The Link, Winter 2024 by thecds1972

the CONNECTING THE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL COMMUNITY

WINTER 2024

IN THIS ISSUE

The Growing Mind Memories of Original Teacher University Destinations Graduation 2023 Remembering Mr. Davison Alumni Notes

CDS CELEBRATES 50 YEARS

Moﬀat Dunlap 1941 – 2023

The Country Day School salutes its co-founder Moffat Dunlap (1941–2023) for being a driving force behind the founding of our school in 1972. Moffat served as one of the original trustees, Chairman of the CDS Foundation for years, and was a dedicated and unwavering CDS Auction volunteer. CDS beneﬁted immensely from his guidance and knowledge of the King real estate market, especially in negotiating the building lease to rent the original property in the early days. All four of Moffat’s children attended CDS, and their family legacy will live on for years to come as one of our four houses – Dunlap House.

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CONTENTS

6 The Junior School’s Burns Family Hall was officially opened on the first day of school followed by a reception the evening of September 7th for our parents, donors and friends. Thank you to all who contributed to our Building Magic Campaign! We could not have raised $8.4 million toward the rejuvenation of our Junior School without you!

FEATURES 6

DEPARTMENTS

50th Anniversary Journal Highlights from our 50th anniversary year.

12 The Growing Mind Reclaiming Our Children’s Attention Spending less time on social media is associated with better academic performance, greater well being and deeper social connection. 22 Introducing our Class of 2023 You’ve made us proud—we wish you all the best! 24 A Spirit of Adventure Down memory lane with original teacher Christine DeWitt.

28 Caught! In the Spotlight Mark your calendars for the upcoming Senior and Junior drama productions! 30 Graduation 2023 and Retirements Excerpts from Junior, Middle and Senior School ceremonies and farewell to two faculty legends. 36 Riding the Dream Kendal Lehari ’05 and her aspirations for Paris 2024.

2 From the Editor 3 Message from the Head of School 4 School Highlights 16 Timelines 26 Athletic Highlights 34 Community News 35 Connections 39 Alumni Notes

38 Remembering Walter Davison Jim Bayler’s telegram remarks in memory of a colleague and friend.

Join CDS Online Social Media www.facebook.com/TheCDS1972 www.twitter.com/TheCDS1972 www.youtube.com/TheCDS1972 www.instagram.com/TheCDS1972 Network with CDS alumni at our LinkedIn page

ON THE COVER More than 50 Alumni ranging in class years from 1996 to present participated in the Spring Music Concert last May.

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the

FROM THE EDITOR

TREASURED MEMORIES

EDITOR

First 50 years to be celebrated in new coﬀee table book

Kim Sillcox Director of Communications and Marketing

CONTRIBUTORS

S EDITOR OF The Link, I started chronicling the history of CDS upon my arrival in 2012. Over the past 10 years, I gathered oral histories from our founders and families who were there from the beginning, some of whom we’ve since lost, including Sheila Thomson, Janet and Peter van Nostrand, Michael and Sue Burns, and Moffat Dunlap. These friends were always very loyal to CDS and are dearly missed. Excerpts from these memories will be included in the 50th anniversary coffee table book, Vision & Wonder, due out this spring. It has been a labour of love for recently retired teachers Scott Garbe, Steve McCutcheon and myself, with beautiful design work by Communications Coordinator Tabitha Ma ’12. We are immensely grateful to the alumni and past parent volunteers who assisted in pouring through archival photos over the past year. As much as we wish we could include many more photos and stories, this book is our best attempt to chronicle The Country Day School’s first five decades. As a school, we are now looking forward to the next 50 years and hope Vision & Wonder will serve as the foundation for our archival history moving forward. We are excited and hope you will consider purchasing a copy for your family. While not technically part of our anniversary year, my highlight from last year was a visit by our second Head of School, Robert Ross, which happened shortly after the grand opening of the new Junior School wing. I remember the first time I phoned Robert Ross in Victoria, BC, to introduce myself in 2013. Within minutes, it felt like I had known him forever. That is just the type of person he is. Both he and his wife,

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Deanna, exude warmth, and remember their 13 years at CDS as if it were yesterday. A natural storyteller, he shared a few memories right off the bat, and I let him know that I was gathering oral histories and would be back in contact in a few years to gather his. We ran Robert’s legacy story in the spring 2019 issue of The Link. Responsible for expanding the Junior School, acquiring the property and additional land, and the decision to build a Senior School, Robert helped lead CDS to new heights. I finally had the privilege of meeting Robert and Deanna in person at the end of September. They don’t return to Ontario often and thankfully managed to carve out a morning to visit CDS on a recent trip. In their honour, we had a small group of friends join us for breakfast in the Eversley Schoolhouse. It was a joyful occasion with lots of reminiscing. It also brought together our remaining living Headmasters for the first time: Robert, Paul Duckett and John Liggett. The last time this happened, John Pratt was still alive and it was John, Robert and Paul together at the 25th anniversary in 1997. The Rosses were amazed at how much the school had grown, yet remained the same. At one point, Robert stepped away to converse with a group of Grade 12 students in the Sue and Michael Burns Grad Lounge. A natural teacher, they were drawn to him and readily engaged with this former Headmaster. Once an educator, always an educator. ■ Kim Sillcox Director of Communications and Marketing

Gisa Bevacqua-Tirone Amy Cicchillo Scott Garbe John Liggett Karen Sumner Jen Weening Kerstin Wyndham-West

DESIGN

Michael Cherkas

PHOTOGRAPHY

Stan Behal Photography Shannon Brinkman Gord Butler Nick Iwanyshyn Zach Lawton Beatrice Stefanescu Dann Tardiff Jen Weening

The Link The Country Day School 13415 Dufferin Street King, ON L7B 1K5 T: 905.833.1220 F: 905.833.3655 E: communications@cds.on.ca www.cds.on.ca Correspondence is welcome The Link is published by the Offi ce of Community Relations at The Country Day School for CDS families, alumni, staff, faculty and friends.

MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

ON TO THE NEXT 50 YEARS… Let’s use this bellwether anniversary as an opportunity to continue to dream

his past year, The Country Day School marked its 50th anniversary —and what a wonderful time we had celebrating! Understandably, we spent most of the year fondly looking back on how much the school has grown and evolved from its humble beginnings to where we are today: opening with just 47 students in 1972 to 806 in 2023. One can only marvel at the growth and expansion CDS has achieved in its first five decades. This could only have happened with the help of community members who were passionate about our school’s potential and optimistic about where we were headed. Whether devoted parents or school leaders, it required all of them working together with their sights set on a common goal—offering CDS students the best education imaginable. In June, we lost our dear friend Michael Burns, the lead donor to the Building Magic campaign and a beloved father, grandfather, friend and past Board Chair. Then, on September 11th, our opening day 51 years ago, we lost one of our beloved co-founders, Moffat Dunlap, a father of four CDS students, devoted volunteer and Auction Chair, donor, and friend. These community members, along with their spouses and peers, helped guide us to where we are today. With an acknowledgment of our past and our dear founders, we turn this bellwether anniversary into an opportunity to dream about and look forward to the next 50 years. We want to continue to build and advance our strong reputation as a leading educational institution. To grow even stronger in supporting, knowing and inspiring our students. To continue to provide innovative and engaging programs through educators who genuinely care. And to provide an Education with Balance in order to allow the body, soul and mind of each student to flourish. But no matter what we continue to grow into, we will always preserve that sense of connectedness and community that underpins everything in the school. That spirit was there when the school began half a century ago, and we will muster our collective forces to ensure it remains strong 50 years from now. ■

“...we will always preserve that sense of connectedness and community that underpins everything in the school.”

John Liggett Head of School

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SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS News from around CDS

CDS Opens Makerspace In September, CDS opened a makerspace where Middle and Senior School students can collaborate to create, invent and learn. This work space provides access to laser cutters/engravers, three 3D printers, a vinyl cutter, T-shirt heat press and professional 10-colour inkjet printer. There are two hightop work tables where groups can strategize and design their prototypes. It is the perfect spot for the new Grade 11 Entrepreneurship class to gather for class projects, as well as the new Grade 11 Non-Traditional Art class where students are working on mixed-media projects, with both classes frequently relying on the new tools available.

MASCOT MONDAY WAS CYCLONIC! In case you hadn’t heard, CDS mascot Storm the Cyclone won the Toronto private school top mascot competition for 2023 in a heated ﬁnal round against Branksome Hall and Crescent School. Our community launched incredible school spirit in order to earn this amazing opportunity for our students, who had a blast lining the hallways to welcome our guests.

SickKids Led Healthcare Initiative Comes to CDS Senior School students were given an extraordinary opportunity through the school’s Health Sciences Club to participate in a Canadian healthcare initiative led by SickKids known as CALIPER. This project was created to establish a database of normal blood test values in children. Seventy-three CDS students stepped forward to donate their blood for this wonderful cause. As Co-Coordinators of the Health Sciences Club, Harkin Porter ’24 and Alessia Malfara ’25 were thrilled when SickKids approached the school about hosting a clinic. 4

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TERRY FOX DAY Students and faculty/staff ran and walked for Terry Fox once again and had a glorious day for it! Over the past 32 years, CDS has raised $541,683 for the Terry Fox Foundation.

Duke of Edinburgh Youth Summit Jack Brown ’25 and Zak Khan ’25 attended the Duke of Edinburgh Youth Summit in Toronto last spring with students from across the GTA currently working on their award. They had an opportunity to speak with HRH Prince Edward, the new Duke of Edinburgh, and Lieutenant Governor of Ontario Elizabeth Dowdeswell.

CISMF Returns after Four Years

CDS HOSTS WORLD-RENOWNED TRUMPETER Jens Lindemann and three JUNO Award-winning friends— Robi Botos, Mike Downes and Ernesto Cervini—performed an unbelievable jazz concert in October featuring the music of Oscar Peterson, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Chaplin, and more. Prior to the concert, Jens led a masterclass for our Middle and Senior School Concert Band students. Thank you to the Karch family for making this possible.

The much-anticipated Conference of Independent Schools’ Music Festival (CISMF) returned to Roy Thomson Hall in April. 2023 CISMF facts: Of the 1100 student performers, 65 were from CDS. Jesse Novik ’24 and Ali Kahn ’23 both had solos. CDS was represented in the highly competitive Jazz Band. And Lanna Wappel ’27 and Liam Gunning ’27 had a solo in the MS Concert Band. Shout out to Audrey Jiang ’26 for designing the program cover!

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FEATURE

50!

CELEBRATING THE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL AT

The official ribbon cutting opened the new Burns Family Hall with Board member and Advancement Committee Chair and CDS parent Jim Emanoilidis, Deputy Head of School and Director of Junior School Ann Wildberger, Head of School John Liggett, Michael Burns’ daughter and past parent Shelly Burns ’80, and outgoing Board Chair and past parent Karen Adams.

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The 50th Welcome Back Barbeque on September 7, 2022 was also the first time our community had gathered for this event in three years! Thank you to our wonderful Parent Association for helping to make it such a success!

A YEAR IN PICTURES A PHOTO JOURNAL OF OUR 50TH ANNIVERSARY IT WAS A YEAR for the history books coming off a pandemic, with our first Welcome Back Barbeque in three years and the opening of our Junior School delayed until fall, but we did it! We are grateful to all of our community members who joined us to celebrate this milestone and cannot wait to share the upcoming 50th anniversary coffee table book with you this spring. From the ringing endorsements echoed throughout our Alumni 50 in 50 video testimonials to our record student population this year (806), Education with Balance is alive and well at CDS! Our year of celebrations culminated in the Grand Opening of the Junior School and Burns Family Hall on September 7, 2023

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On October 1, 2022, we welcomed our founding families back for a tour and dinner to pay tribute to them for helping to imagine a private school in King for their children 50 years ago, and successfully turning that dream into reality.

More than 50 Alumni participated in the Spring Music Concert May 18, 2023! It was an absolute joy to watch the four Hunt siblings: McKinley ’15, Logan ‘17, Bridger ’18 and Nevis ’21, the three Noble siblings Colin ’08, Katie ’05 and Jacquie ’06 perform together, and Andrea (Brooks) Wappel ’98 perform alongside her daughters Brooke ’24 and Lanna ’27!

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Participants in this year’s 50th Annivesary Winter Alumni Basketball game.

Among our 540 guests at the CDS Dinner & Auction on June 2, 2023, were Co-Founder Ed Eberts, CDS’s First Headmaster John Pratt’s daughter, Jennifer Peters, Executive Assistant to three Headmasters, Wilma West, founding parent and CDS grandparent, Bob Sillcox and CDS grandparent and sister of Michael Burns, Joan Addison.

We celebrated with our alumni around the world during the 50th anniversary year with on-campus reunions and events in New York City, Whistler, BC and London, UK.

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It was wonderful to see more than 400 alumni, past and current faculty & staff, and parents in attendance at our 50th Alumni Reunion event in June. The clouds parted and a double rainbow formed just before the start, kicking off an incredible evening reminiscing with friends old and new.

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Our second annual CDS Golf Tournament at Cardinal Golf Club in August did not disappoint! Alumni, parents, students and faculty all teed off together before enjoying a BBQ buffet following the tournament.

Over the course of the year, we showcased 28 CDS Alumni on our Driveway Banners.

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THE GROWING MIND BY DR. KAREN SUMNER Freelance writer and editor

RECLAIMING OUR CHILDREN’S ATTENTION Spending less time on social media is associated with better academic performance, greater well being and deeper social connection

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It is said that if you’re not paying for something in the tech world, you’re the product. More speciﬁcally, your attention is the product. Giving our attention to popular social media apps like YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and others is what drives shareholder value to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars. And because attention is a limited resource, tech companies have developed ever more sophisticated ways to gain it and hold it for as long as possible. Why? Because they sell it, mainly to advertis-

ers but also to organizations that want us to do something in particular or think something in particular. Viewing human attention as a scarce commodity to be extracted from individuals and sold to the highest bidder is sometimes called the “attention economy.” And continually growing that economy is the number one goal of big tech companies. Every social media app is in a race to get as much of our attention as it can. And the younger they get our children hooked, the better for their bottom line. Our kids might just be the most valuable “products” for sale in the worldwide attention economy.

idea is to convince all of us to spend more Variable rewards: We are also stimulated time viewing, clicking and scrolling. by activities where we sometimes win and Here are just some of the tactics they use: sometimes don’t. As Max Stossel, the Youth Push notifications: Even when the app is and Education Advisor for the Center for closed, we are notified of a comment on a post Humane Technology, says, “Our phones are or tag on a photo or new content pushed by designed like slot machines… Sometimes we an algorithm. Psychologically, notifications get a ‘hit’ and sometimes not.” That’s the basis that buzz, vibrate, pop up or use red dots are for a gambling—or social media—addiction. experienced as “danger,” and so we check (continued on page 14) them to relieve anxiety. Unpredictability: Our human instinct is to pay attention to changes in our environment. “Pings” coming in on a regular schedule will eventually be ignored. Unpredictable and irregular notifications get our attention, which app designers know and put to use.

How tech companies get our attention

ILLUSTRATION: iSTOCK/SMARTBOY10

Social media apps are expressly designed to capture and hold human attention. They are built on what is called persuasive technology, which is created speciﬁcally to shape our opinions, attitudes and behaviors. The basic

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THE GROWING MIND “I know I use social media too much. As soon as I wake up, I check my phone. It’s a huge distraction for me and some of the content can affect my mood.”

* Quotes provided anonymously by CDS Senior School students

“I hate social media so much, but I use it all the time.” “The thought of being the ‘product’ for social media companies is creepy.”

(continued from page 13) Dopamine release: When we get those is especially strong in tweens and teens who “hits”—a notification, an autoplay video, a have an intense need for connection and apsearch result designed to confirm one of our proval. Being offline or “missing out” can feel views—we experience a release of dopamine, like being outcast, unsafe and forgotten. one of the pleasure hormones. App designers know that we will scroll and scroll and scroll, seeking that (variable) reward. What young people Infinite scroll: There is no bottom to our lose when their attention scrolling, which means that we do not receive is hijacked a signal that an activity has come to an end. This is a highly unusual human experience, as Time spent on social media is a significant all things in life have natural terminal points predictor of depression for adolescents. It is (a driver reaches a destination, a class ends, a associated with mental health and behavfilm concludes). ioural problems, poor academic performance, Recommendations: The majority of what greater loneliness, lower self-esteem, and we view online comes from recommenda- worse sleep. It is also correlated with develtions. This content is designed to be atten- opmental delays in language, in problemtion-getting—exaggerated claims, provoca- solving and in social interaction. tive stories or photos, intentional distortions Many young people also report that they or half-truths, and so on. Recommendations feel like they “lose themselves” online. As are someone else’s idea of what we should be Max Stossel points out, they learn at an early interested in and often draw us into emotion- age that in order to be heard online, they ally-charged content. must compete for attention via likes, comSnapchat streaks: Teens, in particular, ments and performative behaviour. The more worry about streaks coming to an end. It’s they feel compelled to be “noisy” and perboth a gamification element (maintaining a form for others, the less many teens feel like streak is a “win”) and a feature that generates their authentic selves. A loss of authenticity social anxiety. Teens worry about the implied may be one reason why time spent online is message when a streak ends: “You are not associated with mental and social struggles. liked” or “I have been rejected.” Data collected by The Country Day School Threat of not belonging: Social media in 2023 confirms some of these broader findapps draw heavily on the human desire to be- ings. Fifty-five percent of students reported that long, to be accepted, to be liked. This desire they spend one to three hours on social media

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each school day, and 30% reported that they spend more than three hours daily on their apps. In all, the weighted average across all students was two and a half hours per school day, which is consistent with other studies. In some interesting cross-tabulations, CDS students who are less satisfied with school life report spending significantly more time on social media. Those same “less satisfied” students are also more likely to spend very little time (less than one hour) or a great deal of time (more than three hours) on homework, suggesting a problematic relationship with school work. These students also indicate that they sleep less than six hours on school nights, which is concerning as sleep plays a central role in helping students retain and recall what they have learned and use their new knowledge to come up with creative and innovative solutions. On the flipside, students who report that they get enough sleep each night are more likely to have an A average and to look forward to coming to school every day. These students also tend to be more engaged in extra-curricular activities, feel a stronger sense of belonging, and feel capable of balancing all of their commitments. In sum: Students who spend more time on social media tend to sleep less, either spend very little time or quite protracted time on homework, get lower grades, and be less satisfied with and engaged in school and extra-curricular life. These correla-

“I keep my phone on during homework. What if someone needs me? What if something is happening? That makes me anxious. I definitely have FOMO— fear of missing out.”

“In the past, my phone has kept me up at night. But this year, I’m making an effort to read more before bed. I used to read a lot and I’m getting back to it now. That’s brought down my phone use.”

“Sometimes I ask myself, ‘What could I do if I wasn’t on social media so much?’”

tions are consistent with youth data col- Center for Humane Technology offers these duce everyone’s social media use, like cutting lected by other organizations. pointers for young people: back together phone time or certain apps, Young people are aggressively targeted by Get clear about your “why.” Ask yourself agreeing on “no phone” zones, and sharing social media companies because their time why you use social media and how it impacts some screen time (like movie nights). Have a spent on apps is a highly valuable commod- your life. Consider where else you could di- screen-free hour before bedtime every night ity in the attention economy. And the more rect your attention. Clarify which life goals to promote better sleep, since the blue light of of their attention tech companies get, the less could use more time and energy. Come up our screens stimulates wakefulness. kids sleep, have a balanced approach to home- with reasons why you would like to take back Create friend group changes. Change work, feel mentally healthy, are engaged in more control. your habits together with your friends. You school and other activities, and feel a sense of Conduct an honest self survey. What can delete a selected app for a week and talk belonging to their community. apps make you feel better? Which make you about how it feels. You can set guidelines for Our kids need help. They can live more feel worse? When do you feel regret over your school nights, such as putting phones away fulfilling, engaged and emotionally connect- social media use? Are you proud of the way during homework. You can have agreements ed lives with less time on social media. That you conduct yourself online? Are you the per- when you socialize in real life about when to means getting more of their attention back son you want to be? use your phones. Have fun coming up with where it belongs: under their own control. Set realistic, attainable goals. Would you different challenges together and no-one will like to set time constraints on social media use? feel left out. Or change a habit on a specific media platform? It’s probably a good idea for all of us to auHow young people can Or get rid of an app altogether? Or change your dit our time on social media. But the impact reduce social media use online behaviour? Explore what could take the of these apps on the development of young place of some social media use, and keep a list people—who are pursued by tech compaHelping young people understand social me- of goals to review on a regular basis. nies looking for a lifetime of “product” to dia tactics is job one. Families can openly talk Disrupt some persuasive techniques. sell in the attention economy—is especially about how attention is hijacked and why young Turn off phone and app notifications from troubling. Research tells us that more time people worry when they disconnect from their algorithms (keep the most important human spent on social media is associated with less devices—especially the fear of being rejected ones). Change settings in apps, like turning sleep, struggles with homework, lower grades, or not belonging. Expressing those fears won’t off autoplay on YouTube. Get an alarm clock lower engagement in school life and extramake them go away. But our kids don’t have to rather than relying on the phone as an alarm curriculars, and less of a sense of community carry them alone. We can let them know that (so it’s not in hand first thing every day). Use and belonging. Let’s help the young people in our lives reeveryone has these worries, even adults, and Apple’s Screen Time or Android’s Digital shape their thinking and habits around social talk about the ways social media use actually Well-Being tools to track use. media and reclaim their attention for better intensifies rather than relieves them. Create family changes. Your family can To help reduce their social media use, the come up with some new habits that will re- things. ■

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TIMELINES

HIGHLIGHTS

JUNIOR SCHOOL

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APRIL 1. Excitement filled the air as children’s author Catherine Nevin-Pike read her book Snowy Prints to our Junior and Senior Kindergarten students. In the story, a mother and child go on a snowy adventure walk prompting our students to have fun predicting what kind of animal made each set of tracks they encounter along the way. 2. JKs took a plunge under the sea! After having their tickets stamped by Captain Wildberger, the students boarded the HMCS CDS to check out some of the wonders that live under the sea. The sights and sounds of the submarine were brought to life as the students looked through portholes to see fish, turtles, sharks and some familiar faces snorkeling by.

MAY 3. One of our finest days of the year... Grandparents’ Day returned in May after a three-year hiatus. Our Junior School students took immense joy in guiding their grandparents, sharing their classrooms and entertaining our CDS Grandparent community at a spring music concert following lunch! 4. The Grade 6 Pathways to People leaders organized and facilitated a Strides for Sun Safety Walk for the entire Junior School. More than $1000 was raised to benefit the David Cornfield Melanoma Fund. Pathways members led each JS class through the Five S’s of Sun Safety: Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek and Slide! Before heading outside, students slid on sunglasses donated by the Pasquali family (graduates Luke ’17, Julian ’19 and Isabella ’22).

JUNE 5. SK students had an epic adventure into space! Once our astronauts were prepared for blast off with their helmets and jet packs secure and ready, they headed to their rocket ship where Astronomy in Action was waiting with their portable planetarium in the gym. When securely all inside, the students blasted off and toured the solar system, making it back to Earth in time for lunch!

to earn this amazing opportunity for our students, who had a blast lining the hallways to welcome our guests. What a spirit-infused day to remember! 7. Congratulations to our Grade 6 students Ben Li, Eric Huang and Emily Li who helped CDS finish first in the Mathematica Canadian National Championships for Grade 5 students last spring! 8. In honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, our Outdoor Education specialists teamed up with our Junior School Library to present an interactive outdoor Book Walk featuring Brittany Luby’s book Encounter for all students in JK to Grade 6 to experience. The story explores how encounters can create community and celebrates varying perspectives and the wonder of our natural world.

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OCTOBER 9. Grade 6s attended an overnight leadership camp at Medeba near Haliburton. They enjoyed a variety of activities to help them reflect on themselves while developing their leadership skills. From the long zipline over a pond, to running Pictionary and geocaching, the students were engaged and challenged themselves while developing teamwork. 10. The Grade 6 Pathways to People team gathered 86 boxes of food for the King Township Food Bank Thanksgiving food drive.

NOVEMBER 11. For Remembrance Day, every Junior School student helped create a community poppy by each placing a red or black stone in the formation of a poppy on display in the Burns Family Hall. This served as a reminder that every person in this school plays a part in bringing peace to our world. 12. Ms. Waller’s Grade 2 class called in their “Study Buddies,” aka Ms. Hudson’s Grade 11 English students, to help them conduct a research project on animals. 13. Grade 5 students visited Queen’s Park in Toronto as part of their social studies unit on the three levels of government in Canada.

SEPTEMBER

DECEMBER

6. MASCOT MONDAY PEP RALLY Mr. Bartle organized fun games for Raptor and Carlton to play with Storm the Cyclone, including “Minute to Win It,” and all three hammed it up for the exuberant crowd. Our community launched incredible school spirit in order

14. Pathways to People hosted the annual Book and Treat Sale in the Junior School Gym and raised $3,212 dollars for three local charities: Blue Door Leeder Place, Rose of Sharon and The Welcome Table.

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HIGHLIGHTS

MIDDLE SCHOOL

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APRIL 1. For the first time ever, Junior, Middle and Senior School students all celebrated Language Week with the intent to teach appreciation and respect for the many cultures where French and Spanish are spoken.

MAY 2. Grade 7 students learned about Pop Art and made connections to today’s popular mass culture. After understanding and practicing using the various tools available on iPads, students created a celebrity portrait. These different colour layers were then converted into a fun GIF! 3. Middle School musicians helped raise the roof at the Spring Music Concert!

JUNE 4. Fun was had by all at the Grade 8 graduation celebration and Grade 7 endof-year party.

SEPTEMBER 5. Students in the Grade 7 Health class worked collaboratively in groups to discuss concussion prevention, symptoms and treatment. They then presented their information and findings to the class. 6. Students wore their orange shirts on the Friday before the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation to acknowledge Canada’s legacy of residential schools and celebrate the survivors and their families.

OCTOBER 7. Prior to the Thanksgiving weekend, the Grade 7s spent three fun-packed days at Camp Mini-Yo-Me. What a great way to kick off a two-year journey in the Middle School together! 8. Middle School students explored the Back 40 during their mountain biking unit in Phys. Ed., pushing limits, building confidence, and developing a love for the great outdoors.

9. Grade 8 students benefited from a Basic Life Support Skills workshop led by cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Varun Kapila (CDS Parent and Board member) and dentists Dr. Reyhani and Dr. Bianchi. Training focused on essential life-saving skills like CPR and provided a deep dive into the intricacies of the cardiovascular system. Members from the Senior School Health Science Club assisted.

NOVEMBER 10. The Middle & Senior School Remembrance Day assembly included performances from both our Drama and Music Departments, who poured a great deal of thought and creativity into the act of remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. 11. The Grade 7 and 8 students, as well as Grade 9s and Senior Helpers, put forth an incredible performance in all three productions of A Lighter Shade of Noir! 12. Students learned the basics of the international game of cricket—bowling, batting and catching the cricket ball— with coaches from Cricket Canada in the Cyclone Dome.

DECEMBER 13. This year there were 12,897 participants worldwide in the University of Waterloo Beaver Computing Challenge with an average score of 64.55 out of 90. Out of the 58 CDS students who competed, 15 received Certificates of Distinction for achieving an average of 84 or higher and and these seven students achieved a perfect score of 90: (l-r) Ginia Zhang (8), Mia Zhu (8), Kevin Zhai (8), Santtu Koskinen (7), Mina Matsui (7), Lily Gottdenker (7) and Lucas Rites (7). Over the past 10 years, there have been only three perfect scores in total (in 2020 there was one, and in 2021 there were two). Well done CDS!

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HIGHLIGHTS

SENIOR SCHOOL

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MARCH 1. Over March Break, two student groups (a Grade 11–12 group and a Grade 10 group), totalling 75 students and eight faculty chaperones, took an unforgettable 10-day Social Sciences tour of Italy, with each following a very similar itinerary. Students travelled from Sorrento to the island of Capri, Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii, Monte Cassino and Rome, San Gimignano and Florence and, last but not least, Venice. Magnifico!

APRIL 2. A jazzed up Middle/Senior Assembly chased away the Monday blues thanks to the @bigsmokebrassband The Torontobased performers lit up the theatre with their heavy-hitting sound that included pop classics, original music and Top 40 hits. The band then sat down with our senior music students for a questionand-answer opportunity. 3. The music department hosted its first ISU Senior Vocal Recital for students in the Grade 11 & 12 Vocal program with fantastic performances by Ella Ballard ’24, Derya Karakul ’24, Isabelle Gu ’23, Jessica Grossman ’24, Avalyn Woods ’24 and Avery Tallman ’24. 4. The Senior Drama Class traveled to Stratford to perform and participate in the Conference of Independent Schools Drama Festival (CISDF) for three days of workshops with industry professionals.

MAY 5. Music students dazzled their audience at the Spring Music Concert! 6. At the third and final Fulford League Debate tournament of the year, Ananya Kapur ’26 and Olivia Budweth ’25 competed as the Junior team while Sarah Croxon ’24 and Jack Brown ’25 competed as the Senior team. Olivia placed 2nd overall and Ananya placed in the top half of the competitors in the Junior Division. Sarah placed 2nd and Jack placed 4th in the Senior Division. 7. The Diversity Club honoured Asian Heritage Month showcasing the important role Asian Canadians have played in shaping Canada’s social and cultural landscape. 8. Mr. Edwards brought his Grade 12 Physics students on the annual trip to Canada’s Wonderland to experience inertia, acceleration, forces and so much more firsthand! Congrats to Katie Chang and Briana Mascan on winning the Park Engineer Award. 9. Twenty students in Grades 11 and 12 participated in the Canadian Computing

Competition where they had three hours to complete five computer programs that solve real world problems. With a total of 6242 contestants, the worldwide average score was 39. Congratulations to the following students: Certificates of Distinction (top 20%) Zak Khan ’25 (51) and Adam Montgomery ’24 (51). Waterloo Honour Roll: Jason Liang ’25 (64), Stone Li ’24 (64), and Kevin Yang ’24 (66) (top 2% of competitors). 10. Grade 12 artists were celebrated at the annual Grad X art show in Rogers Hall.

SEPTEMBER 11. Grade 12 English students traveled to Stratford to see a matinee performance of King Lear. 12. Twenty-eight students in Grades 10-12 enjoyed a four-day canoe trip to beautiful Temagami. 13. EcoSpark was back on campus to lead a stream study for Grade 11 Biology and Environmental Science students. The data is used to study the quality of the stream in our Back 40 that forms part of the headwaters of the East Humber River that flows down to Lake Ontario.

OCTOBER 14. Grade 9s travelled to Camp Wanakita for four days to take part in ropes courses, hikes, canoeing and team-building activities. 15. The Senior School Art room had a Harley Davidson 1200 Sportster motorcycle on display—a generous loan from Ms. Kuchmak’s husband, Jesse. Each Senior Arts class took part in drawing from life lessons, including line drawings, outline drawings, chalk form drawings, contour drawings and full observational drawings of this engaging subject! 16. CDS won top overall Canadian school and placed 2nd overall at the International Independent Schools’ Public Speaking Competition in Vancouver! Millie Steinmann ’25 won 1st in Drama, 2nd in impromptu and 4th speaker overall. Sarah Croxon ’24 placed 2nd for persuasive and placed 13th overall, qualifying for worlds! Ethan Wahba ’24 made finals for his persuasive speech, placing top 10 in this category, and 22nd speaker overall out of 113 competitors.

NOVEMBER 17. The Grade 10 History classes undertook their annual two-day field experience and trench building exercise to enhance their understanding of the efforts of soldiers in World War One.

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INTRODUCING THE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL CLASS OF

81 GRADS

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89% ONTARIO SCHOLARS

16 ‘LIFERS’

2023!

Our 81 graduates have demonstrated immense grit and resilience during their high school careers and have accepted oﬀers of admission to top programs at a diverse selection of postsecondary institutions across Canada, the US and UK. Well done, Class of 2023! We could not be prouder of you and wish you all the best!

Dryden Ainge Ali Azrilyant Rylee Baird Tyler Bannerman Georgia Benjamin Leo Bigourdan Tanysa Bobechko Sophia Broekaert Kate Burleigh Abbey Butler Katie Chang Austin Chen Jordan Chen Hannah Clarke Andrew Creglia Evan Dallimore Grace Dalton Niccola Di Battista Michael Di Poce Reaghan Donnelly Reese Falkenberg Luca Fazzari Jack Fogerty Kavan Fredric Daniela Galviz Neira Olivia Gater Leah Gawza

Alexander Ghezzi Jacob Ginsberg Stephanie Godler Alex Gomes Isabelle Gu Leah Hanrahan Jaxon Hekkenberg Karisa Jiwani Lizzy Jones Aleyna Kaya Ali Khan Isaac Khan Lauren Kirton Catie Kostopoulos Cameron Kroupa Evan Labelle Rigas Lambakis Nathan Lang Ranly Li Chelsea Lowe Abbey Magarelli Sahib Mangat Simran Mangat Daniel Marcelli Madison Mariani Sarah Martin Angelo Marzilli Briana Mascan

Michelle Matiana Hadley McHenry Kassandra Miranda Fateh Nijjar Leah Rites Matthew Rotundo Jessie Rudin Bronwyn Schemmer Cameron Segal Luke Shipley Kayla Sokullu Laura Sun Mia Sung Lauren Szabo Katherine Tchernychova Christian Tognarelli Alex Totten Sarah Ventin Oliver Vien Ryan Vinderine Victoria Wang Nora Welsby Michelle Ye Maddy Young Richie Zhang Rayna Zhou

POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTION DESTINATIONS

100% RESILIENCY

Acadia University Babson College Berklee College of Music Brock University Brown University Dalhousie University Fanshawe College Fleming College Humber College McGill University McMaster University New York University OCAD University Providence College

Queen’s Bader College Queen’s University Toronto Metropolitan University Trent University University of British Columbia University of Guelph University of Manitoba University of Ottawa University of Sussex University of Toronto University of Waterloo Western University Wilfrid Laurier University York University

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FEATURE

A SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE Memories of Original Teacher, Christine DeWitt Gathered by Scott Garbe

Was John Pratt so persuasive that he could convince Christine to teach in the “Great White North”? Or, as the daughter of one of the ﬁrst female solo pilots in France (at the tender age of 17, no less), was Christine’s own sense of adventure the central factor? It may have been a bit of both, as relayed by Christine during CDS’s recent 50th anniversary year.

“In 1971, John Pratt and a group of educators walked into my classroom [in New Jersey] and talked to me brieﬂy. He said, ‘I was thinking of starting a new school in Ontario, Canada. Would you be interested?’ And I replied, ‘I don’t think so.’ “I came back to California to stay with my parents for a little while. Then I got a follow-up call from John saying something like, ‘We really need somebody with your expertise. You would be a fabulous addition in early childhood Pre-K.’ I told him that I was worried about Canadian citizenship paperwork and he waved away my concern. ‘Oh, we can do the paperwork for you. Come on, you’ll love it.’ So, I said yes and the whole process started. My six-year-old

Christine DeWitt outside at recess with her class, 1972-73. (below) Field trip to a farm across the street during winter 1973.

n many ways, the origin story of CDS is one of adventure, vision and innovation. It was an exercise in convincing a group of individuals to come aboard a journey where the landscape had yet to be created. Sometimes those individuals were found in the unlikeliest of places–in Tenaﬂy, New Jersey, for example. That is where CDS’s ﬁrst Head of School, John Pratt, discovered a young educator named Christine DeWitt. Their meeting would lead to her being one of the original three teachers at CDS during its inaugural year.

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(left) Christine plays guitar for Grade 7/8 students in front of the Shakespearan stage in the one-room schoolhouse. (right) Christine came back for CDS’s 25th anniversary and iss pictured here with Di Hawksworth to her leftt and first Headmasterr John Pratt. t.

son Dominic [who attended that first year] and I left at the beginning of July in my ‘62 Oldsmobile convertible. I drove the entire Pacific Northwest all the way to Vancouver, then across Canada to Ontario. “Upon my arrival, everyone was so welcoming. Outside of school we played tennis, went to people’s houses, met with parents. People were interested in a different type of education and were excited about what we were doing. All the children were growing and learning and having great results. “We worked really hard. We built the Shakespearian stage, we built tables, we made all sorts of things for the classrooms. I think we started with 47 students altogether in the whole school, and I had probably 10 children in my primary class. I also taught French. After I finished the morning session, I would go around and teach French to each of the kids and make it fun for them. I even prepared a little restaurant scene for them and had cooking classes en français. I also taught the older kids to play the guitar. “About a month after school started, Mr. Pratt asked me if I would be willing to pick up some of the students in the mornings and bring them back home in the afternoons in the school van. So I started doing that too. That’s what you did. You helped do whatever

“EVERYBODY DOESN’T LEARN THE SAME WAY. AND I FELT THAT IF I COULD TEACH SOME LESSONS TO MY SON AND TO OTHER PEOPLE, THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO ENJOY LIFE. YOU KNOW, THAT WAS WORTH IT FOR ME.” tasks you were asked to help out with. The Headmaster even drove the bus. “Later that winter, I remember standing out in my snowsuit and my boots and my earmuﬀs, and there were icicles forming from my nose. It was about 50 below with the wind chill factor. And the kids were outside playing hockey in the ﬁeld and running around, laughing, with red cheeks and noses. And I’m thinking, ‘Oh my gosh. Not so

fun. Okay, that’s it.’ I went to Mr. Pratt and said, ‘You know, John, the weather is really bad here. I’m a California girl.’ Otherwise, I would have stayed. I loved it.”

But like CDS, the adventure for Christine, both in education and the broader world, would continue.

“I’ve always had a sense of adventure, something I probably inherited from my mother. When I turned 50, I went skydiving. I’ve gone hot air ballooning. I’ve seen all 50 states and driven most of them myself. I’ve been to Australia and the Fiji Islands. I’ve gone cross country in an RV. I became interested in education because I didn’t like the way I was taught in school. Everybody doesn’t learn the same way. I felt that if I could teach some lessons to my son and to other young people, that they would be able to enjoy life. You know, that was worth it for me.”

Fifty years on, the joy for living and learning that Ms. DeWitt brought with her to CDS continues to ripple forward into its future, lit by beams of metaphorical California sunshine that she was gracious enough to have left behind. ■

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1. U16 Girls’ D1 Soccer won CISAA Silver 2. U16 Boys’ D1 Tennis won CISAA Bronze 3. Senior Girls’ D2 Field Hockey had an exciting second season, ultimately losing in the bronze medal game 4. U12 Girls’ Softball team on the bus to the finals 5. U16 Boys’ D2 Volleyball lost in semi-finals 6. Rayna Zhou ’23 and Zhi Wei Zhang ’25 won Silver in mixed doubles at OFSAA, the first-ever medal in Senior Co-ed Badminton for CDS.

THE SPORTING LIFE Athletic Highlights Spring and Fall 2023

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7. Senior Girls’ D1B Rugby won CISAA Silver 8. U14 Girls’ D1B Soccer won CISAA Bronze 9. Middle School Track team won 6 CISAA Golds, 7 CISAA Silvers, 6 CISAA Bronze and U14 Girls’ CISAA Gold; 10. Senior Girls’ D1 Tennis enjoyed a fine CISAA and OFSAA run; 11. Junior School Cross Country; 12. Senior Boys’ D2 Soccer 13. After entering playoffs in fifth place, CDS D2 Senior Girls’ Soccer team defeated Toronto French School 1-0 in the CISAA finals to win Gold 14. Carter Saley ’26, Hannah Clarke ’23 and Aidan Quast ’26 all achieved PBs at the 2023 OFSAA Track & Field Championships in June 15. U16 Boys’ D2 Soccer won CISAA Silver 16. U14 Boys’ Singles D1 Badminton won CISAA Gold.

Excerpts from the Middle & Senior Spring Athletic Assembly “Competition is a rivalry. It is a battle to prove yourself to the most important person—yourself. Although it is important to stay composed, competition is a way of expressing your excitement and enjoyment of an activity. I believe that in order to be successful, at least one aspect of your identity has to be composed of a competitive spirit. “Next is teamwork. Cooperation is of the utmost importance. Without it, nothing is

possible. Whether it be a coach and an individual player or a whole cast working together to achieve one goal, teamwork must be mastered. But I also think of teamwork as an individual activity in its own right. How we come back from struggle, and how we interpret a situation can truly dictate an outcome… And that is a battle to work out with yourself and no one else. “Finally, discipline: the most

undermined factor. In my opinion, discipline is even more vital than motivation. My understanding of discipline is that it entails carrying on with an activity, even when there is little or no desire to do so. It allows us to overcome our tendencies of laziness and prioritize logical reason over emotional response. Conﬁdence is also a by-product of discipline. Be sure of yourself, even when there’s doubt against you.

“As Michael Phelps, the great Olympic swimmer, once said, ‘You dream. You plan. You reach. There will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with hard work, with belief, with conﬁdence and trust in yourself and those around you, there are no limits.’” ■ Luca Fazzari ’23 is studying Bio-Medical Science at the University of Guelph THE LINK WINTER 2024

! T H G CAU

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IN T H E SPO T LIGH T !

COMING THIS SCHOOL YEAR! Join us for one or both of our upcoming 2024 Junior and Senior School productions. CLUE Thursday, February 29 & Friday, March 1 at 7pm Saturday, March 2 at 1:30pm

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CAST AND CREW OF A LIGHTER SHADE OF NOIR ON ALL THREE MAGNIFICENT PERFORMANCES IN NOVEMBER! This play humorously transformed well-known detectives into parody versions of themselves, offering a fresh and entertaining twist on their familiar characters. The impeccable comedic timing and clever dialogue within this play prompted audience members to leave with big smiles and each character introduced a unique perspective and depth to the plot. As Ms. Cicchillo wrote in her cast tribute, “Your dedication and hard work was truly exceptional. You brought these characters to life with depth and authenticity, and your commitment to the story was evident in every moment on stage.”

Based on the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn and written by Sandy Rustin, Clue is a hilarious farce-meets-murder mystery. The tale begins at a remote mansion, where six mysterious guests assemble for an unusual dinner party where murder and blackmail are on the menu. When their host turns up dead, they all become suspects. Led by Wadsworth, the butler, Miss Scarlet, Professor Plum, Mrs. White, Mr. Green, Mrs. Peacock and Colonel Mustard race to find the killer as the body count stacks up. Clue is the comedy whodunit that will leave both cult fans and newcomers in stitches as they try to figure out…WHO did it, WHERE, and with WHAT!

THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL Thursday, April 18 & Friday, April 19 at 7pm Saturday, April 20 at 1:00pm

Adapted from the iconic Nickelodeon series, the stakes are higher than ever in this dynamic stage musical, as SpongeBob and all of Bikini Bottom face the total annihilation of their undersea world. Chaos erupts. Lives hang in the balance. And just when all hope seems lost, a most unexpected hero rises up and takes center stage. The power of optimism really can save the world!

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GRADUATION 2023 EXCERPTS FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL GRADUATION

THE IMPORTANCE OF FAILURE

“E “

EXCERPTS FROM THE JUNIOR SCHOOL GRADUATION

ALWAYS MAINTAIN A STRONG MORAL COMPASS

“W

hen our conscience is strong, sometimes we have to make an unpopular decision. We need to stand up for what is right and at times, that may mean you stand alone. It is that inner voice we call our conscience that reminds us how to act accordingly. It is this conscience that helps deﬁne us as a person and builds our reputation. “Don’t think for a minute that you are alone in this jour-

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ney. Every one of you will work on this every day, your whole life through. Undoubtedly, the adults in your life are working on this too and will tell you it isn’t always easy. “It will guide you to do what is right and what is fair. To be honest, compassionate, responsible and forgiving. “Onward you go Grade 6s in your quest of building a strong moral compass!” Ann Wildberger, Director of Junior School

THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE, I THINK, IS ALWAYS MAINTAINING YOUR MORAL COMPASS.” BARACK OBAMA former U.S. President

ach one of you has faced setbacks and obstacles along the way, but you have all demonstrated resilience and determination in overcoming them. That is a valuable lesson that I want you to carry with you as you move forward in life. “Failure teaches us important life lessons that success does not. It helps us grow and develop as individuals, and it pushes us to become better versions of ourselves. But … it is so important to remember that failure is not the end … but rather a stepping stone toward our future successes. “Every successful person has experienced failure at some point in their lives, but what sets them apart is their ability to learn from those failures and use them as motivation to achieve their goals.”

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR GRADE 6, GRADE 8 AND GRADE 12 GRADUATES!

“

EVERY SUCCESSFUL PERSON HAS EXPERIENCED FAILURE AT SOME POINT IN THEIR LIVES, BUT WHAT SETS THEM APART IS THEIR ABILITY TO LEARN FROM THOSE FAILURES AND USE THEM AS MOTIVATION TO ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS.” “Graduates, remember that it is okay to make mistakes, as long as you learn from them and do not repeat them. Use your failures as a source of inspiration and motivation to strive for excellence and to be the best version of yourself. “You have all grown so much during your time in Middle School, and I have no doubt that you will continue to achieve great things in high school.” Catie Ferguson, Interim Director of Middle School

EXCERPTS FROM GRADE 8 VALEDICTORIAN SPEECH IT’S OFFICIAL, WE DID IT!

relationships we have formed. Let us never forget the people who have helped us get to where we are today, and let us strive to pay it forward by leading with kindness as we make a positive impact on the world with our gifts and talents.” Zara Basso Valedictorian, Middle School

“I

want to express my heartfelt appreciation for the countless memories we have created and shared together. Allow me to take you down memory lane. “Firstly, from our younger years, traveling together into the big city, visiting famous sites like the Saint Lawrence Market, the Old Spaghetti Factory, the ROM, and the first post office. Next, who can forget our overnight trips camping in the great outdoors, including those in the Back 40, filled with countless unforgettable moments like manhunt and keeping warm by the bonfire. Despite the fact that many trips got canceled due to the pandemic, our Ottawa trip surely made up for them… “If we can make it through a pandemic and online learning, then we can certainly make it through starting fresh in the Senior School as new kids on the block. Remember the lessons we have learned and the

EXCERPTS FROM THE SENIOR SCHOOL GRADUATION

THE EMBODIMENT OF A PORTRAIT OF A GRADUATE Ms. Bland shared a story about the late Lieutenant-Colonel (Retired) Susan Beharriell, a resident of King who passed away last December. She drew parallels to how Susan embodied the qualities of a CDS Portrait of a Graduate in how she lived her life.

“W

hen I ﬁrst met Susan Beharriell, she was a member of King for Refugees, a group of concerned citizens who wanted to ensure our community did its part to support some of the families arriving bewildered from the trauma of ﬂeeing their beloved country.

“As I began to get to know her, I learned she was a retired Canadian Air Force Intelligence Officer and one of the very first group of women to undergo Air Force Officer Training in 1973, just a year after CDS was started. “Susan most certainly knew the meaning of acting with integrity and honouring her commitments, when as an intelligence officer she found herself flying in planes on reconnaissance missions during the first Gulf War. “She later went on to be Deputy Commander of the Combined Intelligence Centre for NORAD and held that position when the 9/11 attacks happened—certainly a time to be adaptable and ready for the challenge of an ever-changing world. She advised top members of our military and cabinet ministers. It was imperative that she be a critical thinker and creative problem-solver who valued lifelong learning. In fact, she closed her years in the military teaching at The Canadian Forces College in Toronto helping to design and teach a new National Security Studies Curriculum. After 35 years of military service, she THE LINK WINTER 2024

GRADUATION 2023

“

I HOPE THAT YOU WILL ALWAYS HOLD OUR QUALITIES OF A CDS GRADUATE CLOSE TO YOUR HEART. BE WARRIORS FOR WHAT IS RIGHT.” was inducted as an Oﬃcer of The Order of Military Merit. “These were all incredible achievements in their own right, but especially when you consider the discrimination she faced. She had men who refused to teach her and others who refused to share an oﬃce space with a woman. Susan was a warrior who persevered in the face of setbacks. “Like some of you will be before too long, Susan was a Queen’s graduate. She lived her life with balance and was a passionate equestrian and a forceful campaigner for the environment and sustainability. “I think it is safe to say that Susan truly embodied our Portrait of a Country Day School Graduate.

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“So, graduates, as you embark on your own life journeys … I hope that you will always hold our qualities of a CDS Graduate close to your heart. Be warriors for what is right. If you hold these qualities true, we have no doubt that in your own way, you will be some of the ﬁnest citizens of our world, out there making a real diﬀerence.” Celia Bland, Director of Senior School

EXCERPTS FROM GRADE 12 VALEDICTORIAN SPEECH

“O

n this day, we reﬂect on the past four years and we look forward to what awaits us. As I look out at the faces of my peers, I realize how much we have grown, all the talents that were discovered over these past years and the hard work we put in to get ourselves to this moment. When I look at the Class of 2023, I see artists, academics, athletes, some social butterﬂies, and some indispensable introverts. Whatever you have been labelled as, or have labelled

“

WHAT IS SO EXCITING ABOUT THIS TIME OF OUR LIVES IS THAT WE HAVE THE CHOICE TO CHOOSE WHO WE WANT TO BE, WHAT WE WANT TO PURSUE, AND WHAT WE TRULY CARE ABOUT. CHOOSE WISELY, BUT ALSO KNOW EVERYTHING IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.”

yourself as in high school, will not always deﬁne you. “What is so exciting about this time of our lives is that we have the choice to choose who we want to be, what we want to pursue, and what we truly care about. Choose wisely, but also know everything is subject to change. “I challenge you to break up the mundanity of life by being vulnerable and courageous every day. These two traits will allow you to be open to unexpected opportunities and to just go for it regardless of the outcome. Carpe diem. Yolo. Whatever motto you connect with. One way I know we can all be successful is by living our lives without regret or ‘what ifs.’ Do not let the people on the sidelines aﬀect your choices or the possibility that you might fail. The best thing you can have in life is bounce. That is the ability to get back up when you have fallen—because you might take a chance and be brave and it might not work out in your favour. That is okay. Just like in Indiana Jones—it is the very act of taking a ‘leap of faith’ that is so respectable.” Reese Falkenberg Valedictorian, Senior School

CDS SAYS FAREWELL TO TWO GREAT ONES

We wish them both the best in their post CDS journeys!

MARK BURLEIGH After 32 incredible years of teaching Physical and Health Education at CDS, Mark Burleigh retired in June. Mark is one of the longest standing faculty members at CDS and continued to make strong connections with his colleagues, students and alumni throughout his career. In May 2012, he was appointed as an Alumni Faculty Liaison to work with Community Relations and engage alumni. He continued in this role through last year’s 50th Anniversary year. Mark’s long CDS coaching career has included many wonderful highlights with U11 Boys Soccer, U14 Co-ed Hockey and U14 Boys Rugby, to name a few. At the Middle/Senior School Athletic Assembly last June, Mr. Andersen reflected on how many CDS students Mark would have coached over the years. “I am figuring 32 years, three teams a year, and an average of 18 players per team—more than 1700 athletes.” Mr. Andersen then presented him with the coveted McNally Award, presented annually in recognition of a volunteer (parent, student or staff member) who served as a key contributor to athletics at CDS.

ALEX O’REILLY After 23 rock solid years in the Science Department, Alex O’Reilly retired in June, having served as a pillar of support for his department as well as for the Middle and Senior School faculty. As was mentioned in a past anniversary tribute, “Alex is like CDS’s older brother: When you come to him with a problem, he will likely gently poke fun at you, but the advice he gives you is always sound, and even if he doesn’t always show it, he cares deeply about you.” Alex capably took on the extra duties as Head of Science twice—from 2008 to 2010 and then again from 2015 to 2022. He has also coached some amazing athletes to a number of championships, most recently the U16 Girls Basketball in 2018 and U14 Boys Softball. Throughout his career, Alex inspired his students to think deeply and to be passionate about learning.

CDS FACULTY AND STAFF RECOGNIZED FOR YEARS OF SERVICE IN JUNE 2023 25 Years of Service Heather Castellan Chris Edwards Lara Gee Bernice Moses Tony Young

20 Years of Service John Andersen Jeanita Badner Liane Cooke

15 Years of Service Jenny Cooper David Huckvale Sarah Hudson Brent Johnston Eileen Paddags Rick Vien Jennifer Vipond Jen Weening Ann Wildberger

10 Years of Service Fraser Fell Will Hofstetter Jason Jugoon Sara Purdy Lauren Roszell Denise Stratton

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COMMUNITY NEWS Recent appointments and staff news • Winter 2024

Patrice Barbanchon joined our Music faculty in January 2023 and teaches students in our Junior, Middle and Senior Schools. He was previously at Pickering College, where he taught Instrumental Music for 16 years and served as Department Head of the Arts. He has a BA in Music Performance from Thompson Rivers University, a BEd from York University,

and a diploma of Jazz Studies from Humber College. When he is not teaching or raising his two sons, the accomplished trumpeter has been a full-time member of the Toronto Jazz Orchestra since 2009 and is a member of the Latin ensemble Conjunto Lacalu. Christine Gomes joined CDS in September as Middle/Senior Administrative Assistant in the

Senior School office and has since advanced to the role of Middle/ Senior School Office Manager. Christine has worked as a Business Administrator for a dental office for the past 17 years. Natalie Grossi joined CDS in August as Director of Academics, Junior School. Natalie previously served as a Vice Principal with the Dufferin Peel Catholic

WELCOME BACK, ROBERT ROSS

N SEPTEMBER, we welcomed back CDS’s second Headmaster, Robert Ross, and his wife, Deanna, for a visit. They had not toured the school for 25 years and were amazed at how much things have changed, yet stayed the same. Robert and Deanna had a chance to catch up with some old friends, former colleagues and original alumni, including, back row (l-r): Ann and David Love, Steve McCutcheon, Paul Duckett, John van Nostrand, Gary West, John Liggett and Sheila McCutcheon. Front row (l-r): Joan Addison, Diana Dunlap, Robert and Deanna Ross, Louise Wry, Wilma West, Stan Neal, Peter Welsh and Sarah van Nostrand.

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District School Board. Additionally, Natalie has served as an academic consultant at the Board level. In her career with DPCDSB, her teaching experiences in the elementary panel with specific experiences in early literacy, special education, ESL and library will serve our Junior School well. Natalie holds a BA in Early Childhood Education from the Toronto Metropolitan University and a BEd from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. Larry Shields joined the Music Department as Head of Music in September. Mr. Shields comes to us from De La Salle College where he was the Coordinator of Music and Music Teacher delivering the Ontario Curriculum to Grades 5 to 12. He has also worked with many bands including the Brampton Concert Band, the Weston Silver Band and is the Music Director at the National Music Camp of Canada where he has served as a capable and respected music instructor for more than 30 years. Larry has an Honours Diploma in Commercial Music and Performance from Humber College. Janette Wallace joined CDS in August as Middle/Senior Administrative Assistant in the Senior School office. Janette has worked in administrative and support roles for the past 10 years, five of those with the YRDSB at two elementary schools.

CONNECTIONS Alumni news and updates

Abby Witten joined CDS in September as the Assistant to the Athletics and Health and Physical Education Department. Abby comes to us well-equipped for this role with extensive experience in customer service, including supervisory experience in a sporting setting. Sierra Zrnec has taken on the role of Accounts Payable Administrator in our Finance Oﬃce. Sierra has a BA in Commerce from the University of Guelph and years of experience across several business operations in the GTA.

Baby News Ellie Cawﬁeld and her husband, Andrew, welcomed a baby boy, Charlie Stuart, on July 5, a little brother for Emma. Ms. Cawﬁeld has taught at CDS in the Junior School Phys Ed department since 2015. Vanessa Csibi and Balázs welcomed a beautiful baby daughter, Bianka Glenda Edit, on June 30. Vanessa joined

CDS in September 2022 as a mathematics teacher in the Middle and Senior School. Kristen Mack and her husband, Nathan, welcomed a beautiful baby daughter, Isla Rose, on November 6, a little sister for Ada. Kristen joined CDS in September 2020 as a Senior School Learning Strategist in the Student Services Centre.

THANKS TO THE NOBLE FAMILY

a wonderful time was had by all at the 50th Alumni event in June! More than 400 alumni, past faculty and staff and friends returned for an evening of celebration. We would like to extend a huge thanks to the Noble family who helped to organize the event: Colin ’08 (Diana), Katie ’05 (Derek), Jacquie ’06 (Richard), and parents Nancy and Gerry.

THE 3RD ANNUAL ALUMNI CHESS TOURNAMENT was held in May with 12 competitors, 10 in-person and two online players! After three hours of competition, Cameron Kroupa ’23 beat Jack MacDonald ’20 in the finals. Thanks to everyone who participated! Save the date for the 4th annual tournament on May 23!

Staffing Updates Catie Ferguson has resumed her position as Head of Middle/ Senior Learning Support in the Student Services Centre. David Drake and Alanna Houston are Co-Heads of Guidance in the Student Services Centre. Lia Kitchen has moved from her position as Middle/Senior Administrative Assistant to the Student Accounts Administrator in the Finance Oﬃce. Steve Miller, our Head Groundskeeper, has also taken on the role of Assistant Head of Facilities. Rob Waldron has returned to his role as Director of Middle School.

CDS ALUMNI SPORTS Back by Popular Demand Soccer Tuesday, February 20 6:30pm Basketball Thursday, February 22 6:30 pm All are welcome RSVP today at alumni@cds.on.ca. @TheCDS1972

Network with CDS alumni on LinkedIn!

1999 & 2014 CLASS REUNIONS AT CDS Class of 1999 Join us for your 25th reunion Saturday, June 22 7:30 pm Cocktails & Hors D’oeuvres

Class of 2014 Join us for your 10th reunion Friday, June 21 7:30 pm Details to follow Spouses and significant others are welcome at both events. Questions? Please contact us at alumni@cds.on.ca

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ALUMNI SNAPSHOTS

L RIDING THE KENDAL LEHARI ‘05

DREAM

With sights set on Paris Olympics

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ike so many other high-performing athletes today, Kendal Lehari ’05 has a dream: Paris 2024. After 17 years of successful competition—in addition to now running her own business—Kendal has set her sights on joining the Canadian National Team in the equestrian sport called Three-Day Eventing, or just “eventing.” Eventing entails a single horse and rider competing in three different disciplines: dressage, cross-country and show jumping. An equestrian triathlon, eventing demands a complex and nimble skill set from both rider and horse. And that’s just fine by Kendal, who laughingly calls herself a “classic overachiever.” “I always liked to do well—in academics, in extra-curriculars and in my riding outside school,” she says. That drive toward excellence has been paying off. In 2006, just a year after her CDS graduation, Kendal won both team and individual gold medals at the North American Young Rider Championship on her horse Understudy. And with what she calls “the right horse and the right timing,” she competed with Daily Edition in 2013 at the Kentucky Three-Day Event, one of the world’s premier equestrian 5-Star events that draws the best horse

Kendal competing with her horse Mitchell in the international division for eventing at TerraNova Equestrian Center in Myakka City, FL last March.

and rider combinations worldwide. She has also been on two Canadian Nations Cup teams, earning a silver finish in 2022 in Bromont, Quebec on her horse Audacious, a grey gelding she has been training for years. Kendal’s business—Lehari Eventing—is run out of family-owned Reindalyne Farm in Uxbridge, which is managed by Kendal and mom Gwen. Mid-week, Kendal can usually be found coaching riders and training horses, while most weekends are spent at competitions. Kendal’s horses have competed at the international level and have earned podium finishes, a testament to her ability to spot talent in young horses and cultivate it over time. She has also recently earned her credentials as a National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) High Performance Coach for

competitive athletes. Currently, Kendal has about 20 athletes under her development. And she is somewhat surprised that coaching has become a big part of her equestrian career. “I really didn’t like coaching when I was young,” she says. “But I have learned so much about it and have come to love it— especially those ‘Aha!’ moments when a student has a breakthrough in their development. Of course, I’m also driven to help my students get good competition results. Being in a coaching role makes me think of my CDS teachers sometimes. I’ve come to appreciate what they do even more than when I was in school!” What is one CDS “lesson” that especially stays with her? “Teachers were focused on helping you strive to do well for you, to do your best. That personal emphasis really stayed with me, and it’s something I bring to my own students now.” After graduating from CDS—with brother Tristan ’06 following one year later—Kendal earned a BSc from Guelph University in Biological Science, thinking initially that she would go the veterinarian route. With little time to compete while in university, she came to a crossroads and had to decide which profession to pursue, the vet life or the horse life. It just wasn’t possible to do both. “After university, I took a year oﬀ to pursue riding full-time. I trained in Florida with a Canadian Team coach, and that sealed it for me. I ended up choosing the less reliable life when it comes to earning an income, especially in this fairly unpredictable sport. When you factor in both human and horse injuries, you never really know what’s going to happen. But this is the right life for me.” A full snowbird, Kendal transitions to Florida every winter, with the explicit aim this coming year of qualifying for Team Canada in eventing. Husband Andrew

“

I’M ALSO DRIVEN TO HELP MY STUDENTS GET GOOD COMPETITION RESULTS. BEING IN A COACHING ROLE MAKES ME THINK OF MY CDS TEACHERS SOMETIMES. I’VE COME TO APPRECIATE WHAT THEY DO EVEN MORE THAN WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL!

”

Butler is supportive of a somewhat nomadic training and competing life and of Kendal’s big ambitions in the sport. “Of course I want to qualify for Paris and do well,” she says. “That’s the current dream. Long-term, I also want to raise the standard for Canada and have our country be more competitive internationally. Canada doesn’t have the same equestrian culture as do places like England and Germany, and I would love to help move us in that direction.” For now, and as always, Kendal is carried along by her own personal doctrine. “I would say to anyone, follow your dreams. Do what you love most. You may not end up exactly where you thought you would, but you will absolutely get somewhere really important to you. And you’ll go far.” ■ THE LINK WINTER 2024

REMEMBERING MR. DAVISON

Jim Bayler’s ‘Telegram’ Remarks in Memory of Walter Davison

Former Director of Junior and Middle Schools, Jim Bayler, asked that the following be read at Walter Davison’s dedication on June 21, 2023, the ﬁrst day of summer. Director of Senior School, Celia Bland, a longtime colleague of both Jim’s and Walter’s, was happy to oblige.

’m sure everyone present today will have their own personal reflections of their time with Walter. I wish I could be there with you to hear your “Walter stories” and to share mine with you. What we all have in common is the good fortune to have had our lives touched by Wally. Did you ever hear him talk about a bluebird day? It was his favourite weather day. He didn’t like the heat, but a clear blue cloudless sky, a light breeze and temperatures in the high teens—that was his “bluebird day”. They are surprisingly rare, but whenever we have one, I think of Wally. Wally was the definition of timeliness. In morning meetings, he would take off his watch and fold the metal band so that the watch was perched in front of him like a little table clock. His unofficial (and selfappointed) role was to make certain that our morning admin meetings ended on time. To this day, when I take off my watch in the evening, I perch it “Wally style” on the table beside me and think of him. CDS recruits only talented and dedicated teachers. I always felt that Wally was the best of the best - a brilliant educator. He was a kind, gentle and soft-spoken man. But don’t be fooled. He set the rules and the tone and was firm with students’ adherence to them. But always with kindness and with humor. He was a genius at getting what was needed from the kids by poking fun at them without ever hurting their feel-

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Faculty members Fraser Fell, Scott Garbe and Aimee Lee sang some of Walter Davison’s favourite tunes at a bench and maple tree dedication ceremony in his honour last June in the courtyard outside the Middle School Director’s office.

ings. For the most part, they adored him. I know my daughter, Laurie did. I can picture her as a 13-year-old - rolling her eyes, shaking her head and always with a smile on her face when describing her latest Mr. D. ‘encounter’. He could drive his students crazy, and they loved every minute of it. Dedicated, thorough, creative, inspirational, fastidious in his attention to detail (which could drive the rest of us crazy at times). Wally was all of these and so much more. He was a lover of music and a talented musician, singer and songwriter. And he loved The Country Day School so much! More than most of us. He even wrote a song about it. One ﬁnal memory: Late August, our annual administration retreat before school start up. It was at the Scott (Jodi Scott)

family cottage on Lake Muskoka. I remember Paul Duckett, Jayne Kennedy and me, sitting by a ﬁre after a long day of work, sipping wine and listening to Walter and Al Jackson playing their guitars and singing to us. Such talented men. Such a loss. I learned from Ron and Martha Collins, parents of CDS faculty member Steph Collins that the greatest fear that families have is that their loved ones will be forgotten. I am so proud and grateful to have been a member of The Country Day School community. A place where that will never be allowed to happen. Live on in our hearts, Wally. ■

ALUMNI NOTES

Join CDS Online Social Media www.facebook.com/TheCDS1972 www.twitter.com/TheCDS1972 www.youtube.com/TheCDS1972 www.instagram.com/TheCDS1972 Network with CDS alumni at our LinkedIn page

earned a post-grad certification in advertising and went on to work as an Account Executive for six years before moving to London. At that time, Olga began to study wine for fun, taking courses with the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET). She earned her MBA from Hult Business School in London and then moved back to Toronto shortly after to continue her wine studies and begin work in the wine industry. Olga is currently a certified sommelier, French Wine Scholar, and WEST Level 4 (Diploma). She also has a WSET Level 3 designation in Saké and started her own boutique wine distribution agency three years ago.

John van Nostrand ’75, Sarah van Nostrand ’81 and Deirdre (Elder) Tait ‘83 were excited to welcome back Robert and Deanna Ross in September!

1990s GEOFF CHURCH ’94 has lived in Toronto near the Beaches for over 20 years and calls it home along with his two boys, Simon and Oliver. Unfortunately, some of those years have been spent battling cancer (successfully) on three different occasions. This crazy journey is what led him to launch his own brand of customized hospital kits. The company is called Getwell

Goods and kits are sold on their website getwellgoods.ca and in gift shops at at Princess Margaret, Toronto General and Mount Sinai hospitals.

2000s

OLGA MOLTCHANOVA ’01 completed her undergraduate degree at University of Toronto in International Relations. She later

LEE COLUCCI ’01 married Anneliese Sculthorp on October 14th in Toronto. Lots of alumni were in attendance, including Paul Fogolin (the MC), Nicholas Ray, Olga Moltchanova, Andrew Kearney, Kelly Armstrong, Emily-Ann Smith, Alex Welch, Courtney Horner, Kevin Cooper, and of course his sister, Emma ’03. Lee and Anneliese are living in Toronto where Lee is a Broker at Sage Real Estate. CLARA YI ’01 has been the Owner Optometrist of Thornhill Vision Care for the past eight years and is currently undergoing a practice expansion. She is a member of the Ontario Association of THE LINK WINTER 2024

TARAH COATES ’03 has always been led by a sense of imagination and adventure. While studying at Dalhousie’s Theatre Program in Halifax, she developed a passion for surfing. Several years later, that passion bloomed into her becoming founder, owner and operator of SurfSup Eco Shop in Kincardine, Ontario, on the shores of Lake Huron. The shop has since expanded to include locations in Grand Bend and Goderich. Look for the full story of how she decided to launch her own business in the next issue of The Link!

Optometrists and the Canadian Association of Optometrists, and her special interests include incorporating advanced medical technologies for managing paediatric myopia and dry eye disease. Dr. Yi comes from a diverse background and has a working knowledge of Spanish, Portuguese and Mandarin. She lives in Thornhill with her husband Glen and daughter Bree. EMMA (JACKSON) FOGEL ’05 married Josh Fogel ’05 in 2017 and they now live in East Gwillimbury with their three children Norah (6), Harrison (4) and Aubrey (2). They both loved returning to the school to 40

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celebrate the 50th anniversary last June. Emma is currently the CEO of the family and looks forward to presenting the Alan B. Jackson Award in memory of her father at the Senior School Graduation each June. Josh is a Director within CIBC Capital Markets. TRISTAN LEHARI ’06 is the Founder and CEO of TritonWear, a high-tech wearable technology company he launched 10 years ago as a University of Waterloo startup. As the #1 swimming analytics platform helping coaches coach better and swimmers swim faster, their patented wearable devices and AI Coach guide athletes

on a clear roadmap to improvement allowing them to reach their most ambitious dreams. Using swimming as their beachhead into the market, TritonWear products are trusted by thousands of athletes globally in over 60 countries ranging from grassroots beginners up to elite athletes including 67 Olympians in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics who brought home 24 Olympic Medals.

2010s SARAH TODD ’10 works at NVIDIA, the 5th largest tech company in the world and headquartered in California,

where she manages AI Product Marketing across many applications and industries including robotics, retail, manufacturing, airports, cities, stadiums, and more. Sarah’s hyper focused on building and executing the go-to-market strategy for GPU-accelerated AI software and works closely across marketing, sales, and product engineering teams. Previously, she has worked in technical communications, experiential/ brand marketing, public relations, and tech business consulting. Sarah holds a Master’s Degree in Business from Santa Clara University, and earned her Bachelor’s degree at Western University for BioArchaeological Anthropology and Film Studies. She’s also a CDS JK-12 Lifer. Sarah was back on campus last April talking with Mr. Moorlag’s Grade 11 Computer Science students and encouraged them all to follow their interest in Computer Science. “No matter what you pursue, it will be beneficial to know how technology works,” she explained. With workplace trends going in the direction of STEAM, Robotics and Computer Science, Sarah encouraged students to find early-career internships, discover student grants programs, and join the growing developer community.

ALUMNI NOTES

JOSH TUTTLE ’05 is living in Halifax with his wife Erin and works as a Legal Officer (JAG) in the military. Josh loves being in Halifax and its proximity to tons of surfing! Last January he visited Costa Rica with some CDS friends, including (from l-r): Tom Finkle, Ryan Rudge, Armen Khajerian, Curtis Vickers, Josh, Kyle Hubbard and Zach Pancer.

LEAH FERRIE ’12 married Sam Mason on July 15th at the Deane House in Calgary. Classmate Kelsey Houston was her maid of honour. Megan Cowie, Brittany Daiter, Niki Kalergis and Sydney Wilson were also in attendance.

Embodied Practitioners, and Nightwood Theatre’s Write from the Hip Emerging Playwrights Program. She recently earned her MFA in Playwriting from Columbia University and is currently working on a collection of poetry.

JANA DOCHERTY ’11 is currently following her passion in sports and entertainment, working in content distribution at Rogers Sports and Media as a Manager in Pricing & Revenue Planning. Previously, she completed her CA, CPA designation at KPMG. At Rogers Sports and Media, Jana focuses on the digital side of the business, working on pricing and distribution strategy, subscriber forecasting, and market analysis for Sportsnet NOW and Citytv+. She also volunteers in her spare time at Rogers TV learning more about production.

KRISTINA BROWN ’11 and her fiancé have started a new exciting adventure in Aurora. In December, they launched an automated four-bay TrackMan indoor golf simulator called Ace Track Golf Performance Center at 40 Engelhard Drive in Aurora. They welcome alumni, CDS families and staff to stop by anytime!

ILANA KHANIN ’12 is a theatre director and was an Artist in Residence at the prestigious

Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York City this fall working to develop a new play called Shot List with playwright Eric Marlin. Following her residency, Ilana stage managed Big Dance Theatre’s production of The March at the stunning and newly opened Perelman Performing Arts Centre in Lower Manhattan in December. JACQUELINE MACDONALD ’15 teaches Yoga at GoYoga in Orangeville and also to Junior (continued on page 42)

JP SAXE ’11 lived a dream moment when he opened for John Mayer at Scotiabank Arena before a hometown crowd. Mayer also came on stage to join JP in performing his new song, “I Don’t Miss You.”

CATT FILIPPOV ’11 is a poet, playwright and performer currently based in Brooklyn, NY. Having graduated from the University of Toronto’s Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies in 2017, Catt has trained with Canada’s National Voice intensive, Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre, The Guild of THE LINK WINTER 2024

ALUMNI NOTES

Breaking News: Claire Gallagher has signed with the Leicester Tigers of the Premiership Women’s Rugby league in England!

(continued from page 41)

School students (including CDS students), hoping to inspire others to lead a healthy lifestyle. Off the mat, Jackie loves painting, hiking, being outdoors and spending time with her family and all the creatures at her farm.

PAIGE OFIELD ’16 graduated with her Masters degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). She finished at the head of her class with a 4.0 GPA and the top thesis in her degree. Paige has recently moved home and will begin working as an Interior Designer at Wayne Swadron Studios in January, a design firm in Toronto that focuses on high-end residential projects across North America and beyond. MICHAEL ROKAS ’16 graduated from the University of Waterloo in 2021 with a BASc in Computer Engineering and is now working as a software developer at Shopify in Toronto. 42

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CLAIRE GALLAGHER ’18 AND MCKINLEY HUNT ’15 REPRESENT CANADA How fun to be able to follow two CDS alumni representing Canada at the WXV Women’s Rugby Tournament held in New Zealand in October! McKinley and Claire played varsity rugby at university for Queen’s University and the University of Ottawa respectively. The last time they were teammates was in 2015 when they played for CDS when McKinley was in Grade 12 and Claire in Grade 9 and won the CISAA championships!

According to Michael, the field of technology has been his biggest passion since he was young. “I am primarily a backend developer but love tinkering in all areas of the software domain including frontend development, IoT and blockchain.” When not developing, he spends his time pursuing his other passions of music, travel, and fitness. TRINITY DE SIMONE ’17 is writing her final dissertation to gain her Masters in Clinical Mental Health Sciences at

University College London. She has had incredible research experiences both at UCL and during her undergrad at Oxford. Trinity has enjoyed the bustle and vivid life of London and has also had the opportunity to tour and perform with her band, Mandrake Handshake. OLIVIA RAILTON ’17 graduated with an MSc in Philosophy and Public Policy from the London School of Economics in December, where she received a distinction award for her

dissertation research exploring the ethics of aggression in virtual realities. Inspired by her experience studying law at the University of Oxford (UK) and Leiden University (Holland), as well as her time working in the video game industry, Olivia is intent on pursuing a career in policy and research surrounding future technologies.

MCKENNA RYAN ’17 is an honours graduate of Parsons School of Design, The New School’s dual degree program, with a BA in Culture & Media Studies (Hons.) and a BFA in Illustration (Hons.). With a passion for the film industry and marketing, following graduation, she returned to Toronto to work as a Promotions and Publicity Assistant at Warner Bros. Discovery and as a Community Organizer at After-Hours Animation. In June, Mckenna founded Sonder Studios, a boutique digital marketing and website design studio special-

izing in helping local and growing businesses establish their online presence. As a full-time digital marketing producer and designer, she enjoys working with clients from a wide range of different industries on branding, website design, content creation, and marketing initiatives.

paralegal in a family law practice while she works toward becoming a qualified solicitor, which requires two years of legal work experience and passing the SQE1 and SQE2 exams. She loves all the opportunities for fun and travel that a life in London presents—including a burgeoning comedy scene!

NICK ADAMS ’18 is currently living and studying in Bath, UK, where he is pursuing his Masters in Creative Writing. His culminating activity is not a dissertation but a full-length fantasy novel!

ALLYSON WHITMELL ’19 graduated from the University of Toronto in Piano Performance and Composition in June and has been pursuing a career in music. She released her first single, “New Love,” in the fall, which can be found on all streaming platforms. Allyson has also been mentoring a CDS Grade 10 student in songwriting.

JEREMY GARBE ’19 earned a combined honours in Humanities and Philosophy with High Distinction from Carleton University last spring and is back in Ottawa pursuing a Masters in Philosophy.

2020s

ANAÏS LEIVA VON BOVET ’19 recently completed her LLB of Laws at King’s College London and has landed a job as a

Brennan McDonell ’21

Into the Wild Blue Yonder Brennan McDonell ’21 moved to Mesa, AZ, after graduating high school to attend Arizona State University Polytechnic (ASU) and pursue a degree in Aeronautical Management Technology with a concentration in Professional Flight. He writes, “I have been a Dean’s List student each semester and have advanced in my flying by completing my Instrument Rating in May 2022, followed by my Commercial Single Engine License in March 2023, and most recently my Commercial Multi-Engine License in May 2023.” Brennan lives in Gilbert, AZ, but also spends time in Raleigh, NC and Naples, FL during school holidays. He recently started part two of his journey to the airlines by starting his certification to become a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) with AeroGuard Flight Training Center in Chandler, AZ. His ultimate goal is to be sitting in the left seat as a captain for a world-class airline!

CARLY CAMPOLI ’20 writes that as a student ambassador for UBC, she was preparing to give her usual tour of campus to prospective students on (continued on page 44) THE LINK WINTER 2024

ALUMNI NOTES In Our Memories … (continued from page 43) September 1 and in walked Alex Musker ’24. “I had no idea she would be coming in, and it was by sheer luck that I happened to be working that day! I had an absolute blast touring Alex and her family around the campus, and was very happy to get a picture of the two of us at the end of the tour.”

NEYLA KIRBY ’22 was selected as a Baldwin Scholar during her first year at Duke University, with only 18 females from the freshman class selected! The Baldwin Scholars program contributes to Duke’s mission “to provide a superior liberal education to undergraduate students, attending not only to their intellectual growth but also to their development as adults committed to high ethical standards and full participation as leaders in their communities.” The program’s goal is to “inspire and support female-identified undergraduate students to become engaged, confident and connected leaders in the Duke community and beyond.” In her bio, Neyla shares that she is “deeply passionate about female empowerment and equality, and preaching to any female who will listen about the value of knowing your worth and your strength, and not leaving that up to anyone else to determine.” Neyla is now in her sophomore year majoring in Computer Engineering. 44

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Jonathan Scarth ’20 passed away on May 13, 2023. His brother William ’14 also attended CDS. Jacob Russell ’14 passed away on June 2, 2023. His brother Thomas ’16 also attended CDS. Michael Burns, one of CDS’s Founders and largest benefactors, passed away on June 10, 2023. From plowing and planting the front playing fields and determining the winning bid for the purchase of our school in 1978 to chairing the school’s first campaign, stewarding the Dinny Day Scholarship named in honour of his late sister, and being our lead donor to the Junior School Building Magic Campaign, Michael has been a dedicated CDS parent, grandparent and generous friend since the beginning. It wasn’t until 1978 that the original property was purchased at an auction for $111,000. Chairman of the Board at that time, Michael was one of the key orchestrators of that bid. Long time supporters of the school, Michael and his late wife, Sue (Cathers) Burns, hosted the CDS Auction in their riding arena from 1982-97. Our Senior School Graduate Lounge is named after both of them. The Burns family has a long and storied history with CDS, with generations of children and grandchildren having attended the school.

The family names are recognizable to our community, including Addison, Day, Phillips, Cathers and Kirton, and will forever be honoured in the magnificent new Burns Family Hall. The educational legacy they have left through their kindness, vision, support and personal generosity continues to resonate today and will do so for generations of CDS families to come. Michelle Bader, former teacher, passed away on July 23, 2023. She taught Social Sciences in the Senior School from 2006-2010. Alexandra Paul ’09 passed away in a motor vehicle accident on August 22, 2023. As accomplished ice dancers, Alex and her husband, Mitchell Islam, were 3-time medallists at the Canadian Senior National Championships, competed twice at the World Figure Skating Championships, and qualified for the Canadian Figure Skating team to compete in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. She is survived by her husband, baby son Charlie, sisters Katharine ’07 and Elizabeth ’12, and parents Gordon and Anne. Moffat Dunlap, CDS Co-Founder, passed away on September 11, 2023, after a 20-year battle with Parkinson’s Disease. Moffat was a driving force behind the founding of our school, serving as one of the original trustees and as Chairman of the CDS Foundation for years. He recruited seasoned educators to join

the first Board of Directors, procured gently used furniture in the early days from the newly-elected Ontario Premier Bill Davis (and moved it with his personal horse van), and was a dedicated and unwavering CDS Auction volunteer. CDS also benefited immensely from his guidance and knowledge of the King real estate market, especially in negotiating the building lease to rent the original property in the early days. He went on to become a trailblazer in the King real estate market for the next 50 years. All four of Moffat’s children attended CDS. Louise and John were two of our original students, starting the year the school opened in 1972, and Daphne ’02 and Allie ’03 started in the late 80s and graduated from the Senior School. The Dunlap name will live on forever in the hallways and classrooms of CDS and proudly adorns one of our four houses, Dunlap House. Mathew Hartman ’19 passed away on December 22, 2023. His brothers Nathan ’20 and Ethan ’21 also attended CDS.

THANK YOU!...

TO EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTED AUCTION 2023!

The 47th Annual Auction would not have been such a huge success without your support! CDS raised a record breaking $300,000 toward the Building Magic Campaign.

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR AREA AND PLATINUM SPONSORS Platinum Sponsors

Area Sponsors

JOIN US ON FRIDAY, MAY 31 UNDER THE BIG TOP FOR AUCTION 2024! If you are interested in supporting via sponsorship, advertising or donating an item, please visit www.cds.on.ca/auction today! Sponsorship and advertising space is limited. Tickets will go on sale in late February.