The Pillars

p i c k e r i n g co l l e g e

the

s p r i n g 2024

PILLARS

e x p e r i e n t i a l e d u c at i o n

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.”

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

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What’s new on the Farm Blue & Silver Farm has become an invaluable asset for learning and teaching for the entire PC community.

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ESL Boarding Academy New program provides an immersive environment for English-language learners.

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

4 Headlines with Dr. Cinde Lock 6 Student Life 18 Feature: Preparing to Climb a Mountain 20 Boarding Life 22 Athletics: A Winning Mindset 24 Feature: What’s New at Blue & Silver Farm 26 Feature: Innovation Fueled by Compassion 28 Feature: ESL Boarding Academy 30 In Conversation with Heather Amadori, Outdoor Education Specialist 32 PCA events and activities 34 West Lake House Update 35 Eric Veale Memorial Arena Renovation 36 Alumni Connections 41 Alumna Profile: Sunny Qiu ‘19 42 Alumni Profile: Nicholas LaValle ’14 and Lawrence Taylor ‘78 44 Alumni Community & Events 46 Annual General Meeting 47 Thank You to Our Donors 60 Profile: Daniel Weinzweig 62 Profile: Ryan Francis ‘23 66 Upcoming Events 67 Register Now for Golf Tournament on May 13

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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

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HEADLINES with Dr. Cinde Lock, Head of School

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JUNIOR SCHOOL STUDENT LIFE

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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

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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

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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

4 MONICA HOPPE passed 5 away on Thursday, November 16, 2023, aged 53.

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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

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

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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

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.

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CONNOR KASSAM Exploring through electives

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.

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

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.

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MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT LIFE

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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

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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

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MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT LIFE

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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

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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

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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

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.

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

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.

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Experiential Learning: a During Middle School’s Pillar Week, students During Middle engage in off-timetable School’s Pillar Week, learning as part of the students engage in school’s innovative Global off-timetable learning Leadership as part ofProgram. the school’s innovative Global “Ultimately, the goal is Leadership Program. to engage in project-based learning, to notthe be goal “Ultimately, following a usual schedule is to engage in projectwith classes but toto connect based learning, not with from beorganizations following a usual outside of the school, schedule with classes connect teachers but towith connect with doing practical hands-on organizations from lessons centred outside of thearound school, a theme or with a topic, and connect teachers then frompractical there better doing handsunderstanding who they on lessons centred arearound and what they can a theme or do,” says Julie Clement, a topic, and thenDirector, Middle from School. 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

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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.”

“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.”

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

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.”

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Exploring Indigenous skills

Understanding what we eat, from food insecurity to nutrition

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SENIOR SCHOOL STUDENT LIFE

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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,

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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SENIOR SCHOOL STUDENT LIFE

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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

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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

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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

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.

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

“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.

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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.

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Scan to view photo gallery from this experience.

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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.”

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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.”

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 To help foster those relationships right from the start, at the weekly family dinners with a rotation of different cultural beginning of the school year all the excursions are mandatory for cuisines, the annual variety show, fall and spring games, students to attend. the holiday dinner and dance, and the end-of-year farewell festivities.

“Everybody (at the beginning of the year) is in a vulnerable place where everything is new to them. They’re away from home, It’s not just about having fun, though. The goal is to help these sometimes for the first time without parents, on their own, students grow as individuals and as a community. 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.

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“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.”

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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.”

“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.

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.

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.”

“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.

It was a very successful winter term as well, with three senior teams making it to the championships: Senior Boys’ Hockey, Captain Artem Rumiantsev said the team trained hard and he knew from the start that Senior Girls’ Volleyball and Senior Boys’ it was going to be a strong season for them. Basketball.

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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.

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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.

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.

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.

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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.

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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.

“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.

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.

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

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

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BOARDING ACADEMY

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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.

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

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

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.

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

“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

“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.

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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.

“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.”

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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.

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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.

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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.

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.

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.

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$46,200,000 BUILDING COST

$29,955,000

FUNDS RAISED AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2023

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.

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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.

$8,000,000 GOAL

$7,044,113

FUNDS RAISED TO DATE

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

SCAN TO DONATE

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ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

1940s

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Canadian Armed Forces, he had many In memoriam, Royce Williams ’45 passed postings in Canada throughout his 40year career. After spending time working away at the age of 93 on October 31, at the National Defense Headquarters, 2021. Royce attended Pickering College James retired to Hamilton and enjoyed before returning home to England and a scholarly life with books, computer earning degrees in Geology and Eduprograms, music, and hosting annual cation. Royce had a special passion for family wine tours. 2 golf, playing 100 rounds a year during his retirement. Royce was not one to shy away from a challenge, completing three Happy 93rd birthday to Donald marathons in his 60s. He had a wonderful Cameron Azar ’49. Donald came to Newmarket, Ontario from Sydney, Nova retirement and enjoyed nothing better Scotia and attended Pickering College than a good meal with his family. 1 from 1947 to 1949. During his time on the Hilltop, he played soccer, hockey In memoriam, James Harrison ’47 and ran track. After graduating, Donald died peacefully on May 31, 2023, in returned to the East coast, attended St. Hamilton, Ontario. After graduating Francis Xavier University and obtained from Pickering College, James attended his professional engineer (P.Eng.) medical school at Queen’s University. He designation. Donald eventually moved went on to receive his medical license then served with Canada’s peacekeepers. to Vancouver, British Columbia in 1984 where he retired at age 66. Donald As a physician and administrator in the

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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

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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

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1960s

2000s

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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 1980s area has access to high-quality free water.

Test Pilot Instructor, Jonathan Knaul ’87, Adam is also the CFO of Kasha, a last was recently featured in the National Test mile health technology and distribution Pilot School (NTPS) newsletter entitled the Altitude Almanac. Jonathan has returned to company in East Africa. They recently Canada and is one of the newest instructors raised $21 million to expand operations across the continent. Adam is looking at the NTPS. The article highlights his love forward to what’s in store for the future, of teaching and utilizing his knowledge as the company expands to more of flying and engineering to teach the countries in Africa. 9 next generation of pilots. Jonathan notes: “nothing compares to what you get out of working with students and seeing them thrive.” 8 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

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ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

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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

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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

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

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

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

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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

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

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

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

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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

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ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

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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

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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

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SEND US AN UPDATE 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!

ALUMNA PROFILE

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.”

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ALUMNI PROFILES

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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.”

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 TO OUR DONORS REPORT TO THE PICKERING COLLEGE COMMUNITY 2022-2023

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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 Head of School

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Mirella Morra Chair, Board of Directors

12,756,536

$

WAS DONATED IN 2022-2023 BY OUR GENEROUS PC COMMUNITY.

494,465 253,200 $

$

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

3,203,858

$

WAS DONATED TO SUPPORT

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

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.

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

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

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

SILVER CIRCLE ($5,000 - $9,999)

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

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)

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

5+

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

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)

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

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PARENT SUPPORT 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

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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)

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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

L Robert Russel ‘67 L Herschell Sax ‘64 L Ronald Veale ‘63

1970s Christopher Rogers ‘70

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

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

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

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

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

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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

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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

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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.

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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)

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DANIEL WEINZWEIG 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 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.

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).

“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.”

“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

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

Photography: Tom Sandler

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

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.”

“My mother always claimed she didn’t need ‘things’ anymore. As an avid reader, she was thrilled with the idea of new books in the Learning Commons in her name.”

–Kirsten Nicolson

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RYAN FRANCIS ‘23 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.

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“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.

“My mother always claimed she didn’t need ‘things’ anymore. As an avid reader, she was thrilled with the idea of new books in the Learning Commons in her name.”

–Kirsten Nicolson

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LAMPLIGHTERS Giving for tomorrow, today.

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

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

PC LAMPLIGHTERS Ralph Barnes ’67 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

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CORPORATION MEMBERS 2022-2023 Trevor Hunt Eric Akbar Thomas Kim Sherry Barclay Heward Lee ‘78 Stephen Barratt ‘86 Vivian Lee Sal Bianco Kelly Mason Reuben Bonerath Isaias Medina III ‘85 Vanessa Carson Olga Morawczynski Susan Cooper Mirella Morra Michael Da Ponte Daniel Nelson Peter Dobbs ‘87 Ivan Pooran ‘82 Beric Farmer Kurt Richardson ‘02 Jason Foulds Krystie Robinson-Vincent Jason Herod Tara Roy-DiClemente Barbara Horvath Claudia Schauer Eva Huang

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

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VOLUME 45

ISSUE TWO

MANAGING EDITOR JESSIE-MAY ROWNTREE Assistant Head of School, Advancement EDITOR NAOMI CÔTÉ Communications Manager

UPCOMING EVENTS MAY – JUNE 2024

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

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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

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 TO SHARE YOUR COMMENTS, IDEAS OR FOR ADVERTISING RATES AND INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT JESSIE-MAY ROWNTREE (905) 895-1700 EXT. 234 jrowntree@pickeringcollege.on.ca PICKERING COLLEGE 16945 BAYVIEW AVENUE NEWMARKET, ONTARIO CANADA L3Y 4X2 TEL: (905) 895-1700 www.pickeringcollege.on.ca THE PILLARS IS PUBLISHED BY THE ADVANCEMENT OFFICE FOR ALUMNI, PARENTS, STUDENTS, STAFF AND FRIENDS OF PICKERING COLLEGE.

SAVE THE DATE Monday, May 13, 2024 Emerald Hills Golf Club

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

Learning For Life. Creating The Future.

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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.

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Visit us at www.pickeringcollege.on.ca