overall objective has been to keep students active,” says de la Bastide. “It is a challenging year with all of the new rules, but they have adapted well and understand the (pandemic) situation.”

There have been a few major changes to the Co-curricular Program this year. For instance, because there are no competitive sports taking place during the fall and winter, the focus has been on skill development and game play only within cohorts.

Also, for the first time, instead of selecting one option for the term, each cohort rotates through a different activity each day. Some of these options have included soccer skills, badminton, tennis, table tennis, walking/running, outdoor volleyball, Frisbee, ball hockey, skating and snowshoeing.

“We chose in-person activities that used as little equipment as possible—we have separate racquets for each division and everything is disinfected after use,” says de la Bastide.

“The students wear masks and are still coming out to have fun.”

In addition, the school has offered an array of online clubs including the Green Team, Yearbook Club, Debate Club, Youth Action Organization, Yoga, a Music Club and, new this year, Puma Challenges. Puma Challenges are weekly individual challenges that combine fitness, skills development and community service and ensure that students learning virtually could still join in from wherever they are and benefit from participating in the Co-curricular Program. “We know how important it is to include students who are not learning on campus to help them stay connected to the school.”

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SENIOR SCHOOL STUDENT LIFE

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Grade 10 visual art students completed their culminating task in the form of a sculpture competition. They were tasked with creating a design that would somehow champion or evoke the essence and spirit of Pickering College.

The students created a slide presentation, a hardcopy handout, a model of their proposed sculpture, and then presented their pitch to classmates.

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Our Grade 9 French students found creative ways to practice their oral interaction skills at various Diplôme d’études en langue française (DELF) levels while remaining safely physically distanced. Here, they are set up in two circles, as the outer ring rotates, mimicking the “speed dating” technique. 1 Students in our Grade 11 LEAP class have been taking their learning to new heights with a variety of outdoor survival skills. During the fall, they learned how to create a pulley system to hang a bag of food using only a tree, some rope, carabiners and several knots. They also practiced their evacuation measures by building a stretcher and carrying a ‘patient.’ The students used two long sticks/light logs and two folds of a tarpaulin

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while each taking turns being carried 100 metres. 2 Studying the classic tale of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Grade 12 English participated in an afternoon discussion about the ethics of experimentation as a modern day connection to the text. Students shared their opinions in pairs and then discussed it as a class, along with their classmate who is learning virtually. 3 In the Grade 10 STEM course, students tackle handson activities that provide an opportunity to think critically, solve open-ended problems, explore unfamiliar areas, take risks, and learn from both their successes and failures. Activities included: building prototypes that used DC motors, launching marshmallows with studentcreated catapults, coding a

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pocket sized computer called a Micro:bit, designing and printing a 3D digital pet, and building a bridge that held the most weight. 4 Grade 11 world history students toured the sanctuary portion of the offsite classroom (Trinity United Church) in order to learn about medieval art and architecture. Students utilized I-Think’s ladder of inference to analyze a piece of stained glass that was meaningful to them. 5 The Grade 11 Chemistry class worked on an introduction to stoichiometry with BCA tables. The format and delivery of this activity was originally inspired by two blog postings featured on Chemical Education Xchange—formerly known as the Journal of Chemical Education.

OMAR OZTURK A source of encouragement As this year’s co-chair of Student Committee, Omar Ozturk exemplifies what it means to be a good leader.

With an interest in math and science, Omar is also a dedicated and passionate athlete who utilizes his love for basketball as a calming method, which proved invaluable throughout this pandemic.

“Basketball is the best option for me, it clears my mind of all the stress. Everything about it, from the flow on the court, to making a shot, to going for a layup, it all just feels good for me.”

Transitioning to online learning at the start of the pandemic was an unusual experience for Omar. “It bummed me out a little that I wasn’t able to physically see anybody but I took this opportunity to focus on my schooling.”

And though Omar sought out outdoor activities such as walks, bike rides and basketball to alleviate some of the new found stress that came with the pandemic, he made it a priority to remain positive not only for himself, but for his classmates.

“I wanted to set a good example for my friends—you know, trying to be as optimistic as possible, trying to keep my friends’ spirits up and mine as well. I feed off of some people’s energy. So as long as they’re happy, I am happy.”

Maintaining a positive attitude throughout these last few months has been a great achievement for Omar.

“A little part of me is thinking that it’s always going to be okay, there’s no doubt in my mind that we can get through this situation,” he says.

“We’re all strong individuals who can overcome stress, no matter how we’re feeling. We’ll get through it and we’ll push forward—we are all warriors here at Pickering College.”

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BOARDING LIFE

during the pandemic

by Laura Mason, Director of Boarding and Health Services

COVID-19 presents an interesting, some might say terrifying, array of dilemmas for all schools.

In such a short period of time, we have been faced with situations we never imagined in our wildest dreams.

It started with the realization that some of our students might not want to travel over the 2020 March Break.

We decided to keep boarding open ensuring that no one was forced to travel to, what we thought at the time, were places where the novel coronavirus could be problematic. Not long after, we were challenged by the prospect of shutting down our school. We were also challenged by the possibility that our students who were home, would not be able to return to campus, and those that were here, still needed to travel home. It took some time, along with the assistance from many people, but our students made their way home and learned virtually for the remainder of the 20192020 school year.

Though it was like nothing we had ever experienced before, we were committed to continue our boarding community.

Hosting online events and meetings, we conducted proctor interviews virtually and stayed connected while moving forward. We were determined to not let the pandemic hinder our plans for the future.

PLANNING AND PREPARATION This past summer, our boarding proctor team spent much of their time planning and preparing for the return to school in September. Behind the scenes, we were preparing for what boarding would look like upon the students’ return;

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looking at our practices and adapting them to COVID-19 restrictions imposed on us. The proctors had to be creative with every aspect, from registration day to orientation activities. We had to adapt and modify everything with safety in mind. Not only were they up for the challenge, but they used it as an opportunity to reimagine things with the goal being fun and connectedness.

WELCOME BACK, BOARDERS The first students arrived in mid August and began their 14-day isolation program that we set up in partnership with a local hotel. There, students self-quarantined for the required 14 days before coming to campus. They had the supervision of PC staff, meals delivered to their rooms, twice daily health checks, and regular virtual programming including fitness and yoga classes.

Before moving into boarding at Pickering College, our boarders had to be administered a COVID-19 test. Although we were not physically together, there was a lot of excitement about the start of school. However, due to travel restrictions and study permit processing issues, not all of the boarding community was able to return in September. We continued to focus on being a community and tried not to let the challenges of time zones, physical distancing, and cohorting keep us from creating that close-knit community we have always worked toward.

Starting back in July, the proctors began contacting our new students to develop relationships with them and answer any questions they might have. To date, they continue to be in touch online as we begin preparing for more students to make their way to Pickering College in person.

A NEW NORMAL As we planned for the fall term, we knew that, although we couldn’t do the things we were used to doing, we wanted to make things as great as they can possibly be. We traded off-campus excursions for

many different offerings of on-campus activities. Each week, our associate faculty and proctors work to bring various activity opportunities to the community. We have enjoyed regular movie nights, BINGO in the Dining Hall, a Halloween escape room in the Firth House common room, a hike and a picnic around Fairy Lake, table tennis, hot snack night, Christmas tree decorating, pumpkin carving, video game competitions, origami, associate faculty Halloween door decorating, fitness room sessions and duty office Christmas decorating. The students continue to find ways to stay connected.

Safety and wellbeing are very important to us, and the boarding students are all doing their part to adapt and be flexible given this challenging time. They have been able to find ways to stay social and create memorable experiences with their friends and classmates despite the unusual circumstances we are facing globally.

RESILIENCE, PERSEVERANCE, DETERMINATION Not only have our boarding students shown a tremendous amount of resilience and perseverance, but they have demonstrated a determination to not let COVID-19 take away from their unique experiences. They are strong and creative.

As we move through this pandemic together, we are committed to building a community where everyone is included.

Boarding is a special place and a time for building relationships, and despite the challenges we are faced with, this continues to drive all that we do.

Our boarders who have had to wait to join us in person, can look forward to a virtual boarding orientation while they wait out their isolation period. We are so looking forward to welcoming everyone as soon as they are able to be here with us in person. Although the pandemic has made things different, the students have proven that together, anything can be made better.

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LOUIS LI A balanced philosophy Finishing up his final year in the Senior School, Grade 12 Pickering College boarding student Louis Li is the perfect blend of both relaxed and diligent.

While he presents himself in a calm and collected manner, his acceptance of the inevitable is evident especially when faced with challenging situations. “I think to myself, if I did everything I could—if I tried my hardest, which I always do—I will accept the results that come out of it.”

As the co-chair of the Student Committee, Louis has always enjoyed team collaboration whether it is playing together as a band in his music classes or participating on PC’s sports teams. “I like to work together with people to achieve a common goal, especially when you’re having fun while doing it.”

And while team collaboration motivates Louis to perform to the best of his ability, his natural optimistic perspective on life has also helped him remain positive, especially throughout this pandemic.

But how does one stay positive amidst a changing and challenging time? For Louis, the answer is simple: Prioritize.

“You can’t think too far into the future because certain things are just out of your control—COVID-19 for example. If you start thinking about how it’s going to negatively impact future things, you could start spiraling,” says Louis.

“You need to focus on the most important thing at that moment, tackle one thing at a time.”

Over the past few months, Louis has taken initiative to explore several new subjects to better himself, including exercise science and nutrition.

But when it comes to activities you are passionate about, or challenges you may face in the future, Louis’ approach to life is the same—the key is patience, “If you keep going, you’ll see results, and even if they don’t take one or two days, the results will come eventually.”

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Student Reporters: This year, pickering college introduced a new opportunity for students who wish to pursue marketing and communications, journalism, photography or videography in post-secondary. a number of Senior School students have been volunteering as Student Reporters for the Pickering College Communications Department.

As a student reporter, they have been capturing key moments in their classrooms and contributing to PC’s social media channels, as well as PC Connects. During times like this when not everyone can be on campus together, we are so fortunate to have such an enthusiastic group of students capturing life at Pickering College.

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Tam Nguyen Being a student reporter has many perks, one of them being the ability to capture the moment.

Time flies by very fast, so I started photographing moments to save those memories.

Being a student reporter gives me the opportunity to do what I enjoy.

These are some of my favourite photos that I took as a student reporter and in my position as public relations chair on the Student Committee. I was able to capture the fun moments of my fellow classmates and even the younger kids at school. Even though we weren’t able to participate in some of the fun events and activities known at PC, every member of the community still tries their best to make life-long memories.

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thera sze

These pictures are my recent favourites because they show the kindness and selflessness of PC students. Not only did they sacrifice their own time to help with me with the Puma Challenge, but they also collaborated and helped one another even though they did not know each other at first. Together, we created this World Kindness Day board in order to help spread the kind messages from the community.

One of my favourite things about being a student reporter is that I have the opportunity to capture precious moments happening at PC, especially during this challenging time where everyone has to adapt to the new school environment.

I always have this quote in mind: “Little things count the most.”

Therefore, I love to take pictures of the little things happening at school, like the boarding weekend activities, interactive classes and even lesson breaks. All these have shown how the PC community is willing to change with the current circumstances and give the best that we can with positivity and flexibility.

Moreover, this role helps me to get a taste of media production, as I am interested in media and information programs at university. I believe it can make me stand out from others with my active involvement and unique personal experience.

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jake wu I think being a student reporter is really one of my greatest experiences. As a student reporter, I could pay attention to those small things that I never cared about before; I can notice those small details in my life and use my own camera to capture those beautiful moments. It also taught me to be grateful; it is so easy to take everything in our lives for granted, but after I became a student reporter, I started to hold gratitude to all the things happening around me, even as small as a bird, a cloud or a smile.

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I love these photos the most because they reflect how we maintain our normal lives while fulfilling our responsibilities during this increasingly challenging time of the pandemic. Like for 102.7 CHOP FM, we did not just give up broadcasting because of the current situation. Instead, we continue hosting the live show every day by introducing new measures such as wearing masks, separating students from different rooms and sanitizing everything. In history class and all the other PC classes, teachers and staff are trying to use all the means to make the lessons as engaging and interactive as ever. Indeed, we are at a special and tough period, but as long as we remain resolute and united, then we can overcome all the difficulties in front of us and everything will be the same as usual.

saraH golding Being a student reporter allows me to show the rest of our school community what we are working on. It gives me a chance to put my photography hobby to use, not just for myself but for my school community. Having this opportunity aids me in improving my skills which I can use in my everyday life in the future.

I like this photo (top) because it was one of our very first physical education classes. As a class, we had already become friends, mainly because of the teamwork involved in our phys-ed classes. It also was the first day of our track and field section and we all enjoyed learning about sports that many of us had never heard of before.

The photo above illustrates what our class had been working on for a few days. Our health awareness proposal was our most important project—we all worked to come up with a way to improve the health of our school community. This was also the first group project we had done in a while so everyone was really excited to use the teamwork skills we had been building on.

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In Convers Alexis Furlan Junior School Faculty Q. What is your educational background?

My passion for Independent School education was sparked when I attended Trafalgar Castle School. I majored in drama at Queen’s University and then I attended OISE (Ontario Institute for Studies in Education) at the University of Toronto and received my bachelor of education in the primary/junior divisions. After graduating from teacher’s college, I taught Grade 4 and Kindergarten with the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) for three years before coming to Pickering College. I hold additional qualifications in reading (specialist), Kindergarten, math and special education and am a British Association of Teachers of Dancing (BATD) certified dance teacher in ballet, tap and jazz.

Q. How long have you been teaching at Pickering College?

It’s hard to believe but I am in my 20th year teaching at Pickering College!

“It has been said that the ‘People are Pickering’ and I get to spend my day with 3-5 year olds who are full of joy and have a love of school and learning!

We sing and dance, read, laugh, play outside, explore and learn from each other.

I have the best job in the world!”

Q. Have you always taught Kindergarten?

With the exception of one year of teaching Grade 4 with the TDSB, I have always taught Kindergarten.

Q. List five adjectives that describe yourself.

Patient, Determined, Energetic, Kind, Loyal Q. What interests do you pursue outside of the classroom?

I love to spend time with my family at our horse farm, walk my dog, read, cook and dance.

Q. What is the greatest success you have had in teaching?

I think being flexible is a huge asset for a teacher. Best practices for teaching and learning evolve and change and being open-minded is so critical. I love to learn and push myself to grow in my practice every day. Taking part in the Canadian study tour to Reggio Emilia, Italy, in March 2018 was a true highlight for me. Bringing back what I learned and creating a Reggio-inspired program for our young learners at Pickering College was really meaningful. Hosting the 2020 Reggio Conference at PC, in collaboration with my colleagues, for over 100 educators was a culminating moment.

Q. What is something most people don’t know about you?

I have a passion for tap dancing! A highlight of my life was dancing twice with my idol Gregory Hines. A friend even arranged for him to phone me and leave me a voice message inviting me to a class he was leading in Toronto. It was an experience that I will always remember.

Q. What are you currently reading for enjoyment?

I love reading fiction, particularly mysteries or books with funny female characters. I have just started to read The Guest List by Lucy Foley. It’s a mystery set on a remote island off the coast of Ireland.

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ation with: Q. If you weren’t following this particular career path, what would you be doing?

I can’t imagine any other career that would provide me with the opportunity to do all the things that I love on a daily basis. Working with young children and seeing the world through their eyes is a remarkable experience. One day I may write a book about all of my adventures!

Q. Is there anything I haven’t asked you that you would like to tell me?

That I feel so fortunate to be part of the PC community and I am inspired every day by my colleagues, students and their parents. Our community supported my family as we started on our adoption journey five years ago and I couldn’t feel more privileged to have my own children now join the PC family!

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Preparing students for future world of work “The business courses not only prepare you for the business world, but create fundamental skills needed for any career.”

-Grace Still, Grade 12

Pickering College’s Global Leadership Program (GLP) prepares students with the skills and agility to respond to whatever the future holds, including an ever-changing job landscape. For students in Senior School, the school offers a complete business stream that integrates seamlessly with the Global Leadership Program, beginning with an introduction to business in Grade 9 and progressing through courses including economics, accounting, entrepreneurship and international business.

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“Starting in Grade 9, it’s a lot of creative and innovative thinking, and a huge part of it is working in groups and realizing each other’s strengths and how to work with weaknesses,” says Ian Johnston, Senior School faculty who teaches the introduction to business course. In addition, students are given a taste of what is to come in the later grades, delving into entrepreneurship, personal finance, and financial literacy.

“We concentrate more on personal finance, but I think it’s a building block to financial planning and accounting for the higher courses, and then we focus on the functions of the different areas within a business,” Johnston says.

The culminating project for the Global Leadership Program in Grade 9, Puma’s Den, stemmed from a project that was running in the introduction to business course. Now, all Grade 9 students use the I-Think tools (developed by the Rotman School of Management) to create and prototype alternative ideas for sustainable products as part of the GLP, regardless of whether or not they are enrolled in the business course.

Building on what they have learned in Grade 9, students can then take a course

in entrepreneurship which helps to further develop their presentation and communication skills. “Entrepreneurship opens their eyes to how businesses and other ventures come about and the type of people that entrepreneurs are—they are very positive people in that they are open to ideas and can recognize opportunities,” says Marc de la Bastide, Senior School faculty.

In entrepreneurship, students learn how to plan when they have an idea and get funding for it through the development of a business plan, a skill that will serve them well whether they monetize an idea themselves or invest in someone else’s business venture.

By Grade 12, students can then take their knowledge and entrepreneurial spirit to the next level in the school’s international business course.

“I think with all of the integration of the I-Think tools they come away with amazing problem-solving skills,” says Josh Armstrong, Senior School faculty. “They understand international trade, free trade and the markets and the different cultural norms in a way that they wouldn’t have, had they not taken the course

Students are living through complex realities, whether it’s COVID-19, climate change, racial injustice, the rise of social media … they need a toolbox for real-world problem solving to move through complexity and develop agency to shape a world of possibilities not yet seen, both now and in the future. and considered the ethical implications of different things you learn from other cultures while studying them in business.”

There is a lot of focus on improving written and verbal communication through one-paragraph essays and presentation skills developed through collaborative video pitches, incorporating some of the media skills they learn in communications technology.

“The PC business courses have prepared me for the future by teaching me the importance of paying attention to detail, problem solving, and working collaboratively with others,” says Joseph Galeota, Grade 12. “The ladder of inference method (I-Think) is a tool that I use in multiple classes.”

Grade 12 students in international business participate in a simulation where they negotiate over a fact set, in a setting much like a union negotiating table. “They have to figure out what their position is and learn how to actually come to a negotiated conclusion to the problem,” explains Armstrong. “It’s really important in a negotiation to understand your position going in, and what you can and cannot say, because if you say the wrong thing then you give up a whole lot really quickly.”

In addition, students have the opportunity to think through an international career-investment project where they examine what life would be like as a student who has graduated with a particular degree and the opportunity costs—from a business perspective—for making different decisions in life.

“The business courses not only prepare you for the business world but create fundamental skills needed for any career,” says Grace Still, Grade 12. “In international business, I was able to build my communication skills when presenting ideas, collaboration skills amongst my peers when negotiating and gaining a global perspective from working with my peers from around the world.”

Zixin (Jane) Weng, Grade 12, has her sights set on a career in business and has applied to business courses at universities in the UK and in Canada.

“I would like to spend four to five years studying business (finance and economics) and get a job at an investment bank. I am also interested in financial analysis and wealth management, so perhaps I might start my career with that.”

Developed by the Rotman School of Management, I-Think fosters a community of curious, generous, and relentless educators who transform student thinking with a proven, communitybuilt approach to real-world problem solving. These thinking tools are incorporated across grades and subjects, so every Pickering College student has the chance to learn advanced strategies that are used by students at the University of Toronto.

To learn more about the I-Think program, please visit www.rotmanithink.ca.

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REUNIONS

TH E

Spirit

O F CO MMUN ITY LIV E S HE R E

REUNION 2020 WEEKEND Thank you to all alumni FRIDAY & SATURDAY

OCTOBER 2&3

who attended our virtual Reunion Weekend! Although it was

unlike any other year, we were happy to host a virtual event that brought together alumni from all around the world. Congratulations to the Classes of 1970, 1995, 2015 and 2005 that celebrated their anniversary years.

This year, Ed Rynard ’70, Monika Jazyk ’95 and June Gleed ’15 each helped bring their class together as volunteer Class Champions. The career panel discussion had alumni panelists Ivan Pooran ’82, Isabelle Payne ’98, Neil Proudfoot ’08 and Nicholas Sopuch ’13 shared their career journeys and the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on their sector. Kim Bartlett, Senior Director, Teaching, Learning and Strategic Partnerships, led the panel discussions as the event moderator. Dr. Zinaida Good ’03 interviewed with the CHOP FM team and discussed her work on cancer research and how the academic program at Pickering College helped shape her career path. The support of our alumni community contributed to the success of this year’s reunion. We saw alumni from Europe, Russia, South America, and provinces outside of Ontario.

Pickering College looks forward to the day when we can safely invite our alumni back to campus.

Reunions are a wonderful opportunity to bring together students, faculty and staff from past to present.

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’80s Decade Reunion Congratulations to Carlos Vidal ’88, Massimo Lizzola ’87 and David Wolder ’88 who took advantage of the pandemic restrictions and organized a successful virtual reunion of their own, which brought together alumni from the ’80s to early ’90s.

The 1980s was a unique time at Pickering College—being an all-boys school with the majority of students enrolled in the Boarding Program, and a catastrophic fire that led to the relocation of dorm rooms to what is well known as “trailer city.” The virtual reunion brought out 67 alumni from Canada, South America, Asia and Australia, as well as past faculty Dan McClymont, David Gosset, Rex Taylor and Charles Boyd. The group shared memories about influential teachers, discussed the special bonds formed during their time at PC, and expressed the desire to stay connected with each other. Thank you to all who participated and have now reconnected with their peers and Pickering College!

Messages from the Alumni Office Call Out for Class Champions Alumni with graduation years ending in 1, 2, 6 or 7 are invited to contact us to learn more about Reunion Weekend at PC, and how to become a Class Champion. For more information about this opportunity, please email Alice Souvannakhily at alumni@pickeringcollege.on.ca.

Do you have an alumni story idea or something to share in The Pillars? We’d love to hear from you!

Send your updates, ideas and high-resolution photos to the Alumni Office at alumni@pickeringcollege.on.ca or call 905-895-1700 ext. 257.

he Alumni Office is here to help you plan and organize activities and events T throughout the year.

Please feel free to contact me, Alice Souvannakhily, Alumni and Parent Relations Coordinator, by email at alumni@pickeringcollege.on.ca or call 905-895-1700 ext. 257.

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ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

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In memoriam, Hartley Greenbaum ’44 passed away peacefully on November 21, 2020, at the age of 94 at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, with his beloved wife, Lorna, by his side. Hartley was a successful businessman who started a small electrical company, Sescolite, that grew to be the largest of its kind in Canada. Hartley was respected in the Toronto design community for his light fixture designs.

The company provided light fixtures and supplies to Toronto’s notable hotels and landmarks including the CN Tower. In addition to the success of his company, he installed new light fixtures in Rogers House after the 1981 fire. He later went on to open HG Holdings Company and helped establish Temple Emanu-El in North York. Hartley had a love and passion for arts and design and spending time in the outdoors at Algonquin Park.

Hartley formed lifelong friendships at Pickering College and would be well remembered by John Meisel ’43, the late Martin Shubik ’43 and roommate the late Eddie Creed ’40. 1 In memoriam, Gordon Wilson ’49 passed away peacefully at home with his loving wife Janet at his side on April 11, 2020. Gordon grew up on the west end of Toronto and attended Pickering College for his last year of high school. Gordon had a passion for and superior skills in playing football and was promoted to a team manager when he sustained an injury. Gordon was a distribution manager for Oldsmobile with General Motors Canada and in 1960 was the youngest General Motors dealer in Canada, founding Wilson-Niblett Motors in Richmond Hill, Ontario. He proudly built a company with a focus on outstanding customer service and relationships. He was recognized and awarded with the prestigious General Motors of Canada Triple Crown Award multiple times. Over the years, he proudly served on several boards and associations and was the co-founder of The Country Day School where he was

instrumental in raising capital to purchase land upon which it stands today. Gordon will be remembered by the many friends he made at Pickering College. 2

1950s

David Stewart ’54 is a proud father of four children and grandfather of six. He has recently reconnected with Pickering College and enjoys the opportunity to reminisce about fond memories as a member of the football and hockey teams. He recently broke his hip but credits his athletic activities at PC for his speedy recovery and is looking forward to strengthening his connections with old classmates. 3 Douglas (Doug) Reed ’58, recipient of the Class of 1842 award in 1990.

Doug pursued a career in radio, TV and newspaper. Now at the age of 82, Doug is back in radio with the Music Musing Show on Parry Sound Eastern Shores Radio, an international internet broadcasting station that is heard in all seven continents. Doug has wonderful memories of his time at Pickering College and hopes his peers will tune in at parrysoundradio.com to hear about his reflections on family, life, growing up and current events. 4

1970s

Edmund (Ed) Rynard ’70 attended Pickering College from 1965 to 1970.

Ed has been married to his wife Brenda for 48 years, has three children and is a proud grandfather of two grandchildren.

Ed has been actively involved with Pickering College over the years and feels the importance of staying connected.

With over 25 years of experience in listing and selling real estate in Muskoka, Ed continues to provide his expertise in waterfront homes, cottages, residential and commercial properties. Ed has been an active member of the Lions Club International since 1977, where he has been awarded Lion of the year three times and received the prestigious Melvin Jones award for his dedication to humanitarian services. Ed joined our

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6 7 team of Class Champions for Reunion Weekend 2020 as an opportunity to strengthen his connections with his peers and contribute to the alumni community. 5 Brahma Prasad ’76 is the owner of a television and radio station in Guyana; Channel 18/Cable 69, and NTN Radio 89.1 FM. Brahma is married with a three-year-old son and is caring for his 86-year-old mother. 6

1980s

Ivan Pooran ’82 currently resides in New York with his family and was a panelist in the virtual career panel discussion hosted during Reunion Weekend 2020.

Ivan shared his extensive experience in risk management with the alumni community. Ivan hopes to continue strengthening his connections with Pickering College and his peers. 7 José Aguayo ’86 moved to Vermont in 2014 with his wife, Erin Caro, and their two children. He still can’t believe that

after all those years living in the tropics, he is now at a higher latitude than Newmarket. Like everyone else, he is going stir crazy not being able to travel/ visit friends and family abroad; however, he is making the best of all that Vermont has to offer. He wishes everyone good health! 8 Massimo (Max) Lizzola ’87 is a proud member of Blue House and attended Pickering College for five years. He went on to complete a BA in economics and received a human resources certificate.

This has led to a 20+ year career in Ontario and Nova Scotia. As an avid photographer, Massimo has published six books covering automobiles, horses and nature. His last book called A Journey… is set to be published in early 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic opened up an opportunity for a virtual Pickering College ’80s decade reunion. Massimo, along with Carlos Vidal ’88 and David Wolder ’88 successfully hosted a virtual reunion that connected with 67 alumni from around the world. 9

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ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

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1990s

Monika (Geleziunas) Jazyk ’95 attended Pickering College for her final year of high school. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Guelph and her master’s degree from the University of Notre Dame. Today, Monika lives in Markham with her husband Vaughan and their four wonderful children ages 8, 10, 14 and 16. Together, they own Real Property Investments, a real estate investment firm that helps “Real people build real wealth through real estate” and alternative investments. Monika spends her days seeking joy in everyday life through travel, philanthropy, friends and most importantly, family. She is grateful for her time at Pickering College and learned valuable lessons that contributed to her success in business and life. 1 Isabelle Payne ’98 currently works as a social worker on a rural Assertive Community Treatment Team (ACTT) assisting individuals living in the community with persistent mental

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illness (predominantly schizophrenia and bipolar diagnosis). Isabelle has a master’s degree in social work from University of British Columbia and is a trained art therapist. In her free time, she enjoys gardening and plans to pursue a horticultural therapy diploma in the next few months. Living on Lake Simcoe has provided her with the benefits of living the cottage life year-round! She is married and has an energized fiveyear-old who currently attends a private forest school in Muskoka where he learns outdoors most of the day! 2

is looking forward to adventures as a family of five. 4

Amber Preston ’01 celebrated her fifth wedding anniversary this year and has been very busy raising two toddlers.

She is still teaching with the YRDSB and credits her love of learning to all the amazing teachers at PC. 3

Congratulations to Dr. Zinaida (Tebaikine) Good ’03 and husband who welcomed their second child in August 2020. Zinaida attended her last year of high school at Pickering College as a boarding student from Russia. She now lives in the United States with her husband and two children. Zinaida works in medical research at Stanford University and enjoys her research on engineered cellular therapies and to understand how CAR T cells succeed or fail in patients with aggressive lymphoma. The results of the datasets will provide insight on how to better engineer immune cells to fight cancer.

This year Zinaida volunteered to speak about her academic journey with CHOP FM during Reunion Weekend 2020. 5

Congratulations to Charity Brookes ’01, who welcomed baby Miles Thorpe Brookes on August 26, 2020. Although it has been an interesting 2020, her family

Louis Engel ’09 spent the year creating a podcast called Go Produce. He dives into how artists, agents, managers, record label owners, promoters,

2000s

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producers and entrepreneurs turn their passion into profit. The mission of the podcast is to educate music industry professionals by providing engaging content in entertaining segments to assist in guiding creatives through their evolutionary process. Season 2 is set to launch in October 2021. Please follow Louis on Instagram @go.produce or www. goproduce.ca. 6 Chelsea Brown ’05 is the founder of Millie, a company that creates experiences for women through travel to Jordan and beyond. In October 2020, Millie released a new podcast geared to women who want to go beyond scrolling, scripted reality and filters, in order to get to the heart of the story while exploring new ideas, places, and possibilities. Each episode welcomes extraordinary women who inspire a new way of thinking, and invites listeners to see the world in a different way. 7 Congratulations to Alex Levy ’05 and wife Katherine who welcomed their

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son Andrew Levy into the world on September 25, 2020. 8 Cara Climpson Lee ’06 recently relocated to Ridley College, where she will be joining the Lower School community as the Head of Burgoyne House. She is extremely excited to be transitioning back into education after being off on maternity leave. This is an exciting new chapter, filled with a new school, new students and new adventures! 9 Adam Camenzuli ’06, founder and CEO of Nyumba Housing feels honoured to be representing Canada at the G20 virtual Young Entrepreneur Summit hosted

by Saudi Arabia. He is looking forward to representing the interests of young Canadian entrepreneurs and connecting with leaders around the world. During the pandemic, Adam was working as a consulting CFO for a land development company in Nairobi and greatly expanded his knowledge in fundraising, building processes, and developing a real

estate financial model. Adam continues to grow Nyumba and has been fortunate to receive great advice that will help progress the work he is doing in Malawi.

In his journey of professional growth, Adam is currently working towards achieving the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) and Chartered Business Valuator (CBV) designations. 10 Dae Hwan (Denny) Choi ’07 attended Pickering College as a boarding student from South Korea. Denny graduated from Indiana University with a bachelor of science in psychology in 2013 and completed his master’s degree from Seoul National University in industrial and organizational psychology, human resources specialist, in 2016. Denny is currently running a shoe brand company as the CEO and founder. Denny misses his time at Pickering College and hopes to visit when it is safe to travel again! 11 Congratulations to Neil Proudfoot ’08, who is working in the municipal sector as associate counsel in expropriation law.

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ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

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Barbados. Paige recently visited Pickering College for the first time since graduating and is grateful for the opportunity to create positive memories. 3

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affected by massive bushfires when they arrived, and soon after the world was facing the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thankfully, the number of positive COVID cases were relatively low in Sydney. Rob Brianne (Bri) Newsome ’09 and husband enjoyed exploring the Australian culture and comparing shared similarities in terms Congratulations to Keitaro Tatematsu ’09 Geoff moved to Vancouver, British Columbia shortly after their wedding of politeness and caring for one another. who got engaged to Nessa Assen on in 2018. Bri and her husband both He was able to enjoy tourist attractions October 24, 2020. They plan on having love living out on the west coast. She is and activities in Sydney and Melbourne. their wedding when the pandemic is Rob is looking forward to connecting with cleared and will incorporate both western currently employed as a development officer at Covenant House, raising crucial old classmates very soon! 6 and Thai ceremonies. 2 funds to provide love and care to at-risk and homeless youth. Bri and Geoff are Congratulations to Nicholas Sopuch ’13, Paige Gellineau ’09 was a part of the so excited about the upcoming arrival of who recently transitioned into a new boarding program at Pickering College. their baby boy, expected in early 2021. 4 operations role with Plato during the Since graduation, she attended Trent pandemic, working remotely from University to study psychology and London, United Kingdom. Plato is a continues to search for her passion. In 2010s YCombinator company focused on helping 2015, Paige jumped at the opportunity to Kyle Foch ’13 and Nicole Foch (née software engineers develop soft skills and move halfway across the world to Dubai Wolscht) ’13 welcomed Finley to their become impactful engineering managers. in the UAE to work for Emirates Airlines family. Their baby boy was born on as a flight attendant. The past five years February 7, 2020. He is snuggly and loves During Reunion Weekend 2020, Nicholas joined our panelists to share his career have been a thrilling adventure with to explore! 5 journey at the virtual career panel. 7 visits to 65 countries, the opportunity to explore different cultures, meet new Robert (Rob) Prittie ’13 is currently Congratulations to Andrew Murphy ’14 people, try delicious cuisines, and even working for a family pest control and Emily Nunn ’14 who were married learned more about herself along the way. company in Toronto and hopes to build on September 18, 2020, at Willow In March 2020, Paige decided to pursue his own business one day. Rob recently Springs Winery in Stouffville, Ontario. her passion in energy healing and holistic spent seven months in Australia with his They had a small wedding with close life coaching while taking a much-needed girlfriend. It was an interesting time to family and friends attending as a result leave from flying and is now back in be in the country. Many regions were During Reunion Weekend 2020, Neil had the opportunity to join our team of panelists for the career panel discussion to share his experience and career journey with fellow alumni. 1

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of the COVID-19 restrictions, but were surprised with video greetings from PC faculty and staff and other family members and friends. The wedding party included some familiar faces: Alyssa Nunn ’17 (Maid of Honour), Michela Prefontaine ’14, Sam Murphy ’17 (virtually present), Adam Murphy ’19 (Best Man), Calvin Nunn ’15 and Martin Roodenburg ’14. 8,9 Victoria Tomescu ’15 attended Pickering College for her Grade 12 year as a boarding student from Italy. Victoria has fond memories of her brief time as a boarding student, and values all the friendships she has made. After graduating from Pickering College, Victoria pursued studies in medicine at the Universite di Pavia. She is currently in her last year and dreams of coming back to Canada to complete her residency in cardiology. 10 June Gleed ’15 was Student Committee Chair and Valedictorian. After attending PC, June went to McGill University, where she earned a first-class joint-honours degree in political science and Canadian studies. At McGill, she was a member of the Varsity Women’s Golf team. June

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currently serves as the Vice President, Policy, of the Young Liberals of Canada.

This year she is entering her second year at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law. June saw an opportunity to strengthen connections with her peers and joined a team of Class Champions for Reunion Weekend 2020. 11 Jessie Hu ’15 attended Pickering College for Grades 11 and 12 as a boarding student from China. After graduating, she attended the University of Toronto and received a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering this past June.

Jessie is now living in London, England, working towards a master’s degree in bioengineering at Imperial College. 12 Adam Starr ’16 graduated from St. Francis Xavier University in 2020 with a BBA major in marketing and a minor in philosophy. He is currently living in Nova Scotia with a recent acceptance to the Master of Technology Entrepreneurship and Innovation (MTEI) program at St. Mary’s University. Adam and a friend from school came to learn that 91 per cent of Canadian plastics are not recycled and destined for landfills and the ocean, which is extremely alarming to the pair

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who decided to start a plastic recycling business called Drastic Scholastic Thermoplastic Inc. (DST). Through the Wallace Family Internship and Coady International Institute, the business partners won a $10,000 grant and raised $39,000 to start up their business. The funds have allowed them to secure an office and operational space at St. Francis Xavier University, where they will pilot their business venture. DST aims to localize plastic waste management in Canada by implementing an effective alternative to traditional recycling: decentralizing the collection of items in a smaller scale, with a community-based approach to eliminate excess amounts of contaminated products received at waste management companies. 13 Jaide Johnston ’19 is currently enrolled in her second year of the interior design program at Ryerson University. Although she has enjoyed the learning experiences so far, she is really looking forward to resuming face-to-face instruction. Jaide looks back on fond memories with friends at Pickering College and misses being able to get together, but is hopeful and looking forward to spending time together again in the near future. 14

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IN MEMORIAM

Bob Prittie ’49: enduring champion IN MEMORIAM, ROBERT (BOB) PRITTIE ’49 PASSED AWAY PEACEFULLY ON DECEMBER 14, 2020 AT THE AGE OF 88.

Bob attended Pickering College from 1941 until 1949—a significant sacrifice at the time for his mother, Margaret. He came to Pickering at the young age of nine in the early 1940s.

Bob Prittie attributed much of his own personal and business success to the teaching he received and the values he learned while he was a student on “the Hilltop.” It was here that he made many of his great lifelong friends. He was an active member of hockey, football, basketball and rugby teams. In addition to sports, Bob enjoyed Princeps Club and explored his creativity through the Skit Club. He remembered fondly Joe McCulley, Bob Rourke, Harry Beer and C. Reginald “Blackie” Blackstock and the influence they had on his life.

After leaving Pickering College, Prittie graduated from Queen’s University and then joined Midland Securities, spending over 60 years in the investment business. When he retired in 2015, he left with the reputation as one of the most respected people on Bay Street. Married for 62 years to his wife Shirley, he was the proud father of four sons and grandfather to seven.

Bob firmly believed that there is no greater investment than providing a young person with the benefit of a Pickering College education. He was particularly delighted when his eldest grandson was accepted as a student at Pickering College in September 2006. Both Ryan Prittie ’10 and Robert Prittie ’13 attended their grandfather’s alma mater.

An active and dedicated volunteer, Prittie was a member of the Pickering College Corporation from 1999-2007. He also spearheaded many fundraising initiatives including the establishment of the Peter Widdrington Bursary in honour of his fellow classmate and lifelong friend.

Bob remained an enduring champion of the school as a way of giving back for the positive impact his early education had on his life. He will be remembered fondly by the Pickering College community, PC friends Jack Houghton ’47 (who was his roommate) as well as Richard (Dick) Lee ’49.

Donations in Bob Prittie’s memory can be directed to the Robert and Shirley Prittie Bursary Fund.

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of Pickering College

Clockwise from top left: Dick Lee ’49 and Bob Prittie ’49 in front of Rogers House; Bob Prittie ’49 with Jack Houghton ’47; Ryan Prittie ’10 and Rob Prittie ’13 at Rob’s PC graduation in 2013; from L to R: Ryan, John, Jake, Bob, Bill and Rob Prittie; sidebar: Bob with his wife Shirley

“There is no greater investment than providing a young person with the benefit of a Pickering College education.”

The Robert and Shirley Prittie Bursary provides financial assistance to wellrounded students who will contribute in a positive manner to Pickering’s spirit of community. In recognition of his late mother Margaret, a talented writer and businesswoman, preference is given to students who demonstrate an interest in and an aptitude for creative writing. This endowed bursary will live in perpetuity, allowing Pickering College to attract exceptional students, who may not otherwise have the opportunity to attend PC. It is our hope that these students will be inspired by Bob’s lifelong commitment to Pickering and his embodiment of our Mission “to make their community greater, better and more beautiful than they discovered it.”

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CLASS OF 1842

Class of 1842 welcomes Ron Veale ’63 The Athenian pledge immediately comes to mind when you learn about Ron Veale.

A graduate of the class of 1963, Veale went on to have a distinguished career as a lawyer and judge, having great influence on environmental law and Indigenous issues in Canada’s North.

The Veale family connection to PC began when Eric Veale ’31 joined PC as a student.

Many years later he would become a faculty member, then Assistant Headmaster.

It wasn’t long before his children followed, brothers Roger Veale ’61 and David Veale ’68 attended PC along with Ron.

because we had small classrooms and kids from all over the world. It really gives you a different perspective.”

From PC he went to University of Toronto to study political science and considered a life in politics. He decided law would give him the option to go into politics as well as the opportunity to make a difference.

Veale tells the story of first visiting the Yukon as a summer student and falling in love with the land and the people. Veale and Kit, his wife, quickly determined that this was the place they would settle after he finished law school.

“We were constantly challenged to think bigger.

It was always there, as I understand it is still today.”

“I have to first give real credit to my parents, for my Mom and Dad the sky was the limit. They encouraged us to go to university,” said Veale when talking about his upbringing and time at PC. “What Pickering does—you are learning how to live with your fellow citizens.

Pickering exhorts you to do better things.

We used to have Chapel every Sunday night, and you would sing Jerusalem, and those kind of events stimulate you. Harry Beer was a Quaker so it was not religious, it was not a sermon, it was not a lecture—but that type of speech. And then you look at athletics. You couldn’t go to Pickering and not play athletics. I played soccer, football, hockey, I was in track. At Pickering if you wanted to be a runner, you were a runner.

You wanted to play soccer, you played soccer. Athletics are so important. What you learn from sports is teamwork.”

Veale talks about the international focus of PC, despite being a small school. “We were constantly challenged to think bigger.

It was always there, as I understand it is still today. The classrooms were fabulous

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“When I arrived in the Yukon, it was at a time that Canadian Arctic Gas Project was proposing a pipeline from north Alaska across the North Slope of the Yukon and across the Mackenzie Valley. The Berger Inquiry at the time may have been the greatest socio-economic impact inquiry in the history of the world at that point.

I was with a private firm doing work for the First Nations and was lucky enough to work on the Berger Inquiry which had a huge impact on me professionally.”

The Berger Inquiry addressed the pipeline, land claims being determined before decision making in order for Indigenous communities to have a stronger role in decision making and environmental issues. Tom Berger came up with the idea of having community visits and holding hearings in communities. That inquiry looked at the many environmental impacts of a pipeline, including the ramifications on the Porcupine Cariboo, to this day one of the largest migratory herds in North America. Veale recounts how his professional life came full circle when as a judge he heard the Peel

Watershed case where Berger, then in his eighties, was counsel for the First Nations.

Veale heard many cases interpreting the Umbrella Final Agreement and talking about the duty to consult First Nations.

“One of the fundamental principles we were working on was reconciliation. When we look back on the terrible treatment historically of First Nations, this is the time to start directing ourselves towards reconciliation.” His work also included a residential school case.

At the same time, Veale and his wife became very involved in the community.

He was a founder of the Yukon Arts Centre, involved in the organizing and fundraising to establish the Centre and was the first president of the YAC board.

The YAC Centre continues to serve the North and is a champion and promoter of northern artists and their stories.

“The one thing that I really learned from Pickering is you want to leave the world you live in—that world could be a block in a city—better than what you came— and that would be my motto. I think for students today, there are two big issues: global warming and inclusivity. Showing respect for your fellow human being, respect for the democratic institutions and making sure no one is permitted to undermine them. As a kid you have such faith in democracy and you don’t realize just how fragile that democracy is, and we are witnessing that today.”

Veale’s message to the PC community is to “Keep it up, keep turning out students, keep up the Global Leadership Program, Pickering is moving forward with many of the same principles from my day.”

Veale retired in 2020 after 20 years as a judge. He was appointed to the Order of Yukon in December 2020. It is the highest honour in the territory, awarded for high achievement and outstanding contribution to society in Yukon. We are very proud to have Ron Veale as a member of the PC community.

Photo courtesy of Vince Fedoroff, Whitehorse Star

CLASS OF 1842 “The Class of 1842” is a group of individuals who are honoured, recognized and appreciated by Pickering College for their service beyond Pickering, achievement in various fields of endeavour and/ or their contribution to education. This is the highest honour that the school awards to Pickering’s alumni and former faculty or staff who distinguish themselves.

This award also recognizes those whose accomplishments provide inspiration and reflect the values of Pickering College. There was no leaving class in 1842, since the school was established in the fall of that year.

“The one thing that I really learned from Pickering is you want to leave the world you live in—that world could be a block in a city—better than what you came—and that would be my motto.”

Ron Veale ’63 was called to the bar in 1973, and his career has had a great impact on Canada’s North, particularly on environmental law and Indigenous issues. He was appointed to the Supreme Court of Yukon in 2000, serving as Senior Judge and Chief Justice, and was a member of the Courts of Appeal of the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. His contributions to Canadian law are underscored by two decisions. In 2014, he ruled in the Peel Watershed wilderness case that the Yukon government could not overrule an Indigenous land-use plan to preserve the bulk of the 26,000 square-mile Peel Watershed Region. This is a wildlife habitat of global importance located in the northern Yukon wilderness. This ruling ensures that 80 per cent of the area is to be protected as wilderness and only 20 per cent open to development.

The second ruling of significance involved the interpretation of the Teslin Tlingit Council Final and Self-Government Agreement in 2019. This case affirmed Canada’s constitutional obligation to meaningfully, and appropriately, implement the terms of Modern Treaties, including the Teslin Tlingit Council agreement (TTC). This agreement had been signed in 1995 but a variety of financial supports had never been provided. The decision in this case ensured that the Government of Canada had to provide appropriate resources to the TTC for treaty implementation.

We look forward to celebrating Ron Veale ’63 and Roger Warren ’51 joining the Class of 1842 once we can gather again in person. Watch for an article on Roger Warren ’51 in the next issue of The Pillars.

DID YOU KNOW? The arena is a favourite campus feature for many students and alumni. The arena was built thanks to the fundraising efforts spearheaded by Eric Veale ’31, who was a faculty member, assistant headmaster and acting headmaster. Thanks to the many Veale family members and fellow alumni including Ed Richardson ’45 who have contributed to the Eric Veale Memorial Arena fund over the years.

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SPOTLIGHT

From ‘three little maids’ James M. Beer ’63 reflects on the grand era When Pickering College re-opened in 1927 in Newmarket, a bright young man named Robert E. K. Rourke joined the staff, assembled

by Joe McCulley, as a mathematics teacher. Bob, as he was called by his friends, quickly became involved in the many student activities that the PC life had to offer, including clubs, drama and sports. In addition to being an excellent math teacher, Bob was soon known for his limitless energy and wit, as well as his love of the operettas of Sir W. S. Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan.

For the first few years of the ‘new’ Pickering, music was found primarily in the form of afternoon recitals. Then during the 1932-1933 school year, a Glee Club was created and, to quote the Voyageur, “Under the direction of Messrs Rourke and Godden; a membership of about 35 has been attained, including Messrs Widdrington, Blackstock, Veale,”—all such familiar names in the Pickering story.

On Sports Day in 1933, they presented their first Gilbert & Sullivan (G&S) operetta, Trial by Jury. The Voyageur goes on to mention that, “Miss Alice Strong and Mr. Leslie Mardell of Toronto took solo parts.” This was so well received that in 1934, the Glee Club took on a more ambitious Gilbert & Sullivan project, The Pirates of Penzance. Among the leads, one finds Bob Rourke, Mrs. Alice (Strong) Rourke and Miss Elizabeth (Betty)

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to three grandes dames of the PC Stage of theatre at Pickering College in the ’40s and ’50s.

Holmes. Pirates was a critical success.

Bob, Alice, Betty plus Gerry Widdrington (the first in a long line of Widdringtons who have trod the boards at PC) and Reg Godden (long time music teacher) had mounted a production worthy of D’Oyly Carte’s Savoy Theatre on the Strand.

I would be remiss if I didn’t add to this list the names of Rudy Renzius, who was in charge of the craft shop, and Fred Hagan, who taught art and became a well-known artist in his own right. These two designed and painted the sets and scenery for Pickering College’s dramatic productions for many years, setting a very high standard for those who would follow. Perhaps prophetic of a nascent tradition, the following year they forged ahead with The Mikado. The word tradition here is not used lightly, for the names of Bob Rourke, Alice Rourke, and Elizabeth Holmes (soon to become Mrs. Harry M. Beer) would be listed among the

dramatis personae until 1953 when the Rourkes left Pickering College. Betty Beer would carry on for another 12 years.

Starting in 1938-1939, they were joined

by Miss Maire Davies (future wife of Pickering teacher, Barney Jackson), a contralto who sang in the G&S operettas until 1952. For all those years with Bob, as the Admiral or the Major-General, leading, or led by Alice, Betty and Maire, Pickering College produced theatrical entertainment of a very high calibre and their impact on the Pickering College stage was both inspiring and long-lasting.

Alice. Betty. Maire. All three women arrived at Pickering to sing; they all soon married Pickering College teachers and would spend many years on the PC stage.

They approached their many roles with professionalism and enthusiasm, never forgetting that joyful Gilbert & Sullivan spirit.

Even as they grew older, they never lost that youthful sparkle, influencing generations of Pickering dramatis personae. It is often said that in life, whenever we accomplish something, we stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us. The countless number of Pickering musicians and actors, past and present, stand on the sturdy and gleeful shoulders of Alice, Betty and Maire.

In the school annals, these three remain the ‘grandes dames’ of the Pickering dramatic tradition. As they often sang in H.M.S. Pinafore:

Oh joy, oh rapture unforeseen, The clouded sky is now serene, With wooing words and loving song, We’ll chase the lagging hours along.

And so they did, and so we pay them tribute threefold.

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“The countless number of Pickering musicians and actors, past and present, stand on the sturdy and gleeful shoulders of Alice, Betty and Maire.”

-James M. Beer ’63

Elizabeth (Betty) Greenway (Holmes) Beer

Alice (Strong) Rourke

Miss Alice Strong, a classically-trained soprano, came to Pickering in 19321933 to sing in some recitals and then took the lead role of the plaintiff in Trial

by Jury. The following year, she once again journeyed north from Toronto to sing the role of Mabel in the Glee Club’s production of The Pirates of Penzance.

In the playbill for Pirates, she was now listed as Alice Strong Rourke, having married Pickering’s G&S wunderkind, Bob Rourke. This dynamic and talented duo would play an integral role in the annual operettas for the next twenty years.

Newmarket and Toronto newspapers would send their music critics to review the performances of Gilbert & Sullivan productions including H.M.S. Pinafore, The Gondoliers, Patience, and Iolanthe. In 1946, one critic wrote that, “Mrs. Rourke was unsurpassed as Phyliss in Iolanthe,” and then in 1948, another wrote of The Mikado, “Mrs. Rourke was excellent as usual—in fact, of professional quality.

The power and clarity of her voice were thrilling—her control generally perfect.

She was most affecting in dialogue.” In 1953, the Rourkes departed from the Pickering College family. Citing his love of teaching mathematics, then Headmaster Rourke had accepted the position of Head of Mathematics at the Kent School in Connecticut. Later the Rourkes moved to Rome, where Bob taught at St. Stephen’s, an American international school.

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Elizabeth Greenway Holmes from London, Ontario, who was studying at The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, was encouraged by her brother, John W. Holmes, who had just joined the Pickering College staff as English teacher, to come and sing in Newmarket. Thus, in 1934 she headed up Yonge Street on the streetcar to join the Glee Club in their second Gilbert & Sullivan operetta, The Pirates of Penzance in the role of Edith.

Little did she know perhaps, that this was a life-changing journey as she would spend the rest of her life as a valued member of the Pickering College and Newmarket communities. In 1937-1938, Harry M. Beer returned to teach French and German at Pickering College. In the 1938 production of Patience, the publicity was handled by Harry M. Beer and the makeup by John W. Holmes. Love was in the air, or at least in the airs of Gilbert & Sullivan, for Harry and Betty would marry in June 1939. Over 30 years (19341964) she would be involved in 25 G&S productions, for the most part on stage but a couple of times as director and consultant. Her final performance was as the Fairy Queen in Iolanthe. The following year, for her last singing role at PC, she was the Grand Duchess of Anastasia in The Student Prince. Her last appearance on the Pickering stage, at the age of 61, was in 1974 in the role of the Queen Mother in Jean Anouilh’s play, Becket. Like Alice and Maire, she too enjoyed much praise from the critics: 1946 - Mrs. Beer as Iolanthe was “better than excellent;” 1948 - Mrs. Beer “was particularly charming” in The Mikado; 1952 - “... in Iolanthe, Betty Beer gave beauty to a difficult role”; 1954 - in H.M.S. Pinafore, Betty Beer “was warm and melodious in voice and convincing in her acting.” To this day, the Beer family has maintained close ties with Pickering College. In fact, granddaughter Stephanie Forgie is a current teacher at the school. The Beers continue to be active contributors to the school’s present direction and future.

Maire (Davies) Jackson

As mentioned before, Miss Maire Davies joined our merry band in 19391940 performing as Ruth (a Pirate of all Work) in The Pirates of Penzance (a spelling note—in the Voyageurs, Maire is consistently spelt with an ‘a’ with a couple of exceptions in the early 1950s when it was spelled Moire, which would seem more fitting for the pronunciation by which we always called her—Moyyah.) That same year, Berners Wallace Jackson, aka Barney, joined the Pickering College staff as an English teacher. He also helped out with the stage sets for dramatic productions like the operettas.

The contralto and the English teacher would marry in April 1942. As with Alice, the critics were quite acclamatory of Maire’s singing and acting. In The Mikado of 1948, one critic wrote, “Also up to snuff was Mrs. Jackson whose rich well-controlled contralto voice and superb acting always afford a thrill.” Two years later in The Gondoliers, another wrote, “Maire Jackson performed in her usual competent manner, forceful and pleasant fashion. The College is fortunate to have Mrs. Jackson as a member of the community.” Maire also appeared in many Pickering College dramatic productions, her last one in 1952, the year she and Barney would bid adieu to Pickering friends and head to Oxford University for Barney to pursue graduate studies. The Jackson family would later move back to Canada with Barney going on to become an English professor at McMaster University in Hamilton and a well-known literary critic who was regarded as a Canadian authority on Shakespeare.

Kelly Mason completes final term as Board Chair “This is my final AGM as Chair of the Board.

After three two-year terms, my time has come to a close. It has been a remarkable time for me. As many of you know, my son Daniel was a ‘lifer’ at PC—JK to Grade 12. During that time, Daniel, my husband Malcolm and I all became involved in volunteer service to PC. It has been a remarkable journey.”

At the November annual general meeting, it was announced that Kelly Mason would be completing her term as Chair of the Board.

Mason began her relationship with Pickering College as a parent in 2004 when her son Daniel ’18 began in Junior Kindergarten. Her involvement with the school was always a family affair with her husband Malcolm by her side, along with her mother for many years and Malcolm’s family. Just three weeks in, Mason began volunteering at Fun Fair as the fishpond volunteer—after that, you could say she was hooked. She went on to fulfill 54 additional volunteer roles including: parent ambassador; co-chair of the very first Holiday Home Tour; member of the 100th anniversary planning committee; Spring Luncheon committee member; co-chair of the 100th anniversary gala and the Board’s Risk Management Committee.

She joined the Corporation in 2011, the Board in 2012, becoming Chair in 2014. Last year, she was recognized for her leadership when she was asked by CAIS to be the governance writer on a CAIS accreditation visit, a highly respected position. In the fall of 2020, she ran the orientation session for new board chairs of CAIS schools across Canada, sharing her wisdom and experience.

To pay tribute to her tremendous impact on Pickering College over her 16 years of involvement, the school put together a video which included many current and past parents, faculty, board and corporation members speaking about her spirit, enthusiasm, wisdom and belief in the school. “These six years … these 16 years, have been a gift to me—the school is a better place and I am a better person for having had the great honour, the great fortune, the great luck to get to know you and work with you,” said Peter Sturrup, Head of School. “Thank you for your leadership and thank you for your friendship. I will never forget the impact you have had.”

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AGM

2020

PC ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING In November, we celebrated our volunteer community at a virtual reception prior to the Pickering College Annual General Meeting.

PCA Chair Krystie Robinson-Vincent offered her sincere thanks and reviewed the year’s events, highlighting the significant volunteer contributions of our current parents, alumni, grandparents and PC friends. Peter Sturrup, Head of School, thanked Krystie for her leadership and thanked our volunteers for sharing generously of their time and talents to enrich the lives of our students.

Kelly Mason, Board Chair, opened the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and provided some history regarding the Pickering College Act, and that some clarification was needed. She acknowledged the extensive work of corporation member Daniel Nelson and the Governance Committee in reviewing the Act and putting forth a new draft statute. The new statute, approved by the Governance Committee and the Board, was approved at the AGM and will be sent to the Legislature of Ontario as a private member’s bill.

Class of 1842 Mason also acknowledged that Pickering College welcomed two new members to the Class of 1842, Ronald Veale ’63 and Roger Warren ’51, who will be inducted into the Class of 1842 at a time when we can once again gather in person.

Report from the Treasurer The academic and fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, has been unlike any other year for Pickering College with the worldwide declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.

This resulted in unanticipated changes to our financial position. Treasurer Christopher Lane reviewed the financial position of the school and the results of the 2019-2020 fiscal year. He reported that the school had its 2020 audit successfully completed by Grant Thornton and that the auditors provided a clean opinion.

Report from the Head of School Peter Sturrup, Head of School, provided an overview of what we did, what we are doing and where we are going. He provided information of the many successes of the school, before COVID-19 and once the pandemic had been declared, reassurance in how the school is operating in COVID-19 times and excited the AGM attendees about the future of our school.

He emphasized that despite the difficult times, we find ourselves in good hands, with strong leadership and are well prepared for the future.

Report from the Nominating Committee Karen Whetstone, chair of the Nominating Committee, presented the slate of new corporation members. The new corporation members are: Jason Foulds, current parent; Jason Herod, current parent; Thomas Kim, current parent; Mareena Mallory ’13; Krystie Robinson-Vincent, current parent. The new Board member is Riane Tse ’07. Following the AGM, the Board met and appointed Mirella Morra as Chair and Patrick Turner ’97 as Vice-Chair, as Kelly Mason moves to her role as Past Chair.

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PICKERING COLLEGE BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2020-2021 Mirella Morra, Chair Patrick Turner ’97, Vice-Chair Steve Barratt ’86 Sal Bianco Beric Farmer Ajit Khanna Christopher Lane Ailene MacDougall Kelly Mason, Past Chair Ron Veitch ’69 Riane Tse ’07 PICKERING COLLEGE CORPORATION 2020-2021 Steve Barratt ’86 Christina Bianco Sal Bianco Vanessa Carson Susan Cooper Peter Dobbs ’87 Beth Egan Beric Farmer Jason Foulds Jason Herod Trevor Hunt Ajit Khanna Thomas Kim Christopher Lane Heward Lee ’78 Vivian Lee Ailene MacDougall Mareena Mallory ’13 Kelly Mason Mirella Morra Daniel Nelson Isabelle Payne ’98 Helen Pei Ian Proudfoot Kurt Richardson ’02 Krystie Robinson-Vincent Tara Roy-DiClemente Debra Scott Colleen Sexsmith Adam Shully ’78 Riane Tse ’07 Patrick Turner ’97 Ron Veitch ’69 Duncan Walker ’69 Roger Warren ’51 Lee Webb Karen Whetstone Kevin Wietzes Stephen Widdrington ’83 Jason Yip

THANK YOU TO DONORS REPORT TO THE PICKERING COLLEGE COMMUNITY 2019-2020

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THIS YEAR, MORE THAN EVER, THANK YOU.

“This year, more than ever” is a phrase that seems so very applicable to the last year. This unusual past year has certainly made us reflect on what is important to us, what we treasure and what we want to protect and strengthen for the next generation.

This year, more than ever, has reinforced the true essence of Pickering College—that while it is a phenomenal place to learn, what makes it truly unique is the caring and passionate community.

It is a community in which character is paramount; it is community in which caring about those around us who are suffering is embraced; it is a community in which asking how each of us can contribute to the world around us is foundational.

As a result, this year, more than ever, we can reflect on the depth of loyalty and commitment to PC that only gets stronger over the years.

This year more than ever we are grateful for how willing people are to help one another.

When COVID-19 struck, and some PC families required support, the Board, followed by our entire community, responded by giving to the PC Power of Community.

This year, more than ever, we realize the strength of our community is demonstrated in small gestures and grand actions. Our thank-you campaign at Thanksgiving elicited notes of praise for the actions of teachers and fellow students who have gone above and beyond to make Pickering College a caring place in the midst of a “new normal” that includes masks, social distancing, and new ways of teaching and learning. At the same time we have continued with the fundraising and planning for the Campus Master Plan. With strong support from donors, the Light The Way campaign has exceeded our target and we are thrilled to be breaking ground on a new building soon. I look forward to sharing the details with our community this spring.

We are so grateful for those donors and volunteers who choose to make Pickering College a philanthropic priority in their life. Your donations, sponsorship, time and talent all contribute to a special place we are each very proud to be part of.

This year, more than ever, it is clear that your donations and continued involvement in Pickering College make you an integral part of our community. You are not only contributing to our school but making a profound impact on the lives of students; and ensuring they too will go on to make an impact in the world.

This year, as a result of your actions, we have witnessed a heightened demonstration of our values—of community, compassion and responsibility. Your gift to our community is reassuring, remarkable and inspiring for our students today and for the future of the school. Thank you.

Peter Sturrup Head of School

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Mirella Morra Chair, Board of Directors

6,050,079

$

WAS DONATED IN 2019-2020.

188,851 156,107 ANNUAL GIVING

$

$

WAS RAISED LAST YEAR TO SUPPORT

THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN TO ALL OF OUR PARENTS, STUDENTS, ALUMNI, STAFF, BOARD AND CORPORATION, FAMILY, FRIENDS AND SPONSORS. YOUR PHILANTHROPIC SUPPORT FOR PICKERING COLLEGE THROUGH OUR ANNUAL GIVING CAMPAIGN DEMONSTRATES TO ALL YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE SCHOOL AND THIS COMMUNITY.

ENDOWMENTS INCLUDING GENEROUS GIFTS TO INCREASE FINANCIAL AID FOR DESERVING STUDENTS.

54,475

$

SPECIAL EVENTS

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO SUPPORTED THE HOLIDAY HOME TOUR.

5,605,562

45,084

$

IN SUPPORT OF PC FAMILIES FACING FINANCIAL HARDSHIP, TO ENSURE THEIR CHILDREN’S EDUCATION REMAINED UNINTERRUPTED DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

$

WAS RAISED IN 2019-2020 (AS OF JUNE 30, 2020), BRINGING THE LIGHT THE WAY CAMPAIGN TOTAL TO $12.7 MILLION

CAPITAL DONATIONS GENEROUS PC VOLUNTEERS DONATED COUNTLESS HOURS TO ACHIEVING THE SCHOOL’S GOALS. 49

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LEADERSHIP GIVING: CIRCLE OF FRIENDS FOUNDATIONS CIRCLE ($100,000 +)

CIRCLE MEMBERS ($1,000 - $ 2,499)

The Rathlyn Foundation Ed Richardson ’45 Anonymous (1)

Align Health Centre Maria and Eugen Arion L Margalit Gavrilov and Kourosh Asgari Aurora 2020 Vision L Charles Beer ’59 Musa Berisha ’06 L Kirsten Nicolson and Brad Boland Josie Zhao and Bob Cai Licong Pan and Lixun Chen L Susan and David Cooper Creekside Family Dental L Joan Davis and Rolph Davis ’60 Mingjuan Wang and Mingjian Ding Peter Dobbs ’87 Alessandra and Paulo Dorca Gu Yan and Zhijun Fan L Kaia and Patrick Farmer Lingling Li and Jianning Fu Gavin Gao L Joanne and Christopher Golding Karen Johnston and Bob Hakeem Donald Halward ’59 Liyuan Chen and Wu He Thi Thuy Sen Le and Sy Thuy Ho Krista Robinson-Holt and Derek Holt Christie and Philip Ingram Kyung-Hee Kim and Chan-Soo Jeong Michelle and David Johnson L Lisa Simmonds-Kim and Thomas Kim L Elaine Kliem L Leona Alleslev and Ted Krofchak ’81 Linglan Shen and Shen Wei Lao Seung Min Chung and Taehyun Lee Chunxia Li Junrong Cui and Donghan Li Lili Chen and Jiannan Li Tieny Ho and Ming Li Dongfeng Xu and Zhifeng Li Cui Lan Deng and Tian Cong Liang Yu Hsuan Lu and Chi Iuan Lin Ning Ding and Lin Lin Qin Chen and Nian Liu Xinxin Li and Zheng Liu Venus Iu and Howard Lu Wen Liu and Jian Lu Hui Li and Lei Luo Amy and Robert MacAlpine MacNab Transit Sales Corp.

Libertina Marra L Arnold Massey L Renee and Rob Merrick L Heather Smith-Morton and Barclay Morton Thi Phuong Diep Nguyen and Tien Dung Ngo Thi Mai Dung Le and Quang Vu Nguyen Thi Dieu Oanh Tran and Tuan Anh Nguyen Varathan Pathmanathan

HILLTOP CIRCLE ($25,000 - $99,999) L Mirella and John Morra Li Liu and Fanyi Zeng

PILLARS CIRCLE ($10,000 - $24,999) L Beth Egan L The Egan Family Foundation L Ronald Veale ’63

SILVER CIRCLE ($5,000 - $9,999) James Brown ’69 Greg Dopulos ’68 Laura Barclay and Jason Herod L Kelly and Malcolm Mason Mercedes-Benz Newmarket L Jefferson Mooney Ashley and Matt Powell Sylvester Legacy Inc.

BLUE CIRCLE ($2,500 - $4,999) L Christina and Sal Bianco Counterpoint Engineering Inc. Dan Yu and Sheng Ning Gao Ling Zhou and Gangfeng He Xiaoqing Li and Bo Huang L Julia and Trevor Hunt L Rekha and Ajit Khanna L Anita Kotsovos, Re/Max Realtron Realty Inc. Brokerage Leith Wheeler Investment Counsel Ltd. L Ailene and Dan MacDougall Donald McLaren ’76 L Select Art Galleries L David White ’88 Patricia and Kevin Wietzes Huiping Xu and Zeming Wu Cai Hong Hu and Dun Hai Xu L Vivian Lee and Lei Yan Shukui Huang and Yang Zhou

Daniel Jiang ’20 and Khoa Nguyen ’20 entertained the guests at the Circle of Friends celebration in 2019.

5+

Veronica Conde Solis and Jacobo Payan Espinosa Ellie Chai and Lei Ping L Prep Academy Tutors Rebeca Riojas-Ozturk and Sedat Ozturk L H and E Romkema Qin and Jialong Shao Fang Guo and Chang Shu Corianne and Anthony Simpson L Gail and Colin Simpson T. Ann Smiley L Gerry and Anita Smith Family Foundation at Toronto Foundation L Janice and Nelson Squires Minna Sturrup L Lisa and Peter Sturrup Nali Ren and Hao Tang Hong Yen Nguyen and Van Chi Tang Lingling Song and Yun Teng Xu Yang and Yanhui Tian L Shona Torrance Yvonne Woloszczuk and Gary Townsend Jianmei Gao and Chi Kin Tsui Karen Benson and Ron Veitch ’69 L Danielle and Gerry Visco Jingyu Yang and Di Wang Helen Pei and Harry Wang Mike Weiler L Daniel Weinzweig Yan Zhang and Jie Weng L Stephen Widdrington ’83 Megan Wilson and Leonard Wong Mary Zhou and Jack Xuan Fangyu Wang and Hua Yang Hong Mei Zheng and Ying Wen Ye Samuel Yen ’89 Lisa and Jason Yip Lu Lin and Zhen Yu Duanyu Yan and Zhong Yu Lin Lin and Tao Zeng L Alex Zetzl ’05 L Joan and Bert Zetzl Jiezhi Wu and Lei Zhang Kai Wang and Wei Zhang Ivy Tan and Xi Zhang Kaiyu Zhang and Xiaoming Zhang Fan Yang and Pengkun Zhou Ximei Zhu Anonymous (1)

THE LAMP OF LEARNING, as found in the Pickering College crest, recognizes those who have given for the past five or more consecutive years.

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PARENT SUPPORT Rizalyn Dagsa and Masoud Abedi Maria and Eugen Arion L Margalit Gavrilov and Kourosh Asgari Maria and Ian Ash L Su-Ping Yuan and Alex Au Yong Baljit and Salim Bardai L Amy Beth L Christina and Sal Bianco L Kirsten Nicolson and Brad Boland Josie Zhao and Bob Cai L Penny Lawson-Cameron and Scott Cameron L Vanessa and Donald Carson Baiquan Chai Licong Pan and Lixun Chen Di Zhang and Ning Chen ShuangMei Tang and YaJun Chen Xiaoli Yu and Zhenfu Chen Andrea and Ryan Cleland L Susan and David Cooper Miren Edurne Aguayo and Santiago Cortina L Naomi and Jamie Côté Jin Li and Xiang Cui Krystal and Ryan Davey Carrie and Rico Dente L Laurie and Corey DiCarlo Mingjuan Wang and Mingjian Ding Alessandra and Paulo Dorca Jessica and Jeff Ellis Gu Yan and Zhijun Fan L Diane and Beric Farmer Shannon Flynn ’05 and Donald Flynn ’05 Danielle and Kirk Francis L Shelley and Jamie Frank Lingling Li and Jianning Fu L Alexis and Roland Furlan Lisa and Wayne Furlong Gavin Gao Dan Yu and Sheng Ning Gao L Joanne and Christopher Golding Lisa and David Graham L Deanna Bosschaert-Gruhl and Stephen Gruhl Christine and Tony Gu Haiyan Zhang and Xuming Gu Karen Johnston and Bob Hakeem Ling Zhou and Gangfeng He Liyuan Chen and Wu He Laura Barclay and Jason Herod Thi Thuy Sen Le and Sy Thuy Ho Thi Viet Ha Nguyen and Anh Hoang Krista Robinson-Holt and Derek Holt Tiffany and Dan Houle Lanjun Li and Tao Hu Xiaoqing Li and Bo Huang Eva Huang L Julia and Trevor Hunt Weijia Sun and Ming Huo Christie and Philip Ingram Parastou and Mehdi Jadidi Kyung-Hee Kim and Chan-Soo Jeong Yue Wang and Zhongjie Jiang Ying Gan and Song Jin L Diane and David Johnson Michelle and David Johnson L Ian Johnston Cheryl Taylor and Adhish Khanna

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Elham Ardestani Zadeh and Vahid Khansari L Lisa Simmonds-Kim and Thomas Kim Catherine Christakis-Kiriakou and Nick Kiriakou L Leona Alleslev and Ted Krofchak ’81 Qiang Kuang L Keith Kupsch L Susan Lahey Linglan Shen and Shen Wei Lao Eva and Hector Lara Danielle and Gino Larice Seung Min Chung and Taehyun Lee Outi and Glen Leis Qifang Qian and Baohua Li Chunxia Li Junrong Cui and Donghan Li Yanmei Guo and Duan Li Lili Chen and Jiannan Li Tieny Ho and Ming Li Bobo Li and Xi Li Dongfeng Xu and Zhifeng Li Cui Lan Deng and Tian Cong Liang Yu Hsuan Lu and Chi Iuan Lin Ning Ding and Lin Lin Jing Hu and Hong Liu Qin Chen and Nian Liu Han Li and Yifeng Liu Xinxin Li and Zheng Liu Venus Iu and Howard Lu Wen Liu and Jian Lu Hui Li and Lei Luo Amy and Rob MacAlpine Libertina Marra Sandra Moore and Duncan McLeod L Renee and Rob Merrick L Lisa Campeis and Eric Milligan L Mirella and John Morra L Heather Smith-Morton and Barclay Morton Thi Phuong Diep Nguyen and Tien Dung Ngo Thi Mai Dung Le and Quang Vu Nguyen Thi Thap Nguyen and Si Thiem Nguyen Thi Dieu Oanh Tran and Tuan Anh Nguyen Rebeca Riojas-Ozturk and Sedat Ozturk Eugenia Molina and Alfredo Pantano L Noeline Burk and James Pataran Veronica Conde Solis and Jacobo Payan Espinosa Ellie Chai and Lei Ping Somkamol Prapaskosolkul and Kittipong Potirucht Ashley and Matt Powell Deana Ho-Yan and Mark Ritchie L Krystie and Matthew Robinson-Vincent L H and E Romkema Miho and Takasuke Sekine Diane and Sean Sexsmith-Brosseau Qin and Jialong Shao Corianne and Anthony Simpson L Gail and Colin Simpson L Karen Burrows-Smith and Jason Smith L Janice and Nelson Squires L Margo Starr L Sherry Barclay and Kevin Still Deneine Drover-Stubbs and Stephen Stubbs Tatyana Suleimanova and Adilzhan Suleimanov Xiaozhou Sun Hong Yen Nguyen and Van Chi Tang Mayumi and Daisuke Taniguchi

Lingling Song and Yun Teng Xu Yang and Yanhui Tian Paula and Kirk Tobias L Shona Torrance Yvonne Woloszczuk and Gary Townsend Jianmei Gao and Chi Kin Tsui L Yuliya Eltsova and Anton Udaltsov Rachel and Andrew Vallance L Danielle and Gerry Visco Jingyu Yang and Di Wang Helen Pei and Harry Wang Xuejiao Zhou and Jiang Wang Hong Cai and Jinping Wang Yan Zhang and Jie Weng Patricia and Kevin Wietzes Megan Wilson and Leonard Wong Fei Xie and Shengyuan Wu Huiping Xu and Zeming Wu Caihong Hu and Dun Hai Xu Lina Liu and Honglou Xu Qiyun Cheng and Liangbing Xu Mary Zhou and Jack Xuan L Vivian Lee and Lei Yan Fangyu Wang and Hua Yang Lei Li and Yong Yang Hong Mei Zheng and Ying Wen Ye Lisa and Jason Yip Hao Chen and Rudy You Lingli Wu and Lei Yu Lu Lin and Zhen Yu Duanyu Yan and Zhong Yu Li Liu and Fanyi Zeng Peggy Pan and Qingyu Zeng Lin Lin and Tao Zeng Chang Zhou and Jian Zhang Jiezhi Wu and Lei Zhang Kai Wang and Wei Zhang Ivy Tan and Xi Zhang Kaiyu Zhang and Xiaoming Zhang Yuanyuan Zhang and Zhongxian Zhang Chunmei Ruan and Junlai Zhao Fan Yang and Pengkun Zhou Shukui Huang and Yang Zhou Anonymous (1)

Susan Cooper, chair of the Holiday Home Tour and member of the corporation, pictured with Vivian Lee, member of the corporation and chair of the PCA International Family Rep Program.

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ALUMNI SUPPORT 1940s

1960s

1970s

1990s

L David Dixon ’46 Currie Gardner ’40 James Harrison ’47 Miles Keenleyside ’47 Richard Lee ’49 John Meisel ’43 Irving Newson ’48 Ed Richardson ’45

Robert Armstrong ’62 William Bartley ’66 Jock Bates ’61 James Brown ’69 L Robert Bryant ’60 L Thomas Bryant ’66 Harry Chapman ’64 L Rolph Davis ’60 Greg Dopulos ’68 L David Douglas ’60 John Lewis ’67 Andrew Newbery ’63 Robert Rayner ’62 L Robert Russel ’67 L Herschell Sax ’64 L Ronald Veale ’63 Ron Veitch ’69

John Buckley ’78 Donald McLaren ’76 L Brian Reynolds ’70 Christopher Rogers ’70 Adam Wetstein ’73

Joanna Chen ’96 Francis Fung ’97 Victor Liu ’95 L Raymond Ng ’99 John Trueman ’96 Patrick Turner ’97 L Ryan Turner ’99

1950s L Charles Beer ’59 L Bill Bryant ’58 Donald Halward ’59 Kenneth Hills ’59 L Stefan Israeler ’52 Edward Lowry ’51 L James Murray ’57 Brian Purdy ’56 Roger Warren ’51

1980s L Stephen Barratt ’86 Howard Brice ’85 Peter Dobbs ’87 Jeffrey Forde ’82 L Jonathan Knaul ’87 L Ted Krofchak ’81 L Dag Spicer ’80 L David White ’88 L Stephen Widdrington ’83 Vincent Wu ’86 Samuel Yen ’89

Musa Berisha ’06 Alyssa Dominique ’09 Donald Flynn ’05 Shannon Flynn ’05 L Gareth Sturrup ’09 L Alex Zetzl ’05 Anonymous (1)

2010s Mark Barratt ’17 Lindsay Floyd ’12

OTHER SUPPORT

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2000s

LEARNING COMMONS (LIBRARY) TRIBUTES

GIFTS-IN-KIND

L Kirsten Nicolson and Brad Boland Krystal and Ryan Davey Carrie and Rico Dente L Alexis and Roland Furlan Dan Yu and Sheng Ning Gao L Julia and Trevor Hunt Parastou and Mehdi Jadidi Yu Hsuan Lu and Chi Iuan Lin Qin Chen and Nian Liu L Renee and Rob Merrick L Krystie and Matthew Robinson-Vincent L Yuliya Eltsova and Anton Udaltsov Shukui Huang and Yang Zhou

John Lockyer Anonymous (1)

ENDOWMENT GIFTS Greg Dopulos ’68 Andrew Newbery ’63 Ed Richardson ’45 L Ronald Veale ’63 L Daniel Weinzweig

From L to R, Cynthia Veale, Chris Campbell ’87, former faculty member Don McCauig, Roger Veale ’61 and Ed Richardson ’45 at the 5th Pillar Lunch in honour of the late Jim Spring ’47.

STAFF AND FACULTY SUPPORT L Jill Abramowitz L Kylah Adams Joshua Armstrong L Alex Au Yong Lotem Baram L Patrice Barbanchon L Elaine Barratt L Kimberly Bartlett Graham Birt L Ethan Bishop L Charles Boyd Jennifer Brett Fraser Kim Browner Carrington Bull L Noeline Burk Gordon Chiu Andrea Cleland Julie Clement L Chris Collingham Glenn Connors L Anna Cook L Steve Cope L Naomi Côté L Chris Coyne Sylvia Da Silva L Michael Daleman Paige Daoust L Michael Davis L Marc de la Bastide

L Sarah Demarco John Dew L Maria Di Mambro Daniele Di Nardo L Janet Downer L Donna Doyle Leah Duncan Jessica Ellis Kait Finlay L David Fiscaletti L Jay Fletcher Stephanie Forgie L Shelley Frank L Alexis Furlan L Joanne Golding L Jillian Goodall L Alexis Hamilton L Wilfred Hickey Ethan Hodges Monica Hoppe L Susan Hundert L Julia Hunt Taylor Jennings L Sheila Johnson L Ian Johnston Wendy Keegan L Shannon Kelly L Nancy Kerswill L Elaine Kliem

Karen Krawec L Keith Kupsch L Myriam Lafrance Deandra Lanzarotta L Penny Lawson-Cameron Tom Lewis L Rebecca MacDonald Veronica Manalo L Jeff Mason L Laura Mason L Arnold Massey Erin Matthews L Lisa Maunder James McArdle L Carol McKnight L Karen Meisel L Renee Merrick Jennifer Middleton L Shirley Moffett Laura Murgatroyd L Nicole Murphy L Rosanna Naccarata Laura Padula L Khoeun Pang Varathan Pathmanathan L Laurie Philp L Leila Picazo L Stephanie Pickering Errol Platt

L Helena Pollakova John Robertson L H Romkema L Jessie-May Rowntree Jamie Savage Chris Schneider Lian Senior Jason Simm L Sheri Simon T. Ann Smiley L Jason Smith L Kim Smith L Heather Smith-Morton Alice Souvannakhily L Lindsey Stefanovich L Gareth Sturrup ’09 L Lisa Sturrup L Peter Sturrup Danielle Sugar L Heather Suters Ricky Tam L Dan Thompson Emily Von Nostrand Mike Weiler L Ellen Wells L Steve Wood Jacqueline Wurangian Anonymous (1)

PAST PARENTS, FORMER STAFF AND FACULTY, GRANDPARENTS AND FRIENDS SUPPORT Diane Adamson-Brdar Ann and Simon Armstrong Kim and Alan Barlow Heather Banks and David Batten J.E. (Tim) Benson L Tracy and Kevin Beswick Darlene and Peter Blenich Shawnna Brice and Howard Brice ’85 Anne and Robert Browne L Magdie and David Buder L Danielle and Marc Caron Margarete and Douglas Carr Melissa Fernandez Marcos and Emilio Tommaso Ciuffardi Lopez eBay Inc. L Beth Egan L The Egan Family Foundation L Jaime and Michael Elliott The Farmer Family Foundation L Kaia and Patrick Farmer Linda and Tom Fodey

L Donna and Allan Fordyce L Elizabeth Hempen Claudine and Roger Hubbard L Beverly Jackson Heather and Kevin Jenkins L Sandra and Philip Kaszuba L Michelle and Ken Kavanagh L Rekha and Ajit Khanna L Catherine and Christopher Lane Ying Li and Yuchang Luo L Jane Lynes L Ailene and Dan MacDougall Judi Rees-Mantle and Wesley Mantle L Kelly and Malcolm Mason Carol and David McDougall Cathy and John McGill L Jefferson Mooney L Kathy and Paul Oushalkas Sookhyun Ha and Sangsoon Park Cindi and Anthony Polyzotis L Nancy and William Prittie

L Willa Wang and Alex Qiu The Rathlyn Foundation Brenda and Randy Rideout Donna and David Rouselle Penny and Steve Sedore Fang Guo and Chang Shu Sharon Skurnac L Gerry and Anita Smith Family Foundation at Toronto Foundation Maureen Soukoreff Katherine and Michael Steirman Minna Sturrup Sylvester Legacy Inc. Nali Ren and Hao Tang Xia Zhang and Rui Wang L Daniel Weinzweig L Jane Zavitz-Bond L Joan and Bert Zetzl Ximei Zhu

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CAPITAL CAMPAIGN GIFTS Thanks to our generous donors, we have now raised $12.7 million for the Light The Way campaign, exceeding our $10-million goal. We continue to work diligently to move forward with our plans for our Campus Master Plan, and a new building on campus. Our sincere appreciation to everyone who has demonstrated the vision and commitment to support this campaign. We are delighted that you have chosen to join us in moving this exciting project forward. For more information on how you can support Pickering College fundraising initiatives, contact Laura Padula, Manager, Development, at lpadula@pickeringcollege.on.ca or 1-877-895-1700 ext. 254.

Masayo and Norimichi Adachi Aecon The late Henry Aguayo ’48 David Allan ’02 Philip Allan ’71 Debbie Khan and Ali Alshubil Katie Armitage ’04 Ann and Simon Armstrong L Margalit Gavrilov and Kourosh Asgari Baljit and Salim Bardai Kim and Alan Barlow L Elaine Barratt and Stephen Barratt ’86 Jock Bates ’61 L Charles Beer ’59 Jim Beer ’63 Roxana and Jean-Pierre Berlan Dawn and David Beswick Vanessa (Beth) Carson and Amy Beth L Christina and Sal Bianco Diane Li and James Bihari Talia Black ’07 L Kirsten Nicolson and Bradley Boland James Brown ’69 L Bill Bryant ’58 L Robert Bryant ’60 Patricia and Donald Cameron Susan Cameron Susann Cannon The Cannon and Trussell Families L Vanessa and Donald Carson CAS Accounting for Insurance Inc. Susan and Edward Chant James Christakis Eunyoung Lee and Chansoo Chung L Susan and David Cooper Miren Edurne Aguayo and Santiago Cortina

The Learning Commons Tribute Program encourages families to mark a birthday or thank a teacher by honouring them with the purchase of books in their name. Thank you to everyone who marks a special occasion by adding to our library collection!

George Cox ’57 YanLin Liu and Dongtai Cui Eleanor and Troy Cumiskey Andie and Kevin Desforges Direct IT Recruiting Inc. Greg Dopulos ’68 Arthur Dorland L David Douglas ’60 Robyn and Tony Eames The late Hugh Edighoffer ’47 L Beth Egan L The Egan Family Foundation Richard Elston ’56 Tom Everson ’84 L Diane and Beric Farmer The Farmer Family Foundation Mitchell Fasken ’74 Diane and Brian FitzGerald Debbie and Adam Floyd Sharon and Wayne Ford Jeffrey Forde ’82 L Donna and Allan Fordyce Man Lu Wang and Qiang Fu L Alexis and Roland Furlan Karen Whetstone and Richard Geurts L Joanne and Christopher Golding Janice Fleming-Gole and Robert Gole Michelle Zhang and Bin Gong Lisa and David Graham Carol and Peter Grys James Harrison ’47 Nicolee Hathaway Kenneth Hills ’59 Anthony Jackson ’79 L Beverly Jackson Natalie Owen-James and Michael James Taylor Jennings Maria Jordan Zahra Kara Kelly Gallacher and Perry Kereakou L Rekha and Ajit Khanna Elham Ardestani-Zadeh and Vahid Khansari Yoko and Sadahito Kimata Donald King ’46 Heather King Cathy Christakis-Kiriakou and Nick Kiriakou Mukta and Murali Krishnan Krishnan Medicine Professional Corporation L Catherine and Christopher Lane Peter Lau ’82 Yim Yin Yung and Terrence Lau In Memory of James A. Lawson

by Patricia Lawson, Penny Lawson-Cameron and Pamela

Lawson Mary Madigan-Lee and Heward Lee ’78 May Ling Ng and Wai Leung Wilson Leung ’79 Zhao Hui Li Wang Chiung-Liao and Long- Shing Liao Victor Liu ’95 Lone Star Group of Companies Limited Weiping Lu L Jane Lynes Vida Sernas and Alan MacDonald L Ailene and Dan MacDougall The late Michael Mackenzie ’45 Janice Wang and Chi Hsiung Mao L Kelly and Malcolm Mason Veronica and Paul Mason Mason’s Masonry Supply Ltd. Cathy and John McGill Victoria and Michael McGinn Kellie and Sean McKay Donald McLaren ’76 Brian Meharg ’78 John Meisel ’43 L Renee and Rob Merrick Pierre Mevissen L Lisa Campeis and Eric Milligan Rocklyn Mohammed ’93 Gillian and Graeme Montgomery L Mirella and John Morra L James Murray ’57 Daniel Nelson Clara and Johnny Ng Doris Nicolson Mary Jane and John Omand Laura Padula Cora Pataran ’24 Lori and Jim Pedersen Patrick Peotto Wei and Brian Porter Jill Powell Ashley and Matt Powell William Powell Juli and Paul Prochazka Kathy and Ian Proudfoot Brian Purdy ’56 The Rathlyn Foundation Xiaojun Wu and Guorong Ren L Brian Reynolds ’70 Lorena Rodriguez Christopher Rogers ’70 David Rogers ’76 L Jessie-May Rowntree Stephen Rudberg ’82 L Robert Russel ’67 Tanja and Dirk Schaefer

Magdalena (Meg) Searles Jocelyn Yee and Simon Seow Colleen Sexsmith Diane and Sean Sexsmith-Brosseau Karen and Ron Sharpe The late Martin Shubik ’43 Corianne and Anthony Simpson Kim Bilous and Darren Slind T. Ann Smiley L Gerry and Anita Smith Family Foundation at Toronto Foundation Bo and Orest Sochaniwskyj Darla and Peter Somerville L Dag Spicer ’80 The late Jim Spring ’47 L Janice and Nelson Squires Linda and Mitchell Stevenson Mary and Robert Stevenson L Sherry Barclay and Kevin Still Minna Sturrup L Lisa and Peter Sturrup Jiage Guo and Chenggang Sun Sylvester Legacy Inc. Grace Lin and Chih-Lang Tai Tim Hortons – The Floyd Family Townline Self-Storage Belinda and Mark Trussell L Ryan Turner ’99 Tony Van Bynen Roger Veale ’61 Karen Benson and Ron Veitch ’69 Carol and Richard Verity Duncan Walker ’69 Anna Hu and Dali Wang Helen Pei and Harry Wang Sheila and James Waters Wayne Ford Sales Limited L David White ’88 Patricia and Kevin Wietzes Yun Mi Lee and Bong Cheol Woo Mary Zhou and Jack Xuan L Vivian Lee and Lei Yan Samuel Yen ’89 Lisa and Jason Yip Nicole Cortese and Paul Yue Anna Zalewska and Pawel Zalewski L Jane Zavitz-Bond Li Liu and Fanyi Zeng L Alex Zetzl ’05 Lu Chen and Jigui Zhang Karen Lin and Jim Zhang Hongxia Chen and Shouping Zhang Ivy Tan and Xi Zhang Wanping Zhang and Zhenchen Zhang Yuji Xing and Biwu Zhao Anonymous (6)

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HOLIDAY HOME TOUR 15th Annual Holiday Home Tour and Seasonal Boutique & Café November 15 & 16, 2019

TITLE SPONSOR Buckley Insurance Brokers Ltd. LEAD SPONSORS Chantal’s Dance Academy Creekside Family Dental Foch Family Landscape Design Services Grand Entrance Design L Anita Kotsovos, Re/Max Realtron Realty Inc. Brokerage McAlpine Ford Lincoln Sales Ltd. Mercedes-Benz Newmarket Metroland Media L Select Art Galleries HOMES Bridget Kilgallon and Jason Foulds Christina and Alex Lanzillotta Laura and Mark Mailman Darla and Peter Somerville Patti Wilson Kristina and Ben Wilton HOME SPONSORS Align Health Centre Dr. Robert MacAlpine Optometry, Aurora 2020 Vision L Canadian Tire Newmarket Handle This L Prep Academy Tutors REALTOR HOME SPONSORS L Anita Kotsovos, Re/Max Realtron Realty Inc. Brokerage Margaret Mead, Main Street Realty Kristina Wilton, Coldwell Banker

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GIFT IN KIND SPONSORS Arcadia Academy of Music Aubergine Kitchen & Bar Dailene Rose Ning Ding Hwy 11 Entertainment Living Luscious Niemi Family Farm The Piano Studio Pickering College PC Music Department Pizza Nova Roman Bistro and Catering Ellen Rosen Sushi Den Teppanyaki The Alley The Arts Music Store The Living Platter Tim Hortons Saveria Volpe INTERIOR DESIGNERS/DECORATORS L ADM Design Incorporated

Amanda Shields Interiors Design Details Di Matteo Designs iStage & Organize Patti Wilson Design Inc.

FLORAL DESIGNERS Astilbe Floral Boutique Bloom by Robin Blossom Boutique Flowers by Carolina Kate’s Garden Kith Flower & Gift Shop Luda Flower Salon Sweet Stems Floral Designs Thornhill Market Florist ADVERTISERS Chameleon Print & Design Direct IT Recruiting Inc. L Hempen Fine Jewellers L Terra Brook Homes Inc. L The Royal Wood Shop HOLIDAY HOME TOUR COMMITTEE Susan Cooper, Co-Chair Donna Fordyce, Co-Chair Vanessa Carson Daniel Foch ’09 Bridget Kilgallon Vivian Lee Andrea McMullen Krystie Robinson-Vincent Patti Wietzes

POWER OF COMMUNITY

The objective of PC Power of Community was to ensure that no family was left behind due to their change in financial circumstance. We wanted to ensure that their children would not lose their place at PC as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. When the students needed us most, we wanted them to know we were there. Thank you for your help to keep our community together and continue our legacy of compassion and care.

PC POWER OF COMMUNITY GIFTS: L Kylah Adams Joshua Armstrong L Su-Ping Yuan and Alex Au Yong L Elaine Barratt and Stephen Barratt ’86 L Kimberly Bartlett Jock Bates ’61 L Charles Beer ’59 L Bianco Family Graham Birt L Ethan Bishop L Penny Lawson-Cameron and Scott Cameron Joanna Chen ’96 Julie Clement L Steve Cope L Naomi and Jamie Côté L Chris Coyne L Michael Daleman Paige Daoust L Sarah Demarco L Maria Di Mambro Alyssa Dominique ’09 L Janet Downer L Donna Doyle L Diane and Beric Farmer The Farmer Family Foundation Kait Finlay

L David Fiscaletti

Laura Padula

Stephanie Forgie L Alexis and Roland Furlan L Joanne and Christopher Golding Donald Halward ’59 L Julia and Trevor Hunt Taylor Jennings L Sheila Johnson Wendy Keegan L Shannon Kelly Cheryl Taylor and Adhish Khanna L Rekha and Ajit Khanna L Lisa Simmonds-Kim and Thomas Kim L Catherine and Christopher Lane L Ailene and Dan MacDougall Libertina Marra L Laura and Jeff Mason L Kelly and Malcolm Mason L Arnold Massey Erin Matthews James McArdle L Karen Meisel L Renee and Rob Merrick Jennifer Middleton L Morra Family L Heather Smith-Morton and Barclay Morton L Nicole Murphy

L Noeline Burk and James Pataran

Varathan Pathmanathan Brian Purdy ’56 John Robertson L H and E Romkema L Jessie-May Rowntree Chris Schneider Miho and Takasuke Sekine Jason Simm L Sheri Simon T. Ann Smiley L Janice and Nelson Squires L Lisa and Peter Sturrup Danielle Sugar Nali Ren and Hao Tang L Dan Thompson Yvonne Woloszczuk and Gary Townsend John Trueman ’96 Patrick Turner ’97 Emily Von Nostrand Ron Veitch ’69 Mike Weiler L Ellen Wells L Steve Wood Anonymous (15)

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LAMPLIGHTERS Giving for tomorrow, today.

The school’s symbol is a lamp, the lamp of learning that our caring community of Lamplighters keep well lit by gifting Pickering College through their wills, estates, and life insurance.

Committing to a planned gift ensures that your legacy lives on at Pickering College for generations to come.

PC LAMPLIGHTERS Ralph Barnes ’67 Kim Bilous Charles Boyd Jeff Forde ’82 Jack Houghton ’47 John Lockyer Adam Shully ’78 Wolf Smith-Butz ’73 Ron Veitch ’69 Daniel Weinzweig

Interested in learning more or joining the Lamplighters? Or have you already included Pickering College in your estate planning?

Please contact Laura Padula, Manager, Development, at 905-895-1120 ext. 254 or by email at lpadula@pickeringcollege.on.ca.

BOARD MEMBERS 2019-2020 Kelly Mason, Chair Mirella Morra, Vice Chair Stephen Barratt ’86 Sal Bianco Beric Farmer Ajit Khanna Christopher Lane Ailene MacDougall Patrick Turner ’97 Ronald Veitch ’69

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CORPORATION MEMBERS Stephen Barratt ’86 Christina Bianco Sal Bianco Vanessa Carson Susan Cooper Peter Dobbs ’87 Beth Egan Beric Farmer Trevor Hunt Beverly Jackson Ajit Khanna Christopher Lane Heward Lee ’78

2019-2020 Vivian Lee Ailene MacDougall Kelly Mason Mirella Morra Daniel Nelson Isabelle Payne ’98 Helen Pei William Prittie Ian Proudfoot Ed Richardson ’45 Kurt Richardson ’02 Tara Roy-DiClemente Debra Scott

Colleen Sexsmith Adam Shully ’78 Riane Tse ’07 Patrick Turner ’97 Ronald Veitch ’69 Duncan Walker ’69 Roger Warren ’51 James Waters Lee Webb Karen Whetstone Stephen Widdrington ’83 Kevin Wietzes Jason Yip

WAYS TO GIVE At Pickering College, we are inspired that our community—parents, alumni, Board and Corporation, staff, family and friends alike— demonstrate their commitment to the tradition of philanthropic support by donating so generously to ensure a bright future.

There are many ways to make a gift to Pickering College: Gifts by credit card, Cheque or cash You can choose to make a one-time or a monthly donation. Onetime gifts are payable by cheque, credit card, or wire transfer. Monthly donations make giving easy—they are automated and payable by direct debit or credit card.

Gifts of securities and mutual fund shares A gift of securities can include stocks, mutual funds and segregated funds. It is the most efficient way to donate. Since capital gains tax does not apply, it is a wonderful way to benefit both you and the school. Gifts of publicly-traded securities are simple to make; consult your financial advisor to decide which investments make the most financial and philanthropic impact. Then, ask your broker to transfer your securities to Pickering College by completing the appropriate Transfer of Securities Form.

Planned giving A gift in your will may be the biggest gift of your life. By joining Pickering College’s community of lamplighters, you will have the comfort of knowing that the legacy of your generosity will live on for future generations. The biggest advantage of giving through your estate is that it does not cost you anything during your lifetime.

Matching gifts Matching gifts are a type of philanthropy in which companies financially match donations their employees make to charities. Please contact your Human Resources department to inquire about whether a matching gift is possible.

Commemorative/tribute gifts Your donation can be made in honour of a teacher, advisor, coach or friend who has had a positive influence and made adifference in your Pickering College experience. Tribute Gifts can include: Dining Hall Chairs and Table Dedications, and library resources through the Learning Commons Tribute Program.

For more information about PC’s Lampighters, or any other method of making a gift, please contact Laura Padula, Manager, Development, at lpadula@pickering college.on.ca or 905-895-1700 ext. 254.

Executive Director, Development T. Ann Smiley Manager, Special Events Shelley Frank Manager, Annual Giving & Constituent Engagement Taylor Jennings Manager, Development Laura Padula Alumni Ambassador & Former Faculty Charles Boyd Parent & Alumni Relations Coordinator Alice Souvannakhily Development Administrator Karen Meisel Charitable Registration Number: 11909 2815 RR0001

PRIVACY OF INFORMATION: Pickering College is committed to protecting the privacy of your personal information. When you as a parent, student, alumnus or other individual provide personal information to the school, such as your name, address and telephone number, it is shared with the Development Office so that we may communicate with you through various publications and so that we may solicit your financial and volunteer support. Under no circumstances is the information rented, sold or given to any organization outside Pickering College. Access to the information is restricted to authorized staff members. For further information on our commitment to protecting your privacy, please contact PC Privacy Officer at privacyofficer@pickeringcollege.on.ca or 905-895-1700. Thank you.

DISCLAIMER: Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the listings in this report. Please note that your support may be indicated as Anonymous should you so chose. We regret and apologize for any inadvertent errors or omissions and ask that corrected information be provided to the Executive Director of Development, Pickering College, 16945 Bayview Avenue, Newmarket, Ontario, L3Y 4X2 advancement@pickeringcollege.on.ca

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SAVE THE DATE ANNUAL PICKERING COLLEGE GOLF TOURNAMENT Thursday, June 24, 2021 With the uncertainly of being able to gather in person, we encourage you to update your email address on our website (under the Alumni tab) to receive emailed invitations and updates.

UPCOMING EVENTS MARCH 2021 – JUNE 2021

(Visit www.pickeringcollege.on.ca for updates)

ISSUE TWO

MANAGING EDITOR

JESSIE-MAY ROWNTREE

Executive Director of Admission

and Marketing

EDITOR

NAOMI CÔTÉ

Communications Manager

CONTRIBUTORS

JAMES M. BEER ’63

JENNIFER BRETT FRASER

TAYLOR JENNINGS

KAREN MEISEL

LAURA PADULA

ALICE SOUVANNAKHILY

ANN SMILEY

PETER STURRUP

SAVANNAH TRAN

GRAPHIC DESIGN

VANI ROUSE

TO SHARE YOUR COMMENTS, IDEAS

Saturday, March 6 – Sunday March 21

MARCH BREAK - No classes.

Boarding remains open.

OR FOR ADVERTISING RATES AND

Monday, March 22

Classes Resume

JESSIE-MAY ROWNTREE

Friday, April 2 Good Friday

(No classes and offices closed).

Boarding remains open.

905-895-1700 EXT. 234

jrowntree@pickeringcollege.on.ca

Monday, April 5 Easter Monday

(No classes and offices closed).

Boarding remains open.

Tuesday, April 6

Classes resume

Thursday, April 15

6:30 p.m.

Virtual Open House

INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT

PICKERING COLLEGE

16945 BAYVIEW AVENUE

NEWMARKET, ONTARIO

CANADA L3Y 4X2

Friday, May 21

P.D. Day - No classes.

Boarding remains open.

TEL: 905-895-1700

Monday, May 24 Victoria Day

(No classes and offices closed).

Boarding remains open.

www.pickeringcollege.on.ca

Tuesday, May 25

Classes resume

THE PILLARS

Virtual Closing Morning Meeting

IS PUBLISHED BY THE ADMISSION

Friday, June 11 Tuesday, June 15

2:00 p.m.

Kindergrad

Wednesday, June 16

4:30 p.m.

Grade 8 Closing Ceremony

Thursday, June 17

7:00 p.m.

Grade 12 Grad Celebration

Friday, June 18 Thursday, June 24

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VOLUME 42

Grade 12 Commencement 10:00 a.m. Annual PC Golf Tournament

FAX: 905-895-8916

AND MARKETING OFFICE FOR

ALUMNI, PARENTS, STUDENTS,

STAFF AND FRIENDS OF PICKERING

COLLEGE.

Amplify Your Impact with a Gift of Securities A Gift of Securities is a cost-effective way to transform an asset into immediate and significant support of Pickering College.

This method of giving also benefits you as a philanthropist! Here’s how:

• You eliminate the capital gains tax on your donation of appreciated stock or mutual fund.

• You receive a charitable tax receipt for your donation.

• You get to see the impact of your donation and will receive annual impact reports.

• You may choose to donate a portion of your stock and retain the remainder for personal use.

• You can donate securities immediately or as part of your estate planning.

These unprecedented times have brought forth an even greater appreciation of our alumni, parents, past parents, and other PC friends for their continued and significant support of Pickering College. Thank you for your relentless efforts.

To learn more about the impact that you could make through a gift of securities or other giving, please contact: Laura Padula, Manager, Development, at 905-895-1700 ext. 254 or via email lpadula@pickeringcollege.on.ca

Visit us at www.pickeringcollege.on.ca

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LEARNING FOR LIFE. CREATING THE FUTURE.

Consider Pickering College for Your Child, Grandchild, Friend or Relative Pickering College’s Global Leadership Program strikes the ideal balance between challenging students to develop critical thinking and real-world life skills that can be applied to their university career and beyond. As a result of their studies, students develop valuable skills, including: • advanced academic ability • time management and self-reliance • strong research and writing • critical thinking abilities

• leadership and mentorship • dialogue, communication and presentation • design, invent and problem solve

VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE Saturday, April 17 10:00 a.m. Register: www.pickeringcollege.on.ca Meet students, staff, faculty and parents. Learn more about our specialized programming and go on a virtual tour of our historic campus.

Virtual Admission Tours: Contact our Admission Office at 905-895-1700 ext. 259.

Visit us at www.pickeringcollege.on.ca