The Shield Spring 2021

THE

A MAGAZINE FOR THE ROYAL ST. GEORGE’S COLLEGE COMMUNITY

Spring 2021

SHIELD Pandemic Silver Linings Amid tough times, some unexpected blessings.

RSGCAA Launches Mentorship Program Catching up with the Class of 2020 Student Spotlight: Jacob Buchan ’21 The Best of Times and the Worst of Times during Covid

#RSGC STRONGER TOGETHER Annual Giving 2020/2021

This year's Annual Giving funds will allow our Headmaster to respond to the most urgent needs of the College.

Donate online www.rsgc.on.ca/giving

Contents

20 22

The Shield Spring 2021 Email: shield@rsgc.on.ca General Inquiries: 416.533.9481 Alumni Inquiries: 416.516.5202 Headmaster: Stephen Beatty ’86 Editor: Lauren Alpern Copy Editor: Dave Mitchell Designer: Jonathan Cresswell-Jones Photography: Lauren Alpern, CanGrad Studios, Gustavo Gonzalez, RSGC Archives, RSGC Community, Tom Stevens Editorial Committee: Lauren Alpern, Marin Anderson, Stephen Beatty ’86, Drew Blanchette ’96, Maria Jordan, Amanda Ploughman

34

RSGC Board of Governors

FEATURES

Officers

14

Staff Spotlight BY LAUREN ALPERN Emma Totten: At Home with Real World Connections

16

Alumni Spotlight BY LAUREN ALPERN Eddie Beqaj ’08: Staying Connected—How RSGC’s Alumni Network Bonded During Lockdown

18

Parent Spotlight BY LAUREN ALPERN Sydney Stoyan: Small Moments of Joy

20 Student Spotlight BY LAUREN ALPERN Jacob Buchan ’21: Practice Makes Prefect 22 The Best of Times and the Worst of Times What has our community gained from the pandemic? And what are we ready to leave behind? Four members of the RSGC community share their thoughts.

30 The Path of Most Resistance BY SUMNER & LANG RSGC students rise to the challenge of this pandemic and find opportunities to shine.

34 Catching Up with the Class of 2020 BY LAUREN ALPERN Four guys from the Class of 2020 share their experience during a COVIDfilled first year of university.

DEPARTMENTS 6

Events

10

Tributes

40

Our Changing Lives

Chair: Cathy Cranston Vice Chair: Gordon Raman Past Chair: Bruce Chapple ’87 Treasurer, Audit and Finance Committee Chair: Steve Geist Headmaster: Stephen Beatty ’86 Chief Financial Officer, Board Secretary: Jane Nyman Directors Brad Holland, Advancement Committee Chair Peter Mann, Governance Committee Chair Alyssa Pei, Strategic Planning Committee Chair Amanda Ploughman, Guild Representative Eddie Beqaj ’08, Alumni Representative Andrew Armstrong ’88 Dr. Leanne Foster Dr. Sarah Hale Alison Leung Sharon Lewis Geoff Osborne ’08 Jesse Parker ’01, Clergy Richard Talbot The Shield is the official magazine of Royal St. George’s College. Serving RSGC’s alumni and community, it strives to engage, inform and connect all audiences.

The Shield Spring 2021 • Royal St. George’s College 1

LETTER FROM THE HEADMASTER

Dear Fellow Georgians,

I

recently drove a familiar route, from Toronto to Kingston, to pick up my daughter and bring her home, along with her newly adopted cat and her worldly possessions, after four years of study at Queen’s. Not with a bang, but with a whimper, four great years were behind her. We took one last drive through the beautiful campus, but, as she pointed out, she hadn’t actually been in any of the campus buildings in 14 months, so even this acknowledgment of something ending was diluted.

For those hitting significant milestones in 2021, especially our Grade 12 graduates, there is something muted in the celebration of your accomplishments.

Please know that this does not diminish these accomplishments, your hard work or the promise of what comes next.

As I write this, we are also preparing to say goodbye

to two long-standing and accomplished leaders in the school, Catherine Kirkland and Nick Van Herk. Again, as we’re unable to gather and raise a glass together, our gratitude is shared on these pages.

Catherine is finishing her 20th year of leadership of the Junior School. Her vision of elementary education has transformed the Junior School, pedagogically and physically, and put us at the leading edge of progressive, independent education. Catherine’s colleagues are as loyal to her as she is to them, and, for 20 years, she has shown her authentic love for the boys in her care in every action and interaction. For me, Catherine has been a teacher and partner, challenging and supporting me. She is also a dear friend and I shall miss laughing with her every day. Her leadership, particularly in this difficult year, has been remarkable.

Nick’s 31 years of loyal service to the College and to our students have been equally remarkable. For more than a generation, Nick has been the expert hand that guided our graduates (and their families!) into their post-RSGC life.

Nick is as patient as he is proficient in navigating these waters. As a math teacher and coach, Nick has challenged his students to raise their sights and expect more of themselves.

Nick is a regular at alumni events, especially university visits where he likes to keep

up with his former students, and we look forward to his continued engagement with our alumni.

This community owes a great debt to Catherine and Nick. You have given so much to the College, and we wish you all the best.

Stephen Beatty ’86 Headmaster

Message from the Editor

I

t’s hard to believe that another school year has come to a close. This year was challenging for all of us, but I think we have proven that the RSGC community remains as strong as always.

So many of the ways we work, learn, gather and celebrate have had to change in profound ways, as you will see in this issue. We have four spotlights on members of the community who have had to get creative in their RSGC roles to meet the needs and challenges they encountered.

Our features highlight some of the positive things that have come out of this pandemic,

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including a few that might stick around when life goes back to normal (page 22), students stepping up to the plate and finding ways to get involved when school life has been far from normal (page 30), and a catch-up with some members of the Class of 2020, who have made the most of a challenging situation in their own way (page 34).

While it’s true that the pandemic has been a challenge for all of us, there have definitely been some silver linings. This issue hopefully brings that to light. And while so many things have been

different this year, flipping through the latest issue of The Shield is one thing that can remain the same. (Except this time, it was put together with two kids and a dog on my lap!)

Enjoy the issue, stay healthy and have a great summer.

Lauren Alpern Editor, The Shield lalpern@rsgc.on.ca

MESSAGE FROM THE RSGCAA PRESIDENT

RSGC

ALUMNI

Zooming Right Along Dear Fellow Georgians, As we come to the end of another school year, I don’t think anyone could have imagined that we would once again find ourselves under heavy restrictions and still within the continued and constant threat of the COVID-19 virus. As vaccination efforts continue to ramp up, I am more than hopeful that brighter days lie ahead.

As I reflect on my first year as President of the RSGCAA, I am extremely proud of what our team has accomplished to help Georgians continue to stay connected to each other and RSGC during the pandemic. Our three-part goal to create value, enhance our communications and improve operations has remained a constant priority

for the Executive Committee.

I am fortunate to work with a talented group of volunteers who truly care about this association and are consistently striving to provide meaningful events and initiatives for our alumni.

Over the last year, we hosted three Knights Talk Speaker Series events and two virtual cooking classes, all with incredible participation from our community.

We continued to offer the Grade 12s support through university mentorship and transition workshops. We held a Class of 2020 reunion and a Virtual Pub Night for their parents. We launched Georgian Connect, our new alumni mentorship platform, and invited the community to take part in a special virtual launch event. Behind the scenes, we continued to push forward other strategic

ALWAYS GEORGIAN

initiatives, including developing a mentorship handbook, communications plan and sponsorship package.

As safety protocols and restrictions for 2021-22 continue to evolve and unfold, we will continue to keep you informed of what we have in store for the fall and beyond.

As of right now, plans for the 2021 Old Boys’ Dinner and Carols and Cocktails event remain uncertain. We remain hopeful that on-campus and in-person events will resume in early 2022.

This has been a challenging year for many and I would encourage all of you to reach out to a fellow Georgian to check in. It can go a long way! Our alumni directory can be found on the portal at rsgc.myschoolapp.com/ app/#login.

Also, if you have an idea or would like to learn more

about how to get involved, please do not hesitate to email us at alumni@rsgc.on.ca.

I wish you and your families a healthy and happy summer, and look forward to connecting in the fall.

Best,

Eddie Beqaj ’08 President

ALUMNI PARENT MESSAGE To say that this past year as your Alumni Parent Ambassadors ‘zoomed’ by in the blink of an eye is an understatement! Yet, at the same time, this past year has felt like the longest and slowest year we have ever experienced.

As a community, we can truly say that RSGC has provided many opportunities to connect and support one another during this pandemic. That has included events like the Alumni Association’s Knights Talks, fun cooking classes with alum Afrim Pristine ’99 of the Cheese Boutique and the Class of 2020 Pub and Trivia Night. For all of this, we thank you, our fellow alum parents, for participating, the RSGC Alumni Association

and the wonderful RSGC staff who helped pull these events together. A special shout-out to Marin Anderson, Manager of Georgian Relations, who is truly creative and a Zoom-operating wizard!

It was our pleasure to play a small role in helping our community stay connected, and we truly cannot wait until our connections can be made in person once again.

Keep the faith and stay safe. This too shall pass.

And now we would like to pass the torch to our incoming Alumni Parent Ambassador, Tricia Tait, mom to Matt ’19 and Josh Wheler ’21.

All the best, Daniela Gallo and Pat Forgione (Cristian ’18 and Matteo ’20)

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MENTORING

Georgian Connect New program takes mentoring to the next level

W

alking through the doors at 120 Howland can be life-transforming—and not just for current students. Once you become a member of the school’s alumni association, the RSGCAA, you have a wealth of resources at your fingertips, including an alumni network of over 4,350 people and growing, doing all manner of interesting work in every corner of the planet.

When the association introduced its strategic plan in 2019, the top priorities were building relationships and creating value. The RSGCAA aimed to build a stronger network and community of alumni, including by inaugurating a formal mentorship program.

With Geoff Osborne ’08 leading the mentorship portfolio for several years, an informal mentorship program had been well underway and growing steadily. Now, in 2021, amidst a global pandemic, Dan Mitchell ’99 and Connor Byrne ’13 are ready to take the mentorship program to the next level.

The duo, who head-up the mentorship portfolio on the RSCAA Executive, also happen to have a Mentor/Mentee relationship.

“We met through the RSGCAA. I saw him at my first meeting back in 2017 and

thought he looked familiar, but then we realized we worked at the same firm,” said Connor, who ended up at his RBC role through a series of RSGC connections.

“During the three years we worked together, Connor would approach me about the different career paths at RBC and ask for advice on progressing his career,” said Dan. “As we met regularly to develop the RSGCAA mentoring program, we realized we should practice what we preach and establish a mentoring relationship of our own.”

While Dan mentored Connor to advance his career, the pair worked diligently to modernize the RSGCAA’s mentorship program. In February 2021, Georgian Connect was launched using the Mentorship Rocket platform that connects mentees to mentors. The web-based system allows mentees to search for a mentor in the industry that interests them and book a timeslot with the mentor of their choice. If they are a good fit, the mentor and mentee can develop a more lasting relationship.

When it launched, the Mentorship Rocket database quickly signed up 16 RSGC alumni mentors in various industries: education,

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The Mentorship Committee meets via Zoom

engineering, finance, law, management consulting, medicine, real estate investment and others. Since that launch, the program has also attracted over 20 mentees.

“We want to be able to have a mentor in every industry that someone is interested in, but we’ll see where the interests lie. We can always add more mentors to meet

demand. Our alumni seem to be very willing to help out,” said Connor. “We had one mentee who was keen to meet with a mechanical engineer, but didn’t see one on the list. Within the hour, we were able to secure an engineer to mentor this Georgian.”

The nice part about Mentorship Rocket for the Mentorship Committee, which also includes Ben Mason ’11, Conor Gordon ’09 and RSGC’s Marin Anderson, is that after the initial work to get the Georgian Connect program set up, it allows for a more scalable approach in which a larger number of mentors and mentees can connect.

“The great thing about the program is that it’s hands-off. What we had been doing in years prior was fielding individual requests from people in their third or fourth year of university and seeing who we could connect them with from within the Georgian community,” said

Connor Byrne ’13 and Dan Mitchell ’99 have been instrumental in launching Georgian Connect.

Connor. “Now we have a database where Georgians can find mentors and book timeslots on their own.”

“We had previously struggled with the operational aspects of making long-lasting relationships and tracking their progress,” said Dan. “When we got a request, we found that we were always relying on our personal networks. The new model is much more fluid.

By loading the system with a pool of great people in various industries, our mentees have more selection and more control over the process.

Finding a mentor takes time and effort, and our aim

here is to provide the right platform for some of these connections to be made.”

The software also allows the association to collect data and use it to improve the program: are people using the system? How are they using it? Does the committee need to alter its approach?

All of this data will help the RSGCAA ensure that users have the best possible experience and get the most out of the program.

And while Dan and Connor no longer work together—Connor moved on to a new role at a small wealth management firm earlier in 2021—their relationship remains strong. Dan loves being a mentor and thinks it’s an important part of being a Georgian.

“We’ve got a great group of people who are alumni and, as that group grows with the addition of new RSGC grads, we are well-placed to expand the networking and mentorship that happens within our community,” said Dan. “As a fellow Georgian, I’m more than happy to take a meeting with younger alum and help them discover where they want to be and how to get there.”

As for Connor, he doesn’t think he would

be where he is today without his Georgian mentoring.

“I know that it was instrumental in starting my career. You learn from others’ experiences and advice, and that is invaluable when you are at the beginning of your career,” said Connor. “Having a mentor is key, regardless of whether you’re just getting started in an industry or planning your next career move.”

Dan also believes that a mentor/mentee relationship isn’t just about those looking to start out their careers.

“I’d like to see the program transition to include entrepreneurs who want help starting a business, or new people-managers in need of leadership advice,” said Dan. “Mentorship can also be about your own path and self-improvement.”

For more information about Georgian Connect, scan this QR code:

To register as a mentor, or for questions about the program, the RSGCAA Executive Mentorship Committee can be reached at mentors@rsgc.on.ca.

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EVENTS

Georgian Moments Class of 2020 Reunion Over 40 alumni from the Class of 2020 joined Mr. Beatty and over a dozen faculty members on January 21 for a casual Zoom event. There was a scavenger hunt and a lot of identifiable RSGC swag within reach!

On-Screen Cuisine with Afrim Pristine ’99 On February 17, the RSGCAA hosted the second On-Screen Cuisine with Toronto’s very own cheese master and owner of the Cheese Boutique, Afrim Pristine ’99. Afrim led a sold-out audience of 270 people (120 households) through a virtual cooking demonstration of a traditional meze-style meal with Italian, Greek, Turkish and Moroccan flavours, textures and combinations.

All ingredients were delivered right to the homes of our participants, including a bottle of Le Calvane’s Quercione Chianti and a sampling of bread from Forno Cultura, donated by the DiCapo Family Foundation.

These were the perfect complement to the meal.

Class of 2020 Alumni Parent Virtual Pub Night On February 4, Alumni Parent Reps Daniela Gallo, Pat Forgione and their co-hosts, Julie and Andrew Dreger, hosted a virtual Pub Night for the Class of 2020 parents. There was a fun trivia challenge, time to catch up in small groups and a visit from Headmaster Stephen Beatty ’86. To enhance the evening, optional Cheese Boutique Snack Packs were available for purchase and prizes were awarded to the champions of the pub quiz. Thank you to everyone who joined us for this fun event.

Hidden Gems A virtual Hidden Gems showcasing the incredible talents of the RSGC community was held on April 8. If you missed it, you can watch it anytime by scanning this QR code.

Thank you to music teacher Emily Johnson for her dedication, along with MC Max Balzer and editors Liam Cassano, Owen O’Leary and Joey Lisser.

University Transition Workshop In an effort to help the Class of 2021 prepare for life after high school, the RSGCAA hosted the annual Grade 12 University Transition Workshop on May 12. This event is designed to help prepare our boys for the transition from high school to the lecture halls of post-secondary study. Guest speaker Noah Gentner, Ph.D., NBC-HWC, CPHWC, RHC, Professor and Program Coordinator for the Wellness Coaching post-graduate program at Humber College, spoke to the students about mental health, time management, accountability and tools for success. Noah was joined by a panel of alumni for his presentation, and a group of university mentors from the Class of 2020 led a series of breakout discussions.

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Grad Moms’ Tea On May 7, RSGC hosted the virtual Grad Moms’ Tea, one of the most beloved events on the school calendar. Despite not being held in person, moms of boys graduating this year were still celebrated. The Advancement Team delivered them a package of goodies and a special gift, and everyone got together on Zoom for an emotional tribute. Tears were shed.

COMMUNITY

UNEXPECTED

BLESSINGS The pandemic hasn’t been an easy time for most of us. What has been an unexpected blessing that has come out of it?

Being able to spend extra precious time with my kids and get midday hugs! —Lori Gomes, RSGC parent Blessed to have the Rouge Park in my Stouffville backyard.

Nice long hikes in silence overlooking the Toronto skyline! —Michelle Bader, Senior School teacher My children have learned how to entertain themselves and have

become far more creative with their playtime than they ever were before.

It makes me realize that their lives were likely overprogrammed and, ‘postCOVID’, it wouldn’t hurt to have more downtime. We’ll see how that goes! —An RSGC employee I’m so grateful that I have a job, and I’m grateful for life in general.

—Toni Nosworthy, Admissions Associate Rouge Park

Theo Gomes

I’ve realized that COVID sucks in a lot of ways, but that in a lot of ways, it doesn’t. Many people are getting sick and it’s amazing

to see other people go above and beyond to care for them.

We can’t see each other’s smiles under our masks, but we’re also making eye

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Clare Samworth's original student card

Heidi Phlip with her teenage sons

Listening in to my daughter’s university Art History lectures—so enriching.

Prompted me to re-enrol in university; we’ll see if another degree materializes or not! —Clare Samworth, RSGC parent

we were all rushing around, without the time that our parents or grandparents might have had to try out new things, get into new hobbies, pursue personal interests. The year 2020-21 has given us all the time in the world to do that. It feels, in many ways, like the summer vacations we had as schoolboys—for good AND for ill.

—Ben Sharma ’99

The largest blessing from the pandemic, I strongly believe, is time. Time and space for introspection, for a stocktaking of one’s life. There was a bit of a cultural narrative about how

My RSGC stand-up comedy club went online and moved to Wednesday evenings at 7:00 pm. We had a hard time meeting after classes without one of us

Connecting with myself.

Connecting with others. — Heidi Philip, RSGC parent

Ben Sharma ’99

contact more than ever.

Us introverts, we realized that we need other people, and the extroverts among us have a greater sense of self. Personally, I was suddenly unemployed, but then again, I had a summer off to hang with my teenage sons.

I was able to see that living well doesn’t necessarily correlate to financial security.

In fact, the things that most fulfill me have nothing to do with money. They have everything to do with connecting with nature.

RSGC Stand-up Comedy club

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having a scheduling conflict, but the boys who signed up are really into it, so it was important to us to find a time to make it work. This is always the highlight of my week, and I don’t want to go back! Having it outside of regular school hours makes it seem more like it’s just a group of random people with an interest in comedy getting together, being themselves and having some great laughs. It’s better than anything I’d be watching on Netflix! I think taking a few hours between school and the club, and having dinner first, just puts everyone in a great place to be creative

Karen Atkinson's view during a drive with her son Seb.

Tristan Bogler ’10

grow the game that we all love! —Tristan Bogler ’10

and workshop their ideas. — Leanne Mladen, Senior School Art Teacher May 2020: Lockdown was two months old and we were adjusting to consistent family dinners—a novel luxury—and the lack of social lives for our teenage sons.

One night, Seb needed a break from his final push on his Grade 11 end-of-year assignments. He asked to head out after dinner to practice driving. He had earned his G1 licence prior to the pandemic and wanted to practice parallel parking, while waiting for G2 driving tests to resume.

While I was saddened for him that a study break was a car ride with his mom instead of a trip to Tom’s Dairy Freeze with his friends, we buckled in and he started driving down an eerily empty Bloor Street. Seb chose the playlist: Drake, Chance the Rapper, Pop Smoke and then it became 100 per cent Tragically Hip. It was a warm spring evening and we felt somewhat liberated from the lockdown, as the windows were rolled down. Then, the opening riffs of “Bobcaygeon” spilled from speakers across the open windows and

onto Bloor. As Seb drove, we sang aloud, discussing the poetry and the history of Gord’s references in the music, including the 1933 race riots as we drove past Christie Pits.

As Seb pulled into the driveway, the constellations appeared, the pandemic and lockdown forgotten. Ten months later, the lockdown continues, yet music and poetry continue to keep us connected and hopeful. — Karen Atkinson, RSGC Parent For me, the biggest blessing from the pandemic has been the liberation and divergence from what I “should be doing” as an MBA and young business professional. Even before attending the Rotman School of Management, my aspiration was always to be an executive in the National Hockey League (sidenote: in my graduating year, I told Brian Burke that I was going to take his job right in front of the chapel entrance!), but I got caught up in the pre-COVID rhetoric and ended up in the rat race at a Bay Street consulting firm. It took more than seven months of lockdown for me to come to the realization that I would

never be happy running my life by someone else’s rules.

As luck would have it, a week after leaving the Ivory Tower, I was back in the rink working for a dream organization, Hockey Canada. Now, instead of building spreadsheets and talking in corporate gibberish, through the Hockey Canada Foundation’s Assist Fund, I get to remove financial barriers for families in need from coast-to-coast, and ultimately

I’ve found that with the lack of social connection, I’ve made more of an effort to connect with friends and family all over the world. I’ve had many Zoom calls, Google Meets and joint Facetime chats with my sisters and father, who live in three different states in the U.S. We never did that in a pre-pandemic world, despite all living in different cities. No doubt, it’s something we’ll continue whenever things get back to something that resembles normal life. —Lauren Alpern, Shield Editor

Lauren Alpern's Google Meet with her family in the U.S. The Shield Spring 2021 • Royal St. George’s College 9

TRIBUTE

A Tribute to Catherine Kirkland Catherine Kirkland is leaving RSGC after an incredible 20 years. Based on these messages from the community, it’s obvious that she will be missed. On behalf of the entire RSGC community, we wish you all the best in your next adventure, Ms. Kirkland!

End of an era! I hope the next chapter is as great as the last 20 years. Wishing you nothing but the best on your next adventure. Your kind nature, love for students and leadership will be missed.

—Anthony Mariano ’12 A huge thank you to Ms. Kirkland, who helped shape me and all of the boys into the gentlemen we are today.

Wishing her the best in her future endeavours! —Oliver Sabiston ’18 I simply can't imagine RSGC without Catherine, yet her legacy will live on forever in the Junior School. We will always remember to "Be kind."

Wishing Catherine joy and happiness in the next exciting chapter in her life. We will miss her. —Mardi Michels, Junior School Teacher Thank you for being a wonderful teacher, Ms. Kirkland. All the very best for your next phase. —Jane Lloyd, RSGC Parent

Catherine cares deeply about all of the students at RSGC. She has an amazing capacity to really know the boys, as well as their families.

Her legacy of teaching us to be kind and to take care of each other and the world around us will always be remembered.

—Janet Stephenson, Junior School Teacher So sad that our paths crossed for only a short time, but I am forever grateful for all of the kindness and support you’ve shown me and my family. Wishing you so much joy on your next adventure. —Lesley Stoyan, RSGC Parent Catherine always has time for humour. Whether I was between classes or reporting back from a field trip, one of us would crack a joke and then we’d milk it until we were laughing out loud and doubled over. —Jay Kearsey, Junior School Teacher I’ve never worked with someone who was so

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genuinely interested in how my family was. It wasn’t just about work with Catherine; she always took the time with her teachers to understand and appreciate what a balanced life was all about. —Brian Robinson, Junior School Teacher So sad to think of all the boys who won’t get a chance to meet you! We have such good memories of you greeting us each morning with a smile and a lovely greeting. All the best for your next chapter.

—Joanne Deshpande, RSGC Alumni Parent

Thank you for welcoming me into the school in Grade 3, and helping me out every step of the way. You absolutely made my school experience, and I’m very grateful to have learned from you. Enjoy wherever you go next, and I wish you all the best.

—Ben Furnish, Class of 2023 As long as I’ve known Catherine, her commitment to the success of every boy who entered the Junior School has been unwavering. I am grateful for her wisdom and friendship these past 20 years and wish her success on

her next adventure. —Paul O’Leary, Head of Senior School Catherine is a wonderful friend and like a sister to me. She is a visionary, always sees what is at the heart of any situation and is full of wisdom.

Learning from and with Catherine has been a great gift, and I have been stretched, supported and loved under her leadership. —Anna Magor, Director of Teaching and Learning, Junior School Catherine has been the Head of the Junior School for 20 years, but she has always remained a teacher at heart. She has taught us about the importance of lifelong learning, taking risks, building community, loving our students and the power of kindness. Catherine’s impact on the school runs deep, and she has ensured that RSGC stands on a strong foundation of love, laughter, learning and joy. I am grateful for the impact Catherine continues to have on me as an educator and friend. —Stefanie Turner, Junior School Teacher I will forever be grateful to Ms. Kirkland for instilling in me a respect for authority. I never wanted to let her down, and I always trusted that she had the best interest of the boys at heart. I thank her for her years of dedication to educating young Georgians, and wish her love and joy in the next chapter. —Otis Moore ’15 I am so appreciative of Ms. Kirkland and everything she did for me during my time at RSGC. At a time when I

needed help, she treated me with so much empathy and understanding. It is difficult to find someone who better exemplifies the phrase “known and loved.” —AJ Mills ’16 I was lucky enough to spend 10 years starting off my day with a conversation with Ms. Kirkland on the layby. From her warm greeting and her endless support for initiatives and ideas, to the lifelong gift of music that she has given me, I am so grateful to have had such a kind and caring person as one of the most influential teachers in my RSGC career.

—Joey Lisser ’21 Throughout her time leading the Junior School at RSGC, Catherine has been a progressive educator and a champion for all, especially the misunderstood. She has always been a great source of knowledge and comfort to parents, teachers and students. She has led the Junior School with her heart and soul, and at the core of all her decisions was always her love of children. I’ll continue to admire her courage, honesty, grace and respect for all, and I’ll miss our belly laughs and morning layby conversations.

She was and will continue to be a most cherished friend, and I wish her the very best in this next chapter of life.

—Jennifer Bonetta, Dean of Middle School Activities

Catherine has been an incredible friend, teacher and mentor to me over the past 15 years. I cannot express how much I have learned from her. The quality that I admire the most is her staunch and unwavering love of each individual

feel that we belonged —right from the day we arrived. Who can forget her big smile every morning, waving and greeting the parents as they dropped off boys? I’ll never forget when I was feeling anxious and worried in Grade 4 and Ms. Kirkland sat me down, comforted me and explained what it was that I was experiencing. She always showed

child. It is this love that guides everything she does every day. She will be greatly missed.

—Nadya Habib, Junior School Teacher Catherine leads with heart and integrity, the impact of which is so evident when you walk into the Junior School. There is a tangible sense of love, community and connection.

We have all been so fortunate to learn and grow with her.

—Margaret Nozuka, Junior School Teacher Words cannot describe what Ms. Kirkland has meant to me over the many years of attending RSGC. I will never forget her warmth and the way she made my family

me, Zachary and Harrison endless support and guidance, and encouraged us to use our talents and strengths! On behalf of the Crooks boys, we send our love and wish you all the best in the years to come. —Thaddeus Crooks ’14 We love you, Ms. Kirkland! You will be missed dearly. —Belinda Zissopoulos, RSGC Parent

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TRIBUTE

A Tribute to Nick Van Herk Beloved teacher, counsellor and coach, Nick Van Herk is retiring after 31 years at RSGC. We asked some of his former students to share their favourite memories to help celebrate Nick in style.

Jon Kellett ’00

When I returned to the college to coach the u16 and the Varsity team, he often found a way to duck into the gym, and coach my coaching, and cheer on the team. Van Herk provided influential guidance to every Georgian who walked the halls, and the College (and I) will miss him! —Thomas Robson ’14

My favourite Van Herk memories are, unsurprisingly, all related to basketball. When he was coaching us, he was always supportive: knowing when to make a joke to lighten the

mood, and knowing when sometimes you just needed to sit in silence together. As an alumnus, it was great to see him go out of his way to come say hi (and sometimes even get in on our runs).

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I graduated from RSGC in 1996. At that time, high school was five years and I chose to do it in four. Mr. Van Herk was my economics teacher. Students in the class were mainly 17 year olds. I was the outlier at age 15, but I was a hard worker.

Nick was very supportive of me and this goal to complete an entire year in a shortened timeline. His belief in my best potential motivated me to work hard and excel in his classes, and ultimately achieve my goal of graduating early.

On the field, Nick enjoyed the banter with students as they played sports, and his mantra of ‘being balanced’ was evident to me from his own life and personality. He has been an asset to RSGC, and I am fortunate to have had him as one of my teachers during my years.

Thank you, Nick!—Netan Choudhry ’96

Netan Choudhry ’96

Watching Mr. Van Herk dunk on my brother [Alastair Kellett ’98] in Shield of Dreams never gets old.

Enjoy retirement, sir! —Jon Kellett ’00 Congratulations on your much-deserved retirement!

You made a difference in my life, as I wasn’t always the best math student (or student in general), but you got me through it. And, funny enough, I ended up using everything I learned from you in my career. —Duane Lee ’93 During a meeting with my parents in Grade 12, the discussion came down to the fact that I needed to raise my overall average to above 90 per cent in order to pursue many of the schools on my wish list. Mr. Van Herk asked me if I would be able to meet that requirement, and after I responded yes, he immediately pulled out a piece a paper and drafted a contract, in which I promised I would raise my overall average to above 90 per cent. I signed it in front of him and my parents, and ended up achieving that

goal. I am forever grateful for his encouragement! —Jacky Yao ’10 I remember during my first meeting in Grade 11 with Mr. Van Herk, he asked me if I had identified any programs and schools that would be a good fit.

At the time, I imagined myself going to either Western or Queen’s, and had casually been considering Dalhousie. I was coming off a difficult Grade 10 year, missing most of the school year recovering from brain surgery.

So, leaving the province for my undergrad felt as far away as Christie Pits on a rainy Rugby Phys Ed rotation.

Unbeknownst to me, Mr. Van Herk ranked where he thought I might fit best, and throughout the year in his Data Management class, he got to know me better as a student.

Following a trip to Halifax for some school tours that fall, and thanks to Ms. Girvan repping Dal as her alma mater, I began to seriously consider moving east for school.

Long story short, he knew Dalhousie BCOMM would be a great fit for me, before I had even started seriously

considering the program.

Five years later, graduating with 12 months of co-op work experience, a six-month exchange to the UK under my belt, the lyrics to Barrett’s Privateers forever implanted in my brain, and with an incredible group of lifelong friends, I can’t imagine having had a better university experience anywhere else.

Thanks, Mr. Van Herk, for steering me in the right direction! Wish you all the best in your retirement. —David Munro ’09 VH told me that “click here and accept offer” meant that I got into McGill, which was where I did my undergrad. I thought it was a joke, but VH said that as soon as I left his office, I could run the hallways outside the library, scream and attempt a backflip/somersault to celebrate. I may have almost suffered a charley horse before first period, but it was worth it. Congrats on a great career, Mr. VH, and thanks for ensuring our goals were reached after graduation.

—Anthony Mariano ’12

The first time I met Nick was after a long morning shift as a parent ambassador. I had the pleasure of sitting beside Nick during lunch in Ketchum Hall. He was introduced to me as our "much loved university counsellor." I felt a rush as I peppered him with a million questions about different colleges. Every time he tried to take a bite of his lunch, I would blast him with another query and despite not eating a morsel of food, he answered all of my questions in his gentle Georgian way.

I asked if I could meet with him as soon as possible to discuss Connor's college options. He felt my urgency.

As Nick got up to leave, he looked down at me and asked, "Mary, what grade is your son in?" I replied, "Grade 4." The entire table burst out laughing. Nick just smiled, rolled his eyes and said, "Mary, you have lots of time."

Well, here we are, eight years later and my son is heading to university, thanks to Nick's wonderful guidance.

Enjoy your retirement, my dear friend, you deserve it.

You will be so missed because you are so loved!

- Mary Garafalo, RSGC parent

The Shield Spring 2021 • Royal St. George’s College 13

STAFF SPOTLIGHT

Emma Totten At Home with Real World Connections

BY LAUREN ALPERN

B

ack when COVID19 wasn’t in our vocabulary, Emma Totten would leave her house in Port Credit by 6:30 in the morning and not get home until 8:00 in the evening. Her young daughter, Chloe, got used to not seeing her mother

on weekdays, while Emma adapted to missing family meals from Monday to Friday.

Time with her husband, Jeff, was also sparse.

Enter the pandemic.

Both Emma and Jeff are working from home full-time.

Chloe is enrolled in full-time

Emma and her daughter Chloe

14 The Shield Spring 2021 • Royal St. George’s College

online school. They’re together for all meals, and there’s not much privacy to be had. It’s a big shift from years past, but it’s a silver lining in what has been a difficult time for many.

“As much as I miss the staff by not being on campus, I’m enjoying the time with my family,” said Emma. “And I certainly don’t miss the commute. I could be in the car up to three hours a day sometimes.”

Emma, who is the Coordinator of Global Partnerships and Real World Connections, has also been working as a Learning Strategist in the Senior School this year, covering Tara Ardila’s maternity leave. And while she thoroughly enjoys her time with the students, she has still had the challenging task of finding volunteer opportunities for the boys and meeting the needs of the College’s community partners.

That includes Lord Dufferin Public School, which had always been the recipient of many classroom visits with Right to Play and Reading Buddies, along with donations of school supplies from RSGC community drives.

While the in-person component this year hasn’t been able to happen, a loyal group of students still “visit” a Grade 2/3 classroom at Lord Dufferin twice a week through virtual Reading Buddies, sponsored by First Book Canada, and virtual Math Buddies, a new program this year. It’s a very popular program, both with the Georgians and with the kids at Lord Dufferin.

Teacher Elizabeth Baltazar is so appreciative that Emma has kept this program running.

“I’m so very grateful that Emma has ensured our partnership with RSGC continues even through a pandemic,” said Elizabeth. “Our time with RSGC may not be in person, but the ongoing connections through the Reading Buddies and Math Buddies programs have been heartwarming. It’s honestly such a relief knowing that the school community I work in is also valued and remembered by so many Georgians—all thanks to Emma and Lauren Alpern.”

Emma and Chloe are weekly participants in the virtual programs. In fact, Chloe often takes over Emma’s seat at her computer, captivated by the

Emma has been working closely with Lord Dufferin Public School to ensure that the Virtual Reading Buddies and Math Buddies programs run every week.

Georgians’ storytelling. It’s just another perk of mother and daughter being home together all the time.

“One of the other heartwarming effects of meeting with RSGC virtually is how my class and I get a chance to meet and get to know Emma and Chloe,” said Elizabeth. “During times like this, it’s even more important to surround yourself with your loved ones to get through it all, and for Emma to include her daughter during our fun sessions means a great deal. My class and I look forward to the day when we can all meet in person once again.

Until then, we’ll continue to connect one story and one math game at a time.”

The College has also managed to run a few community drives this year with the help of Emma’s organizational skills, and Lord Dufferin was the recipient of numerous school supplies. But COVID makes it all a lot more complicated.

“Everything has to be set up differently, with drop-off locations for every cohort, at every entrance,” said Emma.

“Things have to go into isolation at the other organization. The House Captains and Prefects collect at every entrance and then everything has to be delivered the day it’s collected. It all takes more planning and logistics.”

As for meeting the needs of community partners, Emma has been in constant contact with organizations like Our Place Community of Hope and Friday Food Ministries to see how the College can help. Whether it’s cooking at home and delivering food to Friday Food Ministries or dropping off groceries to Our Place Community of Hope, Georgian families

have been jumping at any opportunity to help out, with spots getting filled almost instantly. When possible, parent volunteers have continued to drop off food from Ketchum Hall to the Scott Mission.

“It’s real for a lot of our families and I’m really happy that so many have taken to it,” said Emma. “With everyone at home, I think people are looking for something to do. They’re seeing everything that’s happening, they see people losing their jobs and more people depending on food banks.

They want to help however they can.”

In November, Emma worked closely with Georgian Parents’ Guild Community Service convenors Merle Armstrong and Laura Strain to organize a virtual Day of Service for the Senior School. It was a massive undertaking with many moving parts, but one that worked out to be a success. While it couldn’t possibly replace a normal Day of Service that often includes hands-on experiences—cooking, shovelling, cleaning, repairing, etc.—it was still a valuable day for the boys.

“We had 16 different placements, all with connections to charities, and an expert in the field for each of them,” said Emma. “Many of the boys missed the face-to-face experience, but also said it was really interesting to learn about something different. Toronto Humane Society, for example, gave a virtual tour and then they made toys for the animals. Some of the boys kept them for their own pets and some dropped them off for the animals.

There was even a student-run clothing drive that came out of the day.”

As one of the Community Service convenors, Merle has worked closely

with Emma for several years and has been impressed by how well Emma has shifted in her role—particularly with the Day of Service.

“That was a difficult one to pivot on.

The boys used to physically do stuff and then all of a sudden, we had to make it interesting enough that it’s still a Day of Service and delivering what it’s supposed to, but I think Emma managed to do a great job,” said Merle, whose son Oliver is in the Class of 2022. “It was much harder to do an online one from an organizational perspective—it was a lot of work.”

Merle loves working with Emma and describes her as calm, kind-hearted, committed, enthusiastic and a non-judgmental listener. She is impressed by how well Emma has worked to come up with ways for students and their families to get involved with community service partners during the pandemic.

“Emma is also always looking for new opportunities for RSGC,” said Merle.

“This has meant casting her net wider than the immediate community, so that the boys could get involved.”

In the meantime, while she’s looking for opportunities, she can have dinner with her family.

The Shield Spring 2021 • Royal St. George’s College 15

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Eddie Beqaj ’08 Staying Connected: How RSGC’s Alumni Network Bonded During Lockdown

BY LAUREN ALPERN

W

hen Eddie Beqaj ’08 was in Grade 12 at RSGC, he landed the role of Social Prefect—surprising absolutely no one.

According to his closest friend Geoff Martin ’08, he was an extremely friendly, well-known and well-liked student.

Eddie loved his time at the school and

says it was the best time of his life, so it was an easy step for him to join the RSGCA Alumni Association back in 2014. He moved into the role of President in the summer of 2020, not knowing that he would spend at least his first year leading the association from his computer screen.

Eddie and Geoff

16 The Shield Spring 2021 • Royal St. George’s College

“It’s not exactly how I imagined things would be, but it’s been really interesting,” said Eddie. “We figured we’d be back in person in time to have our big mentoring and networking event in May, but as time went on, we realized that we weren’t going back anytime soon. That’s when we had to step back, figure out our new goals and objectives, and how we would deliver value digitally.”

The first step was moving the RSGCAA meetings to Zoom, which has led to a massive increase in participation. Without the members having to rush to campus at the end of a long workday, it has been an easy and successful transition.

Eddie has a great relationship with RSGC, and ensures that the meetings are effective and efficient by having his team come prepared.

“I’ve told them: ‘Don’t come to the meeting to brainstorm; brainstorm in your portfolio group and then come tell us how we can support you.’ So, they’re meeting on their own and coming back to us, which has been really beneficial when it comes to time management,” said Eddie, who works as Senior Relationship Manager of Enterprise at Flinks. “I think that’s how we’ve really excelled. Everyone is chipping in outside of our regular meetings. We’ve all had to pull up our socks and do this as a team to lead the ship. It takes a village.”

RSGCAA meetings on Zoom and online events like On-Screen Cuisine with Afrim Pristine ’99 have been hugely successful.

Their approach has worked, successfully engaging a broader segment of the alumni network in directing the work of the organization. From virtual reunions and Knights Talks to online cooking events, there is no doubt that Georgians have still found ways to connect despite the pandemic. They, in fact, crave it.

Eddie, who started at RSGC in Grade 4, knows that virtual events can’t replace in-person gatherings—especially RSGCAA staples like the Old Boys’ Dinner and the Carol Service. There is no substitute for getting together with Old Boys for a drink or a catch-up chat in Ketchum Hall. But he’s been blown away by how strong alumni engagement has remained through the shift to virtual events.

“We did a few speakers’ series where people were able to listen and learn.

We’ve changed and adapted the way we’ve done things and we’ve seen some really good uptake,” said Eddie. “The two On-Screen Cuisine events with Afrim [Pristine ’99] were a massive success. The first one had 150 people, the second had

270 people. And it wasn’t just alumni who participated, which is what was really amazing. It was the RSGCAA putting the event on for the school. It was alumni parents, current parents, staff.

My sister even did it. We’re connecting people. I think we’ve been able to knock that out of the park.”

RSGCAA Past President Drew Blanchette ’96, who now runs the events portfolio along with Scott Ackley ’04, David Clarke ’08, Peter Antonoff ’82 and RSGC Advancement team members Maria Jordan and Marin Anderson, is impressed with what the RSGCAA has managed to pull off.

“We’ve really had to think outside the box in what we want to do—and we’re not done yet. We’re trying to think of something related to golf. We want to do something related to art with Michael Antonoff ’86 and the McMichael Gallery.

We’re going to do a musical event with Otis Moore ’15 in the late Spring,” said Drew. “We learned that all of our events don’t have to happen in person, and it shows you that people are craving community. I know I’ll take anything right now. If RSGC is a means for us to have a dinner as a community, then let’s do it. I can’t wait for us to have our Old Boys’ Dinner back, but until then, we’ll keep doing this.”

Drew, who led the RSGCAA for four years, including during the early days of COVID-19 last year, says it has been an easy transition with Eddie, largely because he has been so upbeat about everything.

“Eddie is a very positive individual— his demeanor, his attitude, everything is

so upbeat and positive. It’s been nice,” said Drew. “He’s very good at empowering his troops. It’s a group effort and always has been, but Eddie allows the gentlemen under him to shine. It keeps us moving in the right direction. He is putting his stamp on things in a great way and we’re moving forward in such a positive way.”

And while Eddie’s best friend Geoff Martin isn’t on the RSGCAA, he knows that no one is better suited for the role of RSCAA President and the challenges that come have with it during the pandemic.

“Eddie has always been outgoing and personable—always staying in touch and reaching out to his wide network of friends and former classmates,” said Geoff.

“The challenges with the pandemic and not seeing one another as often has made Eddie work even harder, to stay connected and keep tabs on what’s going on with the people in his life. He is very sociable and loves to entertain, so the cooking class, for example, was the closest way he could pull off something like that.”

The friends, who met at RSGC in Grade 7, are grateful for their friendship.

Geoff was in Eddie’s wedding party when Eddie got married in 2019 and Eddie will be Geoff ’s best man if his wedding can go ahead as planned this summer. Pandemic or not, not a day goes by without them speaking to each other. Geoff summed their friendship up perfectly when he said: “You have to put a little bit more work in these days, but technology allows you to do it, which is great.”

Words to live by!

The Shield Spring 2021 • Royal St. George’s College 17

PARENT SPOTLIGHT

SYDNEY STOYAN

SMALL MOMENTS OF JOY

BY LAUREN ALPERN

I

n dark times, it’s important to find light, and share it. And that’s just what Georgian Parents’ Guild President Sydney Stoyan has focused on doing for the RSGC community over the past year. Whether it’s in her uplifting quotes, her lyrical prose or the creative events she and her team have managed to put together, Sydney has found many ways to connect RSGC families and bring joy and laughter to the Guild during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Adair Roberts, Guild Treasurer and parent to Duncan, Class of 2023, and James, Class of 2024, is really impressed by how well this year has gone from a Guild perspective. She attributes that to Sydney.

“Under Amanda’s leadership last year, the Guild refined its mission, highlighting ‘connection’ as one of its main goals.

Sydney’s entire persona is about fostering connection,” said Adair, who describes Sydney as warm, joyful and brilliant.

“She has been able to hold events that are engaging and welcoming. There have been quite a large number of first-time Georgian parents participating, and more parents are attending meetings than ever before.”

Adair, who went to St. Clement’s with Sydney many moons ago and couldn’t be happier to reconnect personally and professionally with her long-lost friend,

thinks Sydney is perfectly suited for the challenging task of connecting the community.

“She’s particularly well-suited to have managed this,” said Adair. “You need somebody who cares about connections, small moments of joy and creating light for people, and that’s what she does in normal times.

“I remember Sydney saying she didn’t want to be the pandemic president,” said Adair. “She really worried about how it was going to go and what we were going to be able to do, but she is probably the best person to have had in the role during COVID because of who she is, her style and what she brings.”

Sydney recalls her initial discomfort when the reality of the challenge before her sank in.

“When it became clear that COVID wasn’t going to be a two-week event, I remember phoning my sister and saying that I couldn’t do this. Whatever skill set I have is best in person. I was extremely stressed, thinking I couldn’t pull this off,” said Sydney, who recalled going to her first Guild meeting in 2015. “I had imagined myself standing in beautiful Ketchum Hall and taking a moment to read the quotations etched on the ceiling like I do every time I’m there. I thought this was going to be my chance to have special times with special people and now it would be a real loss.”

18 The Shield Spring 2021 • Royal St. George’s College

But while the loss of in-person contact is poignant and tangible, Sydney and her team have managed to find ways to make up for it. They have run numerous successful events, including arts nights, wine and cheese evenings, book clubs, kitchen parties and Guild meetings via Zoom that have had more people in attendance than ever before. Whether it was the decision to alternate between morning and evening meetings or the fact that parents don’t have to leave their homes to join, there hasn’t seemed to be any Zoom fatigue. Quite the opposite, in fact.

“Zoom has brought in folks that have been around for a while, but haven’t joined in before,” said Sydney, whose sons Jacob and Gabriel are in the

Sydney has enjoyed more time with her family than ever before.

Classes of 2021 and 2024 respectively.

“That’s been really heartening and has opened my eyes to the opportunities to really connect with people going forward. I think maybe our community is a bit more varied. Parents aren’t travelling anymore. We’ve had more dads than ever join meetings and even form committees. It’s so nice to see.”

As she navigated the early hurdles of organizing and facilitating Zoom meetings, Sydney learned more about herself and grew increasingly more confident.

Especially as she found her connections with people getting stronger than ever.

“I think I have met more people online than I have in real life. I’ve had more texts and conversations than before, which has been enlightening, and I’ve had more time with my sons. My husband used to travel loads and now he’s home and not missing family meals.

With all of the other losses, that has been

a blessing,” said Sydney. “I’ve learned that when something goes wrong, you can repair the damage. It’s important to take deep breaths. My kids have a great sense of humour and just when I think I’m losing the plot, someone makes a dry little remark and order is restored.”

Sydney has even been able to restore some order into Zoom meetings gone wrong as she eases into things on the technology side.

“The technology part has really scared me, but I think I’ve come some way—not a long way,” said Sydney.

“Believe it or not, I’m a shy person and I’m really introverted, but I’ve learned to throw myself into the silence if I can and I’m trying to learn how to blush off the awkwardness.”

Jacob Buchan, who has held the role of Head Prefect at the same time his mother sits at the helm of the Guild, has been a huge support for his mother, both

in terms of technological support and simply watching how he chairs committees. The duo should have read together at the Carol Service, which would have been a great honour for both of them.

While not being able to do that was a big loss, they have still been able to bond over some of their common experiences this year.

“We speak about our respective RSGC roles on a daily basis, so it gets folded into everyday conversation and the goings-on in our house,” said Jacob, who describes his mother as kind, loving, caring, brilliant, articulate and committed. “Despite there not being any overlap between Guild and Prefect stuff, we’ve both gotten used to the early morning wake-ups to get in that last-minute writing and reflecting on what’s been going on. It’s become a regular part of our life this year. In many ways, it has been a bonding experience.”

The Shield Spring 2021 • Royal St. George’s College 19

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

PRACTICE MAKES PREFECT HOW ONE STUDENT LEADER REINVENTED HIS ROLE IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19

BY LAUREN ALPERN

A

n article on LinkedIn about successful leadership lists connecting as one of the key leadership strategies that drive success.

Sonya Shelton writes, “When you encourage others and show you care about them, you draw them forward even when they face challenges and obstacles. How can you connect with your team today?”

As Head Prefect, Jacob Buchan ’21 has had the immense challenge of trying to connect and engage the entire student body during a year where nothing has been normal, where nothing is the same as in previous years, where classes have shifted from in-school to online and back again, where students are cohorted and cannot mingle, where Ketchum Hall is no longer a Great Hall for dining and social activities, but a quiet area divided into Junior School classrooms.

A daunting task, to say the least.

But Jacob has risen to the challenge in impressive ways with the help of an impressive team. Armed with nine other Prefects—many of whom were House Captains during their Grade 11 year, which ended in lockdown, and many of whom were Captains during their Grade 8 year—Jacob and his team are a talented and determined group of leaders who won’t let something like a pandemic stop them from ensuring an engaged and connected school.

“The beginning was, of course, uncertain: everything is easier in person, from meetings and events, to just being present, and mixing and mingling with students from other grades,” said Jacob.

“We’ve really had to think about how to rework this year, from assemblies and social initiatives to connections with the Junior School. My fellow Prefects are fantastic guys and amazing peers, and the leadership coordinators, Ms. Kaye and Ms. Girvan, are phenomenal leaders, so I never felt like we’d be struggling with this task.”

And they haven’t. From virtual assemblies, a new Prefect Instagram account, podcasts and a virtual escape room with Grade 9s to weekly Gather.Town meetups, online social events with sister schools and a virtual initiative where the Prefects “visit” the Junior School in their classrooms, it’s clear that connectivity and engagement are still thriving at RSGC. “We had been doing virtual assemblies throughout the end of Grade 11, so the school was already used to that, and my other Communications Prefects, Joey Lisser and Sebastian Raman, are digital media virtuosos,” said Jacob. “It’s the

20 The Shield Spring 2021 • Royal St. George’s College

social initiatives that are a struggle. We really had to think: Will people want to join an online event after a long day of online school? Michael Keene and Hunter Durand have run a number of initiatives that have been very successful.

Other things like the mental health initiative Mind: Your Business and the Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) have had a big uptick in attendance because it’s not a huge effort to come. It’s just a click on your computer and you’re there.”

At the same time, the “new” way of doing things has required a lot more work and planning for Jacob and his team. For Jacob, he and his fellow Communications Prefects now have to spend hours working on each assembly, whereas before, there was no time commitment other than standing up in front of the Senior School and inviting people to make announcements.

Jacob, Joey and Sebastian now have to

Far right: Jacob's mom, Sydney Stoyan, is this year's Guild President. They would have both done readings at the 2020 Carol Service.

gather announcements from numerous platforms, write a script, meet, plan and then edit.

“It’s a lot of backstage planning and editing, which has introduced a new element. It’s a big investment,” said Jacob.

“I think we’ve all enjoyed making our assemblies as dynamic as possible. But it is a bit of work, especially now with the added Instagram account. That’s why we now have three Communications Prefects instead of one.”

And while Jacob and his team have learned on the fly and adapted with whatever curveballs have been thrown at them, they’re still mourning the loss of simple things like just being present with others.

“We can’t just say hello to everyone, ask how someone did on their test or wave at a Junior School student when we walk by on our way to lunch.”

There have, however, also been pros.

“This has really allowed everyone involved with leadership to shape the role in accordance with what they want to do, because there’s so much more room to innovate. People have really been able to get creative,” said Jacob. “We’re doing everything we can to stay connected, and I think, all things considered, we’ve been largely successful.”

Student Leadership Coordinator Julie Girvan says there are many reasons why Jacob has been so successful in his role this year.

“Trying to keep kids connected to each other and to the school has really been a priority for him,” said Julie. “He’s an empathetic person, and he’s able to put himself in other people’s shoes. He’s also a hardworking, conscientious young man and whatever he commits to, he gives 100 per cent. He has a strong desire to do well, and he follows through with it.”

Julie says that the Prefects have had to be creative in rethinking some of the typical activities, and that they amaze her on a regular basis.

“I continue to be impressed with them every week, with what they bring to the role and what they want to bring to the school. They continue to rise to the challenge,” said Julie. “Ms. Kaye and I say every week that they’re so impressive.

They come up with great initiatives and ideas, and they run with them. It makes our job easy.”

Felix Brink, the Student Life and Wellness Prefect, has been at RSGC with Jacob since Grade 7. They were Grade 8 Captains together and were House Captains together in Grade 11.

While Felix adapts and adjusts his own leadership styles during COVID-19, he feels that Jacob is the perfect man for the Head Prefect role.

“I feel like Jacob was made for this role and has definitely come into his own. He’s great at leading the meetings, he’s such a great mediator, and he’s always ready to work and be productive,” said Felix.

“But I also know that he’s always trying to improve and adapt to the coronavirus. He’s always trying to come up with new ways to keep people engaged.”

Felix has a few reasons why he thinks Jacob makes a great leader.

“His patience and ability to compromise.

He also has an incredible public speaking ability,” said Felix. “Plus, I can tell you this: he’s very good at what he does. This isn’t it for him. You can expect more.”

Time will tell what Jacob Buchan comes up with next to help the RSGC community stay connected. He’s certainly one to watch.

The Shield Spring 2021 • Royal St. George’s College 21

FEATURE

THE BEST OF TIMES AND THE

WORST OF TIMES I

f things go as planned, we’ll begin to emerge from this pandemic sometime in the summer. We’re not out of the woods yet, but we are starting to imagine family visits, having friends at the cottage, perhaps even attending the theatre.

So, while it’s too early for an entirely retrospective look at pandemic life, it’s a good time to consider how the past year has changed the way we do things. What positives will we hang onto? What can’t we wait to scrap? What lasting impacts will we feel as a community?

To learn more, RSGC asked a handful of community members to share their perspectives.

Each is involved in different areas of the college and offers a unique glimpse into their world.

22 The Shield Spring 2021 • Royal St. George’s College

Our thoughtful contributors:

Catherine Kirkland, Head of the Junior School Paul O’Leary, Head of the Senior School

Maria Jordan, Executive Director, Advancement Eddie Beqaj ’08, President, RSGCAA

First up: What makes our panel members say, “Enough!”

Being Apart CK: Who among us hasn’t missed seeing all the boys in one place? Or bumping into colleagues in the hallways and having a chat? Or enjoying lunch together on the fly? This is the first time in my career I don’t know every parent’s face. And the younger boys are really missing mixed-grade activities. We do as much as we can, but the boys are eager for more.

MJ: It sounds clichéd to say that this is a close community, but it’s true. We’re partly close emotionally because we’re close physically. We’ve adapted in some amazing ways to our current reality, but speaking for the admin staff, we really miss the students. The separations within the school are necessary for safety, but there’s no substitute for the wonderful energy of being around the boys.

PO: There’s no argument that supporting our boys, teaching our boys, connecting with our boys, having fun and building camaraderie are all better in person.

Yes, they have mainly been on campus, but there’s still a sense of loss we’re all feeling. As one example, I’m really looking forward to getting back into Ketchum Hall. It’s the warm and welcoming heart of the school.

EB: The Alumni Association has been fantastically productive and creative, but there are some things that cannot be replicated or replaced. One of those is the Old Boys’ Dinner. It’s our signature event—even our flagship. We can’t have anything like it in a virtual format, so we won’t even try. Some things just require being in the same space—and are worth waiting for.

The Shield Spring 2021 • Royal St. George’s College 23

Barriers and Masks EB: Talking through life’s more difficult moments or just reaching out to help someone who is feeling low is even more difficult when we have to rely on technology. Screens don’t naturally lend themselves to intimacy. I’ve felt how much harder it is to have those very personal conversations.

MJ: I really miss all the hugs. Or even just walking arm in arm. These are ways we express how much we care.

Physical touch is comforting, and I know a lot of us are feeling the absence.

PO: Smiles and laughter and even tone of voice are harder to share through masks. We’ve learned to engage more with people’s eyes, but it’s getting by in a pinch. I can’t wait until we can see each other’s faces again.

Screen Fatigue PO: I’ll state the obvious: I’m looking forward to fewer Zoom meetings. There’s no doubt that we need them— and that we’ll be incorporating them in new ways into the future of the school. They have a tremendous upside. But I’m ready to have fewer in my life.

MJ: Being so dependent on technology has physical costs. People move less, but report more fatigue. There’s more back pain and eye strain. I’ve realized how much we all move through space during normal days.

CK: I worry about how much playtime the boys get— time away from screens, time outside, time for games that are physically exhilarating and just plain fun. They want to play together more than anything, but have to be physically distant. Plus, they’re on their computers more than ever. It’s tough to balance.

While there is a positive side to all of the Zoom meetings, there is definitely Zoom fatigue.

Everyone misses seeing the boys playing outside.

24 The Shield Spring 2021 • Royal St. George’s College

Confusing Boundaries MJ: Relying more on technology has the potential to expand the work day. Boundaries are blurred when we don’t have the expectation that people are physically on campus for certain kinds of work at certain times of day. The computer is always there. In some ways, it’s like we’re never fully on and never fully off.

CK: Early in the pandemic, some parents expressed concerns about the kids “getting behind” if we didn’t push them hard in their academics. But there is so much learning happening every day for our boys, including self-direction, finding the tools they need, managing their time. When we draw hard lines around what learning is, we can miss how much growth our students are experiencing. We can lose a holistic understanding of learning.

PO: It will be interesting to see how bringing back the traditional uniform goes with the boys! We’ve had to cross over into a different mindset about it. How hard will it be to cross back?

Students have grown accustomed to not wearing the traditional school uniform. How will they react when they have to tuck in their shirts and wear a tie again?

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And yet, amidst these low moments and ongoing difficulties, there are also gains worth holding onto...

Access and Inclusion EB: The pandemic has challenged the Alumni Association to maintain its connections virtually. For the first time, alumni living at a distance can participate in everything, from social events to committee work. The online option has shifted from second-best to first (only!) choice, which creates a very egalitarian structure. Everyone has access.

Everyone can participate.

PO: Making all class content available from home will be a great help next year when students are away, sick or injured.

They’ll be able to watch their classes and catch up on anything missed. Students absent for any reason will have greater access to materials than in the past, which will reduce stress. We’ve learned a lot about online curriculum delivery.

MJ: I’m impressed by the way our parents and alumni have ramped up their online presence. People are participating in events—even headlining events—from anywhere around the world. Community members are highlighting and sharing their expertise in new ways. Participation in our Parents’ Guild has grown, especially among dads. Removing the travel time and the need for a babysitter has opened doors for more people.

Expanding Academic Models CK: We have gotten even further away from grading the younger students and have focused more on good feedback—both how to give it and how to receive it. Reducing stress around grades has been good for the boys’ mental health and for their motivation to learn. Going forward, for Grades 7 and 8, we’ll continue to focus on learning skills and on feedback for growth and improvement. In some ways, the pandemic has been a positive push.

PO: We have learned how to be flexible and fluid in how we teach, learn and even schedule our days. We’ve had to shift away from high-stakes evaluations like exams toward different summative projects. We won’t give up exams in the future, but in some courses—especially in Grades 9 and 10—we have questioned their value and looked carefully at how we assess in general. We have also experimented with different timetables and need to prepare options for next year. We’ve gained valuable experience from every approach we’ve tried and tweaked.

26 The Shield Spring 2021 • Royal St. George’s College

Online Guild and RSGCAA events have been very well attended.

Independence and Resilience CK: Even our very young students have become more self-reliant and resourceful. They are also more aware of how they learn, how they can help each other and how much others depend on them. It doesn’t all revolve around the teacher. The boys are stepping up to ask for what they need and to support each other. We have always focused on these skills, but the pandemic has highlighted even more how important they are for learning and life.

PO: I have noticed how much better the boys have become at working independently. They are better at planning ahead, setting priorities, finding resources and pacing themselves. They also feel more accountable to themselves. Being prepared for class, for example, is less about a teacher’s expectations and more about supporting their own learning. Our boys still need lots of help, and their teachers and the Learning Centre team are providing it. They’re kids after all. But they’re also rising to the occasion.

Students are getting better at working independently, becoming more self-reliant and resourceful.

Creativity and Productivity EB: I’m as tired of the terms “adapt” and “pivot” as everyone else, but boy, have we ever. The Alumni Association committee meetings have shifted away from brainstorming sessions and toward reporting on progress—what’s been achieved—and what support is needed to move further forward. We use the time between meetings to get things done. There’s definitely more of a doing mindset. We’re also going to continue meeting through the summer. Why not?

We can Zoom in from anywhere.

MJ: The Parents’ Guild has focused on very broad programs and events in the past. Switching to virtual activities has led to more niche offerings, like arts talks, yoga, book club and wine tasting. You can target more individual interests and feel less pressure to reach everyone at once. The Small Business Directory is another example of creativity arising out of constraint. Why didn’t we do this before? It’s a great way to support each other or just learn about each other.

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Positives of Technology CK: Professional development is easier to access. Travel is out, so teachers are learning from experts and from each other online and across the globe. In the future, I think we will see more hybrid models for PD that connect more people. I also think the Canadian Association of Independent Schools has become a stronger community. There has been a lot of sharing and depending on each other.

Technology has allowed us to have full school meetings—even when some people are on campus and some are at home.

MJ: This has been a great time for us to develop our technology skills. For example, we’ve learned a lot about how everyone can be heard in an online environment. We’ve learned how to host high-quality online events. We’ve even learned how to troubleshoot our tech issues and be less reliant on IT! As an admin team, we are in some ways both more inclusive and more independent.

EB: My sense is that in every part of the school, we’re all considering the benefits of a more blended future: live events and gatherings mixed with virtual. Some of those will be social and some more work focused, with the virtual options being more popular than in the past.

I think we will have great participation and productivity in a blended model.

Being Apart (redux) MJ: So many of our parents and donors have stepped up in response to the stress of being apart. I have been asked so many times, “What do the students need?

What does the school need? How can I help?” In some interesting ways, we’ve grown closer. There is so much care and generosity in this community.

EB: As an Association, our mandate is to build a stronger sense of belonging and engage our alumni further.

Events like our On-Screen Cuisine or our Speaker Series have done that. We have alumni connecting back to us for the first time since graduation. Strangely, being apart has created new opportunities for being together.

CK: I have never seen more support for our teachers than over the past year. When I reflect on why parents have been so encouraging and understanding, I know that it’s the level of trust they have in us. They trust our expertise. They trust our decisions. They trust us to take care of their children. That’s a gift that means so much to our teachers.

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A Georgian in our Thoughts Michael Kovrig ’89 is a Georgian lifer. He has been detained in China, without offence, since December 2018. On behalf of the entire Georgian community, we pray for his health, safety and his safe return home. He is in our thoughts.

We call on the Government of Canada to bring all of its resources to secure his release, along with the release of Michael Spavor.

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FEATURE FEATURES

THE

PATH OF

MOST RESISTANCE RSGC students rise to the challenge of this pandemic and find opportunities to shine

The Junior School leaders did an excellent job organizing Spirit Week.

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Clubs Not new during the pandemic; however, Senior School boys are continuing to step up to the plate and lead Junior School clubs.

BY SUMNER & LANG

L

eonardo da Vinci is known to have said, “Art lives from constraints and dies from freedom.”

Perhaps not every artist would agree.

But there is truth in the notion that limitations can generate new ideas and expressions.

Evidence can be found in the way RSGC students have responded to pandemic restrictions over the past year.

Life hasn’t been easy. The boys have had to adjust to remote learning, reduced co-curricular options, loss of school trips and, of course, fewer opportunities to spend time with friends. But they haven’t taken it sitting down. In fact, they’ve been rising to the occasion and finding new ways to lead, connect and create.

Dean of Middle School Activities Jennifer Bonetta is impressed by the number of boys who stood up and selfidentified as leaders over this past school year, as if their new reality is reshaping how they see themselves.

“This year, we left behind our previous leadership selection process and introduced a new one,” said Jennifer. “We used to have a multi-stage process involving speeches and elections. With new boys last year not having the same opportunities to get to know their peers, we needed a change. We had been thinking of revising the model anyway, and the pandemic gave us a push.”

In September, all Grade 8s with a desire to serve the school were invited to attend a meeting. Jennifer believes

that many of the 30 or so who showed up would not normally have run for a Captain position. Of that larger number who have been involved in some capacity throughout the year, 18 boys make up a self-selected core group of what is now called Junior School Leaders.

What have they been up to? A wide range of virtual activities: welcoming new students to the College, weekly assemblies, Terry Fox Day, Spirit Week, community service and everything else that the younger students have always gotten involved in—but virtually now, of course.

Senior students have also accepted the open invitation to lead in new ways by setting up virtual clubs based on their own interests, such as investment, Dungeons & Dragons or media production. This way, they maintain that important connection with younger students, acting as mentors and hobby mates.

With the end of the pandemic in sight, what will happen next year with Junior School student leadership?

“That is a conversation to be had,” said Jennifer. “This is the time to look at the whole system and ask ourselves how to move forward. Tradition is important.

So is finding new ways to help our boys develop their abilities, serve the school

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SPARK Entrepreneurship Club The Spark boys really stepped up to the plate and were instrumental in the success of Mistletoe Market.

and have fun, too. The pressure to make changes has set us in an interesting direction.”

Grade 12 student and Communications Prefect Joey Lisser would agree.

Joey worked hard to develop a student leadership social media presence last year when schools first moved to remote learning. This year, he has helped to create content for RSGC Prefects on Instagram, offering a mix of entertainment and information.

“The most important thing during this pandemic is keeping us all connected,”

said Joey. “Students don’t use email the way they do social media, so the Instagram account is a great way to spread news, play games, say hello and share some laughs.

We needed to make something students want to engage with.

Instagram has been great for that.”

Joey is equally passionate about the student-run SPARK Club, with which he has been involved for six years. Spark supports entrepreneurialism, providing a space for boys with viable business ideas to secure funding, create marketing initiatives and manage logistics. A few years ago, it began offering a dry-cleaning service and, more recently, has offered a unique blend of RSGC-branded coffee to the community.

When the pandemic arrived, the club pivoted to a virtual format, with its first project being an online version of the RSGC Mistletoe Market. In fact, it was five boys now in Grade 10 and 12 — Owen O’Leary, Brevan Babbar, Graham Davidge, Jack Beatty and Jack Dawson

32 The Shield Spring 2021 • Royal St. George’s College

—who made the pitch to the Parents’ Guild.

“I helped the boys, and they did an amazing job,” said Joey.

“Then we put together a whole plan, starting with building a website. We set up each vendor with their own tile, wrote their description and linked to their site with a promo code. We also developed unique Spark Club products to raise funds, so we can keep supporting student ventures. The younger boys were critical to the Mistletoe Market’s success.”

Maintaining that connection between younger and older boys has been a priority within the community. Senior School Social Worker Andrea Kaye, one of the student leadership advisors, notes how much the older boys want to strengthen those social and emotional ties. For example, the Grade 12s visited Junior School classrooms virtually this year to spend time with the younger boys in all kinds of ways: helping with lessons, reading, playing games, and just chatting and hanging out.

The senior leaders also found new ways to maintain ties with other schools.

Connecting the Grade 9s and 10s of RSGC and Trafalgar Castle School through the app Gather.town was one method. Within Gather.town,

students chose an avatar, walked around in a shared virtual space, and then sat down with others they happened to cross paths with for “speed conversations.” They then kept mingling and chatted with other groups. The older boys organized the event, joined in as needed, and came up with games to play to help with social awkwardness.

“I’ve worked with student leaders for a long time,” said Andrea. “This year, with the challenges of the pandemic and the alternate-day schedule, they have had to be exceptionally creative. I would say they’re enjoying the challenge of reimagining how to keep the community close and everyone’s spirits up. It’s been both a tough year and an outstanding year for our leaders, who have really shined.”

So has alumnus Oliver Sabiston ’18, who, along with friend Stefan Knezevic ’19, found a new creative opportunity within pandemic restrictions. Last May, after the lockdown, the Business Technology Management student at Concordia came up with the idea to run an outdoor, physically distanced neighbourhood summer camp. The model was simple: offer the neighbourhood the chance to participate in games

Oliver and his friends had played growing up—manhunt, capture the flag, soccer, ball hockey—along with crafts and other simple activities.

“I like to hang out and play with my 9-year-old next-door neighbour,” said Oliver. “So, he was the target market. I had worked at a camp the previous summer, but it closed because of the pandemic. I wondered, what are all these kids going to do all summer? So, Stefan and I decided we would do this.

A parent offered her house as our drop-off and pick-up spot, and we promoted our camp by word of mouth throughout the Annex.”

Oliver, Stefan and friends offered 40 slots at $500 each for a two-week camp, with four sessions in total. To work around the complications of food management and bathroom breaks, counsellors walked the kids home every

day at lunch and picked them up for the afternoon session.

Later on, the six counsellors would meet to debrief and set up the next day’s events.

“It was exhausting,” laughed Oliver. “But it was also so much fun. The kids were excited to be there every day, and they really needed the physical activity and social interaction.”

Oliver and company set up a real business. Counsellors earned around $5,000 each for the whole summer and were issued T4s. The camp was managed in a safe and professional manner through and through, including acquiring liability insurance.

Having fallen in love with business while a student at RSGC, Oliver enjoyed the challenge of launching his first full-fledged venture.

Oliver has applied for a job at a financial institute this coming summer, but if the camps aren’t open again, he just might launch version two of his business.

“You have to respond to the social and economic moment,” he said. “Business is all about filling a need. In our case, that need arose out of the limitations we were all living under.

It was an opportunity to create something new.”

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FEATURE

CATCHING UP WITH THE

CLASS OF 2020

BY LAUREN ALPERN

T

he Class of 2020 graduated from Royal St. George’s College last year without pomp or circumstance. The students spent the last few months of their final year in remote

learning, and their graduation celebration consisted of a Layby Parade, where they each had a timeslot to come drive through and pick up a special gift, and a livestream YouTube video in

34 The Shield Spring 2021 • Royal St. George’s College

the evening. The plan is to still have a proper graduation ceremony whenever it may be possible.

Their first-year university experiences haven’t gone exactly as planned either, but

these alumni are making the most of the cards they have been dealt.

Please note that interviews were conducted in March, so situations and restrictions may have changed since.

Will Van Nostrand, Western WILL IS STUDYING ENGINEERING AT WESTERN UNIVERSITY, and planning to also do the Ivey Honours Business Administration program starting in third year. Will’s cheerful smile, which he’s known for, is still constant despite the fact that he spends most of the time in his room in residence. His room is big because he was supposed to have a roommate, though he has it all to himself. He has decked it out with an exercise bench and other fitness equipment so he’s able to work out.

It gives him time and space to take breaks from his classes, most of which are online.

“I actually had two in-person chemistry and physics labs, but because of the lockdown for the first part of this semester, they moved them all online. It’s kind of weird to do labs online. We get a Word document with a bunch of data sets and watch a video of someone doing the experiments. It’s definitely not the same hands-on experience that it was supposed to be,” said Will. “I have some Zoom classes, but I prefer to do those in my room on most days. For the others, the work is just assigned and there’s no face-to-face interaction at all.”

Will still has one in-person class. The group project

class is a full semester and involves two groups of six people spaced out across a huge classroom. He enjoys his livestreamed classes, but some are more interactive than others. Some have 200 people, but his business class “only” has 80, making it easier to talk to people on Zoom.

“For Calculus, they give us pre-recorded lectures and you have to go through it all yourself. I dread it—it’s not very engaging,” said Will. “You just listen in your room and write down notes. I definitely prefer when there’s a live component.

It incentivizes me to get my work done as soon as possible, so I can be prepared for the live class.”

Aside from a few people he has met in classes, the only people Will has met are the people who live on his floor in his residence. This is really the only group of people he is allowed to socialize with. Will feels he has lucked out with his “bubble.”

“I think I got pretty lucky with the people I got put on a floor with. We can’t really see anyone else. We can have a few people in our rooms, but not too many. We can also eat with each other, but we have to be spread out across the room,” said Will. “A lot of people on my floor like to go to campus to get food, especially when it’s warm.

There are food places that are open for takeout, so we’ll go for lunch to grab something and bring it back and eat outside. That’s been nice.”

Fellow Georgian Sam Tatoff ’20 happens to be on Will’s floor, and Jack Lacey ’19,

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who took a Gap year, is on the floor above, so Will gets to see some familiar faces sometimes.

As far as extracurriculars go, things haven’t gone exactly as Will envisioned when he signed his acceptance letter. He did, however, join the Western Engineering Concrete Canoe Association.

“In a normal year, there’s a competition between a bunch of schools and they make and race the canoes, but they obviously can’t do that this year,” said Will. “We’ve mostly been focusing on research—how to make them better—so it’s not the same experience, but it’s still cool to be a part of it.

Even if I can’t be part of what they normally do, it’s been a good experience to see what they’ve done in the past.”

COVID is such a huge part of daily life. There was a scare earlier in the summer

when there were a few cases on another floor, but it was dealt with quickly. Even when Will went home to visit his family, as he did for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Reading Week, he went to a testing centre on campus to get the all-clear in advance. And while Will keeps on smiling, he is definitely disappointed by his first-year experience.

He, like his counterparts, knows what could have been, and what should have been.

“It’s pretty tough when I think about what I could have had in a normal first year,” said Will. “I’m happy about my floor, but there’s so much that I’m missing out on.

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Connor von Teichman, Bishop's I know I would be meeting so many people and I’d have regular classes.”

Of course, Will knows that he will have more years at Western that won’t be affected

by COVID, but he’ll never get back his first year.

“This is typically when you live in residence and meet a ton of people. You pick your discipline in second year, which is difficult when you’ve met so few peers who you’d normally work with on getting through all the course content,” said Will. “I’m happy I’m here, though.”

CONNOR VON TEICHMAN CHOSE BISHOP’S UNIVERSITY IN LENNOXVILLE, QUEBEC, because he thought it would be a similar community to RSGC: small campus, small classes, close knit. He wasn’t wrong, but what he didn’t realize was that COVID would make his community even smaller.

He has one in-person class— German, with four other students—while the rest are Google Meets or asynchronous video lectures.

The Bachelor of Business Administration student still seems to be having a good time, however, and has made some friends on his residence floor during the in-person orientation week and as part of the rugby team, which initially ran practices, but has since stopped training.

The school has been quite strict with safety protocols.

There are no roommates in residence and at one point when numbers were high, no one was allowed in anyone else’s room. Now, just one person is allowed. There is a curfew after 9:30 pm in the

province, though students are allowed out of their rooms on campus until midnight, but only in a designated area.

“They’ll actually hand out tickets and can call the cops,” said Connor.

Unfortunately, COVID did strike the residence, impacting many of the students, including Connor.

“Yes, I got it too. I wasn’t super affected by it—just achy and tired, and it was right during mid-terms. One of my friends had it really badly,” said Connor. “Seven of us went to quarantine at a house.”

Connor is hoping that rugby training and practices will start again soon, and

he stays positive by getting outside, keeping active and socializing with the one person who is allowed in his room. He has found the year disappointing though.

“Learning online is tough and I find it really hard to pay attention,” said Connor.

“Sometimes I think about all that has been lost. Half of the time, I try to make the most of it. The other half, I think ‘this is kind of sucky.’ I’ll talk to older guys and they’ll talk about all of the things they normally do, and I realize we can’t do any of it. I’m excited for next year though. I’m hoping vaccines will change things.”

WHEN WANGWANG WANG SIGNED HIS ACCEPTANCE INTO THE ARCHITECTURE CO-OP PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO, he didn’t envision doing it from his bedroom in Toronto. But when he realized that all of his classes were going to be held online, he made the decision to stay home. While the decision has kept him safe from any COVID outbreaks,

it has also prevented him from having any sort of actual university experience.

“I pretty much spend 20 hours a day in my bedroom, except for the few hours a day when I go out for a walk,” said WangWang. “I’ve been playing video games online with my RSGC friends, which has been really good. I think I’ve maybe made two new friends in the whole school year so far, and it’s very awkward to do stuff online with them.”

WangWang Wang, University of Waterloo The Shield Spring 2021 • Royal St. George’s College 37

WangWang has found it difficult to stay positive for the second term, but remains in touch with RSGC’s Senior School Social Worker Andrea Kaye, whom he has found to be a big help. Despite a slow start, he is enjoying the school work and the program. As for September 2021, he hopes to move to Waterloo if classes will be in-person. He will stay home again if they continue online.

What keeps him uplifted is the relationship he has with his fellow Georgian alumni.

“We all have such a strong relationship with each other,” said WangWang. “Playing with them online and talking to them every day is very fulfilling.”

While there’s no stress in terms of having to travel to and from school or worry about cooking, there’s also not much motivation.

“The first half of the year was pretty exciting because I had just started university, but the second half, I’ve been getting down and it’s been hard to get motivated,” said WangWang. “I’m hoping next year will be better. It’s sort of like, sure, we’re not having much fun right now, but I’m just looking forward to next year. That’s the mindset I have right now.”

WangWang says they have done a great job at moving the Architecture program online.

“They’ve actually done much better than I thought.

I thought I would have to be there to put stuff together,” said WangWang. “We’re doing more digitalized things and developing our topics that way. That’s a big reason why it still works. I can make my models online.”

The hardest part has been connecting with his classmates.

“One of the weirdest and hardest things to do is getting to know each other. I’m more focused on art and it’s kind of hard getting motivated by others and their work,” said WangWang. “You’re not there to see what others are doing, which makes it hard to connect. I really spend my free time only with my RSGC friends.”

38 The Shield Spring 2021 • Royal St. George’s College

Sam Dumper, Gap Year

SAM DUMPER WAS ALL SET TO HEAD DOWN TO BARD COLLEGE, a private, liberal arts college in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, with a small population of 1,900 students. He had a spot on the baseball team and an academic scholarship.

But with the difficult situation at the border because of COVID-19, Sam made a last-minute decision to defer his offer and take a gap year.

With low expectations for what the year would bring, Sam has had a year of growth and success.

“Taking a gap year ended up being the best decision I’ve ever made. I had an internship back in June within the Ministry of Labour, and as it came to a close, they

decided to promote me to full time, so I’ve been working as the Special Assistant to the Minister of Labour, Monte McNaughton,” said Sam. “I thought I was going to be working at a grocery store or something, so I really lucked out. I get to work closely with the Minister and other politicians. Being around the government and seeing them make decisions around COVID has been really cool.

I’ve gained a greater appreciation for politics.”

While Sam initially spent a lot of time down at Queen’s Park, he has been working from home every day and making the most of it. He has also started an online business, The Muscle Co., selling fitness equipment and clothing.

“The company is basically just me. We started as a drop shipping company, selling products from foreign manufacturers that we can sell and rebrand at a local market.

Now we have a clothing line with our logo on it. It’s very early on, but I’m hopeful for the future,” said Sam. “I don’t have to hold inventory—I just send off my logo to a manufacturer and send it directly to them to make whatever the person wants.

The hardest part is definitely marketing and finding your market. Everything is super competitive. You can’t just put a product out there and expect it to sell. You have to invest and advertise.”

In the meantime, while Sam has had some incredible

work experience, it hasn’t been easy when it comes to training for baseball.

“Baseball facilities have been closed, gyms have been closed. I work out in my basement and whenever it gets above zero, I’ll go hit and throw outside with my brother.

It’s definitely been difficult to do anything,” said Sam. “Even when I was 18 last summer playing with my travel team, it was supposed to be our best year. You’re playing with guys you played with for 10 years.

I think we were supposed to go to PEI. It was pretty unfortunate—we maybe played eight games. This summer, the plan is to play on a Junior team with Matteo ’20 and Cristian Forgione ’18. Hopefully things will open up and I’ll get a bunch of my workouts in there.”

So, while Sam plans to head to Bard in September to study finance and economics with his spot on the baseball team intact, he has zero regrets about his year off.

“I see a bunch of my friends in first year learning a lot, but I know from a lot of them that they’re not experiencing as much as they would have hoped,” said Sam. “I have no regrets about making my decision to defer—especially making money to be able to help pay for school.”

The Shield Spring 2021 • Royal St. George’s College 39

Our Changing Lives BIRTHS Austin

David Clark ’08 and Hilary Evans welcomed their first son, Austin Kenneth Stuart Clark (8 lbs.), into the world on March 27, 2021, at Mount Sinai Hospital.

His parents are enjoying this new and exciting chapter in their lives and are hoping he will follow in his dad’s footsteps as a Georgian.

Dalia

MARRIAGES Sophie

Kayden

Senior School Math teacher Sarah Jessani and husband Kamran are the proud first-time parents to Kayden, born March 20, 2020, and weighing 7 lbs., 8 oz.

Rudro Chakrabarti ’10 and his wife Megan welcomed their daughter, Dalia Wren MartinoChakrabarti on May 7, 2021. Congratulations!

Learning Centre Strategist Tara Ardila and her husband Luis

On March 20, alumnus Dr. David Hwang ’98 married Ms. Yen Nguyen in the school Chapel. Father Rob Mitchell, the Rector of St. Olave’s Anglican Church in Toronto, officiated, Doug Jamieson played the organ, and Dr. James Leatch assisted Father Mitchell. David Hwang is an internal medicine physician at Princess Margaret Hospital and really wanted to get married at RSGC. To commemorate their marriage at the school, Dr. Hwang and Ms. Nguyen donated two antique oak flower pedestals to be used in the Chapel.

Junior School STEM teacher Kate Hubbs and husband Paul Morin welcomed their first child, Lucy, on August 8, 2020.

Lucy weighed 8 lbs., 1 oz. at birth.

Lucy

welcomed Sophie Marie Ardila on December 1, 2020, weighing a healthy 9 lbs., 15 oz. Twins Ava and Lola are thrilled about their younger sister.

40 The Shield Spring 2021 • Royal St. George’s College

From left to right: Dr. James Hwang, Rudi Hwang, Dr. David Hwang, Yen Nguyen, Betty Hwang, Esther Hwang, Trudy Tran

NEW JOBS RSGC Alumni Association President Eddie Beqaj ’08 started a new job as Senior Relationship Manager of Enterprise at Flinks in December 2020.

Georgian Legacy Society… because the world needs more Georgians

Your legacy gift to Royal St. George’s College will ensure that we can continue our 50-year tradition of educating future Georgians—inspiring them to become the best version of themselves. For more information on leaving RSGC in your will, please visit www.rsgc.on.ca/plannedgiving

sporty, helpful, adventurous, co-operative, operative, kind, clever.

We asked each boy to describe himself in just six words.

Their answers were as diverse and as individual as the school itself; a place where each boy is challenged and inspired to become the best version of himself.

Call 416.533.9481 rsgc.on.ca

RSGC. Here, I am.