The Pillars

CONTENTS

ON THE COVER

In my vibrant digital illustration, three birds soar high above the busy city streets, breaking free from the urban hustle. It’s as though they’re inviting us to embark on an adventure. These birds symbolize the joy of learning when we go beyond our comfort zones and explore. Engaging in experiential learning opens doors to new perspectives and insights. This image portrays the joy of venturing out and discovering rather than being confined to a classroom.

—Angela Li, Grade 11

“This image portrays the joy of venturing out and discovering rather than being confined to a classroom.”

The March Break excursion to Mount Kilimanjaro tested the endurance, grit and determination of staff and students alike to reach the peak.

Pickering College opened its art collection to the public during a showcase event in February.

In the bustling halls of our wonderful school, there is something magical happening. The energy is palpable, the joy contagious, and the sense of purpose undeniable.

As you flip through the pages of this edition of The Pillars magazine, it is my hope that you get a glimpse of what we as educators have the privilege of witnessing firsthand every day. It is simply awe-inspiring and hard not to feel anything but a deep sense of satisfaction watching our students play, explore and discover what they are truly passionate about.

What sets Pickering College apart from many other schools is the trailblazing Global Leadership Program with its focus on taking action to effect change. Since it was established just over 10 years ago, the program has provided our students with countless opportunities for the kind of meaningful engagement and deep learning that can only be achieved by trying, making, and doing. From exploring robotics skills to experimenting with new cuisines, every lesson and activity is designed with purpose, to ignite curiosity and foster personal growth. Our students are encouraged to push boundaries, try new things, and ultimately uncover the essence of who they are and what they aspire to become. How amazing is that?

As the Global Leadership Program continues to grow and evolve, its goal remains the same: to empower young learners to discover their place in the world with confidence, and to equip them with the skills they need to thrive, now and in the future. You’ll see this reflected in the profiles of our alumni who are making their mark in the world and the passion that our students exude as they navigate who they will become.

There is a real sense of excitement about what is on the horizon for the Global Leadership Program. Our focus is to grow opportunities for students to meaningfully engage with the community to foster a sense of belonging, as well as amplifying immersive and experiential learning opportunities with particular emphasis on technology and outdoor education.

We are doing important work here—I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the critical role our wonderful community plays in our success. It is with deep gratitude that we thank the countless volunteers who enrich the school experience for our students and the donors whose incredible generosity ensures we can continue to offer our students an education that is best-in-class.

Our students have the power to shape their destinies and make a meaningful impact on the world around them. I hope that you feel inspired and are as excited about the future as we are.

Dr. Cinde Lock Head of School

HEAD LINES

with Dr. Cinde Lock, Head of School

JUNIOR SCHOOL STUDENT LIFE

Students in Junior Kindergarten to Grade 2 enjoyed gymnastics sessions at Gymalaya. Students had a lot of fun bouncing, climbing, and learning new skills. 1

The Grade 2 students discovered the excitement

of mixing a little corn starch, water, and food colouring to make Oobleck, a nonNewtonian fluid. This was part of their science unit on solids, liquids, and gases. After experimenting, they concluded that Oobleck is a liquid that acts like a solid under pressure. 2

The Grade 1 students picked apples from the apple trees around Pickering College. They took their harvest to Dr. Lock’s home where each student made their own apple crisp and enjoyed reading fall stories. 3

The Grade 5 students explored the historic French Jesuit settlement of SainteMarie among the Hurons in Midland. They learned about the interactions of the Wendat people and the French missionaries, examined artifacts and explored

reconstructed mission structures and a replica longhouse. 4

Grade 3 students enjoyed visiting Pickering College’s Makerspace with Design, Innovation and Technology teacher Ms. Mehta. They

Grade 4 students dissected artificial owl pellets as part of their habitats unit. The simulated pellets allowed them to search for bones and classify them to learn more about owl diets. 6 6 5

watched a 3D printer in action, learned about the new laser cutter and received some souvenir stickers made with the Cricut machine. Students enjoyed their visit to the Makerspace and look forward to working on future projects. 5

5

MONICA HOPPE passed away on Thursday, November 16, 2023, aged 53.

Monica worked with many of our students in Junior and Middle School and was beloved by all. She joined Pickering College in 2016 and worked within aftercare, instructional support, and as our Junior School Child and Youth Counselor. Mrs. Hoppe was a very important person to many of our students, staff, and parents.

Throughout her journey with cancer, hope was her companion, faith was in her heart, determination provided her with fighting energy while love and support surrounded her.

Monica Hoppe uplifted everyone who knew her. Her memory will live on in all our hearts forever.

CONNOR KASSAM

Exploring through electives

“I like helping out with the younger kids at their tables.”

For Grade 5 student Connor Kassam, Pickering College is a place to try new things.

As part of the Junior School, he has been able to explore different electives. Last year he did woodworking, and this year has delved into robotics.

“We got to make a lot of stuff. I made a helicopter, I made an airplane, I made a catapult and now in robotics we’re trying to make robots. Sometimes the software doesn’t work, but it’s still fun because I get to build stuff with my friends,” Connor says. He likes building things and working with his hands and said even when things don’t work out, he enjoys the problemsolving aspects.

Connor started at Pickering College when he was in Grade 2. In his time here he has learned the typical lessons like math and science, but he has also learned a lot about Quaker values and become aware of world issues such as global warming. For students, making the world greater, better, and more beautiful than they discovered it is a key part of the mission at Pickering College and that starts with even the youngest learners.

When asked what his favourite thing about the school is, Connor said lunch; not just the tasty food but eating together as a community.

“I like sitting with my friends and being able to talk to them, but I also like helping out with the younger kids at their tables,” he says.

Connor will be entering Middle School next year and says he is excited about what the future has in store.

MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT LIFE

Middle School spent three days at Camp Muskoka to start the school year. They played forest games, built fires and shelters, challenged themselves on the ropes course, flew across the lake on a zipline, had a canoe race and celebrated with a karaoke dance party. 1

The Grade 6 class did an owl pellet dissection lab, following a procedure and maintaining proper use of dissection tools and PPE. They made connections with their biodiversity unit, understanding the importance of a variety of food resources for a healthy ecosystem. 2

Grade 7 students visited Blue & Silver Farm for an ecosystem study as part of their Pillar pursuit. Students observed a variety of ecosystems and mapped out and took detailed notes about the surrounding environment. 3

David Manly from the Kids Science program at SickKids visited Grade 8 to talk about the hospital, the children it serves, research areas and future volunteer opportunities. After the presentation, students gave David cards they made to deliver to children at the hospital. 4

MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT LIFE

The Grade 8 class went to the Tiffin Centre for Conservation outside of Barrie for a day of experiential learning focused on water, with a hands-on activity reinforcing just how much there is on planet Earth and how little of it is freshwater. 5

As part of their adventure Pillar pursuit, the Grade 6 students went to Blue & Silver Farm. They spent the morning learning about winter survival skills and were tasked with building a shelter, connecting to characters from the novel they were studying, Hatchet 6

Students in 8B hosted an art

experience inspired by the Native Women’s Association of Canada Change The Bill project. The exhibit of proposed $20 bills features Indigenous women, as one has never appeared on Canadian currency. Students researched these women and designed their own $20 bills that acknowledge

the contributions of other lesser-known Canadians. They toured special guests including MP Tony Van Bynen, who spoke to our students about how currency designs are determined, and how they can have an influence on the world around them. 7

MANA MATSUMOTO

Experience on another level

“It actually brought me to another level in terms of experience and speaking out more and just trying more things.”

When Mana Matsumoto started at Pickering College in Grade 6, she had just moved to Canada from Japan.

“Coming to Pickering College was a big change for me,” Mana says. “It was a new country, it was a new school, new everything.”

She was nervous but once she started here, she found a welcoming and fun environment where she has been able to learn a lot and grow as a person. Now a Grade 8 student, Mana says Pickering College helped her reach a new level.

“I did go to an international school before, but being at Pickering College, it actually brought me to another level in terms of experience and speaking out more and just trying more things, and I think I got to reach a wider range of things than I probably would have been able to see if I stayed back at my international school,” she says.

Throughout her time in Middle School, Mana has become very involved. She is a member of student committee, was active in the robotics elective in the fall, spoke at UN Day this year, made it to provincials in a French poetry competition, and much more. Next year, Mana will be moving up to Senior School, joining her older sister Kayna who is currently in Grade 11. She said she’s excited about the change.

“I love that I get to do some more electives. I’m really looking into Spanish and vocal music and my sister is going to be there too, so I’m happy about that,” she said.

Experiential Learning: a

During Middle School’s Pillar Week, students engage in off-timetable learning as part of the school’s innovative Global Leadership Program.

During Middle School’s Pillar Week, students engage in off-timetable learning as part of the school’s innovative Global Leadership Program.

“Ultimately, the goal is to engage in project-based learning, to not be following a usual schedule with classes but to connect with organizations from outside of the school, connect with teachers doing practical hands-on lessons centred around a theme or a topic, and then from there better understanding who they are and what they can do,” says Julie Clement, Director, Middle School.

“Ultimately, the goal is to engage in projectbased learning, to not be following a usual schedule with classes but to connect with organizations from outside of the school, connect with teachers doing practical handson lessons centred around a theme or a topic, and then from there better understanding who they are and what they can do,” says Julie Clement, Director, Middle School.

Grade 6 focused on leveraging social media for wellness. Students developed and presented innovative product pitches to a panel of judges.

Grade 7 delved into Indigenous skills, including leather and wool mitten making, lacrosse, fire safety, outdoor cooking, and solar oven creation at Blue & Silver Farm.

In Grade 8, it was all about food where students explored everything from insecurity to nutrition. The week culminated with students creating culturally-fused budget-conscious smoothie bowls for a food truck fair where they showcased both their culinary and entrepreneurial skills.

Madeleine Houle is a Grade 8 student in her first year at Pickering College. The fall Pillar Week was her first.

“It’s fun. It’s intense. You’re working every day, all day on a topic for a week, but it’s

fun to get a break from just the same schedule every day,” she says. “It’s fun to find a broad topic and then attack it from different angles and learn from all points of view.”

As part of the food exploration, Madeleine and her classmates took part in nutrition workshops, visited the Daily Bread Food Bank in Toronto to learn about food insecurity, planned and grocery shopped for smoothie bowls, and designed and created food trucks for the fair.

“My favourite part of the week was making our food trucks. Our topic was Indigenous culture, so our food truck was very nature-based and we had these little lights. It was really fun painting it and seeing our idea come to life,” Madeleine says.

Outside of the main topic, the students learned other skills throughout the week.

Leveraging social media for wellness

Pillar of Middle School

“I learned how to budget my money because we had to buy our own ingredients, and ingredients are expensive. That also added to our Daily Bread Food Bank experience,” Madeleine says. “Also, I was on a team with two other students, so we worked together on our project and we learned a lot of collaborative skills.”

Collaboration is an important piece of Pillar Week and experiential learning in general.

“Our students are learning to work in teams with other students who offer different skill sets, figuring out who can do what and how, so that together they can come to the best solution for a problem that’s being proposed,” says Clement. “That is a critical skill in their success as they move into Senior School, but also out into the world.”

Middle School represents the Pillar Years section of the Global Leadership Program and Pillar Week is one part of that, helping students become leaders.

“It doesn’t mean that you necessarily have to be the loudest voice, but it means that you have the desire and the skills and the responsibility to take action,” Clement says.

Experiential learning in Middle School

boosts students’ confidence to take action by helping them recognize an issue and use the skills they have to speak to it, come up with a prototype, or persuade others toward a solution.

As learners, Clement says the Middle School students are youthful, curious, and starting to think at a high level, which is why experiential programs like Pillar Week are so important.

“The experiential approach to learning is so critical in continuing to develop them as a learner,” she says. “We want them to be able to develop the skills that we know they’re going to need, solving these real world problems and teaching them that, so as they move through high school, they know what they’re learning is relevant to everyday life.”

SENIOR SCHOOL STUDENT LIFE

The Grade 9 students spent three days on the shores of Lake Vernon at Camp Tawingo to kick off their school year. The students kept busy hiking, canoeing and orienteering to foster their connections with each other and nature. 1

Grade 12 physics students built ping pong ball launchers, then tested them and made calculations. Dr. Lock dropped by to see the tests in action and speak with students about their work, their theories, and even took part in some launches. 2

The Grade 9 students kicked off their Global Leadership Program project with a series

of workshops led by professors from the University of Guelph. They went to Blue & Silver Farm where they are working to develop a new outdoor feature. They took soil samples, waded in the pond, and got to know the farm property. 3

The Grade 11 LEAP Class embarked on a backpacking trip to Algonquin Park, spanning two nights and three days. They covered a total distance of 35 kilometres, carrying backpacks weighing between 15 and 20 kilograms each. 4

Pickering College co-hosted The Lafontaine-Baldwin Youth Conference for 80

students from across York Region and Georgina Island. They participated in a full day and evening of guest speakers, including Chief Ted Williams and John Ralston Saul, and thought-provoking discussions, moderated by journalist Steve Paikin, about positive visions of democracy.

5

The Grade 10 French students went on an immersive camping trip to Blue & Silver Farm. Students made paninis over the fire and enjoyed s’mores while swapping stories in French and playing French games. After sleeping under the stars, students enjoyed freshly made crêpes for breakfast. 6

The Grade 10 science class finished their biology unit with a classic lab: dissecting frogs. The students were able to understand the physical systems of the frog and even experienced one that had eggs in it. 7

For the GLP day in October, the Grade 11 students tested

their model lunar landers, constructed in their design and build activity. Students worked together to come up with creative solutions, and then test-launched two prototypes out of a third-floor window in Rogers House, taking their observations back to the drawing board to build their final prototype. 8

SENIOR SCHOOL STUDENT LIFE

The Grade 12 Kinesiology class visited the Walk It Off Spinal Cord Wellness Centre in Newmarket. Students learned about spinal cord injuries and different treatments and even tried some of the equipment. 9

Grade 9 Healthy Active Living students took part in Paralympic sports day. This allowed students to explore new areas of athletics and learn the skills required for three different Paralympic

sports wheelchair basketball, goal ball and sledge hockey. 10

The Pickering College Senior Jazz Ensemble was a top 10 finalist in the Private School

category for the CBC Canadian Music Class Challenge, which celebrates music education across the country. Schools submit a recording of themselves performing one of the pre-approved songs. 11

DAYA GROVER

Living Pickering College’s values every day

“You can tell that everyone wants you to grow, and they support you.”

Daya Grover is new to Pickering College and has wasted no time in making her mark.

Just weeks into the school year, the Grade 9 student decided to explore her interest in business further by tackling a DECA business competition. DECA is an organization that helps to prepare emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in business through conferences and competitions to help youth respond to real-world issues through case studies. At the regional competition, she finished in the top 10 for the exam and the case study, which earned her a spot to compete at the provincial level.

“I would probably have to say DECA is my favourite thing I’ve done at Pickering College because I didn’t expect that I would do so well and it’s been a great opportunity,” Daya said.

Her other favourite thing about being at Pickering College is the people who, in just a few months, have already helped her develop new skills and try new things.

“It has helped me a lot. My favourite thing about Pickering College is just the community. There are so many nice people, and you can tell that everyone wants you to grow, and they support you,” Daya says.

Outside of school, Daya represents the Pickering College values of compassion and community. In the summer of 2021, Daya and her sister started selling flowers from their garden to raise money for victims of the tornado that hit Barrie that year – they raised more than $2,000.

The following summer, they again sold flowers, this time to raise funds for Glowing Hearts Charity in Barrie, a charity that helps to better the lives of children and youth vulnerable to poverty. And in the summer of 2023, their flower sales raised $1,500 in support of the Royal Victoria Hospital in Barrie.

“I think it has been a really great thing to do for our community,” Daya says, adding that she and her sister plan to continue to raise funds for the community through their flower sales for many summers to come.

Over March Break, a group consisting of nine students and three faculty members undertook a challenging expedition to summit Mount Kilimanjaro.

“We embarked on this March Break adventure to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, seeking not just the thrill of the ascent but also cultural enlightenment, awe-inspiring landscapes, a test of our physical limits, and an appreciation for nature, all wrapped up in unforgettable fun,” said Joshua Armstrong, Pickering College’s Director of Teaching & Learning and one of the accompanying faculty members on the trip.

The group arrived in Tanzania on March 8 and spent a few days in Arusha, where they met their guide and enjoyed a taste of local life before going on two days of safari. They then went to Moshi and got ready for the six-day climb. Mount Kilimanjaro is a snowcapped volcano that is 5,895 metres high, the highest peak in Africa.

They took the popular Machame route and set off with an incredible team of guides and porters to assist them along the way. They hiked through the rainforest on the first day and then across moorland with low vegetation on the second day.

The third day was very important as the group left from the Shira Camp, headed up to the Lava Tower, and then back down to the next campsite. While there was no major elevation gain, spending time at this height is crucial to acclimating to prepare for the summit.

On the fourth day of the expedition, they were faced with climbing Barranco Wall and they were rewarded at the end of the day by breathtaking views of the summit, which greeted them from the next campsite.

The fifth day is the most challenging and the most rewarding. They set out in the early hours of the morning, shortly after midnight, to begin the journey to the top. The group made their way to Stella Point, where they took in a mesmerizing sunrise with incredible views.

Then, they began the one-hour trek to the summit, Uhuru Peak. The steep walk was filled with snow; in the end, the majority of the group made it to the highest point of Mount Kilimanjaro and in all of Africa.

“The final trek to the summit was a true test of endurance, demanding every ounce of our grit and determination to reach the peak. The thin air, with only 50 per cent of the oxygen available at sea level, made each step a colossal challenge. It was in these moments that we leaned heavily on our training, pushing ourselves to the limits of our endurance. The reward, however, was unparalleled—a profound sense of accomplishment and a testament to the power of human spirit and perseverance,” said Armstrong.

The students spent the rest of the fifth and the sixth days making their way back down the mountain and then taking a bus back to Arusha to celebrate their amazing accomplishments with a warm shower and a dip in the pool.

“The successful feeling of coming down the mountain, passing through the gate, after all the hard work I had been through, it felt so amazing,” said Graydon Houle, a Grade 12 student on the trip.

As they climbed, they also took part in the 10 Pieces initiative by World Expeditions. This litter collection challenge encourages travellers on mountain trails to take out more garbage than they brought in. Each student picked up at least 10 pieces of litter from the mountain and carried it down with them.

This climb was a big undertaking and not one that could be done on a whim. So, how do you prepare to climb a mountain? For our intrepid travellers, it was all about walking.

“It’s not rocket science, it’s walking,” says Steve Cope, one of the faculty members accompanying the trip. This was Cope’s third time climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

Since the fall, the group had made regular treks to nearby Thornton Bales Conservation Area and up the 99 steps, but also up the hill from Fairy Lake in Newmarket towards the school, which Cope believes is one of the steepest in the area.

They carried books and other items in their packs to replicate the amount of

weight they would eventually carry up Kilimanjaro. The key, however, was to take it slow.

“You have to go slowly. You literally go at about half a kilometre an hour. And really, you’re kind of happy it’s not any faster. They have a saying, “pole pole,” it’s Swahili for slowly, slowly. You have to go slow to acclimate,” Cope says.

On top of the physical training, they had different sessions to prepare for the mental aspect of making this trek.

“It is mental toughness on Kilimanjaro. It is more mental fitness than physical fitness,” Cope says. They worked to understand what the students could tolerate, pushed them to give their all in training, and also brought in doctors who spoke with the students about dealing with altitude sickness, which is the most challenging part of climbing.

“The big thing with altitude sickness is you cannot prepare for it. If you’re the fittest person in the world, and you can still get altitude sickness,” Cope says.

The entire journey was not easy but, in the end, it was well worth it.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I made it to the top so I’ll have that experience and those memories forever. I’m really thankful for that,” said Oliver Lahey, Grade 12. “I want to thank my friends and teachers for being here to help and support me through the journey and help me make long-lasting memories.”

BOARDING LIFE

Evenings and weekends are full of life in Pickering College’s Boarding Program. From nightly activities like athletics, crafts, and study sessions to weekend ski trips, sporting events, and shopping, there is always something to engage the students.

“In the boarding program, we endeavour to have a good balance between academic success for the kids and an engaging program where they get to experience Canada,” says Laura Mason, Executive Director, Boarding and Health Services. “It’s an opportunity for them to connect with other boarding students and get to know people and begin to form those relationships that are so important in boarding and that often last a lifetime.”

To help foster those relationships right from the start, at the beginning of the school year all the excursions are mandatory for students to attend.

“Everybody (at the beginning of the year) is in a vulnerable place where everything is new to them. They’re away from home, sometimes for the first time without parents, on their own, without friends,” Mason says.

That’s why in the first month the boarding team provides a lot of opportunities to create connections, whether it’s mini golf, teambuilding games, or the popular annual dinner boat cruise in Toronto.

“It’s easy to connect over things that are fun,” Mason says.

The fun doesn’t stop after the first month. There are two choices of activities every evening and different excursions on the weekends such as going to the movies, visiting an escape room, or sightseeing in Toronto. Even just getting outside to play in the snow becomes a chance to experience Canadian life.

These are all planned and put on by the dedicated boarding staff, but the Proctors—a group of student leaders in boarding— often offer suggestions for activities that appeal to teenagers today. Mason said that not everyone is going to love every activity, but they aim to have a variety of options and encourage students to explore new things.

“Part of being an adolescent is learning to try new things and to experience all that life has to offer. We try to make opportunities for them to do that on a regular basis,” she said.

Some of the favourite activities throughout the year include weekly family dinners with a rotation of different cultural cuisines, the annual variety show, fall and spring games, the holiday dinner and dance, and the end-of-year farewell festivities.

It’s not just about having fun, though. The goal is to help these students grow as individuals and as a community.

“The purpose behind it is fun for sure, but also making opportunities for connections, making opportunities to build our boarding community,” Mason said. “As the year goes on and people feel more comfortable, they start to feel more like they’re at their home away from home and they start to feel more comfortable with other people. You certainly see growth in people.”

ATHLETICS: A WINNING MINDSET

It has been a successful year for athletics at Pickering College with three teams earning championship titles.

It started in the fall term with the Senior Boys’ Soccer Team, who were undefeated all season long and came back in the final four minutes of the final game to secure the CISAA Division III championship.

“I think in sports, you couldn’t ask for more than a close tournament and all our games were so close. We never won by more than two goals,” says Steve Cope, who has been coaching at Pickering College since 2007. “It was a fantastic season for that.”

Captain Artem Rumiantsev said the team trained hard and he knew from the start that it was going to be a strong season for them.

“Honestly, I was confident about winning the league from the first days of the season because we had a lot of good players who were extremely motivated,” Rumiantsev says.

Despite that, it was still an emotional moment for him when they actually won. “It is a great honour and joy for me to be a CISAA champion. The last time Pickering College won the league was 2019 and I’m glad we were able to win the league for the first time in four years,” he says. “The finals were one of the most emotional games of my life.”

It was a very successful winter term as well, with three senior teams making it to the championships: Senior Boys’ Hockey, Senior Girls’ Volleyball and Senior Boys’ Basketball.

After an undefeated regular season, the Senior Boys’ Hockey team won the CISAA NC Division II championship on home ice in the Eric Veale Memorial Arena on February 28.

“Our last two games were our best games— we played better as a team than we did all season. Being on home ice—the fans were loud and there was music—it was a great atmosphere to have the final game and win the championship. Scoring the last goal on that ice meant a lot,” says Graeme Fraser, a Grade 12 student on the team.

That final goal brought the score to an impressive 4-1 for the Pumas against Lakefield College School.

This was the first time in over a decade the school had a competitive hockey team and

the first championship win since 1986. “It is really exciting to have the team excel the way they did this year. We’ve had teams in the past make the playoffs, but this year seems to be one of the first years where the team actually had a chance to win the whole thing,” says Joe McTamney, who has been coaching hockey at Pickering College for about 15 years. “It’s exciting to have a team put together that can win a championship for the school and win a banner.”

That same day, Senior Girls’ Volleyball secured a victory of their own, becoming CISAA Division III champions also at home.

“The prospect of playing in a gold medal final in front of a packed Egan

House brought excitement but also the pressure of being able to perform on a momentous day at PC,” says Graham Birt, team coach. “The team spent a significant amount of time all season developing its ability to execute in pressure-filled situations. We often spoke about pressure making people 30 per cent better or 30 per cent worse, and this year’s team fell unequivocally into the ‘better’ category.”

One of the players who performed well under pressure was Rebecca Liang, Grade 11. A winning mindset helped her achieve victory alongside her teammates.

“A quote that was in my head during the game was ‘be the player that other girls look up to,’” she said.

The team was undefeated all season and that rang true in the finals as well, as they won three close sets to earn the gold medal.

“A talented and motivated team from Trafalgar Castle School gave us an outstanding challenge in the final, including an incredible 31-29 finish in the first set,” Birt says. “It was a memorable day on the PC campus, and we are proud to have been able to cap it off on a winning note.”

Also that week, Senior Boys’ Basketball played in the championships at The York School, but did not advance beyond the semi-finals. In Middle School, the U14 Girls Volleyball team had a successful season, earning a bronze medal in their final game.

There are many new experiential learning activities happening at Blue & Silver Farm this semester, and more on the horizon for the summer and beyond. This incredible farm property was gifted to Pickering College by the late Charles F. Boyd, who taught at Pickering for 53 years and was a beloved community member. We are certain he would be pleased and proud to see all the ways his gift is enriching the educational journey for PC students.

The farmhouse on the property has now been completely renovated, thanks to a major gift from a donor, and a full-time tenant program manager will soon move into the top floor living space. The main floor has a full kitchen area, where students can make jam and pickles and do other food prep activities. “It will be really fun and exciting for them to pick berries and go straight from farm to table, right there,” says Julia Hunt, Assistant Head of School, Strategic Initiatives. There’s also a large teaching space in the living room where students can spend time learning before heading outdoors into nature. And the attic loft has been transformed into an art studio with plenty of natural light for painting, photography and other activities.

The 44th annual Booker’s Run, PC’s schoolwide cross-country event, was held at Blue & Silver Farm for the first time this year.

What’s new at Blue & Silver Farm

Hunt says the new location was ideal: “It was really great for community-building ... we have a nice field behind the barn where everybody finished their run, got some refreshments, and had a bit of social time.”

In January, a group of students in PC’s leadership program went out to the farm for an overnight winter camping trip, during which they had to stoke fires to keep warm in their hot tents.

Last year, a small garden plot was planted and harvested by students, and much of the fresh produce was donated to the local food bank and community fridge. There are big plans to expand the garden program this spring, says Outdoor Education Specialist Heather Amadori. To kick things off, on Earth Day Middle School students will plant seed balls to create a new pollinator garden and monitor its progress to see how their mix of wildflowers grows.

“That’s part of the experiential component. If they don’t grow, well, okay, did we put it in soil that was too acidic? Did they get dug up by animals and the seeds were eaten? I think that’s a neat opportunity for learning how to pivot and address challenges,” Amadori says.

Amadori is intent on incorporating Indigenous knowledge and wisdom into the outdoor learning program and plans to invite Indigenous educators to help students plant a Three Sisters learning garden at the farm. The Grade 3 class has already learned about the different parts of the Medicine Wheel and brewed cedar tea from materials harvested at the farm.

“There is a long-term and a long-range plan for where we can go with this, and it’s important that the things that we do are intentional and done with purpose,” she says.

The Grade 4 class is excited to pilot a very small sugar bush operation by tapping trees, collecting sap (with help from other grade levels) and learning how to turn it into syrup in the farmhouse kitchen.

Grade 9 students continue to benefit from an ongoing partnership with the University of Guelph. Professors in the School of Agriculture visited the farm last fall to help students design and prototype a component of a sustainable outdoor education facility. The project will wrap up with a gallery event where students answer questions from the Head of School, and Assistant Head of School, Finance & Operations, about their projects. “Our goal is to implement at least one project per year from the Grade 9 class, depending on what comes out. They’re really great projects,” says Hunt. “For example, there’s a student who wants to put a pizza oven in at the farm. That’s something we can really see the value in … and we’d get a lot of use out of it.”

This summer will see the debut of a new day camp at Blue & Silver Farm called Harvest Hub, aimed at students in Grades 4 through 8. “The kids will get to prepare and consume organic food, some of which they will plant and have the opportunity to harvest at the camp. There will be a lot of outdoor games and activities, in addition to the food components, and one of the real highlights is going to be an overnight on Thursday night in our camping area,” Hunt says.

It’s clear from speaking with both Hunt and Amadori that Blue & Silver Farm has already become an invaluable asset for learning and teaching for the entire PC community.

“We’re able to take small groups of kids out and help them really connect to experiences like outdoor education … that idea that they are capable of taking action, that they’re capable of doing things, gives them purpose and a sense of pride in what they’re doing,” Hunt says.

“The benefit of experiential learning is that it gives students the opportunity to follow their line of questioning and to actively experiment in an environment that allows them to do it where they can see, and they can feel,” adds Amadori.

Innovation fueled

Grade 9 student’s app Second Voice begins patient trial at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children

Grade 9 student John Perry, an accomplished software developer, has launched a groundbreaking communication app tailored for nonverbal children, aptly named Second Voice.

The idea for the app came about from a personal connection John made while at his former elementary school. “In Grade 4 or 5, I made a friend named Fox, a nonverbal child using a communication app. However, the existing voice applications could not mimic human inflections, making for a monotone communication experience for Fox,” he explains.

This ignited a spark in John to create an app that has the potential to revolutionize the way nonverbal children communicate. The first step he took was to crowdsource voices.

“If you think about the way that we speak, particularly in English, there’s a line my mum loves to use ‘we set our own rules and then we break them so many times over.’ In English there are many exceptions, and then exceptions to those exceptions, and so on. And so, it’s really hard to mimic inflections in communication, but especially when it comes to a very openended language like English,’ he says. John added the voices he collected into the first version of the application he developed, giving early access to his friend Fox, who loved it.

by compassion

Though he never lost interest in taking the app further, it wasn’t until a couple of years later that John was spurred into action. He learned there was a new app being used by hospitals that provided voices for nonverbal children but was charging licensing fees. The fees being paid by the hospitals were then passed along to individual patients.

“I understand that a lot of companies are for-profit companies, but I don’t think the voice of an individual is something that should be monetized,” says John. “And I didn’t want a situation of ‘oh sorry, George, expenses are tight right now, I guess you just don’t have your voice for a month.’ Charging for access to this software just did not sit right with me.”

And so began the journey to develop Second Voice, which was as much a test of John’s perseverance as it was skill. He faced many technical challenges, including the bankruptcy of a crucial audio library provider. Undeterred, John rebuilt the app from scratch over and over, even changing the programming language three times. His dedication eventually paid off he was accepted into the Apple Developer Program where he received special access to its tools for developers and all of Apple’s frameworks. He remade the app one more time using Swift, Apple’s native programming language for iOS, iPad OS, Mac OS, and most recently Vision OS.

“I cannot speak about exactly what I have access to as part of the program my parents and I had to cosign a nondisclosure agreement as part of entering the program – but I have access to certain features that are not public yet that help in accelerating development,” he explains.

One of the key differentiators for Second Voice lies in its commitment to user privacy. Unlike other applications, Second Voice processes all audio and communication on the device itself, ensuring no sensitive data leaves the user’s device. This not only enhances the safety and security of user data but also addresses concerns related to data plans and device preferences, particularly for families.

John’s commitment to accessibility means his app can accommodate users with dexterity issues and reading comprehension challenges. John has fine-tuned the app’s user interface based on real-world feedback to provide a seamless experience for all users.

“Throughout the lifespan of this application in the Swift version alone, the buttons have gone through probably 100 different shapes and sizes,” he says, adding that continuous testing and refinement, such as adjusting the shape and opacity, ultimately contributes to a superior end product. John’s parents, Amber and Paul, were thrilled to help support him in this venture and provided two of the voice options in the app.

It was also important to John for the app to function on a diverse range of devices. He has added to the capability of the app to detect the user device (iPhone or iPad) which automatically adjusts its presentation. Making the app accessible to users with varying financial considerations was also key, as many families are not in a financial position to be able to spend $1,000 on a device.

“Right now, we have gotten this down to the iPhone XR. The only reason we can’t get it lower is because iOS 17, which this application relies on just to function, has the limitation that it is not supported by Apple on devices older than iPhone XR.”

The app’s potential impact caught the attention of the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto. In December, John made his pitch to a panel at SickKids to explore the possibility of conducting a small patient trial. In late December, John received word that SickKids did indeed want to proceed with a trial, with the first round commencing in January 2024. This invaluable feedback will allow him to refine his app further, as he reflects on where Second Voice’s path leads from here.

“I am excited to further work with the team at SickKids in the future,” he says.

E S

“We fundamentally believe that students learn better through actively participating in their content, especially when it comes to language.”

–Julia Hunt, Assistant Head of School, Strategic Programs and Initiatives

L BOARDING ACADEMY

Leveraging Experiential Learning to Develop Language Skills

Pickering College launched the ESL Boarding Academy in September to provide an immersive environment for English-language learners in Grade 9 and 10 to improve their skills and experience all that a Canadian education has to offer.

Students enrolled in this program earn a full year of required Ontario Secondary School Credits, prepare for and take the TOEFL Junior test, use Duolingo to track their progress, and participate in exciting excursions to explore Canadian culture. They are learning skills valued in Canada such as public speaking, group work, writing with personal voice and synthesizing research.

The ESL Boarding Academy is housed in one of the homes on campus, which has been converted to include classroom space, but also student boarding rooms.

“How the group is set up, between the small group size as well as the unique facility that we have here, it really is like a family,” says Kyle Krause, boarding academy faculty. “That’s the heart of what makes this program unique, and everything flows from that. We’re able to do a lot more presentations, dialogue, debate and to have some very good conversations. Every lesson kind of becomes more about sitting around a kitchen table talking to friends.”

The small nature of this program means they can adapt the learning to meet the students’ needs and interests.

“This is a program that really allows us to listen to our students and to modify our lessons to make sure that they’re engaged

and that they’re doing things that they are interested in,” Krause says.

They have done a lot of hands-on activities tied to the curriculum, such as meal prepping and cooking as part of healthy active living or creating models of the solar system and periodic table for science.

“We fundamentally believe that students learn better through actively participating in their content, especially when it comes to language. Because we were creating an entirely new program, we had a wonderful opportunity to build it from the beginning in the way that we felt best benefits the ESL learner,” says Julia Hunt, Assistant Head of School, Strategic Programs and Initiatives, who oversees the ESL Boarding Academy.

In the first half of the school year alone, the students visited the Toronto Zoo as part of their Ecosystems and Climate Change Science units, played a short round of golf at a nearby course for phys-ed, explored concepts related to healthy living, including community and social connections, at a local farm market, learned about Canadian wartime conflicts at the Georgina Military Museum, spent an action-packed day at the Ontario Science Centre and much more.

To ESL Boarding Academy faculty Robin Lee, the military museum excursion is one that stands out.

“I have a bunch of students who are very interested in military hardware, and they were just so excited to go through that one section of the museum. They were having such an engaging conversation

about the evolution of military hardware over the past century,” he says.

Back in the classroom, they were able to apply that knowledge to their First World War unit and look at how technology has impacted warfare.

“They all went into that trip with this professional curiosity, this academic curiosity, so that was a really big shining moment for me,” Lee says.

For Krause, the science trip to the Toronto Zoo is one of her favourite experiences as they were able to review materials beforehand, take an audio tour of the zoo, engage in conversations about the animals and habitats, and take photos for their unit project.

“That was a really big win, and we made a lot out of that day, so I felt it was a really great learning moment,” she says.

These experiences have not only tied into the curriculum but have contributed to the success of the language learning component of this program.

Ongoing Duolingo tests and TOEFL Junior practice tests have shown that all students in the ESL Boarding Academy have improved their English significantly. They have also had a strong academic performance in all of their courses.

In the fall, several students in the ESL Boarding Academy will transition into Pickering College’s core program to begin the 2024-2025 academic year.

“Every day is different and the program and vision for Blue & Silver Farm is one that I feel proud and privileged to be a part of building.”

In Convers

Heather Amadori Outdoor Education Specialist

What is your educational background?

I pursued a degree in physical education and kinesiology from Queen’s University. It was there that I discovered my love for outdoor and experiential learning before completing a bachelor of education at the University of Ottawa. Last May, I graduated with my master of education from the University of British Columbia, where I focused on science and environmental education.

What are four adjectives that best describe you?

Adventurous, creative, authentic, and determined.

What is something you are proud of when it comes to teaching?

Choosing to leave what was familiar and teach abroad is something that I am most proud of. Moving to New Zealand challenged me to deepen my understanding of culturally responsive teaching and immersed me in a culture and a curriculum that enriched my own learning. I wouldn’t be the teacher that I am without my experience in New Zealand.

What is it that drew you to teaching?

Throughout high school and university, I enjoyed coaching and working with youth in sports and camp settings, and I knew that I wanted to work in the field of education or community engagement through sport and outdoor recreation. My interests were broad, and I was drawn to teaching as it encompassed many of the things that I was passionate about.

What does experiential learning mean to you and how are you incorporating it into different classes?

Experiential learning thrives in purposeful and student-centred environments, where learners are encouraged to question, explore, and actively experiment. Outdoor and experiential learning does not happen in a siloed system; its strength is in its crosscurricular opportunities for inquiry. Beyond the curriculum, creating and developing meaningful programs that are centred in personal development, adventure, leadership, and environmental sustainability are important to me.

What has been your favourite outdoor education experience this year?

There are so many to choose from and it hasn’t been a full year! My favourite experiences are when I witness the innate sense of wonder and curiosity through the eyes of young learners in outdoor settings. The first time that I took the Kindergarten and Grade 1 classes to Blue & Silver Farm was special, their excitement and energy was genuine and inspiring. In fact, the JKs had so much fun, they fell asleep on the bus ride home!

ation with:

What interests do you pursue outside of the classroom? I am happiest exploring the outdoors on hiking or canoe trips. I enjoy playing hockey and volleyball and aside from sports and outdoor adventures, I love to cook and experiment in the kitchen.

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

I’ve had three reconstructive knee surgeries! I developed an interest in rehabilitation science after spending a lot of my time in sports physiotherapy clinics. I enjoy reading sports medicine journals and research in that field.

What is the best thing about your job?

The opportunity to work across all divisions makes me feel very connected to the school community. On any given day I may take the Grade 3 class to the farm to explore teachings of the Medicine Wheel and brew cedar tea, meet with a local beekeeper about opportunities for the Middle School and teach my Grade 12 Leadership class. Every day is different and the program and vision for Blue & Silver Farm is one that I feel proud and privileged to be a part of building.

If you weren’t following this career path, what would you be doing?

I am fascinated with exercise science and human physiology, so in an alternate universe, you could perhaps find me working with athletes in the field of sports medicine or nutrition.

Pickering College offered rare glimpse into art collection

Pickering College recently hosted an art showcase in collaboration with Cowley Abbott Fine Art. The event not only celebrated the school’s profound dedication to the arts but also demonstrated its commitment to fostering cultural enrichment within its community.

Held in the historic corridors of Rogers House, attendees were greeted with an array of captivating artworks, including masterpieces by the renowned Group of Seven member, Franz Johnston. This rare opportunity to experience such esteemed works firsthand served as a testament to the school’s rich artistic heritage and its enduring legacy within the Canadian art scene.

Central to the evening’s festivities was the presence of a Senior Art Specialist from Cowley Abbott Fine Art, who provided invaluable insights into the significance of the artworks on display. Attendees had the opportunity to engage in stimulating discussions and gain a deeper appreciation for the cultural significance of the pieces, further enriching their experience and understanding of the artistic landscape. Attendees also took advantage of the opportunity to bring in artwork for professional appraisal, by appointment.

The event served as a platform for community engagement and philanthropy. Proceeds from ticket sales were dedicated to the expansion of technology in Pickering College’s art programs, ensuring that future generations of students have access to state-of-the-art resources and opportunities for creative exploration.

PC launches series of dad-focused community events

Gathered around a roaring bonfire under the starlit sky, Pickering College dads recently indulged in an evening of camaraderie, culinary delights, and unforgettable memories at the much-anticipated Sip ‘n Sizzle event. Held on the picturesque grounds of Pickering College, this event exceeded expectations, leaving attendees eagerly anticipating the next gathering.

Thirty PC dads mingled, shared stories, and forged new connections, all thanks to the dedication and hard work of Mocha and Caz, two extraordinary PC dads who organized the event with meticulous care and enthusiasm. Their commitment to fostering a sense of community and creating memorable experiences truly set the tone for the evening’s festivities.

Guests were treated to an array of exhilarating activities, with axe-throwing adding an element of excitement and friendly competition to the festivities. However, it was the culinary offerings that truly stole the show, with a delectable steak dinner complemented by a selection of bourbons and beer.

Looking ahead, plans for the next dad event are already underway, promising even more opportunities for connection, enjoyment, and celebration within the vibrant Pickering College community.

PCA Update

This year, PCA volunteers orchestrated successful fundraising and community-building events, including the Welcome BBQ, Grade Lunches, Halloween Fair, Holiday Home Tour, Family Skates, Blue & Silver Farm Hike, Guest Speaker events, and Carnaval. These initiatives brought together school and local communities, fostering connections and support.

Grade representatives played a crucial role in nurturing engagement through WhatsApp groups and social events, bridging gaps between parents, including boarding and international families. Alongside these, staff appreciation events, weekly walks, and monthly coffee socials added to the sense of belonging and appreciation within the Pickering College community.

The dedication and tireless efforts of volunteers were evident in the success of each event, emphasizing the importance of their contributions. Looking forward, PCA remains committed to further enhancing community engagement and exploring new avenues for involvement.

For those interested in making a difference in their child’s school life and connecting with the community, opportunities abound through PCA, contact Krystie Robinson-Vincent, Chair, at pcachair@pickeringcollege.on.ca.

West Lake House

Our new academic building is taking shape

West Lake House is taking shape with the structural steel erection completed and the structural timber work underway. As construction progresses, there will be an overlap between the “Structural” Phase and the “Building Envelope” Phase. Construction of the elevator began in January and is now complete.

Our community is excited to see the building take shape. A number of our Grade 1 students visited the construction site with their classes, and have asked questions such as:

Q. When will the building be completed?

A. The building will be completed in the Spring of 2025.

Q. What is the building made out of?

A. West Lake House is constructed out of concrete, steel and blocks.

Q. What is the tall block structure for?

A. The tall block structure is the elevator to go from main floor to 2nd level. And the most interesting question was: Q. What will be the total weight of the entire building once completed? A. The site superintendent hadn’t thought about that and answered thousands of tons.

Scan to see more progress pictures and videos.

$46,200,000 BUILDING COST

$29,955,000 FUNDS RAISED AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2023

Thanks to the remarkable support and leadership from our community, we have raised $29.9 million.

It is thanks to our generous donors that our shared vision for West Lake House is turning into reality. Their support serves as an inspiration for others to join us in the creation of a space that will empower generations of students to come.

$15,000,000 BANK LOAN

Eric Veale Memorial Arena Renovation

The Eric Veale Memorial Arena has been home to the Hilltop Skating Club, local hockey organizations, and an integral part of our Junior School curriculum and Boarding program. Our students in Junior Kindergarten to Grade 5 have benefited from the CanSkate program, fostering a love for sports and physical activity.

The arena faces a legislative end-of-life due to issues with the refrigeration system and a cracked pad. To ensure the continued legacy of the Eric Veale Memorial Arena, Pickering College’s Board of Directors approved a working budget of $8 million. We have embarked on a vital renovation project, which includes replacing the cracked pad, installing new pipes, and upgrading the refrigeration system. In addition, there will be a much-needed multi-purpose room for basketball and other sports, as well as a rock climbing wall.

For over 50 years, this arena has been more than just a facility, it has been home to our school’s skating programs and local hockey organizations.

The Pickering College community will soon enjoy: New Ice Pad

Multi-Purpose Room with Basketball

Volleyball

Rock Climbing Wall

$8,000,000 GOAL

$7,044,113 FUNDS RAISED

SCAN TO DONATE

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

1940s

In memoriam, Royce Williams ’45 passed away at the age of 93 on October 31, 2021. Royce attended Pickering College before returning home to England and earning degrees in Geology and Education. Royce had a special passion for golf, playing 100 rounds a year during his retirement. Royce was not one to shy away from a challenge, completing three marathons in his 60s. He had a wonderful retirement and enjoyed nothing better than a good meal with his family. 1

In memoriam, James Harrison ’47 died peacefully on May 31, 2023, in Hamilton, Ontario. After graduating from Pickering College, James attended medical school at Queen’s University. He went on to receive his medical license then served with Canada’s peacekeepers. As a physician and administrator in the

Canadian Armed Forces, he had many postings in Canada throughout his 40year career. After spending time working at the National Defense Headquarters, James retired to Hamilton and enjoyed a scholarly life with books, computer programs, music, and hosting annual family wine tours. 2

Happy 93rd birthday to Donald

Cameron Azar ’49. Donald came to Newmarket, Ontario from Sydney, Nova Scotia and attended Pickering College from 1947 to 1949. During his time on the Hilltop, he played soccer, hockey and ran track. After graduating, Donald returned to the East coast, attended St. Francis Xavier University and obtained his professional engineer (P.Eng.) designation. Donald eventually moved to Vancouver, British Columbia in 1984 where he retired at age 66. Donald

enjoyed everything British Columbia had to offer, including skiing in the mountains and boating, exploring the islands and open water in the Pacific. Upon retirement, he built a house in Campbell River, British Columbia and lived there until 2020, when health issues made him return to the mainland, closer to his three children. 3

1950s

In memoriam, Richard Simmons ’55 passed away in Hamilton, Bermuda. He will be missed by his family and the Pickering College alumni community. 4

In memoriam, Charles Arthur (Stuart) Little ’56 passed away at the age of 87 on September 11, 2023. Stuart was born in Kirkland Lake, Ontario. He spent the summer months at the family cottage near Haileybury, Ontario on Lake Temiskaming

and later at his cottage on Lake Kenogami. Stuart will be remembered for his teaching career, which he retired from after 34 years in the profession, and his community involvement within the Lions club, local sports organizations, and the historical society. Final words of wisdom from Stuart: “Take one day at a time” and “Everything is better with ketchup!” 5

In memoriam, Garfield (Gary) Marr ’59 passed away on February 2, 2023, shortly following his 82nd birthday. After attending high school at Pickering College, Gary graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in Engineering. His career spanned several decades and included Shell, Nestle, the Toronto Reference Library and Centennial College. Gary enjoyed woodworking and loved to travel, going to Europe, the Caribbean, as well as annual trips to Mexico. 6

1960s

In memoriam, on April 5, 2020, after a hard-fought battle with cancer, Edward (Ted) Horton ’63 passed away peacefully at Chapman House in Owen Sound at 76 years old. Ted will be remembered for his sense of humour, connection to community, loyalty, generosity and love of travel and food. 7

1980s

Test Pilot Instructor, Jonathan Knaul ’87, was recently featured in the National Test Pilot School (NTPS) newsletter entitled the Altitude Almanac. Jonathan has returned to Canada and is one of the newest instructors at the NTPS. The article highlights his love of teaching and utilizing his knowledge of flying and engineering to teach the next generation of pilots. Jonathan notes: “nothing compares to what you get out of working with students and seeing them thrive.” 8

2000s

Adam Camenzuli ’06 has expanded his farm in Malawi, East Africa to about 35 acres and now has five cows. Adam has really enjoyed seeing the cows mature and plans to increase the herd to 25 cows. He intends to develop a permaculture system, while planting lots of indigenous trees. Adam recently opened a well for the local community in Malawi, ensuring that everyone in the area has access to high-quality free water. Adam is also the CFO of Kasha, a last mile health technology and distribution company in East Africa. They recently raised $21 million to expand operations across the continent. Adam is looking forward to what’s in store for the future, as the company expands to more countries in Africa. 9

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

2010s

Congratulations to Lindsay Perks (née Floyd) ’12 and her husband, Curtis, on welcoming their son in March 2023. Lindsay is looking forward to his upcoming first birthday. Lindsay and Curtis got married this past summer. Lindsay is on maternity leave from her nursing job at Sunnybrook Hospital, where she works on the hematology oncology unit. Lindsay is loving every minute of being a new mom. 1

Jaden Lithopoulos ’13 met with current faculty member, Steve Cope, and his daughter on Christmas Eve. Jaden

currently lives on his boat and was docked in Vancouver, British Columbia over the holidays. Jaden and Steve frequently reconnect, and during this visit, they travelled to Whistler to ski together. Jaden and Steve have reconnected in a variety of places including Whistler, cycling in Switzerland, and on Jaden’s boat on Georgian Bay, Ontario. Jaden recently received his master of engineering (M.Eng.) from the University of British Columbia. 2

Congratulations to Taylor Figueiredo (née Foote) ‘13 and her husband, Jordan Figueiredo, on their recent wedding. The

ceremony and reception took place at Drysdale’s Tree Farm in Egbert, Ontario on September 30, 2023. Taylor and Jordan met through a mutual friend while Taylor was attending Wilfred Laurier University. The couple are now both proud members of the Canadian Armed Forces, Taylor being a dental technician and Jordan as a medical technician, based at Canadian Forces Base Borden in Angus, Ontario. Taylor was promoted to Corporal in March 2023. 3

Since graduating with a degree in Geological Science from Queen’s University in 2021, Serena MacDonald ’17

has been working as a geologist within the Canadian mineral exploration industry. So far, she has been working on gold exploration projects in Northern British Columbia, central Newfoundland, and is currently within the Arctic Circle in Nunavut. During her free time, Serena enjoys exploring new places, most recently visiting Vietnam and Portugal. 4

Pickering College was happy to welcome back Erin Falcon ’18 in December. Erin was visiting from New York City, where she is currently living and attending the New School. She is

working toward her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre. Erin is a singer, songwriter, and playwright. She has one EP out already and is currently working on her next album, a few short plays, and has begun submitting her work to festivals around NYC. Erin was so happy to come back to PC and see Ms. Suters, who made a large impact on her and the career path she’s chosen. 5

Since graduating from Pickering College, Julia Bianco ’19 attended Western University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Honours with a specialization in biology. She has

now taken on her next adventure and moved to Preston, England where she is enrolled in her first year of medical school at the University of Central Lancashire and American University of the Caribbean. Upon graduation, Julia will receive a Doctor of Medicine (MD) and a post graduate diploma in International Medical Sciences. She has already seen much success in her first semester, being awarded Dean’s Honors. Since living in the United Kingdom, Julia has enjoyed exploring beautiful cities – one of her favourites being Edinburgh. 6

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

2020s

On November 3, 2023, Aiden Suen ’20, Deven Hansraj ’20, Nick Hansraj ’21, and Enzo Orlandi Dorca ’20, returned to campus to cheer on the Junior and Senior Boys’ Soccer teams during their championship games held at Pickering College. They enjoyed being back on the Hilltop, supporting their fellow Pumas, and reminiscing about their three consecutive championship wins while on the team with coach Steve Cope. 1

Many adventures are in the works for Thera Sze ’21. During the winter break, Thera stopped by our Toronto Young Alumni Social to reconnect with old friends and former teachers. She then travelled to Vietnam, Thailand, and Hong

Kong to visit friends and family. Thera is now on her way to Madrid, Spain for an educational exchange for four months through Queen’s University. She is excited to finally use the Spanish that she learned from Ms. Suters’ class. 2

Danica Khanna ’23 is in her second semester of her first year at the University of Guelph. She is currently in the Biological Science program hoping to pursue speech pathology for kids after graduation. Since beginning her university journey, Danica has enjoyed making new friends and creating memories in residence. Her favourite parts are spending time in her friends’ rooms and getting the famous, delicious Guelph waffles! 3

SEND

If you have had any recent milestones or life events or would simply like to update the alumni community about what you are up to, we welcome you to let Pickering College know!

Email a short update and photo of yourself to alumni@ pickeringcollege.on.ca to be featured in our monthly newsletter, Alumni Connects, or the upcoming Fall issue of The Pillars magazine! We can’t wait to hear from you!

Sunny Qiu ’19

Breaking into the fashion industry feet-first

After graduating from Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) with a major in advertising and marketing communications and a minor in international trade and marketing just last year, Sunny Qiu ’19 already has her foot firmly in the door of the fashion industry—and that foot might be wearing a Christian Louboutin shoe.

Sunny says her interest in fashion is lifelong, inspired in part by her parents, who worked as sportswear merchandisers. But she never imagined making it her career until a university and college fair during her Grade 11 year at Pickering College, where she met a representative from London College of Fashion. “That’s when I fully realized that I could turn my interest into a full career and education,” she says. Although she applied to schools in London, Toronto, and Savannah, New York won her heart as she ultimately chose to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT).

Like so many other students who graduated in the late 2010s, Sunny’s post-secondary education was disrupted by the pandemic. “It was actually a really hard first two years of university for me because, you know, COVID happened, so during my freshman year I had to come home during the beginning of my second semester.”

After moving back to New York at the end of her second year, Sunny started a social media internship at the beauty brand Il Makiage. She later interned for a fashion wholesaler before landing an internship in the public relations department at footwear icon Christian Louboutin, whose red-soled shoes grace the feet of countless celebrities. “I sent a lot of shoes to all the big magazine labels as well as actual celebrities. So I was able to touch hundreds of pairs of shoes almost every day ... the company also had a really great employee-only sample sale, so I got to buy quite a few pairs of red bottoms that I’m probably going to wear forever,” she says.

After graduation, Sunny began working at luxury fashion brand Carolina Herrera as a marketing coordinator. “I have been given a lot of hands-on opportunities, even though it’s my first full-time job. I do all kinds of content creation and creative strategies, create all the social media content, including copywriting and visuals, and I also draft all the email marketing newsletters. In addition, I create all the look books for each season and participate in the shoots that we do for those. It’s been so fun.”

It wasn’t easy scoring that job: “Because I live in New York and there are plenty of fashion students who are waiting to get opportunities … it has been difficult to land on the perfect job. There’s always hundreds of applicants. But I overcame that challenge by always being so on top of LinkedIn and different job posting sites … and networking has been super helpful as well.”

Sunny aspires to incorporate each of the cultures she grew up with into her future jobs—her family immigrated to Canada from China when she was 10. “[At Herrera] we do a lot of social media with China, and I’ve been in charge of that because I actually understand the language. So I definitely want to do something in the future where I’m able to apply more of those skills and cultures.”

She also credits her time at Pickering College with broadening her worldview: “PC was such a diverse community and I was able to meet so many people in different cultures and religions and I think that made me become a more open-minded person … it gives you a whole new perspective on how small we are as individuals, but how big we can be when we all connect together.”

Nicholas LaValle ‘14 Lawrence Taylor ‘78

Nicholas LaValle ‘14 and Lawrence Taylor ‘78 are collaborating on a project that aims to make oysters, their farmers, and those who eat them happy as clams.

Nicholas is an environmental entrepreneur and the founder of Clean Valley CIC, a Dartmouth, N.S. biofiltration company increasing land-based aquaculture’s triple bottom line (social, environmental, and financial) through innovative products. The company created an algae biofilter that uses wastewater from aquaculture to grow microalgae that is used to feed young oysters at hatcheries.

He connected with Lawrence, a marine biologist and professional photographer, after reading about him in The Pillars and realizing they both lived and worked in the Halifax area. Lawrence has spent decades working in marine research, underwater photography, and industrial pre/post-production, and in 2016 began working on automated machine vision technology to link biological datagathering and seafood processing. His company IntegraSee uses artificial intelligence (AI) enabled cameras and biosensors that record mussel behaviour to monitor water quality, temperature, and salinity. “They’re a very good early warning system,” he says, adding that this approach is already being used in Poland to monitor drinking water quality for eight million people.

“One of the values I learned from Pickering College was collaboration on a global scale.”

–Nicholas LaValle ‘14

The two companies were a natural fit, says Nicholas, because Clean Valley needed a way to monitor oysters’ well-being at their hatcheries: “When [Canada’s] Ocean Supercluster called for expressions of interest to develop artificial intelligence for the ocean sector, I immediately thought, ‘I know someone who’s doing that. Let me give him a call and see what we can do together.’”

They’ve joined forces to bring AI into the oyster industry, using IntegraSee’s cameras to observe and learn from oysters by collecting biological data: “How are they feeling? Are they healthy? Are they hungry? And providing that data as a nice, easy-to-understand package to the oyster farmer or the operator of an oyster hatchery, so that they can make the best decisions,” Nicholas explains.

The AI tools eliminate the need for humans to review and analyze thousands of hours of footage, so the collected data can be used right away. “This is where AI should be stepping in and pulling its weight ... this is where it shines. Just looking for those little occurrences that are so hard for us to see—that’s the power of it,” Lawrence says.

Both men say their combined technology has the potential to improve animal welfare, grow bigger oysters, save farmers money, and protect consumer health by ensuring a clean, virus-free growing environment. “Even though many of the growers go through many steps to carefully make sure they don’t have norovirus, they still get caught every once in a while,” Lawrence points out. With the advanced water-quality monitoring afforded by AI technology, the risks are lowered and consumer confidence is bolstered.

Nicholas says the ocean still has a lot to teach humans: “There’s just so much information there in terms of what we can learn from it and understand as proper stewards. It’s our responsibility not to extract as much as we can, but look to regenerative processes that we can create … rather than just take what we can and leave nothing.”

Both Nicholas and Lawrence credit their experiences at PC with helping them build their careers. “One of the values I learned from PC was collaboration on a global scale … at Clean Valley, that’s a similar pillar for our organization because it really helps keep things in perspective when you’re not looking at yourself as an island, but rather as a part of a larger ocean, so to speak,” says Nicholas.

For his part, Lawrence says PC gave him the impetus to keep learning and trying new things: “They let you step up and challenge yourself there. If you’re not pushing yourself, really, you’re not going anywhere.”

ALUMNI COMMUNITY & EVENTS

REUNION WEEKEND

On October 14 and 15, Pickering College hosted Reunion Weekend, an annual event that invites alumni to return to the Hilltop and connect with their former classmates. This year’s events included an official ribbon cutting ceremony to unveil Alumni House, a luncheon with Head of School Dr. Cinde Lock, a mixer hosted at Lil’ Brew Hops in downtown Newmarket, and a volleyball tournament, where current Senior School students competed against staff and alumni. All alumni present had a wonderful time reconnecting with the school and each other. We hope to see all attendees and all other alumni return to campus for Reunion Weekend 2024!

BOOKER’S RUN ALUMNI CHALLENGE

The inaugural Booker’s Run Alumni Challenge was hosted on Monday, November 6. This event saw alumni from around the world participate in the tradition of Booker’s Run in their local neighborhoods. It was fantastic to see PC students and alumni excited for the Booker’s Run tradition! All alumni participants earned House points for their respective Houses, and the House with the greatest participation received an additional 25 points towards the House standings. Congratulations to Neeral Morzaria ‘93 from Silver House for being our individual winner with the fastest race time, and to the overall winner, Red House.

HOCKEY ON THE HILLTOP

Hockey on the Hilltop returned to Pickering College on February 3, 2024! This event saw alumni hit the ice for a friendly game of hockey between former Pumas. Alumni from the classes of 1984, 1985, 1988, 2001, 2008, 2009, 2013, and 2014, along with future alumni from the graduating class of 2024 came together for a great day in the Eric Veale Memorial Arena. Following the game, a social was held in the Joseph McCulley Meeting Room, where players and spectators enjoyed beverages and the ever-popular chili while also receiving an exclusive glimpse into the upcoming renovation of the Eric Veale Memorial Arena.

CLASS OF 1842 INDUCTION OF RON VEALE ’63

On November 26, members of the esteemed Class of 1842, alongside alumni, friends, family, board and corporation members, and staff, warmly welcomed a distinguished individual. The Hon. Ronald S. Veale ’63 was honoured for his remarkable achievements and generous contributions to the community. Ron is a renowned member of this group for his outstanding achievements and service to the community. He was called to the bar in 1973 and had a great impact on Canada’s North, particularly on environmental law and Indigenous issues. In 2000, Ron was appointed to the Supreme Court of Yukon, where he served as Senior Judge and Chief Justice. He was also a member of the Courts of Appeal of the Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. Ron retired in 2020 after 20 years of distinguished service.

BECOME A MENTOR ON THE ONLINE COMMUNITY

Pickering College would like to invite all our alumni to join us on the PC Online Community. Through this platform, alumni can become a mentor for Pickering College’s Global Leadership Program (GLP) through our GLP Capstone Mentoring Program. The vision of the GLP is to provide a comprehensive and integrated educational experience for students, awareness of the global context and the development of skills needed for effective participation. As a GLP mentor, alumni have the unique opportunity to provide feedback to Grade 11 students on their research projects and guide their transformation into change-makers in Grade 12. With your support they will convert their discoveries into meaningful action in addressing local, national, or global challenges. If you are interested in becoming an integral part of Pickering College’s mission and mentoring our aspiring, visionary leaders, we ask that you join our online platform at www.pickeringcollegenetwork.com

Meet Emma Kerswill ’19, the new Alumni Engagement Coordinator at Pickering College. She spent 12 years on the Hilltop before completing her Bachelor of Arts at the University of Guelph and returned to join the development team in Alumni House last October. During her time at PC, Emma was a member of student committee, a student ambassador, captain of the debate team, and represented the Pumas on many sports teams including basketball, volleyball, and softball. As a PC alumna herself, Emma is always happy to meet with fellow alumni, coordinate visits to the Hilltop, and plan exciting events.

Connect with Emma by email at ekerswill@pickeringcollege.on.ca or at (905) 895-1700 ext. 257.

Celebrating Growth, Innovation, and Community Impact

AGM 2023

On Thursday, November 30, the Annual General Meeting (AGM) at Pickering College provided an opportunity for the school community to come together to discuss the achievements of 2022-2023, future plans, and strategic initiatives.

Under the guidance of Mirella Morra, Chair of the Board of Directors, and Dr. Cinde Lock, Head of School, the AGM highlighted the vibrant community engagement witnessed throughout the year. Emphasis was placed on the school’s commitment to innovation and fostering community connection, through diverse events, socials and providing meaningful opportunities for students.

The AGM provided a platform to discuss the significant restructuring of the Board’s committees in alignment with CAIS recommendations. The reduction from nine committees to five, focusing on strategic work and succession planning, was approved. Heartfelt acknowledgments were extended to departing Board members Steve Barratt ‘86 and Riane Tse ‘07, recognizing their invaluable contributions to the school community. Departing Corporation members were also thanked for their dedication, including Jason Herod, Heward Lee ’78, Kurt Richardson ’02, Tara Roy-DiClemente, Colleen Sexsmith, and Ron Veitch ’69.

At the AGM, it was announced that West Lake House has achieved 70 per cent tender completion. The acquisition of the Blue & Silver Farm, a legacy gift from the late Charles Boyd, retired faculty and alumni ambassador, was highlighted as a symbol of Pickering’s commitment to outdoor education. The ongoing renovations and development of the farmhouse were discussed, emphasizing the farm’s role in further enriching the Global Leadership Program.

The financial achievements of the past year, exceeding fundraising goals with over $12.7 million raised, were presented during the Treasurer’s Report. The AGM outlined plans to broaden the base of major donors and emphasized the importance of financial sustainability in the school’s growth.

The AGM also showcased Pickering College’s commitment to academic innovation, highlighting technology integration, outdoor education, and experiential learning. Updates on the Newbotics First Robotics Team, the robotic FarmBot garden, and the new Makerspace underscored the school’s dedication to cutting-edge educational experiences. Outdoor education was underlined as a cornerstone, fostering curiosity, creativity, and environmental stewardship in students. Global leadership initiatives and CHOP FM 102.7’s transition to a fullyoperational community station were highlighted, along with faculty participation in the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Holocaust study tour and the innovative partnership with Queen’s University for a Post Graduate Certificate in Experiential Education and Global Leadership.

Looking forward, Treasurer Thomas Kim acknowledged the dedication of the team in navigating challenges and seizing opportunities, with emphasis on innovation, new revenue streams, cost control measures, and flexibility in operations, providing a glimpse into the school’s strategic planning for the upcoming years.

In closing, Dr. Lock expressed gratitude to our community, extending thanks not only to current students and families but also to future generations. She noted that as a small, well-connected community with caring teachers committed to bringing out the best in every child, Pickering College possesses a perfect formula to lead in transformational change and provide a template for others.

PICKERING COLLEGE

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

2023-2024

Mirella Morra, Chair

Patrick Turner ‘97, Vice-Chair

Sherry Barclay

Sal Bianco

Susan Cooper

Beric Farmer

Thomas Kim, Secretary and Treasurer

Olga Morawczynski

Jason Yip

PICKERING COLLEGE CORPORATION

2023-2024

Eric Akbar

Sherry Barclay

Sal Bianco

Reuben Bonerath

Vanessa Carson

Susan Cooper

Michael Da Ponte

Peter Dobbs ‘87

Beric Farmer

Jason Foulds

Barbara Horvath

Eva Huang

Trevor Hunt

Thomas Kim

Vivian Lee

Isaias Medina III ‘85

Olga Morawczynski

Mirella Morra

Daniel Nelson

Ivan Pooran ‘82

Krystie Robinson-Vincent

Claudia Schauer

Adam Shully ‘78

Riane Tse ‘07

Patrick Turner ‘97

Duncan Walker ‘69

Mareena Wallace ‘13

Bo Wang

Roger Warren ‘51

Lee Webb

Kevin Wietzes

Jason Yip

THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY.

We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to our parents, alumni, staff, past parents, grandparents and friends for your generous contributions and support. With you as partners, this has been a year of tremendous growth and advancement for Pickering College. Your generosity is a powerful force within the PC community, driving meaningful change and inspiring others to make a difference.

As we reflect on the past year, we are proud to share that the school has achieved many milestones and successes thanks to your philanthropy. With your help, our shared vision for West Lake House is turning into reality. Steel work began in the fall, and the frame of the building is beginning to take shape. Most importantly, we are on budget and scheduled for a Spring 2025 occupancy. Through your support of the PC Annual Fund, we have been able to improve spaces across campus that enhance student learning and wellbeing—spaces like the PC Fitness Room, Makerspace, and the beloved Blue & Silver Farm. Finally, we are immensely grateful to the amazing sponsors, volunteers and attendees for helping make the Holiday Boutique Soirée and Holiday Boutique, H2O Beyond the Reef Gala and annual Charles F. Boyd Invitational Golf Tournament a wonderful success.

In the coming pages of our Thank you to Our Donors report, you will see the names of individuals and organizations who have joined us in our mission to provide the best possible experiences for Pickering College students. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has chosen to support the school; regardless of how big or small your contribution, know that the collective impact of your generosity is profound. Your support provides students with endless opportunities to discover their talents and grow into passionate leaders ready to make a difference in the world.

It is an exciting and transformational time for Pickering College and we are so grateful that your generosity has made so much possible. Your contributions have helped shape the school into the remarkable place it is today, and we are excited for all that the future holds thanks to your continued kindness and support.

Sincerely,

Dr. Cinde Lock Mirella Morra Head of School Chair, Board of Directors

$12,756,536 WAS DONATED IN 2022-2023 BY OUR GENEROUS PC COMMUNITY.

$494,465

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.

ANNUAL GIVING

$253,200

WAS DONATED TO SUPPORT

ENDOWMENTS

INCLUDING GENEROUS GIFTS TO INCREASE FINANCIAL AID FOR DESERVING STUDENTS.

$3,203,858

IN RESTRICTED DONATIONS, SUPPORTING SUCH AREAS AS POWER OF COMMUNITY, BLUE & SILVER FARM, OUTDOOR EDUCATION.

$6,372,288

WAS RECEIVED IN SUPPORT OF WEST LAKE HOUSE.

CAPITAL DONATIONS

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

Recognizing donors as of June 30, 2023.

LEADERSHIP GIVING: CIRCLE OF FRIENDS

FOUNDATIONS CIRCLE ($100,000 +)

L Diane and Beric Farmer

L The Farmer Family Foundation

The Rathlyn Foundation

The late Ed Richardson ‘45

Anonymous (1)

HILLTOP CIRCLE

($25,000 - $99,999)

In Memory of Richard Crowther ‘47

HBNG Charitable Foundation

Sha Jiang and Yang Sun

L Jianmei Gao and Chi Kin Tsui

Peggy Pan and Qingyu Zeng

Jian Li Fan and Jubin Zhou

PILLARS CIRCLE

($10,000 - $24,999)

L Beth Egan

L The Egan Family Foundation

Chaoyue Qi and Hang Liu

L Mirella and John Morra

L Ronald Veale ‘63

Serena Sun ‘10 and Liang Wang

Jiekun Wang and Liaoning Wang

L Lisa and Jason Yip

SILVER CIRCLE

($5,000 - $9,999)

Barclay Herod Family Foundation

Lillian and Anthony Cericola

Laura Barclay and Jason Herod

Lexus of Richmond Hill

L Tieny Ho and Ming Li

Steven Liao ‘01

L Ailene and Dan MacDougall

L Jefferson Mooney

Nexus Investments

Gerry and Anita Smith Family Foundation at the Toronto Foundation

George Vassallo

Lan Lin and Bo Wang

L Daniel Weinzweig

BLUE CIRCLE

($2,500 - $4,999)

Natalie and Eric Akbar

Jiangliu Feng and Yu Zhen Cao

Xi Cao and Mao Zhi Chan

L Licong Pan and Lixun Chen

L Susan and David Cooper

Marnee and Michael Da Ponte

Krystal and Ryan Davey

L Laurie and Corey DiCarlo

Mingjuan Wang and Mingjian Ding

Peter Dobbs ‘87

Xia Guo and Jianguo Duan

Enginess

Heather Gray

L Ling Zhou and Gangfeng He

Ling Zi Bai and Ping Huang

L Julia and Trevor Hunt

Ye Zhang and Zi Xuan Jia

Xiaoyu Cui and Yong Jiang

Monisha and Steve Johnstone

L Khanna Family Foundation

Qiqi Deng and Victor Liu ‘95

Yue Chen and Zhixin Liu

Hui Li and Lei Luo

Libertina Marra

Olga Morawczynski

Jin Ying Wang and Keo Hoa Quach

Roman Building Materials Ltd.

Nataliia Rumiantseva and Borys

Rumiantsev

Select Art Galleries

Sherry Barclay and Kevin Still

Terra Brook Homes Inc.

Wendy Jin and Minh Tran

Linna Zhang and Weitao Yao

Hao Chen and Rudy You

Xiaohui Gong and Zhong Zheng

Yan Sun and Mengli Zhou

Yan Ding and Jiang Zhu

CIRCLE MEMBERS

($1,000 - $ 2,499)

Parveen Khan and Akber Abbas

Sophia and Naresh Aggarwal

Qiongyin Huang and Wei Bai

L Christina and Sal Bianco

Nicole and Graham Birt

L Kirsten Nicolson and Brad Boland

L Josie Zhao and Bob Cai

Huilin Yang and Jia Pu Chen

Diana and Carlo Corsi

Jin Li and Xiang Cui

L Dr. Rolph Davis ‘60 and Mrs. Joan Davis

L Sarah Demarco

Chunhuan Qiu and Guangting Fan

L Kaia and Patrick Farmer

Bridget Kilgallon and Jason Foulds

Danielle and Kirk Francis

Ryan Francis ‘23

L Lingling Li and Jianning Fu

Man Lu Wang and Qiang Fu

Judy Chung and Raymond Fung

Gavin Gao

Peijie Zhu and Lianjun Gao

The Estate of R.J. Currie Gardner ‘40

Jinping Wang and Jie Han

Li Zeng and Yi He

L Krista Robinson-Holt and Derek Holt

Lanjun Li and Tao Hu

Xiaoqing Li and Bo Huang

Eva Huang

Jiajun Chen and Gu Huang

Zhenzhen Guo and Guanyu Huang

Xiaozhen Ruan and Haofu Huang

Weijia Sun and Ming Huo

Shujie Zhang and Yang Ji

Lufei Jia and Nan Jiang

Xiaoye Fan and Xuehong Jiang

L Yue Wang and Zhongjie Jiang

Qiang Kuang

Shudan Liao and Min Woo Kwon

L Linglan Shen and Shen Wei Lao

Elena Latapova and Albert Latapov

Ye Lu and Zhenyu Lei

Yinglu Kang and Boxi Li

Lili Chen and Jiannan Li

Jie Li and Junming Li

Jennifer Liu and Steven Li

Yawei Zhao and Zhengjun Li

Lifescape Construction

Yangjue Qiu and Haijin Lin

Fan Shi and Zhao Lin

Mary Lee and Huajian Liu

Lu Yang and Jiepeng Liu

Lian Ma and Litong Liu

Qin Chen and Nian Liu

Lu Zhang and XiaoYun Liu

Anitka Rolczewski-Louli and Michael Louli

Jenny Qi Jiang and Maozhou Lu

Liyi He and Yangsheng Luo

Ying Li and Yuchang Luo

Na Tang and Li Ma

L Amy and Robert MacAlpine

L Kelly and Malcolm Mason

L Arnold Massey

MCH Accounting Professional Corporation

L Renee and Rob Merrick

Gail Millar

Junko and Takuya Mizuno

L Heather Smith-Morton and Barclay

Morton

Carmen and Michael Neagoe

Thi Cam Nhung Nguyen and Viet

Anh Nguyen

Lin Zhao and Masahiro Ohe

Amber and Paul Perry

Prep Academy Tutors

L H and E Romkema

Yao Zhang and Huaying Rong

L Jessie-May Rowntree

Chris Schneider

L Diane and Sean Sexsmith-Brosseau

Xin Liu and Feng Shao

Corianne and Anthony Simpson

Stronach International Inc.

L Minna Sturrup

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

L Lisa and Peter Sturrup

Subramanyam and Seshadri Family

Ying Zhuang and Huang Tang

L Lingling Song and Yun Teng

Trans4med by Digital

Yuxin Dong and Harry Nghia Tu

Rimma Barinshteyn and Sivan Tumarkin

Qiao Yang and Cheng Wang

L Jingyu Yang and Di Wang

Haoyang Liu and Jie Wang

Ruonan Zhang and Lei Wang

Na Mao and Qingping Wang

Xiaokun Li and Shimin Wang

Ying Gao and Tongle Wang

Qian Gong and Zhiwei Wang

William Waugh

David White ‘88

L Stephen Widdrington ‘83

L Patricia and Kevin Wietzes

Xueru Bao and Weiqiang Wu

Yi Wang and Tao Xue

Lili Wang and Wei Yang

Hong Mei Zheng and Ying Wen Ye

Man Ha Cheung and Hau Ming You

Binjing Yin and Kai Yu

Rongyi Zheng and Mingqi Yu

Anna Zalewska and Pawel Zalewski

Zhaohui Liu and Chao Zeng

L Lin Lin and Tao Zeng

L Alexander Zetzl ‘05

L Joan and Bert Zetzl

Cynthia Zhang ‘14

Jiezhi Wu and Lei Zhang

Cui Yi Liang and Shu Tao Zhang

Wei Chen and Yong Zhang

Yunfei He and Yong Zhang

Ting Zhao

Dan Wei and Yanpan Zhao

Biyu Yang and Zhenhua Zhao

Fan Yang and Pengkun Zhou

Ling Yang and Wei Zhou

Xin Hao and Yong Zhou

Ran Jin and Chunheng Zhu

Zihui Weng and Yihua Zhu

Anonymous (1)

PARENT SUPPORT

Parveen Khan and Abker Abbas

Sophia and Naresh Aggarwal

Olubukola and Omogbolahan Ahmed

Natalie and Eric Akbar

Anurag Arun

Qiongyin Huang and Wei Bai

L Christina and Sal Bianco

L Kirsten Nicolson and Brad Boland

Nilgen Perez and William Bolivar

L Josie Zhao and Bob Cai

L Penny Lawson-Cameron and Scott Cameron

Jiangliu Feng and Yu Zhen Cao

Tina Robert and Richard Cazeau

Lillian and Anthony Cericola

Xi Cao and Mao Zhi Chan

Huilin Yang and Jia Pu Chen

L Licong Pan and Lixun Chen

L Susan and David Cooper

Diana and Carlo Corsi

L Naomi and Jamie Côté

Jin Li and Xiang Cui

Mirela Cusiac

Marnee and Michael Da Ponte

Krystal and Ryan Davey

Carrie and Rico Dente

Michelle and Richard De Ridder

L Laurie and Corey DiCarlo

Mingjuan Wang and Mingjian Ding

Xia Guo and Jianguo Duan

Paula and David Eichler

L Jessica and Jeff Ellis

Mimi Sakatos and Tommy Elovaris

Chunhuan Qiu and Guangting Fan

Qi Sun and Haixu Fang

Yi Zeng and Heng Fang

Melanie and James Fedigan

Kait and Andrew Finlay

L Zoe Roberts and David Fiscaletti

Bridget Kilgallon and Jason Foulds

Danielle and Kirk Francis

L Shelley and Jamie Frank

L Lingling Li and Jianning Fu

Man Lu Wang and Qiang Fu

Dejuan Kong and Benqiang Gao

Gavin Gao

Peijie Zhu and Lianjun Gao

Michelle Xu and Yan Gao

Jiani Qian and Yabin Ge

L Joanne and Christopher Golding

Lisa and David Graham

Heather Gray

L Ling Zhou and Gangfeng He

Li Zeng and Yi He

Felicia Anca Heidarpour Meymeh and Reza

Heidarpour Meymeh

Laura Barclay and Jason Herod

L Krista Robinson-Holt and Derek Holt

Tiffany and Dan Houle

Meng-Chen Lan and Chung Chiang Hu

Lanjun Li and Tao Hu

Xiaoqing Li and Bo Huang

Eva Huang

Jiajun Chen and Gu Huang

Zhenzhen Guo and Guanyu Huang

Xiaozhen Ruan and Haofu Huang

Ling Zi Bai and Ping Huang

L Julia and Trevor Hunt

Weijia Sun and Ming Huo

Tian Li and Weizhong Ji

Shujie Zhang and Yang Ji

Ye Zhang and Zi Xuan Jia

Lufei Jia and Nan Jiang

Xiaoye Fan and Xuehong Jiang

Xiaoyu Cui and Yong Jiang

L Yue Wang and Zhongjie Jiang

Monisha and Steve Johnstone

Prashanthy Karthigeyan

Caroline Chua and Shaqil Kassam

Lisa Simmonds-Kim and Thomas Kim

Qiang Kuang

Shudan Liao and Min Woo Kwon

Susan Lahey

L Linglan Shen and Shen Wei Lao

Elena Latapova and Albert Latapov

Ye Lu and Zhenyu Lei

Yinglu Kang and Boxi Li

Lili Chen and Jiannan Li

Jie Li and Junming Li

L Tieny Ho and Ming Li

Yu Jin and Ruibin Li

Jennifer Liu and Steven Li

Yawei Zhao and Zhengjun Li

L Dongfeng Xu and Zhifeng Li

Ann Xu and Yanbin Liang

Junyu Yuan and Kun Liao

L Yu Hsuan Lu and Chi Iuan Lin

Yangjue Qiu and Haijin Lin

Fan Shi and Zhao Lin

Chaoyue Qi and Hang Liu

Mary Lee and Huajian Liu

Lu Yang and Jiepeng Liu

Lian Ma and Litong Liu

Qin Chen and Nian Liu

Qiqi Deng and Victor Liu ‘95

Lu Zhang and XiaoYun Liu

Yue Chen and Zhixin Liu

Anitka Rolczewski-Louli and Michael Louli

Jenny Qi Jiang and Maozhou Lu

Hui Li and Lei Luo

Liyi He and Yangsheng Luo

Ying Li and Yuchang Luo

Na Tang and Li Ma

L Amy and Robert MacAlpine

Raman and Sanjay Madha

Libertina Marra

Maryam Atri and Reza Massir

Takae and Yoshitaka Matsumoto

L Erin and Blair Matthews

Ngoc Nguyen and Joshua Matthews

L Renee and Rob Merrick

Junko and Takuya Mizuno

Olga Morawczynski

L Heather Smith-Morton and Barclay Morton

Carmen and Michael Neagoe

Thi Cam Nhung Nguyen and Viet Anh Nguyen

Folasade Sam-Ogunbiyi and Samuel Ogunbiyi

Lin Zhao and Masahiro Ohe

Wendy and Brian O’Leary

Amber and Paul Perry

Lisa and Douglas Podd

Yiwen Liu and Shao Qiao

Jin Ying Wang and Keo Hoa Quach

L H and E Romkema

Yao Zhang and Huaying Rong

Tara and Michael Roy-DiClemente

Nataliia Rumiantseva and Borys Rumiantsev

L Diane and Sean Sexsmith-Brosseau

Xin Liu and Feng Shao

Ni Fang and Zhonghe Shui

Corianne and Anthony Simpson

Keltie and Todd Stewart

Shweta Seshadri and Pazambalacode

Subramanyam

Jinyan Zhang and Yingjie Sui

L Xiaozhou Sun

Ying Zhuang and Huang Tang

L Lingling Song and Yun Teng

Jeanette and Kevin Tomlinson

Wendy Jin and Minh Tran

L Jianmei Gao and Chi Kin Tsui

Yuxin Dong and Harry Nghia Tu

Rimma Barinshteyn and Sivan Tumarkin

Susanna Turner and Patrick Turner ‘97

Lan Lin and Bo Wang

Qiao Yang and Cheng Wang

L Jingyu Yang and Di Wang

Haoyang Liu and Jie Wang

Ruonan Zhang and Lei Wang

Jiekun Wang and Liaoning Wang

Na Mao and Qingping Wang

Xiaokun Li and Shimin Wang

Ying Gao and Tongle Wang

Qian Gong and Zhiwei Wang

L Patricia and Kevin Wietzes

Qian Wu

Xueru Bao and Weiqiang Wu

Shaozi Zhang and Xiaoqian Xie

Yi Wang and Tao Xue

Vivian Lee and Lei Yan

Qiong Shao and Peng Yang

Lili Wang and Wei Yang

Linna Zhang and Weitao Yao

Hong Mei Zheng and Ying Wen Ye

L Lisa and Jason Yip

Man Ha Cheung and Hau Ming Yiu

Hao Chen and Rudy You

Binjing Yin and Kai Yu

Lingli Wu and Lei Yu

Rongyi Zheng and Mingqi Yu

Lu Lin and Zhen Yu

Anna Zalewska and Pawel Zalewski

Zhaohui Liu and Chao Zeng

Peggy Pan and Qingyu Zeng

L Lin Lin and Tao Zeng

Jiezhi Wu and Lei Zhang

Cui Yi Liang and Shu Tao Zhang

Wei Chen and Yong Zhang

Yunfei He and Yong Zhang

Ting Zhao

Dan Wei and Yanpan Zhao

Biyu Yang and Zhenhua Zhao

Xiaohui Gong and Zhong Zheng

Jian Li Fan and Jubin Zhou

Yan Sun and Mengli Zhou

Fan Yang and Pengkun Zhou

Ling Yang and Wei Zhou

Xin Hao and Yong Zhou

Xiaojie Song and Yunzhuo Zhou

Ran Jin and Chunheng Zhu

Yan Ding and Jiang Zhu

Zihui Weng and Yihua Zhu

Anonymous (2)

ALUMNI SUPPORT

1940s

In Memory of Richard Crowther ‘47

The Estate of R.J. Currie Gardner ‘40

The late Ed Richardson ‘45

Daniel Sherry ‘42

1950s

L Charles Beer ‘59

James Murray ‘57

Brian Purdy ‘56

Roger Warren ‘51

1960s

Jock Bates ‘61

L Robert Bryant ‘60

L Thomas Bryant ‘66

L Rolph Davis ‘60

L David Douglas ‘60

L Robert Rayner ‘62

L Robert Russel ‘67

L Herschell Sax ‘64

L Ronald Veale ‘63

1970s

Christopher Rogers ‘70

1980s

Jose Aguayo ‘86

L Stephen Barratt ‘86

Peter Dobbs ‘87

Jeffrey Forde ‘82

Eddie Lee ‘86

David White ‘88

L Stephen Widdrington ‘83

1990s

Robert Doyle ‘96

L Francis Fung ‘97

Bryan Jones ‘94

Victor Liu ‘95

L Raymond Ng ‘99

Patrick Turner ‘97

L Ryan Turner ‘99

2000s

Matthew Barbuto ‘02

Talia Black ‘07

Amanda Hamm ‘05

Bradley Lawson ‘03

Brett Lawson ‘02

Steven Liao ‘01

Caleb Sturrup ‘04

L Gareth Sturrup ‘09

Riane Tse ‘07

L Alexander Zetzl ‘05

STAFF AND FACULTY SUPPORT

Kylah Adams

L Joshua Armstrong

Alex Au Yong

Dina Baird

L Lotem Baram

L Patrice Barbanchon

L Elaine Barratt

Brendan Benson

Graham Birt

L Ethan Bishop

Loretta Brock

L Kim Browner

Carrington Bull

Victoria Campbell

L Susan Cartwright

L Gordon Chiu

Julie Clement

L Chris Collingham

Sabrina Collis

L Steve Cope

L Naomi Côté

L Michael Daleman

L Marc de la Bastide

L Sarah Demarco

L John Dew

L Janet Downer

L Donna Doyle

Nancy Elliott

Jessica Ellis

Kait Finlay

L David Fiscaletti

L Jay Fletcher

Nicole Foch ‘13

L Stephanie Forgie

L Shelley Frank

L Joanne Golding

Alex Grenier

Amanda Hamm ‘05

Julia Hunt

Lauren Hunt

Thanh Sang Huynh

Taylor Jennings

L Sheila Johnson

L Ian Johnston

L Elaine Kliem

L Penny Lawson-Cameron

Johanna Liburd

Cinde Lock

Rebecca MacDonald

Jeff Mason

L Laura Mason

L Arnold Massey

Erin Matthews

L Lisa Maunder

Karen McCallum-Ryan

Heather McDonald

L Carol McKnight

L Karen Meisel

L Renee Merrick

Shawna Modeste

L Shirley Moffett

L Nicole Murphy

L Rosanna Naccarata

Varathan Pathmanathan

L Laurie Philp

L Leila Picazo

Vanessa Poehlmann

L Helena Pollakova

Christine Rebelo

L John Robertson

L H Romkema

L Jessie-May Rowntree

Thomas Santowski

Jamie Savage

Alysa Scarcelli

Chris Schneider

Suman Seth

Brendan Shaffick

2010s

Kyle Foch ‘13

Nicole Foch ‘13

Serena Sun ‘10

Cynthia Zhang ‘14

2020s

Jack Barich ‘21

Tyler Dhanjal ‘21

Ryan Francis ‘23

Joseph Galeota ‘21

Michaela Morra ‘22

Omar Ozturk ‘21

William Porter ‘21

L Jason Simm

L Jason Smith

L Kim Smith

Heather Smith-Morton

L Gareth Sturrup ‘09

L Heather Suters

Julie Sym-Wilson

L Ricky Tam

L Dan Thompson

L Emily van Nostrand

William Waugh

Mike Weiler

L Ellen Wells

L Steve Wood

PAST PARENTS, FORMER STAFF AND FACULTY, GRANDPARENTS AND FRIENDS SUPPORT

Diane Adamson-Brdar

L Ann and Simon Armstrong

David Badregon

John Paul Bailey

Barclay Herod Family Foundation

L J. E. (Tim) Benson

Darlene and Peter Blenich

L Chris Coyne

Jenna Desroches

Diamond and Schmitt Architects Incorporated

L Beth Egan

L The Egan Family Foundation

L Diane and Beric Farmer

L The Farmer Family Foundation

L Kaia and Patrick Farmer

Donna and Allan Fordyce

Judy Chung and Raymond Fung

Karen Whetstone and Richard Geurts

Lisa and Martin Hambrock

L Alexis Hamilton

Jinping Wang and Jie Han

OTHER SUPPORT

PC POWER OF COMMUNITY

Barclay Herod Family Foundation

In Memory of Richard Crowther ‘47

Laura Barclay and Jason Herod

L Jane Lynes

The Rathlyn Foundation

William Waugh

YaShan Yu

GIFTS IN KIND

Estate of Charles F. Boyd

John Lockyer

Donald McLaren ‘76

Margaret McLaren

Kim Bilous and Darren Slind

ENDOWMENT GIFTS

L Elaine Barratt and Stephen Barratt ‘86

L Charles Beer ‘59

Bridget Kilgallon and Jason Foulds

Judy Chung and Raymond Fung

L Ailene and Dan MacDougall

The Rathlyn Foundation

L Robert Rayner ‘62

The late Ed Richardson ‘45

Gerry and Anita Smith Family Foundation at Toronto Foundation

Caleb Sturrup ‘04

L Minna Sturrup

L Lisa and Peter Sturrup

L Ronald Veale ‘63

L Daniel Weinzweig

David White ‘88

Cynthia Zhang ‘14

Angelica Ienceanu

L Beverly Jackson

Sabrine Hamia and Wasim Jarrah

L Nancy Kerswill

L Khanna Family Foundation

L Keith Kupsch

Erin Lamont

Ruizheng Wang and Michael Lao

Lifescape Construction

L Jane Lynes

Vida Sernas and Alan MacDonald

L Ailene and Dan MacDougall

Reika and Mitsuhiro Maeda

Katya Elizondo and Enrique Majos

L Kelly and Malcolm Mason

L Cathy and John McGill

MCH Accounting Professional Corporation

Gail Millar

Andres Mollejas

L Jefferson Mooney

L Mirella and John Morra

Nexus Investments

Linda and Raymond Nunn

Leigh and Rob Pitre

The Rathlyn Foundation

Claudia Schauer

Gerry and Anita Smith Family Foundation at the Toronto Foundation

Inga and Sven Stegelmann

Sherry Barclay and Kevin Still

L Minna Sturrup

L Lisa and Peter Sturrup

Sha Jiang and Yang Sun

Hong Yen Nguyen and Van Chi Tang

Trans4med by Digital

George Vassallo

Carol and Richard Verity

Liang Wang

L Daniel Weinzweig

YaShan Yu

L Joan and Bert Zetzl

Anonymous (2)

EVENT SPONSORS, PARTNERS & SUPPORTERS

PCA HOLIDAY BOUTIQUE SOIREE AND HOLIDAY BOUTIQUE

Friday December 2 and Saturday December 3, 2022

Sponsors:

De Zen Family

Prep Academy Tutors

Select Art Galleries

Terra Brook Homes Inc.

Interior Designer/Decorator:

ADM Design Inc.

Floral Designer:

Brooke’s Flower Shop

Gift in Kind Sponsor:

The Rosarium Luxury Roses

Gift in Kind Donors:

Natlie Akbar, Rejuvena Medical Aesthetics

Pickering College Board of Directors

Seasons Floral Studio

Seasonal Boutique Vendors:

ADM Design Incorporated

Baked by Jenny

Bee Leaf Soap & Candle Company

Belmore Boutique

Bloom Floral Design Studio

Brooke’s Flower Shop

Catherine Mount Designs

Cheshire Games and Gifts

Chiara Naccarata

Cocoa 40 Inc.

Cowgirl Up with Green

Cozy Mitts by Lorraine

Earth Songs Studio

Elyssa Kissable

GBM Sales

Grand Entrance Design

Homemade by Melissa

In My Minds Eye

JB’s Things

Jewels by Afrodite

Juliana Paige Jewellery

Kate Ward Designs

Klayr Designs

La gabbia Grill & Bar

Lemonwood Luxury Group

Lfgnomes

Local Bliss

Love My Leggs

LUXFINDZ

Miglio Jewellery

Mill Street Design & Staging Inc.

Neal Brothers Foods Inc.

Need the Heat

New Leaf Woodworks

Poppys Collection

Quirk Society / Hobb’s Hamlet

Red Thread Brewing Co.

Scents of Nature

Scentsy - Salima McKinney

Select Art Galleries

Spahket Natural Luxury

Splurge Gifts

Stone Pony Pottery

Taste of the Grille

The Creative Atelier Cakery

The Joy of Harvest

The Pink Tree Couture

The Sock Den

Timeless Harmony Spa

Touch of Gem

Wildflowers Pottery

Wink n Wave

PCA SPRING LUNCHEON

Wednesday April 26, 2023

Gift in Kind Donors:

Bee Leaf Soap & Candle Company

The Blenich Family

Flossy’s Flower Truck

La Brehandaise Market

Nature’s Emporium

Need the Heat

New Leaf Woodworks

Niknak Knits

Sea and Earth

Sonia Faye Designs

H20 BEYOND THE REEF GALA

Saturday May 27, 2023

Premier Presenting Sponsor:

HBNG Charitable Foundation

Diamond Sponsor:

L The Egan Family Foundation

Platinum Sponsor:

Lexus of Richmond Hill

L John, Mirella and Michaela Morra

Wine Sponsor: Enginess

Teacher Table Sponsor:

L Diane and Beric Farmer

Late Night Snack Sponsor:

The Wietzes Family

Advertising Sponsor:

Hummingbird Lawyers

Donors:

L Julia and Trevor Hunt

Stronach International Inc.

Gift in Kind Donors:

Artage Portraits

Aurora 20/20 - Dr. Robert J. MacAlpine

BIMM

Jia (Ina) Chen

EF Trading

EVOKE Learning

Mary Gordon

Grayscale Fine Portraits

Howard Jewellers

Hui (Jenny) Li

The Piano Studio

Polo for Heart

Polo Management Services

Red Salamander

Scuba 2000

Select Art Galleries

Silver Lakes Golf & Country Club

St. Andrew’s East Golf and Country Club

Studio Five Hair

TonYc Salon & Spa

Jim Waters

CHARLES F. BOYD INVITATIONAL GOLF

TOURNAMENT

Thursday June 22, 2023

Presenting Sponsor:

HBNG Charitable Foundation

Gold Sponsor:

Roman Building Materials Ltd.

Bronze Sponsor:

BBL CleanAir

Hole Sponsors:

L Advertek Printing

Aramark Canada Ltd.

Athletify Golf and Physio

Aurora 20/20 - Dr. Robert J. MacAlpine

Crate Designs Furniture

Diamond Groundskeeping Services Ltd.

Osborne Goddard Team @ RE/MAX

Terra Brooks Homes Inc.

Bo Wang

York Pediatric Psychology

Beat the Pro Sponsor:

Prep Academy Tutors

Gift in Kind Donors:

Ainsworth Inc.

Bike Sports

Innovatex Solutions Inc.

Pheasant Run Golf Club

Sanctuary Day Spas

Shawneeki Golf Club

Silver Lakes Golf & Country Club

The Contemporary Craftsman

Tracer Golf

Wellington Aurora Dental

WEST LAKE HOUSE DONORS

Thanks to our generous donors, we have raised $29,955,000 for West Lake House. Your support has made our shared vision a reality. We are delighted you have chosen to join us in this exciting project and look forward to celebrating the opening of West Lake House in Spring 2025.

Masayo and Norimichi Adachi

Aecon

Sophia and Naresh Aggarwal

The late Henry Aguayo ‘48

David Allan ‘02

Philip Allan ‘71

Debbie Khan and Ali Alshubil

Katie Armitage ‘04

L Ann and Simon Armstrong

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

L Christina and Sal Bianco

Diane Li and James Bihari

Talia Black ‘07

L Kirsten Nicolson and Brad Boland

James Brown ‘69

The late Bill Bryant ‘58

L Robert Bryant ‘60

Patricia and Donald Cameron

Susan Cameron

Susann Cannon

The Cannon and Trussell Families

Vanessa and Donald Carson

CAS Accounting for Insurance Inc.

Lillian and Anthony Cericola

Xi Cao and Mao Zhi Chan

Susan and Edward Chant

James Christakis

Eunyoung Lee and Chansoo Chung

L Susan and David Cooper

Miren Edurne Aguayo and Santiago Cortina

George Cox ‘57

YanLin Liu and Dongtai Cui

Jin Li and Xiang Cui

Eleanor and Troy Cumiskey

Krystal and Ryan Davey

Andie and Kevin Desforges

Angelina De Zen and Family

Direct IT Recruiting Inc.

Greg Dopulos ‘68

Arthur Dorland

L David Douglas ‘60

Xia Guo and Jianguo Duan

Robyn and Tony Eames

The late Hugh Edighoffer ‘47

L Beth Egan

L The Egan Family Foundation

Mimi Sakatos and Tommy Elovaris

Richard Elston ‘56

Tom Everson ‘84

L Diane and Beric Farmer

L The Farmer Family Foundation

Mitchell Fasken ‘74

Diane and Brian FitzGerald

Debbie and Adam Floyd

Sharon and Wayne Ford

Jeffrey Forde ‘82

Donna and Allan Fordyce

Man Lu Wang and Qiang Fu

Alexis and Roland Furlan

Karen Whetstone and Richard Geurts

L Joanne and Christopher Golding

The late Janice Fleming-Gole and Robert Gole

Michelle Zhang and Bin Gong

Lisa and David Graham

Carol and Peter Grys

The late James Harrison ‘47

The late Nicolee Hathaway

Kenneth Hills ‘59

Xiaoqing Li and Bo Huang

Eva Huang

Anthony Jackson ‘79

L Beverly Jackson

Natalie Owen-James and Michael

James

Taylor Jennings

Shujie Zhang and Yang Ji

Xiaoyu Cui and Yong Jiang

L Yue Wang and Zhongjie Jiang

Maria Jordan

Zahra Kara

Kelly Gallacher and Perry Kereakou

L Khanna Family Foundation

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

Erin Lamont

Catherine and Christopher Lane

Elena Latapova and Albert Latapov

Peter Lau ‘82

Yim Yin Yung and Terrence Lau

In Memory of James A. Lawson by the late Patricia Lawson, Penny Lawson-Cameron and Pamela Lawson

Mary Madigan-Lee and Heward

Lee ‘78

May Ling Ng and Wai Leung

The late Wilson Leung ‘79

Yinglu Kang and Boxi Li

L Tieny Ho and Ming Li

Jennifer Liu and Steven Li

Zhao Hui Li

Yawei Zhao and Zhengjun Li

Wang Chiung-Liao and LongShing Liao

Steven Liao ‘01

Chaoyue Qi and Hang Liu

Qin Chen and Nian Liu

Qiqi Deng and Victor Liu ‘95

Yue Chen and Zhixin Liu

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

Libertina Marra

L Kelly and Malcolm Mason

Veronica and Paul Mason

Mason’s Masonry Supply Ltd.

L Arnold Massey

L Cathy and John McGill

Victoria and Michael McGinn

MCH Accounting Professional Corporation

Kellie and Sean McKay

Donald McLaren ‘76

The late Brian Meharg ‘78

John Meisel ‘43

L Renee and Rob Merrick

Pierre Mevissen

Gail Millar

Lisa Campeis and Eric Milligan

Rocklyn Mohammed ‘93

Gillian and Graeme Montgomery

Olga Morawczynski

L Mirella and John Morra

James Murray ‘57

Daniel Nelson

Clara and Johnny Ng

The late Doris Nicolson

Mary Jane and John Omand

Laura Padula

Cora Pataran ‘24

Varathan Pathmanathan

Lori and Jim Pedersen

Patrick Peotto

Amber and Paul Perry

Wei and Brian Porter

Ashley Powell

Jill Powell

Matt Powell

William Powell

Juli and Paul Prochazka

Kathy and Ian Proudfoot

Brian Purdy ‘56

The Rathlyn Foundation

Xiaojun Wu and Guorong Ren

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

L 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

Gerry and Anita Smith Family

Foundation at Toronto Foundation

Bo and Orest Sochaniwskyj

Darla and Peter Somerville

Dag Spicer ‘80

The late Jim Spring ‘47

Janice and Nelson Squires

Linda and Mitchell Stevenson

Mary Stevenson and the late Robert Stevenson

Sherry Barclay and Kevin Still

L Minna Sturrup

L Lisa and Peter Sturrup

Subramanyam and Seshadri Family

Jiage Guo and Chenggang Sun

Sha Jiang and Yang Sun

Sylvester Legacy Inc.

Julie Sym-Wilson

Grace Lin and Chih-Lang Tai

Ivy Tan

Tim Hortons – The Floyd Family

Townline Self-Storage

Trans4med by Digital

Belinda and Mark Trussell

L Jianmei Gao and Chi Kin Tsui

Susanna Turner and Patrick Turner ‘97

L Ryan Turner ‘99

Tony Van Bynen

The late Roger Veale ‘61

Karen Benson and Ron Veitch ‘69

Carol and Richard Verity

Duncan Walker ‘69

Lan Lin and Bo Wang

Anna Hu and Dali Wang

Helen Pei and Harry Wang

Serena Sun ‘10 and Liang Wang

Jiekun Wang and Liaoning Wang

Sheila and James Waters

Wayne Ford Sales Limited

David White ‘88

L Patricia and Kevin Wietzes

Yun Mi Lee and Bong Cheol Woo

Mary Zhou and Jack Xuan

Vivian Lee and Lei Yan

Samuel Yen ‘89

L Lisa and Jason Yip

Man Ha Cheung and Hau Ming Yiu

Nicole Cortese and Paul Yue

Anna Zalewska and Pawel Zalewski

Jane Zavitz

Li Liu and Fanyi Zeng

Peggy Pan and Qingyu Zeng

L Alexander Zetzl ‘05

Lu Chen and Jigui Zhang

Karen Lin and Jim Zhang

Hongxia Chen and Shouping Zhang

Xi Zhang

Wanping Zhang and Zhenchen

Zhang

Yuji Xing and Biwu Zhao

Jian Li Fan and Jubin Zhou

Yan Sun and Mengli Zhou

Xiaojie Song and Yunzhuo Zhou

Anonymous (8)

The transformative power of philanthropy

Daniel Weinzweig’s relationship with Pickering College began over 30 years ago, when his son Josh began at the school in Grade 9.

“He was a bit irascible and resistant; he had no interest in going away to school when he could be happily causing trouble at home,” he chuckles. “It was a great relief to me when he was accepted at Pickering, and I think it turned out to be the right decision, the right place for Josh, because he thrived and every year he was there he did better and was happier. It improved his demeanor and his academics, and it was primarily because of the people at the school and the values the school stands behind.”

Daniel credits the school for the way they embraced the late Joshua Weinzweig ’91 and did not shy away from a challenge. “There was so much love and understanding, and so much compassion and empathy. No student could resist it! And it shaped Josh— they were the best years of his life.”

To this day, Daniel remains close with Josh’s friends and classmates at school, particularly Rocklyn Mohammed ‘93 (who lives in Trinidad) and Laurence Jones ‘91 (who lives in London).

“Laurence called me last year to tell me he took Josh’s name for his Hebrew name at his Bar Mitzvah because Laurence found out that he was Jewish,” says Daniel. “It was very special. These are inexplicable connections in life that you cannot explain logically, but they’re magical and it was alchemy

that all of this happened, which was wonderful for Josh but it did a lot for me and my family.”

To honour Josh’s memory, over two decades ago Daniel approached the school with an idea for a creative writing program.

“Josh’s passion for creative writing, his interest in literature and poetry, which was nurtured by his teacher Dean Gessie, who was a great support and inspiration,” he explains. “His grandmother, Helen Weinzweig, was a well-known author—they used to talk about writing a lot. They had a great relationship around his interest in writing. But it was also the school itself—from his difficult adolescent years to his maturation—the staff and teachers, and his friendships with fellow students, were very important to him.

From day one, the Joshua Weinzweig Creative Program was embraced by the school, and for that, Daniel is grateful.

“Charitable giving is building a relationship with a cause or mission that touches you,” he says. “When I think of my son Josh, it was education, and it was specifically Pickering College. But I wanted to have a legacy for him at the school. It’s about making a difference and having impact and inspiring others to join you in that mission.”

After witnessing the transformative impact of the creative writing program, Daniel’s commitment to Pickering College deepened. To ensure that future generations of students would benefit from similar opportunities, Daniel has left the school a legacy gift in his will to ensure the endowment for

the Joshua Weinzweig Creative Writing Program will continue in perpetuity. “It’s important to identify causes and organizations that have been important to you in your life and to remember them in your will,” says Daniel “It’s probably one of the easiest ways to make a charitable donation, it’s impactful and makes a difference”

With his ongoing support, the Joshua Weinzweig Creative Writing Program continues to grow and evolve in wonderful, creative ways that are opening students’ imaginations to what is possible.

“I am excited about the idea that there are new initiatives, and the way the school is opening up the program to cross-pollination with the theatre program, with CHOP FM, and across a range of media, whether it’s podcasting or video, to enhance the student experience,” he says “It’s a great opportunity to adapt the program to the future of where students might apply these skills later in life, whether it is professionally or just a matter of their interest, and where they might take it” In terms of what advice he might offer others when it comes to charitable giving, Daniel says that it’s important to identify a need and then give from your heart—the benefits you receive as a donor far exceed the gift to the beneficiary.

“As a donor, I’m part of an institution that is making young people’s lives better and preparing them for the world in a way that I think makes their lives better in the future. To me, that is what I take away from the relationship with Pickering College and it has just been a fantastic part of my life”

Photography: Tom Sandler

Gratitude through generosity

Upon graduation from Pickering College in 2023, Ryan Francis ‘23 gifted the school to show his appreciation for its integral role in shaping him both academically and personally.

Ryan purchased a table for the Dining Hall where he spent many happy advisor and class lunches since beginning his time at Pickering College in Grade 7. This generous gesture was both to give back to the community that has meant so much to him as well as to inspire others to leave a lasting mark on the school.

“(Coming to Pickering College) was one of the best decisions that we made, and so I just wanted to contribute because it had such a big impact on my life,” he says.

Reflecting on his time at PC, Ryan says he was surrounded by a group of friends with whom he moved through the grades, and they would always look at the back of chairs and the tables in the Dining Hall to see if they recognized anyone.

“There were a lot of students in the upper years whose families we reminisced about, because we knew them from when they were at the school, and so I wanted to have that sort of lasting impact because I know a lot of people in the lower grades,” he explains.

When asked about the inspiration for his generosity, Ryan speaks of his early years of giving through organizations such as World Vision that left an indelible mark and connected him with similarly aged children around the globe. This experience sowed the seeds of a desire to make a lasting impact and to widen that impact to more than just one individual.

His family has also played a key role in influencing his philanthropic focus. Ryan, who is completing his first year of a business administration degree with aspirations to major in honours finance, is at St. Francis Xavier University and is a fourth-generation St. FX student in his family.

“Since my parents are generous donors to educational causes, I hope to follow in their footsteps in the future,” he acknowledges, recognizing the profound impact education can have on shaping lives.

Ryan says staying involved with Pickering College after graduation remains a priority. He visits the school whenever he is back home to see his family and has continued to maintain strong ties with teachers whom he credits as having made a tremendous impact on his life, including Mrs. Lawson-Cameron and his advisor Mr. Johnston.

When asked about his advice for fellow alumni who may be interested in making a meaningful difference through philanthropy, Ryan advocates for the power of participation. He stresses that the spirit of giving, no matter the size of the gift, is what makes a significant difference.

“It doesn’t have to be large, donate anything that helps. Whether it’s a large donation or small, however much you donate does make a difference and recognizes what a phenomenal school it is,” he says.

Ryan looks forward to continuing to show his deep appreciation for Pickering College as he volunteers to help the current Grade 12 students transition to university by sharing his experiences, later this spring.

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

L Charles Beer ’59

Kim Bilous

The late Charles Boyd

Jeffrey Forde ’82

Jack Houghton ’47

John Lockyer

The late Ed Richardson

L Robert Russel ’67

Adam Shully ’78

Wolf Smith-Butz ’73

Ron Veitch ’69

L Daniel Weinzweig

Anonymous (1)

Interested in learning more or joining the Lamplighters? Or have you already included Pickering College in your estate planning? Please contact Julie Sym-Wilson at 905-895-1120 ext. 254 or by email at jsym-wilson@pickeringcollege.on.ca.

BOARD MEMBERS 2022-2023

Mirella Morra, Chair

Patrick Turner ‘97, Vice-Chair

Sherry Barclay

Stephen Barratt ‘86

Sal Bianco

Susan Cooper

Beric Farmer

Thomas Kim

Olga Morawczynski

Riane Tse ‘07

Jason Yip

CORPORATION MEMBERS 2022-2023

Eric Akbar

Sherry Barclay

Stephen Barratt ‘86

Sal Bianco

Reuben Bonerath

Vanessa Carson

Susan Cooper

Michael Da Ponte

Peter Dobbs ‘87

Beric Farmer

Jason Foulds

Jason Herod

Barbara Horvath

Eva Huang

Trevor Hunt

Thomas Kim

Heward Lee ‘78

Vivian Lee

Kelly Mason

Isaias Medina III ‘85

Olga Morawczynski

Mirella Morra

Daniel Nelson

Ivan Pooran ‘82

Kurt Richardson ‘02

Krystie Robinson-Vincent

Tara Roy-DiClemente

Claudia Schauer

Colleen Sexsmith

Adam Shully ‘78

Riane Tse ‘07

Patrick Turner ‘97

Ron Veitch ‘69

Duncan Walker ‘69

Mareena Wallace ‘13

Bo Wang

Roger Warren ‘51

Lee Webb

Kevin Wietzes

Jason Yip

UPCOMING EVENTS

Saturday, May 4 1:00 p.m. Day Camp Open House

Wednesday, May 8 8:30 a.m. Capstone Project Finals (Grade 12)

Thursday, May 9 9:00 a.m. 10:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m. Springfest (Junior School) Grandparents & Special Friends Morning Springfest (Middle School /Senior School)

Friday, May 10 8:30 a.m. Design Challenge Fair (Grade 9)

Monday, May 13 9:30 a.m. Charles F. Boyd Memorial Golf Tournament Emerald Hills Golf Club

Wednesday, May 15 4:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. My Key Idea (Grade 5) Global Leadership Changemakers event

Wednesday, May 22 6:00 p.m. New Family Welcome (Junior School)

Thursday, May 23 6:00 p.m. New Family Welcome (Middle & Senior School)

Monday, May 27 all day Sports Day

Wednesday, May 29 Expression of Self (Grade 8)

Friday, May 31 3:30 p.m. Fun Fair

Tuesday, June 4 9:45 a.m. Closing Meeting (full school)

Tuesday, June 11 2:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. Kindergrad Grade 5 Celebration

Wednesday, June 12 2:30 p.m. Grade 8 Closing Ceremony

Thursday, June 13 7:00 p.m. Grad Celebration

Friday, June 14 9:00 a.m. Commencement

MANAGING EDITOR

JESSIE-MAY ROWNTREE

Assistant Head of School, Advancement

NAOMI CÔTÉ Communications Manager

CONTRIBUTORS

JENNIFER BRETT FRASER

MARLIN GOLD

TAYLOR JENNINGS

ELIZABETH KEITH

EMMA KERSWILL ’19

ALISON LARABIE CHASE

DR. CINDE LOCK, Head of School

KAREN MEISEL

JULIE SYM-WILSON

GRAPHIC DESIGN

VANI ROUSE

SAVE THE DATE

Monday, May 13, 2024

Emerald Hills Golf Club

Register as an individual or as a foursome: www.pickeringcollege.on.ca/golf

Giving for tomorrow, today.

Legacy Giving at Pickering College

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. It does not cost you anything during your lifetime and the tax benefits of a charitable contribution can reduce your estate taxes by almost half. Learn more: www.pickeringcollege.on.ca/giving

Contact Julie Sym-Wilson, Development Manager, to explore how you can give for tomorrow today, at 905-895-1120 ext. 254 or by email at jsym-wilson@pickeringcollege.on.ca.