The Link, Spring 2019

the ConneCTInG The CoUnTry day SChooL CoMMUnITy SPrInG 2019

dEbAtIng dYnAStY

Three WorLd ChaMPIonS In FoUr yearS Page 20

In ThIS ISSUe

robert ross reflections Journey to Laramie The Growing Mind Sporting highlights 2019 Music Trip alumni notes

The Alumni Legacy Fund at CDS In two short years, our Alumni and their families have helped raise $50,530 toward the Alumni Legacy Fund.

We will continue to build this endowment so that we can start awarding it to eligible applicants in the future.

It is exciting to dream about providing our first bursary to a deserving child of an alumni through this promising new fund.

The goal is simple: During Giving Month this November, we ask for donations in increments of 1972, you may place the decimal where you wish: $19.72, $197 or $1,972.

Visit www.cds.on.ca/alumnilegacy to learn more and donate.

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revenues from all three performances of the Laramie Project went toward supporting the Matthew Shepard Foundation’s mission to “erase hate” for a grand total of $10,169.

depArtments

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A Quest for Acceptance and hope the senior school production of The Laramie Project had a lasting impact on the entire Cds community.

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Remembering the Ross Years three decades later, a conversation with robert ross, Cds’s second headmaster.

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The Growing Mind is Vaping Bad for Your Teen? answers to the big questions, parental advice, and myths and misconceptions debunked.

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Debating Dynasty a Q&a with Kerstin Wyndham-West, the person behind Cds’s winning debating teams.

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CDS Music Takes europe by Storm our music students toured four cities during march Break and did not let a few delays ruin their fun.

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Your new Alumni executive meet the new and returning faces on our Cds alumni executive!

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From the editor

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Message from the head of School

34 Community news

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School highlights

35 Connections

32 Spring Drama

24 Timelines

38 Alumni Snapshots

30 Athletics Update

42 Alumni notes

On The COVeR For the first time

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

ever, Cds qualified three debaters for the World Championships and captured top speaker honours for the third time in four years! (l-r) anna croxon ’20 (2019 World Champion), maeve tebbutt ’19, Coach Kerstin Wyndham-West, anaïs leiva von Bovet ’19.

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the

From the editor

tHe need for purpose

editoR

as a school, integrity, learning and purpose is ours

Kim sillcox, Director of Communications & Marketing

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Uring the senior school run of The Laramie Project, i had the privilege of helping shuttle Judy and dennis shepard, our very special guests, from a to B during their four-day visit. i was honoured to play a small role in this powerful production which Cds boldly chose to stage. not only was it an absolute pleasure to get to know the shepards, but i also got a glimpse into their life mission to #erasehate in memory of their son matthew’s tragic death. i remember sitting with Judy and dennis backstage before one of their talkbacks that followed each Laramie performance and asking them whether, after all these years, it was still hard for them to talk about what happened. Judy responded without hesitation: “Kim, it’s what we do. it gives us a purpose to keep getting up in the morning.” dennis chimed in, “and it helps us keep matt’s spirit alive.”

We all need a purpose in life, and as parents, our primary purpose is raising our children. Whether we go out and work every day, so that we can continue to feed, clothe, shelter and educate them, or whether we maintain the household and drive them all the places they need to go, our children are our main purpose. We take great pride in ensuring their safety and wellness. While Judy and dennis cherish their second son logan, they started the matthew shepard Foundation to help right the wrong that ended matthew’s life at the young age of 21.

incorporated into the Cds crest are the words integrity, Learning, Purpose. as a school, these are the three words we live by – what our teachers try to instill in our students as they fulfill their purpose of guiding and supporting learning. this is a reciprocal arrangement where the teacher shares their knowledge and models integrity and the student gathers a wide perspective across many subjects while also gaining life lessons from both parent and teacher. the combination of care, education and learning gives everyone involved a purpose that leads the student down a road toward discovering whatever their passion is. of course, not all of us are parents, educators or students. But we all need a purpose to get up in the morning. discovering that purpose is sometimes a lifelong pursuit. some find it through their job, or multiple careers. others find it through familial roles, hobbies or the caring of a loved one. a willingness to recalibrate from time to time is sometimes necessary. some of us may also have multiple purposes. shortly after the shepards returned to Wyoming, i received a gift from them. it was a 20th anniversary beaded bracelet from the matthew shepard Foundation with the words erase hate. not only had i been given a small, yet important purpose during this life-altering production, but these two words were a reminder of an even bigger purpose we all must share. teaching acceptance is Judy and dennis’ life purpose, and hopefully we can make it one of ours as well. kim Sillcox

Director of Communications & Marketing

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John andersen Kirsten Baird gisa Bevacqua-tirone tabitha Chan ’12 Christina Chkarboul ’21 scott garbe Warren lang John liggett eileen Paddags Jenna romanowich Karen sumner Caitlin tamane ’09 Kerstin Wyndham-West

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michael Cherkas

photoGR aphy

stan Behal Photography stephen dinallo nick iwanyshyn dima Kalander ’19 Zach lawton Paul mosey, the lazy Poet nhl media relations Kim sillcox anna tollstam Kerstin Wyndham-West

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 office of Community relations at the Country day school for Cds families, alumni, staff, faculty and friends.

messaGe From the head oF sChool

teAcHing resiliency And otHer life skills together, we can do even better

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BoUt a Year ago, we surveyed Cds parents, students and alumni and asked them to reflect on their experiences at the school. We asked for feedback because we are committed to self-reflection and the ongoing betterment of our practices. as a community, we share the responsibility of raising children into adults and of preparing them for life. this is important work, and we all want what is best for our children. that is why, while we already do this, we continue to ask, “how can we do even better?” one of the messages from our alumni was the continued need to develop resiliency and such practical things as time management and test-taking so as to achieve success at university and in life. i’ll assign these desires, and others like it, the title of “life skills.”

We want to support our students, but we also want to ensure they continue to experience life lessons that make them stronger along the way.

our school is tremendous at supporting students. indeed, support is a key word and mandate in our strategic plan that puts the objective to support, know and inspire at the top of the list. Yet, this is something we need to be mindful of as we prepare our students for life beyond our halls. our students need to graduate having experienced the consequences of hard deadlines, not making the team, losing an election, or yes, even failure. supporting our students includes supporting them through these hard times.

Well-intentioned efforts to support a young person, if not done in a balanced way, can end up sheltering them from reality. that sheltering, if taken too far, can even become coddling. as a school, we continue to work to get this balance right and, from what our alumni tell us, we typically do. We want to support our students, but we also want to ensure they continue to experience life lessons that make them stronger along the way. in so doing, we hope to continue to foster resilience and better prepare students for whatever they encounter next in their postsecondary life following graduation. to achieve this, parents and educators will need to be of like mind and prepared for at least a few hard knocks in the short-term. We do a good job at this already, but together, we can do even better. resiliency is taught over time and is an important life skill critical to successfully navigating the road ahead.

John Liggett

Head of School

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school highlights

news fRom aRound cds

also represented team ontario at the Canada Winter games in red deer in February and looks forwarding to playing nCaa division 1 next year for the University of Wisconsin, which is consistently ranked among the top five in Women’s hockey.

cds hosts panel on finding the Balance

“i student Wins gold for team canada at u18 Women’s World hockey championships

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n January, Teagan Grant ’19 won gold for Canada as a member of the U18 Women’s World hockey team in obihiro, Japan. team Canada defeated the United states in the finals, 3-2 in overtime, after previously defeating russia in the semi-final game, also in overtime, 4-3. teagan

t’s not our bodies that need changing. it’s our attitudes.” this was the parting quote from the nediC panel discussion on “Finding the Balance: When ‘healthy’ eating and exercise Put Your Child at risk” held for Cds parents in april. the panel discussion, sponsored by the Parent association, was moderated by ary maharaj, an active researcher, practicing therapist and outreach & education Coordinator at the national eating disorder information Centre (nediC) in toronto. one of the common themes

shared was that an eating disorder can come about very quickly, sometimes in a matter of months, and that both girls and boys are susceptible, typically between the ages of 12 and 25. ary and his panelists stressed that it is incumbent upon parents, friends and family members to look for sudden changes in behaviour and be proactive in talking with our kids about what healthy eating looks like. if you suspect something is amiss, ask questions and seek help.

annUaL CISMF ConCerT almost 70 Cds students participated in the annual Conference of independent schools music Festival (CismF) at the roy thomson hall in april. Congratulations to all of our students and faculty who contributed their musical talent to this incredible annual event!

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calling all Bloggers!

CdS has launched a community blog with the theme of education with Balance. If you like to write or have something to share that ties into your CdS experience and education with balance, please send it to kim.sillcox@cds.on.ca! In the meantime, check out our blog at www.educationwithbalance.com

a cds deBater Wins Worlds for third time in four years

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ds made history in april at the World independent debating and Public speaking Championships (WidPsC) held at Branksome hall in toronto. not only did Cds veteran coach ms. Kerstin WyndhamWest bring three students for the first time in her 12 years of qualifying, but one of our own won the World Championship yet again.

Anna Croxon ’20 captured the overall World Champion title and presented her winning Persuasive speech on Voluntourism at the grand Finals at the University of toronto’s hart house. she competed in a one-on-one friendly competition against the other finalist from south

africa. listen to anna’s speech here: https://youtu.be/ilvmmw6otJi Maeve Tebbutt ’19 and Anaïs Leiva von Bovet ’19 were also strong competitors across all events. excelling in Persuasive, maeve presented a speech on loneliness and what we can do about it given that a third of the Canadian population lives by themselves, and anaïs presented her Persuasive speech on the dangers of being too politically correct. maeve finished her third appearance at Worlds in 3rd place overall, and anaïs finished her 2nd appearance in 13th place.

cds student accepted into Quarms

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ongratulations to kabir Walia ’19 for his selection as one of 10 students from across Canada to be admitted to the Queen’s University accelerated route to medical school (Quarms)! after two years in Quarms, Kabir will transition to Queen’s medical school and be well on his way to an md.

FroM FoUr TIny aCornS a MIGhTy oak STandS STronG an interpretation of CdS’s history by a Grade 1 Class

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enn Vipond has been teaching grade 1 at cDs for nearly 10 years and holds a true appreciation for the school’s 47-year history. earlier this year, after being inspired by something head of school John liggett said to a group of teachers, she decided to share the history with her young students. “mr. liggett likened our founding families to the roots of an oak tree, from which cDs has continued to grow.” in an effort to simplify the story for her young class, ms. Vipond chose to blend art with a favourite tale, and then animate the final product with her students voices overlaid on top. in the grade 1V’s video story, each of the roots represent a founding family or person that one of cDs’ four houses is named after: Dunlap house (in honour of co-founder moffat Dunlap and the late margo Bindhardt Dunlap); eberts house (in honour of co-founder edmond g. eberts and the late Daphne eberts); taylor house (in honour of one of cDs’s original teachers, the late peter taylor); and ross house (in honour of cDs’s 2nd headmaster from 1976-89, robert ross). Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/suzabmxqvsg The Link spring 2019

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A Quest for AcceptAnce And Hope Cds’s journey to erase hate through the power of ‘Yes, and …’

By Scott GarBe

“There comes a time when all the cosmic tumblers have clicked into place — and the universe opens itself up for a few seconds to show you what’s possible.”

— Field oF dreams

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tanding in the dark at the side of the theatre with my artistic partner in crime, ms. B (ms. Bevacqua-tirone), tears welled in our eyes. the journey to bring the story of matthew shepard, the openly gay university student who had been brutally beaten to death on the outskirts of laramie, Wyoming by two young men who had taken exception to his sexuality, to who he was, had come to a close. exhilarated but exhausted by their final performance, the cast and crew quietly slipped into the back of the theatre to join the audience for the last of three talkbacks with matthew’s parents, Judy and dennis. silence

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fell as dennis, motioned forward by Judy, who was not yet prepared to speak, stepped forward to the podium microphone. he paused, overwhelmed by emotion, then spoke haltingly: “this is only the second time i have seen this play completely. it is the most unforgettable … it will never be topped.”

Fulfilling, humbling, heart-stopping, heart-breaking, profound – no words could adequately convey what we all felt at that moment. however, there were two words that powered a series of events that led to that life-affirming moment in time: “Yes, and…”

“Yes, and…” is an improvisational and collaborative

concept used in the theatre – although it is every bit as applicable to life. it works like this: i make an “offer” to you. it could be a word, idea, phrase, emotion. You accept it and then “Yes, and…” my original offer with an idea of your own to create something new. then it’s my turn again. offer. accept. add. repeat. that simple process of engagement, of artistic faith, of embracing and letting go, unfailingly leads to something richly imaginative that neither of us would have foreseen. here’s how that process worked to bring The Laramie Project to life in our theatre and Judy and dennis to our doorstep.

When we selected The Laramie Project as the winter production for our senior school students, the “Yes, and…” to our offer came from our school administration who took the time to thoughtfully read the text. next, they pledged their support for producing an uncompromising version of what can be a controversial piece of theatre. now

it was time for me to “Yes, and” their offer in turn to keep the collaboration moving forward. i felt we, as a school community, had a responsibility to get as close to matthew’s story as possible – as one of the characters in the play states, to “say it correct.” matthew was a real human being, someone with a family who loved him and whose brutal murder 20 years prior had devastated the community of laramie. again, the administration said “yes,” giving its blessing for me to travel out to Wyoming to see what authenticity i could bring back to the work.

But where to begin? i started with calling the matthew shepard Foundation in denver. this is where “Yes, anding” started to mix with the magic cosmic tumblers spoken of in the film Field of dreams. the person who picked up the phone on the other end was not a summer intern, or a wary administrative assistant, but the foundation’s executive director, (continued on page 8) The Link spring 2019

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(continued from page 7) Jason marsden. an abbreviated version of our phone call went something like this: me: hi, my name’s scott garbe, and i’m the head of drama at a small school north of toronto, Canada.

We are producing The Laramie Project next winter and feel a responsibility to honour matthew’s story by getting as close to it as possible, perhaps even flying out to see laramie and meet some of the people directly involved with matthew’s tragedy. Would you be able to help?

Jason: that might be possible. When were you thinking of coming out? me: [gulp] tomorrow. ok, so this is where Jason could have politely declined, but instead, he did the magical “Yes, and…”

Jason: okay, we are moving offices, and i will be tied up through the day, but i do have some time at lunch if that works for you.

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nd so, we were off! i say “we” because, sensing a life-altering experience, i convinced my son Jeremy ’19 to come along despite his never having heard of matthew’s story – another “Yes, and….” arriving in denver, we meet a welcoming but bleary-eyed Jason marsden. he is exhausted after flying all over hell’s half-acre for the previous two weeks on Foundation business, but he does indeed meet us for 40 minutes over lunch and fires off some emails of introduction. after that, the mix of “Yes, and…” and cosmic magic swirls around us:

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While in Laramie last June, Scott Garbe attended a bench dedication to honour the 20th anniversary of Matthew Shepard’s death held on the campus of the University of Wyoming.

• After a stunning scenic drive from Denver to laramie, we arrive to find that it’s – you guessed it – Pride Week.

• We stroll into a downtown tourist office to discover that a social justice mural is being dedicated later that hour depicting a key event in matt’s story. oh, and Cathy Connelly, one of the people depicted in The Laramie Project, happens to be there. “Yes” she will chat with us the next afternoon at a local coffee shop.

• Back at our hotel, emails begin to appear in our inbox. sheriff dave o’malley, one of the lead investigators in matt’s case, is the first to contact us. “Yes” he would be happy to meet with us in the morning to discuss details of matt’s case and the transformative effect it had on his life.

• Jim Osborn, a university friend of Matt’s, is moving to his ranch, but “yes,” he will do lunch. if humanly possible, he will speak for matt because matt can no longer speak for himself. he will also be bringing his five-year-old daughter because no day-care is available. tears stream down his face continually over a two-hour lunch as he speaks with us about matt. it is this love for matt that Jeremy and i will try to bring back and impress upon the cast.

• On our free time we visit the University of Wyoming art museum and happen to be greeted by a young man finishing his master’s in social work who, of course, was in elementary school in Casper, matt’s hometown, in october of 1998. “Yes” he will share his story with us. his classroom window looked out onto st. mark’s church where matt’s memorial and Fred Phelps’ hate-filled protest would be held. matt is why he is becoming a social worker.

JuDy & Dennis sheparD aDvocate for acceptance

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uring each of the talk backs held following the three productions of The Laramie Project, Judy and Dennis were asked about what advice they have for families when they first learn their children are gay.

Dennis: You just love your kids. everyone is on their own journey and you can’t tell them how to make the trip. All you can do is give

them some guidance, let them know that you are there for them, you are there for their friends. every daughter and son is different. The love, encouragement and support that you give them is the most important thing you can do.

Judy: Parents’ responses are very individual based on family culture, background and religion. i personally have a real issue with

• Our journey to Casper (on Canada Day) falls on one of the few occasions a year when both Judy and dennis happen to be home. “Yes,” they invite us over for lunch.

We have the profound honour of spending the entire afternoon together in their living room talking about matt and each personality depicted in the show – 64 in total. as we get to know each other, we also share laughter and smiles as we swap tales about history, the arts and the politics of the day. Before Judy leaves, she asks Jeremy for a hug, and i work hard to keep from bursting into tears.

• Dennis “Yes, ands” our offer of traveling back to laramie by suggesting that he give us a tour of matt’s old neighbourhood and the shepard family camping spots through the back-roads of Wyoming. he even packs us snacks. he ends our journey by leading us all the way back to laramie from Casper, a two-and-a-half hour drive, for the candle-light vigil for matt that will conclude Pride Week. dinner together at applebee’s too? You bet.

• The last cosmic tumbler? Who else would be playing on CBC radio when Jeremy and i return for Cds summer school but matt’s halloween costume inspiration, dolly Parton. We both look at each other and feel as if matt has been riding on our shoulders throughout the entire journey. our last offer was to extend an invitation for Judy and dennis to join us for the week of the show. they “Yes, anded” by accepting. despite dennis being sick,

those who don’t accept, because they are your children. They are exactly the same as they were five seconds before they told you. it’s their future, not yours. Parents need to learn and educate themselves to become accepting. Parents need to pay attention to their kids, and learn and grow together. Learn, don’t remain ignorant. There are plenty of resources out there.

they spoke at numerous assemblies, did interviews with CBC and CtV, and even addressed parishioners at the metropolitan Community Church of toronto, an inclusive congregation that had been traumatized by the Bruce mcarthur serial killings. their visit brought encouragement and healing. after hours of rigorous rehearsal and a week of workshops with original laramie cast member, Kelli simpkins, Jeremy and his peers “crushed” the show, depicting their characters with dignity and complexity. the Cds and broader community embraced The Laramie Project’s message of acceptance whole-heatedly. We had worked to “erase hate” and bend the arc of history toward justice as best we could, while we could. Judy and dennis attended their very first Laramie Project cast party with us. along with matt, they had become a part of our family, and we had become a part of theirs. a wave of all these moments and emotions washed over me as i stood in the dark at the side of the theatre with my artistic partner in crime, ms. B, tears rolling down our faces. and to think it all started with two words: “Yes, and…” give them a try – you might be surprised at the magic they will bring. n

Scott Garbe is the Head of Drama at CDS. The Link spring 2019

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Remembering the Ross Years three decades later, a conversation with robert ross, Cds’s second headmaster

By Kim Sillcox

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t Was 30 Years ago this month that robert ross and his wife deanna, bid farewell to their friends at the Country day school after robert had served as the school’s second headmaster from 1976-89. Cds experienced a tremendous amount of growth during his 13year tenure. enrolment increased from 96 to 386 students and the annual budget from $100,000 to $2.1 million. during his leadership, robert was involved in the purchase of the original property in 1978, the construction of the david d. ross gym in 1980 (named in honour of his late brother), the expansion of the Junior school, and the building of the senior school in 1986.

With the steadfast support of deanna and exceptionally talented and experienced Board Chairs and directors throughout his reign, robert led the school from its infancy and expanded it to the secondary level. Upon his departure, Cds was a well-respected independent school preparing students for the 21st Century. in march, i had the privilege of inter10

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viewing robert ross by phone, joined by recently retired Cds Junior school teacher sheila mcCutcheon who he hired in 1985. he has maintained contact with sheila and her husband, steve, over the years, as he has done with so many of the Cds staff and faculty. in fact, the mcCutcheons visited the rosses two summers ago at their home in Victoria, BC and picked up right where they left off. “even 30 years out, i still miss the people,” said robert. “there were many special people who are absolutely integral to the school’s sense of community and history.”

The FaTeFUL InTervIeW in the spring of 1976, Cds’s founding headmaster, John Pratt, decided to step down, and the new Chair of the Board, Michael Burns, was put in charge of finding a suitable replacement. michael had graduated from trinity College school in 1956 with robert ross’s brother, david, who had died earlier that spring in a tragic accident on the niagara river. michael and friends had al-

ready launched a campaign for a naming gift in his memory. at the time, robert was teaching history at Vaughan road Collegiate in toronto, but a teachers’ strike lasting 40 teaching days had significantly disrupted his school year. as well, he was still coming to terms with his brother’s death. “i knew the Burns family and michael’s father Charlie,” said robert. “the timing of michael’s call was right because of the public school strike, but i wasn’t entirely sure about working at an elementary school since my expertise was as a high school teacher. i decided to drive up to King to take a look, and it really was a tiny little school in the country. But i figured, why not give it a shot?” robert recalls his interview taking place in the green room with michael and Gord Wilson, Sr., Chairman of the Finance Committee. the first question gord asked was, “mr. ross, do you have an independent income?” robert was taken aback and managed to stammer a response of “Yes.” gord replied, “good, because if we hire you, you’re

“EvEn 30 YEARS out, I StIll mISS thE pEoplE. thERE wERE mAnY SpEcIAl pEoplE who ARE AbSolutElY IntEgRAl to thE School’S SEnSE of communItY And hIStoRY.” robert ross with CdS Faculty in the new Senior School in 1988.

going to need it. We don’t pay the headmaster much money.” after his final interview with the entire Board, including Dick howard, head of Prep at Upper Canada College, robert was offered the position at the end of June. his first order of business was to hire a new assistant, since Wilma West had decided to move on when mr. Pratt left. “i was 32 at the time and had no idea how to run a school. i was a history teacher, not an administrator. i knew then and there that i had to somehow get this ‘Wilma West’ back. short of begging, i asked and she said she would give me a year. as they say, the rest is history.” having someone with Wilma’s cando personality and background helped make the transition a smooth one.

according to robert, seemed in many ways to personify Cds, serving as the start to the school’s long history of experiential learning and outdoor education. the students worked alongside mr. taylor under his direction and guidance. inside the longhouse was the fire pit and on either side were very crude beds where the students, accompanied by teachers and parent chaperones, would spend Friday nights cooking bannock and telling stories. “if you are really lucky, you have had a unique opportunity to have an eccentric as a teacher,” mused robert. “those who were taught by mr. taylor can make that claim. he was a very special man. my three grown kids all say to this day that mr. taylor was the best teacher ever!”

Mr. TayLor and The LonGhoUSe

The WInnInG BId

When robert arrived at Cds, Peter Taylor’s building of the longhouse had been underway for two years. situated toward the back of the school’s then four-acre property, it became a predominant part of the culture and,

What our current families may not know is that for the first six years of its existence (from 1972-78), Cds had leased the original property from the York County Board of education. Formerly known as eversley

Public school, it consisted of a one-room schoolhouse, two classrooms and an office. after not knowing the fate of the location for the first two years of his headship, in spring 1978 robert learned that the rental property was being put up for auction later that year. on september 23, Cds parents (past, present and future) Moffat Dunlap, Michael Burns, Robert Sillcox and Gord Wilson, Sr. joined the school’s auditor Derek Lederer and robert ross to mastermind the bid. there were three groups interested. michael Burns spoke with the auctioneer in advance and learned that there would be a reserve bid that had to be met in order for the buyer to be successful. the live auction ended with the Cds bid of $95,000 as the highest (exactly what moffat had previously valued the property at). But since it was below the unknown reserve bid, it did not sell. in an unauthorized move, the auctioneer allowed all three bidders to re-submit a final sealed bid. “this was a pivotal moment. if we didn’t get it, we would be packing our bags and going (continued on page 12) The Link spring 2019

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(continued from page 11) home,” said robert. “We were all standing outside in the parking lot – our bid had been placed. this was a prime piece of real estate. the Board felt strongly that this is where the school needed to be.” as the story goes, the committee determined that the government reserve bid would most likely be an even number: $100,000, $105,000 or $110,000. the group therefore submitted their final bid of $111,000. that figure met the reserve and was accepted as the highest bid. the property was ours!

a few others in the room) about how much it was going to cost us.

First of all, we had to find land and buy it. Bob sillcox got up and said, ‘look, we’ve been talking about this for months. We’re either going to move forward with this school, or we’re not!’ We all looked at Bob – who commanded a great deal of respect in the room – and we decided to go forward from there. after that, things started to move pretty quickly. that was an historic meeting.”

Peter Taylor, robin Fraser and robert ross in 1986.

a SChooL on The Move after purchasing the property, the school “grew physically with the esprit de corps that was developed amongst the teachers, between the teachers and students, and amongst the parents.” in 1979, robert commissioned Bruce hefkey, a Cds parent who worked in advertising, to design a crest for the school. Bruce decided to incorporate Peter taylor’s credo – “Patience is a tree,”– alongside a book of knowledge, both symbols still remain in our current crest. that same year, school uniforms were introduced. and in 1980, a new wing opened in the Junior school, including the david g. ross gymnasium and additional science labs, followed by Kindergarten and facilities expansions from 1981-83. there was a sense of excitement in the air because everyone knew that the school was growing. With its future more secure, and the community feeling a sense of confidence in their new headmaster, the question of “where do we go now?” became a recurring one.

The deCISIon To BUILd a SenIor SChooL “We felt comfortable as we were rolling along, growing the Junior school. and as we hired more teachers, we felt we had a pretty darn good thing going. i was feeling more confident in my role, and every Board that i worked with shared my vision. that made the growth and development and decision to go for a senior school that much easier.” the Board of directors started considering taking the next step of building a high school, and robert was given a mandate to look at other properties. the school didn’t 12

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“I wAS luckY In thAt I hAd A job thAt wAS StImulAtIng And EnjoYAblE, And I wAS pARt of A gRoup of pEoplE who hAd thE pRIvIlEgE And thE whEREwIthAl to buIld foR thE futuRE.” own enough property to accommodate a senior school, so a priority was set to find the property to expand. this momentous philosophical decision changed the whole future of the school. “it happened at a meeting at Bob sillcox’s home. everyone was talking at once (Demi Rogers, michael Burns, moffat dunlap and

The raISInG oF FUndS robert was put in charge of raising the money to purchase the land either to the north or south of the school. “that was not an onerous task, because the key contributors were many of the same people in that room who had the means, vision, and courage to say, let’s move this school forward. i also approached michael Burns’ parents. Without the help of Charlie and Janet Burns, we would not have been able to purchase the land south of the school. “i remember sitting in their living room making this request. the Burns family and the ross family go back a long way, so i felt comfortable making this request. he offered to make a significant contribution iF i could match it twice. so i went back to the Board and told them we have a fine little chunk of money for this piece of property, but that we needed two other pledges for that same amount in order for this to come through. the Board, the Foundation and some parents put the money up to match the amount Charlie Burns had offered, and we bought the property to the south, 34.3 acres, extending to the railroad tracks.”

Building for the Future was the name of the campaign for the new high school and was spearheaded by the Chairman of the Foundation, David Love. as parents and donors, david and his wife Ann, who served on the Board at the time, were incredibly supportive of the development of the school. and perhaps just as significantly, at the forefront of nurturing an understanding and appreciation among Cds students for the outdoors. at the suggestion of Peter Peachey, a parent and Board Chair from 1986-88, Cds hired george robb to design and build the new senior school and, later, the gymnasium.

robert remembers pacing off the dimensions/footprint for the foundation by foot. it was george robb who recommended that the school not be absolutely parallel to dufferin street. the senior school was also intentionally kept close to, yet separate from, the Junior school, with no physical connection between the two.

hIrInG oF hIGh-CaLIBre TeaCherS in order to provide credibility to the bricks and mortar, the next step was to develop a proper high school curriculum. robert sought expertise for that, and then went about hiring some very good teachers.

“We hired Robin Fraser from st. andrew’s College to be our head of academics. he provided credibility and helped develop the curriculum. We also hired Frank Marchese from royal st. george’s College in toronto, who eventually ended up as a guidance Counsellor. We already had Louise Wry, who was an established teacher when we built the high school. she was tough as nails, but the kids adored her. Al Jackson from st. andrew’s was the type of teacher who would go out and throw the ball with the kids – he was an absolute favourite. these teachers all left prominent schools to come to this young school called the Country day school that was building a high school and said, ‘let’s take our chances on this place.’” as for robert’s dream of being a teaching head, he managed to continue teaching until the senior school opened. at that point, he was taken away from the classroom so often that he felt it wasn’t fair to the students. “i wanted to do too much, but no longer could.”

CdS aS a MoSaIC throughout our conversation, robert referred to Cds as a mosaic. “the people, the different constituencies, the parents, students, Board, the faculty we hired, Parent association – all came together and helped.” take Bing and Diane hawksworth for example, the original husband-and-wife team and first Chief Custodian and head of housekeeping for the school. they worked for 25 and 28 years respectively and lived in the little white house at the front of the property.

robert and deanna with their children and grandchildren celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary in Whistler last summer, (l-r) son Walker, son-in-law Mick, daughter Cynthia, granddaughter Sadie, robert, deanna, grandson Jude, son Toby, daughter-in-law Sarah, grandsons noah and Zachary.

“there was no division of roles or hierarchy, it was more of a mosaic, and di and Bing were very much part of this mosaic. di’s personality was such that she truly became more than an employee. she was a friend, and she and Bing were guardians of the school.”

a BITTerSWeeT FareWeLL in robert’s final dayspring editorial in 1989, which he wrote as he prepared to move to lennoxville, QC to assume the headship at Bishop’s College school, he reflected, “Over these past 13 years, I have held tomorrow in my hands, there was never a dull day. Therein lies one of the great fascinations of teaching: there is no routine. … I can think of few jobs that require more energy and more idealism – the qualities that many tell us are monopolized by those who are young.” robert recalled, “it was a remarkable experience for me on a professional and personal level because our three children went to a great school. Collectively, Walker ’89, Toby ’90 and Cynthia ’94 spent a total of 22 years at Cds. most people would think, oh, you’re going to your dad’s school – he’s the headmaster – what’s that like, is that tough? Yes, there were

CdS headS oF SChooL John Pratt, 1972-1976 • robert ross, 1976-1989 • Paul duckett, 1989-2011 John Liggett, 2011-Present

tough decisions, but they were taught and disciplined by Alison Scott and Peter taylor, so that worked out fine. my kids got a good education, they loved the school, and they were an integral part of a community that was very, very special. “i was lucky in that i had a job that was stimulating and enjoyable, and i was part of a group of people who had the privilege and the wherewithal to build for the future. i was also part of a group of teachers and parents who were wonderful people, and i was very lucky to have a good staff and a dedicated Board. “looking back, i loved Vaughan road Collegiate, but that teachers’ strike finished it for me. i remain grateful to this day for that little school in the country … Cds was a godsend.”

a Look ahead To The 50Th robert and deanna have lived in Victoria, BC for 19 years and have followed the growth of Cds from afar through friends and their great nieces: Brittney ’16, Alexandra ’19 and holly ’20, daughters of robert’s nephew, donald and Kim nichols. all three girls are proud members of ross house. as the school’s 50th anniversary looms in the not too distant future, it is our hope to have robert and deanna back on campus as two of our ViP guests celebrating with our founding families, our current families, and our wonderful alumni! n The Link spring 2019

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By Dr. Karen Sumner a freelance writer and editor based in King City

photography: ha zemmk amal; istock.com

Is Vaping Bad For Your Teen?

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Absolutely and without a doubt,

yes.

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ememBer the “Big tobacco” scandals of the 1990s? For about 40 years, the tobacco industry had been successfully fighting off lawsuits, claiming that no definitive evidence linked smoking to addiction and cancer. then internal memos revealed that companies had known for decades that their product was both addictive and carcinogenic. since then, they have been losing lawsuits as a result of knowingly and deliberately misleading the public about the health hazards of smoking. (continued on page 16)

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(continued from page 15) today, no-one doubts that cigarette smoking is dangerously unhealthy. it remains the leading preventable cause of death in the Us, mainly from heart disease, stroke and lung cancer. as a result, smoking rates have fallen in north america, with use among youth in particular decreasing from 28.8% in 1976 to 5.5% in 2015. ask your child if smoking can kill you, and they will easily answer “yes.” that clarity of understanding is a public health win.

What is not a public health win? the fact that while smoking rates continue to decline, vaping has been on the upswing – so dramatically, that the Us surgeon general recently referred to youth vaping as an “epidemic.” in 2010, 1.5% of youth were vaping. in 2017, that figure was up to 13%. that’s a 767% increase in adolescents who vape – and that doesn’t include 2018 and 2019.

Why are youth more inclined to vape than smoke? For many reasons, including that most believe it does no harm. ask your child if vaping leads to serious health conditions, and they will likely answer “no” or “i don’t know.” as with cannabis consumption, most adolescents just don’t understand the risks. as a result, vaping is much more socially acceptable among teens than smoking. is vaping bad for your teen? they may not think so, but the answer is yes. absolutely and without a doubt.

What’s the attraction of vaping? if you were told that the “pod” inside a Juul – the company that currently holds about 70% of the market share – releases an aerosol that enters the lungs unfiltered, delivering nicotine mixed with a host of harmful chemicals and ultra-fine particles,

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your first thought would likely be, “that’s not good.” and you would be right. But teens do not have that same reaction. governments, not-for-profit organizations, schools and health crusaders led the way when it came to anti-smoking education. and we listened. But we do not currently have a similar lineup of heavy-hitting anti-vaping influencers and education campaigns. in addition to not getting the clear and direct health information they need, teens are subjected to the same marketing tactics that Big tobacco used to hook smokers. to no-one’s surprise, the tobacco industry is increasingly buying up vaping companies,

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such as Blu, as well as creating their own products. in addition, there are independents like Juul on the market. Whatever their corporate model, they all know the marketing tricks: use celebrities, push images of sexy and glamorous models, sponsor sports and music events, offer fruit flavours, and use cartoons like Blu’s “mr. Cool” – young, hip, and unabashedly a vaper. our youth don’t really understand what’s wrong with vaping – or “juuling” as it’s sometimes called. Plus, it’s got that cool factor: modern, technologically innovative, sleek designs with available decorative skins, a menu of flavours, no “ashtray” odour, and illegal under the age of 19. Yes, the same

vApIng thE bIg QuEStIonS

Is vaping without nicotine safe?

No, it’s Not. First, in a recent study, 60% of non-nicotine vaping pods were found to contain nicotine. this is not a well-regulated industry, so you can’t know exactly what you’re inhaling. second, the non-nicotine ingredients include volatile organic compounds (VoC), known carcinogens, and toxins associated with respiratory disease and heart disease. some even contain insecticides and formaldehyde.

Basically, inhaling chemicals can never be deemed safe.

legal status as alcohol is a draw for many teenagers: it’s not really bad, just a bit edgy.

Juul claims its product is positioned as an alternative to cigarettes for “adult smokers.” in fact, the company says this: “We share public health concerns about protecting the health of young persons. We did not create JUUl to undermine years of effective tobacco control, and we do not want to see a new generation of smokers.”

But what about a first generation of vapers?

Juul has suspended the sale of fruitflavoured pods in the Us but not in Canada. the company has responded to pressure from the Fda to cease selling all flavours in american retail outlets except mint, though fruit flavours can still be purchased online. here in Canada, with no government agency currently leaning on e-cigarette manufacturers for offering a product that attracts underaged users, Juul and others continue to sell sweet flavours. that doesn’t sound like a commitment to protecting young people. it sounds like a commitment to attracting smokers and non-smokers of all ages. and starting young is good for business: research tells us that the younger a person vapes, the more likely they are to become lifelong nicotine consumers. With the cigarette market shrinking in north america, latin america and europe, there is opportunity to increase sales of alternative nicotine products in these regions.

Big tobacco is becoming Big Vape, and it wants our youth as its customers. in sum, here is why the same teens who understand the dangers of smoking are attracted to vaping. there is the initial nicotine high, though it fades once addiction sets in. it’s new and cool, with devices that look like flash drives and can be charged in a UsB port. it has fun colours and flavours. it doesn’t make you smell bad.

it’s illegal but can easily be hidden from parents. and most of all, teens believe that it’s not really harmful. the truth is that vaping is far from safe.

vaping makes us sick and addicted there is no doubt that vaping is harmful to teens’ physical, mental and emotional health. here are the facts.

1 addiction like cigarettes, vaping devices offer nicotine, a highly addictive chemical. on first use, nicotine makes a person feel tempo-

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rarily elated and energized. over time, a tolerance is developed and higher concentrations are needed to achieve the same desired effects. With this continued use comes an addiction, characterized by withdrawal symptoms like dizziness, headaches, nervousness, anxiety, difficulty concentrating and sleeping, and feelings of depression. given the high concentration of nicotine in most vaping devices, addiction can be quick. it then becomes very difficult for teens to manage the side effects of withdrawal. many report beginning to vape as a release from anxiety and stress, not realizing that nicotine eventually increases those sensations rather than relieving them.

vApIng thE bIg QuEStIonS

How do I know if my teen is vaping?

this CaN Be tough. the tools used are discreet and easy to hide – they may look like a pen or a usB flash drive. Plus, vaping can be odourless, though you may smell something sweet like fruit or bubblegum. a teen could vape in their room without a parent detecting it. Mainly, you would look for signs of nicotine addiction: irritability, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, restlessness and depressed mood. also, frequently leaving a family gathering to be alone could be a sign.

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this is how nicotine can become both a physical and mental addiction, offering the illusion of easing mental and emotional pressures while actually worsening them.

2 disruption to brain development in addition to creating both physical and emotional dependency, nicotine has been shown to harm adolescent brain development. the teen brain has not completed its growth, with the prefrontal cortex in particular still maturing. that’s the area responsible for executive function and attention: being able to focus, organize and plan, initiate and finish tasks, regulate emotions, and monitor one’s own progress and internal state.

Consuming nicotine during adolescence creates attention and functioning problems while also increasing the risks of developing psychiatric disorders and cognitive impairment later in life. the teen brain is more sensitive to nicotine than the adult brain, with addiction acquired more quickly and with fairly low exposure. given that vaping products tend to offer a higher concentration of nicotine with a faster absorption rate than cigarettes, it’s no surprise that teens become addicted so quickly and suffer more cognitive damage than adults.

3 Links to disease Vaping devices release an aerosol deep into the lungs that, according to the Fda, contain “detectable levels of known carcinogens and toxic chemicals.” in addition, the chemical profile of e-cigarettes and tobacco cigarettes overlap in some areas, sharing ingredients that lead to chronic diseases like bronchitis, emphysema and heart disease.

Because vaping releases volatile organic compounds (VoCs) and airborne particles into the air during exhalation, second-hand vapour is also considered harmful.

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vApIng thE bIg QuEStIonS

What should I say if I suspect my teen is vaping?

BeFore you say anything, get the facts. Be sure you understand the health risks, whether nicotine is involved or not. if you use tobacco or vaping products yourself, be honest with your teen about the risks, your regrets, the difficulties of addiction, and the health consequences. you may also want to share the difference between how you felt when you started (excited, energized, rebellious) and how you feel now. aiM to haVe an ongoing, open dialogue rather than a formal meeting or delivering a lecture. have several conversations whenever an opening arises, such as when you see someone vaping. ask questions about what your teen knows. Be curious and listen closely. if they admit to vaping, stay calm and focus on the activity, not their personality. ask if they think they are addicted.

Let them know there are ways to break free. if you can tell they have bad information, give them some reading materials.

KeeP the CoNVersatioN going. Let it naturally pick up and drop over time. avoid heated arguments or passing judgment. encourage your teen to talk to any trusted adults, such as a teacher, guidance counsellor, coach or relative. you can also share your concerns with an adult your teen respects and ask for their help. Most of all, let your teen know that you love them and want them to be healthy. research tells us that, despite how it sometimes looks, children really do listen to their parents and internalize their messaging.

one particular toxin called diacetyl has been proven to cause what is commonly known as popcorn lung. diacetyl damages the bronchioles, the lung’s smallest airways, causing them to scar and narrow. this leads to wheezing, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing deeply, exhaustion and persistent irritation of the nose, mouth and throat. a 2015 study of e-cigarettes found that 39 out of 51 tested brands contained diacetyl. it’s added to the “e-juice” in flavours ranging from vanilla to caramel, coconut, cinnamon, and many others. to recap, nicotine addiction for youth is swift and dangerous. it intensifies mental health challenges such as chronic stress, anxiety, nervousness, depression and others. it disrupts the development of the brain, leading to permanent cognitive damage. and the vapour contains known carcinogens as well as chemicals linked to heart and respiratory disease.

adolescence is already hard enough introducing nicotine and managing an addiction makes it a lot harder. adolescence is a time when both emotional and cognitive control are low, leading to impulsivity, risk taking and peer-influenced behaviour. it’s also more difficult at this stage of life to focus, plan ahead, complete tasks and understand the consequences of choices. last, teens are especially vulnerable to mental health disorders. introducing nicotine, addiction and toxic chemicals into the mix gives this exciting, creative and impassioned time of life the potential to turn darker and more dangerous. some teens report using vaping to manage stress in their lives – which is a reminder to parents and teachers that

adolescent stressors are complex and real. as always, the best coping methods are those that improve rather than undermine health: positive peer relationships, healthy food, regular exercise, sufficient sleep, balance between school work and downtime, and close connections to caring adults.

Parents can help by talking about the dangers of vaping with their children, sharing accurate information in a calm and non-judgmental manner. remember, the vaping tool and the addiction are the culprits here, not the child. it may also help for adults to emphasize something that teens greatly value: their independence. While

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vaping may feel like a form of personal expression, addiction is actually a loss of personal freedom. education campaigns worked to lower cigarette smoking across all age groups – and they can work again. as the Us surgeon general recently said, “studies show that youth, like my son, have no clue what’s in these products most of the time.” that needs to change.

Big Vape is big business. Let’s work together to keep Juul, Blu and every other supplier out of our kids’ wallets, lungs, heads and hearts. n

vApIng thE bIg QuEStIonS

What is CDS doing to educate students?

We sPoKe With our senior school students about the dangers of vaping this year at an assembly, including video and testimonials from medical experts. additionally, the health risks associated with vaping have been addressed in all Physical education and health classes and during morning advisory sessions.

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In april, anna Croxon ’20 became the third CdS student in four years to capture the overall World Champion title. She presented her winning Persuasive speech on voluntourism at the Grand Finals at the University of Toronto. here she is pictured with Coach kerstin Wyndham-West. The two previous CdS World Champions were natalie Ganzhorn ’16 in 2016 and olivia railton ’17 in 2017.

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Cover story

a Debating Dynasty a Q&a with Kerstin Wyndham-West, the mastermind behind Cds’s winning debating teams By chriStina chK arBoul ’21

D

uring the World individual debating and Public speaking Championships (WidPsC) held this year in toronto at Branksome hall from april 11 to april 17, the Country day school’s Anna Croxon ’20, Maeve Tebbutt ’19 and Anaïs Leiva von Bovet ’19 exemplified the excellence of Cds’ debating and Public speaking program. all three girls placed within the top senior level speakers in the world with anna speaking her way to the top, placing first overall and winning top Persuasive speaker honours. maeve, who was attending her third consecutive World Championship, won 3rd place overall. attending her second consecutive Worlds this year having won the international independent schools’ Public speaking Competition (iisPsC) for the past two years, anaïs placed 13th overall.

Following the debaters’ skillful and impressive performances at the WidPsC, i sat down and spoke with mrs. Wyndham-West, Cds’ seasoned debating and Public speaking Coach. she will be retiring from her teaching position after 23 years this spring but will continue coaching debate. We talked about this year’s successes, her history in the debating and public speaking field, her coaching methods, and more.

This was the first time in your history of being a CDS debate coach that you brought three debaters to the World Championships. How did that make this year special for you and for the School? each year over the past 12 years, we have qualified at least one student, and sometimes two. this year, having three qualify was awesome because three students got to

experience competition at the world level.

But it’s even much more than that. they meet students from around the world, make friendships that last a long time, and gain invaluable experience in terms of being in front of an audience. i’m very excited from their perspective that they get to have that experience. From the school’s perspective, Cds has become somewhat of (continued on page 22)

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Cover story

a dominant force in public speaking and debating worldwide. having this level of success furthers the school’s reputation in the art of public speaking and debating.

Your coaching has undoubtedly played a substantial and vital part in our students’ success this year and throughout all of your time at CDS. What are your main methods and strategies of teaching debate and public speaking?

Before i started at Cds, i was a debater and also did quite a bit of drama at school, so i had some experience going into it all. But, honestly, it was through going to events and seeing how others did things that i learned what types of pieces audiences are drawn to – what persuades and what doesn’t. i have come to the conclusion that most audiences like a speech that is well-structured and well sign-posted. i implement these things into teaching my debaters by showing them how to move and use their voice in a certain way, which helps them to be successful. it really is a mix of all sorts of things, such as preparation, body language, eye contact, their voice, and, of course, the words themselves and the pieces that they perform.

What are your hopes for next year’s Worlds? Are there many up-and-coming debaters in the School’s club? this year, two of our senior debaters who attended Worlds, maeve and anaïs, are graduating. We will be holding auditions for next year’s internationals which take place this coming fall in Boston and hopefully we will have a strong team. We have a really strong group of students from grades 7 through 9 and a handful of grade 10s who could do really well. We’ve also got three students participating in the Junior high Public speaking tournament, two of whom will be too old to compete in that category next year but will be eligible seniors. there were more than 60 students involved in Public speaking and debating 22

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2014 was a great year for the CdS debating team, and included CdS’s hosting of the IISPSC: back row (l-r) Jai Singh’14, kerstin Wyndham-West, kiyan heybati ’18, Michael Jones ’18, Ms. Irena Snefjella, Shanee Moran ’19, Jackson empey ’16, ashley offman ’18, daniel rajkumar ’16; front row (l-r): Lukas Weese ’14, natalie Ganzhorn ’16, olivia railton ’17, amanda Jones ’14.

this year, nearly 50 of whom competed in different events. i think that we are definitely building some skill and experience in the student body, and this takes time. You don’t become a World Champion overnight. anna Croxon, who won this year, started public speaking in grade 7, and she didn’t achieve at the highest level the first few times she competed. she’ll tell you that it was resilience together with practice and determination that really helped her to succeed. she worked really hard, went to debate camps, and spent time learning what really does work. she was, obviously, rewarded at the end, which is fantastic.

What has coaching debate and public speaking for more than 20 years taught you? i’ve learned that you can never predict the outcome of a tournament because, often, it depends on the group of judges. in terms of skills, i think that i’ve learned what makes a compelling speech, and i’ve learned more about how performing it in certain ways might be more successful than in others. i would say that i’ve learned about how this all works and have become a fairly comfortable speaker myself. i don’t mind getting up in front of a crowd. however, i do think that i would have a hard time at competi-

tions, as i would get too nervous! i’ve also learned to relax a little more, and i’ve learned to let the students direct the pieces and the topics that they choose more. i think that’s important. individuals have to learn what works for them – especially at the senior level.

What have been some of the highlights/ best memories for you over the years travelling with some of CDS’ top debaters? i have travelled to some of the most wonderful places in the world. i spent easter sunday one year on the great Wall of China with Olivia Railton ’17 and natalie Ganzhorn ’16. i’ve travelled to australia with maeve and olivia, and i’ve travelled to the UK with a young lady called Genevieve Laurier ’09. i’ve visited lithuania, a stunning country, twice, with two different students. last year, i travelled to dubai and south africa with anaïs and maeve. i really have enjoyed the amazing opportunity to share some of the world’s most spectacular sights with these individuals and have gotten to know some wonderful people.

For me, part of the appeal of this discipline is interacting with people from different parts of the world who have a variety of values and styles that you can learn from. even though we were in

toronto this year, there was something very lovely about sharing it with the people who were visiting from outside of Canada, some of whom had never been to Canada! We had the most wonderful sunset dinner at the top of the Cn tower. i’ve been up the Cn tower about 20 times, but to share it with people who have never experienced that was pretty special. i’m very grateful to these students because they have allowed me to experience these things with them, and it’s been pretty remarkable. as a coach and teacher, the greatest thrill is to watch your students growing in skill and confidence as they compete. there really is nothing better!

What interesting things have some of our alumni debaters gone on to do with this important life skill post CDS? i would say that almost all of them are using their speaking skills every single day.

Rachael Andrew ’09 is a lawyer, genevieve works as a consultant for schools in the United Kingdom, Roxy Cohen ’09 is

“

AS A coAch And tEAchER, thE gREAtESt thRIll IS to wAtch YouR StudEntS gRowIng In SkIll And confIdEncE AS thEY compEtE.

working as an advocate for a non-profit organization in toronto, and Victoria Sienczewski ’11 has worked in finance, been active in the political field and is now pursuing an mBa at harvard Business school. not to mention Reid Dobell ’12, who i bumped into in april, who just spent two years in the Peace Corps as a Us national working to educate people in Cameroon on matters of public health.

Lukas Weese ’14 is a sports broadcaster,

Ms. Wyndham-West at the 2010 IISPSC competition in ottawa with reid dobell ’12, Catt Filippov ’11 and Lucas regazzi ’12.

natalie is a movie actress living in hollywood, and Catt Filippov ’11 is currently performing at the Berkeley street theatre in toronto. Lucas Regazzi ’12 is an artist and poet who heads several organizations dedicated to furthering the arts in Canada. olivia continues her studies at oxford University where she debates at a high level and was recently elected to represent her peers as a member of the oxford student Union. these individuals are definitely using their communication and speaking skills in their careers day in and day out. honestly, that is what it is really about – equipping students with skills for life!

What motivated you to make the decision to retire from teaching at CDS? Certainly, retiring from the classroom is never an easy decision for any educator. i have thoroughly enjoyed nearly a quarter of a century teaching in various capacities at Cds. i am pretty emotional, as any of the students who have passed through my class will tell you, so you can be sure that i will shed more than a few tears over the coming weeks! With all three of my children off at university next year though, it is time for me to pursue some of my other interests. i have a plan to focus on some writing projects (i currently teach the grade 12 Writer’s Craft course, and i am passionate about writing). our family is also just beginning a major building project, which will demand my attention over the next couple of years. Combining teaching with the frequent travel required for competitive debating means a great deal of missed class time, and so moving forward, by focussing on coaching i will be able to dedicate myself to the growing number of students participating in the activity. i am also excited to work with new colleagues next year to continue to build upon the program that has expanded so much over my time here. the aim is that in a few years, i can hand over the program entirely to them. n The Link spring 2019

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timelines

Junior scHool HigHligHts december

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1. Our JK musicians dazzled their audience at the Junior School Holiday concert.

2. Junior School students celebrated winter in Canada at Winter Carnival.

3. The annual Treat and Book sale helped raise $2600 to purchase gifts and gift cards for local charities The Rose of Sharon, The

JAnuAry

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York Centre for Children and Leeder Place.

4. Junior School’s Pathways to People raised $1,000 for The Welcome Table. Then in May, they donated an additional $500 to this community outreach program that serves dinner to 100 guests every Wednesday in Aurora.

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5. Grade 1 students encouraged King Mayor Pellegrini to take the Monarch Butterfly Pledge with them.

6. We shared hot chocolate and a treat together at the annual skating party.

April

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9. Ms. Vipond and Berton Wolk from the Royal Canadian Legion presented awards at Assembly, including honourable mention to Thomas Pitts in 2W for Black and White Poster Primary; 3rd place for Colour Poster Primary to Ginia

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Zhang in 3S; and honourable mention for Junior Poetry to Diviya Amarnath in 6R. 10. All students in 1M got their own Hawkmoth Hornworm pet during 1M’s insect unit. Here Taran Hudson observes his pet worm, Coco.

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at the CIS Championships at Pickering College. Romeo received a 2nd place award and, while Guilian didn’t place, he was without a doubt the Grade 6 audience favourite.

mAy 13. Grade 2s went to the ROM to kickoff their study of dinosaurs.

14. Grade 6 students have been studying climate change and learning about the 16-year-old activist from Sweden, Greta Thunberg. Seven students brought their signs to Queen’s Park, while others wrote letters in the classroom to send to their leaders.

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11. Mayor of Aurora, Tom Mrakas, fielded questions about local politics from our Grade 5 students.

12. Students in Grades 5 and 6 competed in the 11th annual Public Speaking Competitions in the PAC and Grade 5 student Romeo Di Biase and Grade 6 student Giulian DeFilippis advanced to compete

14 Lev Katzin even got on CBC News and David Suzuki’s Instagram page.

15. Grade 1 students always enjoy reading to St. John Ambulance Therapy Dogs in the library as part of the ‘Paws for Stories’ program.

16. Grade 3s took part in an urban adventure in Toronto, including St. Lawrence Market, Union Station, the CN Tower, and lunch at the Old Spaghetti Factory.

17. William Covello in Grade 6 created an entire Breakout EDU experience for the STEAM club’s last day. Not only did he create a theme and the clues, but four different key rings in Tinkercad to 3D print for the group when they ‘broke in’!

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februAry

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7. SK students performed a traditional Chinese New Year dance in recognition of the Year of the Pig.

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8. Pairs of two and three students in 6J worked with SK students teaching them about electricity through fun activities. They dubbed themselves the Electro-Spark Buddies.

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timelines

middle scHool HigHligHts november 1. ConGraTS To CaST & CreW oF the Diary of anne frank!

The Grade 7-9 cast and crew performed three outstanding productions of The Diary of Anne Frank and raised $3,862 dollars from ticket sales and donations for educational initiatives at the

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Anne Frank House in memory of the 11 members of the Pittsburgh Synagogue who were killed on October 27, 2018.

2. This year, 47 Grade 7 and 8 students took the University of Waterloo Beaver Computing Challenge. Students with a score of 60 or higher received a certificate of distinction (top 25% of all competitors worldwide). Thirty of our students

scored a 60 or higher and two tied for the top CDS score of 86: Grade 7 student Stone Li and Grade 8 student Jimmy Zhou. The previous CDS record was 82.

3. Grade 7 and 8 students hosted their first Middle School Coffee House of the year – Common Grounds.

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4. Grade 7 and 8 students put forth a magnificent performance at the Middle/Senior Holiday Music Night.

5. Grade 7 students Sarah Croxon and Ethan Wahba finished in the top half at the Junior National Debating Qualifiers hosted at CDS. Sarah finished 1st in Impromptu and 2nd overall, as well as top Grade 7 student – qualifying her to represent Team Ontario at Nationals in Vancouver.

Ethan also performed well, finishing in 2nd place for the Grade 7 students.

April 8. The 1st place school medal for the Grade 9 Pascal Contest went to Grade 8 student, Jimmy Zhou, who scored 144 out of 150 – earning him 12th place in the world! Distinction award winners included: Grade 8 Yubo Wang (127) Grade 8 Vincent Wang (122) Grade 7 Derek Chen (118) Grade 8 Jordan Chen (116) Grade 7 Elite La (111) Grade 8 Tinaye Ngorima (109) Grade 7 Stone Li (105).

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9. Among the many ways that the Middle School honoured Earth Week was participation in a campus-wide cleanup. Armed with gloves and garbage bags, our students picked up almost 100 pounds of trash that had accumulated over the winter months.

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6. The Middle School Concert Band participated in the Toronto Kiwanis Music Festival and earned a Gold Medal award.

7. Grade 7 and 8 students showcased their Passion Projects in the PAC atrium. The goal of the Passion Project is to provide an opportunity for students to explore their passions and encourage them to dive deeper into areas of personal interest.

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mAy 10. Grade 8 students had a grand time on their class trip to Montreal.

11. The Grade 7 French class spent a day in the kitchen preparing ratatouille and learning about the importance of food in French culture with Chef Freddy, the owner of a local restaurant in Shelburne, Ont. 12. Grade 7 student Sarah Croxon travelled to Vancouver to represent Ontario at the Jr. National Public Speaking and Debating Championships where she narrowly missed the Finals in Persuasive and Interpretive Reading.

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timelines

senior scHool HigHligHts december 1. Jack MacDonald ’20 & Abraham Litwin-Logan ’19 and Billy Tsiolis ’20 & Georgie Tsiolis ’20 qualified at a regional tournament in Brampton for the Ontario Provincial Debate Championships in Ottawa in February, the first time CDS has ever sent two teams. At the event, Jack and Abraham placed 11th out of 40 teams, narrowly missing qualifying for Nationals (only top 8 qualify).

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1 2. The Senior School Concert Band put everyone in the holiday mood at the Middle/Senior School Music Night.

3. With the help of student organizers, led

by Abraham Litwin-Logan ’19 and Dima Kalander ’19, CDS hosted its first-ever Model UN, CDSMUN, and invited delegates from HTS and SAC.

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5. Of the 29 DECA students who competed in the 40th annual Ontario Provincial Competition in Toronto, CDS showcased its potential with nine of the 29 members accepting awards on stage and six qualifying for internationals in Orlando in April: Alexandra Nichols ’19, Daya Gosal ’19, Heather Hudson ’19, Julia Gille ’19, Stacey Speranza ’19 and Kabir Walia ’19.

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6. Grade 10-12 students enrolled in Spanish celebrated Cuban culture for a day in Toronto, including lunch and Salsa dancing at Lula Lounge.

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8. A record number of CDS mathematicians scored well above average in worldwide competitions, including Carter Moore ’19 (30) in a three-hour coding contest, above the average of 21.8 out of 75. Distinction award winners for the Pascal Contest were awarded to Henry Xiu ’22

April 11. The final Coffee House of the year was a tremendous success! Thanks to our MCs Andrew Easterling ’20 and Ryan Corbeil ’21.

12. CDS placed 2nd in the Judges’ Cup Mock Trial, their best performance ever, against 21 schools across the region at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Newmarket.

Abraham Litwin-Logan ’19, Anaïs Leiva von Bovet ’19, Anna Croxon ’20 and Sarah Gibbons ’20 played lawyers and Billy Tsiolis ’20, Christina Chkarboul ’21, Maria Ivoditova ’22, and Eliza Pasha ’22 played witnesses.

Anaïs won a Merit award and Abraham won the award for Best Crown.

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(116), Zackary Downey ’22 (110), Cindy Ma ’22 (109) and Ethan MacDonald ’22 (104) for scoring above the average of 89.5 out of 150. Nadine Barone ’21 and Liam Bray ’21 tied for 1st place with 116 in the Cayley Contest, above the average score of 96.1 out of 150, while Robert

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Milliken ’22 scored 113. Sean Song ’20 scored 1st place in the Fermat Contest at CDS with 120, well above the average of 93.9 out of 150. Distinction awards went to Anthony Botticchio ’20 (100) and Tegan Asprey ’21 (98).

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4. Jeremy Garbe ’19 (left) received his Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award, David Kuntz ’20 (middle) his Silver, and Nevis Hunt ’21 (right) his Bronze.

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7. The artwork of 14 CDS students was featured in a King student artwork exhibit at the NEW King Township Municipal Centre in April and May. Pictured here are Colleen Glynn ’19 and Hayden Lang ’21.

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9. CDS sent a delegation of 14 students to the Ontario MUN conference at Upper Canada College.

10. The CDS Robotics team #4951 held their own at the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) at Western University.

This year, teams were challenged to build robots that would load cargo and hatch panels on spaceships preparing for takeoff on an alien planet.

mAy 13. The Healthy Living and Outdoor Activities class spent four great days in Tobermory hiking along the Bruce Peninsula.

14. In what has become an annual tradition, Grade 12 Writer’s Craft students read their own written and illustrated children’s picture books to the SKs in Mrs. Lyn’s class.

15. Arjun Walia ’22 was a finalist in Impromptu and Danyal Hakeem ’22 narrowly missed the finals for his Persuasive speech at the National Junior High Public Speaking Championships in Vancouver.

16. Resiri Erivwo ’22 won 2nd place for her poem titled “Home” in the COSTI Poetry competition.

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athletiCs update

U12 Girls’ d2 volleyball

Winter 2019

Senior Boys’ hockey d1nC won CISaa Gold

SportS HigHligHtS

ExcERptS fRom thE mIddlE/SEnIoR AthlEtIc ASSEmblY

U16 Girls’ d1 volleyball

U12 Boys’ Basketball

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lthough there are many stories of success and accomplishment that occur each term, i have two to share with you today. the first is about Brynlyn rowntree ’19.

Upon hearing that we had no goalie for the senior girls’ hockey team this year, she stepped up and asked if she could play in net, despite never playing before. What kind of characteristics does an act like this reveal? i would think many – courage, leadership and confidence, to name a few. her motivation was selfless, exhibiting what it means to be a great teammate. her rationale for playing was simple: she wanted to keep the program running for her teammates. her effort paid off, helping the team to make the playoffs, and making some wicked saves along the way. the other story is about Will Sherman ’19. after being injured in a senior Boys’ Basketball playoff game last week against BVg, his team got behind by about 14 points heading into the 4th quarter. he knew, as a grade 12 student and one of the top players on this team, they needed him back on the court. so after consultation with the athletic therapist, he headed back onto the court, drained a few threes and helped get his team back in the game. the game headed into overtime, where cDs won by 2 points. later that night, Will found out he had a fracture in his foot. again, this story reveals character: sacrifice, perseverance, grit, courage, and a commitment to his teammates.”

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U13 Boys’ d2 Basketball

Senior Girls’ d1B hockey

U12 Co-ed hockey

SnoWBoardInG TeaM WInS doUBLe GoLd! this year, both the girls’ and Boys’ snowboarding team captured cisaa gold! this was the fourth consecutive championship for the Boys’ team and the first gold win for the girls, who have won silver for the last three years. the girls team went on to win oFsaa gold as well.

U13 Girls’ d1 volleyball

U14 Boy’s d2 Basketball

Senior Boys’ d2 Basketball

U14 Co-ed d2 hockey

Senior Girls’ d1 volleyball team qualified for oFSaa

WILSon o’neILL ’19 SeTS BLISTerInG PaCe Wilson has had an unbelievable career in hurdles while at cDs. since becoming the first cDs male track athlete to win an oFsaa medal three years ago (he won not one, but two Bronze medals), he went on to earn two gold oFsaa medals the next year. moving into the senior category last year offered more competition, but this year he has experienced incredible success and new personal bests, including a commitment to race for Western University’s mustangs next year and winning the ontario indoor championships 60m hurdles. Wilson finished his high school career with two silver medals at oFsaa. this summer he will compete at Junior nationals and has earned a spot as a member of the U20 Junior pan am team competing in costa rica in July.

TraCk TeaM GoeS To haWaII twelve members of the senior track team got a jump start on the season in a pre-season training trip to hawaii with their coaches Denise steadman and geneva Winterink. in addition to training and competing against other hawaiian high schools, they toured the island of oahu (including pearl harbor), hiked Diamond head, surfed and attended a luau!

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dramaSpotlight

Difference Makers A

fter our incredible production of In the Heights last year, we were left with the question, “Where do we go from here?” After consulting with our students, they indicated that they wanted to be challenged by a serious, professionally written dramatic piece and they wanted to tackle relevant topics and incite change.

Their desire to challenge themselves as actors, their audience as citizens, and

engage the world around them led us to The Laramie Project. Considering all that is going on in the world today, we felt it was the right time to put on such an important play. We also felt that it is our duty at CDS to help develop an atmosphere where all can feel free to be who they are. Read the full story on pages 6-9.

– Gisa Bevacqua-Tirone, Director

A Dahl Classic!

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very now and then, our definition of family broadens to include those who do not share our DNA. Sometimes, it is those special people who come into our lives that become our family.

In this favourite Roald Dahl story, James loses his mom and dad, and when he finds his long-lost aunts, he realizes that his aunt’s motivation for agreeing to live with him is not sincere. Through a magical turn of events, James finds an eccentric crew of friends who are genuine in their love for this lost boy.

After a crazy journey, filled with ups and downs, James discovers that family is being surrounded by those who make you feel secure, who you can count on, and

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Grade 9-12 MarCh ProdUCTIon the Laramie Project

JUnIor SChooL aPrIL ProdUCTIon james anD the Giant Peach jr.

who can count on you. A home is found where others care for you unconditionally and never walk away.

“And when you get there is it perfect?

And when you get there is there someone waiting for you?

May I hold onto your wings and come, too?

On your way home!”

From the song “On Your Way Home” from James and the Giant Peach – Kirsten Baird, Eileen Paddags, Jenna Romanowich, Caitlin Tamane, Directorial Team

2019 musiC trip

aDventure anD resilience all wrappeD into fun Cds music students toured four cities during march Break and did not let a few delays ruin their trip

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hen something as exciting as a music trip to europe is on the agenda for march Break, it would take a lot to extinguish the anticipation and excitement shared among students and faculty alike. that is why when news of an unexpected travel delay was released at the airport, our intrepid travelers navigated what turned out to be 24-hour-delay and multi-flight reschedule extraordinarily well.

Upon arriving in the beautiful city of Prague, our 43-member group set about making up for lost time touring what was one of the many highlights of the trip. “i hadn’t really seen that old side of europe before,” said Tegan Asprey ’21 who was born in england. “one of my favourite parts was the old town square, the astronomical Clock and Charles Bridge.” tegan also enjoyed the evening boat tour on the Vltava river that meandered under the many bridges of Prague. “it was so beautiful – the city just sparkled.” the group’s first musical performance took place in a large atrium inside the Volkswagen Factory in dresden. “We were surrounded by new self-driving cars … it was very cool,” said tegan. in leipzig, the students visited one of the largest musical instrument museums in europe housed at the University of leipzig. accomplished royal Conservatory of music pianist Allyson Whitmell ’19 was even allowed to play one of the pianos in the museum! next stop was Berlin, where Cds performed for students at a german gymnasium (secondary school) in Potsdam, just outside the city. they also ate lunch with them and enjoyed experiencing a realistic glimpse into life as a student in Berlin.

While in Berlin, they also visited a holocaust memorial, caught glimpses of the former Berlin Wall, and toured an underground World War ii bunker. according to the students, this trip offered a rich blend of european history and the history of music with a perfect balance of performances sprinkled throughout. running on adrenaline from such an action-packed trip, the 48-hour delay the group encountered upon arrival at the Frankfurt airport seemed to only mildly phase these resilient travelers. While the airline, lufthansa, compensated everyone comfortably with a two-night hotel stay and good food, our adaptable faculty set about adding one more day of spontaneous sightseeing tours to the agenda for our amazing students. “spending an unexpected day in Frankfurt at the end of the trip was surprisingly positive,” said tegan. “We made the most of it and enjoyed every moment of visiting interesting sites, including cathedral tours and panoramic views from up high overlooking the city, Buskers, and endless cobblestone streets. this was a trip none of us will soon forget.” n The Link spring 2019

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coMMuniTy news manny avila

joined Cds in 2018 as a business teacher in the senior school. he holds a Bachelor of arts & science (honours) from mcmaster University and a B.ed from Queen’s University. mr. avila previously taught business and math at King’s-edgehill for four years and sunway international school in malaysia for 10.

Sarah Barbanchon joined Cds

in 2018 as a visual art teacher in the middle and senior divisions. she holds a Ba in Visual arts and Political science from the University of toronto and an m.ed from d’Youville College. mrs. Barbanchon has been teaching in the independent school community for nine years. adriana Deluca joined the office

of Community relations as the advancement assistant in the fall of 2017.

Previously she worked as a catering facilitator in the Cds dining hall and with Cds parent Paola Faiella on Jam lunches. adriana loves food and travel and has two children, daniel and Bianca.

Krista edwards, a math teacher in the middle and senior school for the past 20 years, will be taking on the role of head of mathematics and Computer science in august.

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Recent appointments and staff news

of teaching experience, most recently at miss edgar and miss Cramp’s school, and also from a number of other schools in Quebec.

Joan hargrave

joined Cds as a supply and long-term occasional teacher in 2008, and has since covered all areas in the Junior school, including long-term placements in JK, sK, grades 1-4 French, JK-grade 7 Vocal music, grade 5 and grade 3. We are very happy to have her back full-time in the grade 3 classroom. ms. hargrave earned her Ba and B.ed from Queen’s University.

Justin huckvale has taken on the

position of assistant to athletics and Physical education, providing much-needed support to our Physical and health education department and all of their athletic endeavours.

Sarah hudson, an english teacher in the senior school for the past 11 years, will be taking on additional duties of advanced Placement Coordinator. holly Jepson-Fetke joined Cds in 2018 as a math teacher in the senior school. she holds a Ba in mathematics and health studies and a B.ed from Queen’s University and has nearly 10 years of teaching experience, most recently at tms.

andrew Watts catie Ferguson, the head of

learning support in the student services Centre, and her husband mike welcomed their daughter, Brooke elizabeth, on January 2, a baby sister for four-year-old Ben. Stavroula liovas is the accounts Payable administrator in the Business office. she has more than 18 years of administrative and accounting experience, including roles as executive assistant, accounts analyst, and customer service and logistics manager. she enjoys a beautiful life shared with her husband and their three daughters.

joined Cds as an associate teacher in 2017 and has transitioned to full-time faculty in the Physical and health education department as a co-teacher for the grade 12 kinesiology course and also as a career studies teacher with the student services team.

I n O ur M eMOr Ies …

Danielle moore joined

Cds in 2018 as a grade 2 teacher with almost 20 years of teaching experience. she holds a Ba from the University of toronto and a B.ed from the University of Windsor and has previously taught at Branksome hall and st. andrew’s school in the Bahamas. isabelle racine joined

Cds in 2018 as a French teacher in the Junior school. she is aim-trained and has a Ba from the College de Bois-de-Boulogne in montreal and a B.ed from the University of sherbrooke. she has 14 years

colleen Graham passed away on december 29, 2018 at the age of 32. a French teacher at Cds for two years, Colleen made quite an impact on her students and peers before losing a courageous battle. Cds community members honoured mme. graham at a ceremony in January that was a similar format to the senior school Coffee houses she so loved. she leaves behind her husband Chris and fouryear-old son max.

connecTions

alumni news and updates

thanks for joining us at the alumni holiday gathering! save the date for this year:

friDay, December 20, 2019! alumni FUN TIMES…

MarCh PUB nIGhT at Track & Field Bar hooPS nIGhT The CdS Senior Boys Basketball Team hosted a group of alumni Basketball players for an open Gym Scrimmage on Thursday, February 21. Thanks to all who attended and Mr. Burleigh, Mr. Milonas and Mr. young for organizing!

upcoming events

holiday faiR! Wednesday, november 20 Thursday, november 21, 2019 if you are interested in being a vendor at the annual holiday Fair, please contact events@cds.on.ca

alumni holiday GatheRinG Save the DATe! Friday, December 20, 2019 Details to follow

in Toronto was lots of fun! More than 60 alumni joined us for bocce ball and shuffleboard and lots of reminiscing with friends and teachers. Thanks again to nickie Minshall ’07 for hosting!

interested in joining the Alumni executive?

We would love to hear from you! Contact us at alumni@cds.on.ca

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meet tHe cds Alumni executive!

We are pleased to announce that Brittany White ’07 has recently taken on the role of President of the alumni association. Brittany has served on the alumni association since 2015 and is always willing to lend a hand to support Cds in whatever way she can. she speaks highly of Cds whenever asked and her passion for the school is contagious.

Brittany attended Cds for five years before obtaining a Ba in sociology at Queen’s University in 2011. her sisters Jade ’11 and augusta ’08 and brother – Burke ’13 also attended Cds – so it was certainly a family affair. in fact, supporting Cds still seems to be a family passion, as we see Brittany’s mom, Jane, quite often at Cds events, such as the holiday Fair and Past Parent luncheons.

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Brittany White ’07

Brittany completed the Bronze, silver and gold duke of edinburgh awards while at Cds, and believes her time here helped instill a passion for volunteering, charity galas and a busy career. she is currently employed as a Compliance analyst at american express. While her job keeps her busy and on the road, her eight-year-old son david keeps her even busier.

Brittany looks forward to working with all of you to continue to build the Cds legacy. always out and about as a busy working mom living in aurora, you may run into Brittany. Be sure to take the time to say hello and offer your suggestions!

Fondest memory: The teachers who dedicated their time to extra-curriculars to help make all of her achievements possible.

amanda Bruhm ’07

david Cooper ’01

amanda Bruhm ’07 attended

Cds from grade 2-12. she received a BsC (honors) in Kinesiology from Queen’s University and a post-graduate certificate from humber College in exercise science. amanda is currently in her third year of medical school at ross University school of medicine and is profiled in this issue on page 41.

Fondest memory: Meeting Simple Plan and attending their concert while at nationals in Halifax with the Senior Girls’ Soccer team.

David cooper ’01, who most people call Coop, attended Cds for eight “great” years before completing a Ba with a minor in professional writing from Brock University and a msc in education from medaille College in Buffalo, nY. dave writes that he aspires to be as great as the staff at Cds in his current role as

kaitlin Georges ’10

an elementary teacher at a private school in toronto. he and his wife, Christina, live in toronto with their one-and-a-half year old son, lincoln.

Fondest memory: The staff, classes, teams, and all the great trips/events. I always look forward to meeting CDS alumni and hearing their stories. Hope to see you at our next alumni event! Go Dunlap House!

Kaitlin Georges ’10 is Vice President of the Cds alumni executive board. she started at Cds in grade 6 and later went on to complete her BBa degree at Wilfrid laurier University. she currently works as a Consultant on the health team at mercer Canada in downtown toronto.

Fondest memory: Playing with the concert band and singing with the choir on the Great Wall of China. The entire trip was amazing but that moment was definitely the highest point!

Jerome haba ’93

Tatiana hermanns ’10

Jerome haba ’93 attended Cds

for seven years and went on to graduate with a Ba in Political science from York University in 1999. in 2005, he moved to Brisbane, australia and graduated in 2007 with an mBa from the University of Queensland Business school. Jerome is currently director of sales for dental axess north america, an independent provider of Cad/ Cam solutions for dental professionals in europe, australia/new Zealand and north america.

For Jerome, his involvement with the Cds alumni community has allowed him to reminisce with former teachers and reconnect with old friends.

Meredith Langston ’13

southlake regional health Centre Foundation Board and as an advisor on a toronto investor board targeting startups. tatiana is Past President of the Cds alumni executive.

Fondest memory: Hatching ducklings in Mr. Davison’s Grade 8 science class and after-school track practices with Ms. Steadman.

tatiana hermanns ’10 is a Cds

meredith langston ’13 is a Cds lifer having attended from JK-grade 12. after graduation, she pursued a degree in Fine art at the University of guelph’s school of Fine art and music (soFam) and played on the guelph Women’s Varsity soccer team for four years. meredith is excited to be a part of the Cds alumni Committee.

lifer, having attended for 14 years from JK-grade 12. she went on to pursue a bachelor’s degree of Business management from dalhousie University and has been a toronto real estate broker for more than four years, working with buyers, sellers and renters in all areas of the gta. in addition to her busy career, tatiana also sits on a few boards, including as a director on the

Fondest memory: I enjoyed playing all sports at CDS, especially rugby and soccer, and was proud to be captain of the Senior Girls’ Soccer team my final year. I have so many fond memories of the teachers at CDS, and I attribute my love for learning to them. I have a passion for children and teaching and hope to someday return to CDS as a teacher.

Sarah Powell ’96

eric Selvaggi ’10

Sarah Powell ’96 is also a Cds lifer. after graduation she obtained a Bachelor of Commerce in economics from the University of guelph and has since obtained an mBa and Cma designation. after having her second child, she decided to take some time away from work to be at home with her two daughters who are now at Cds in grades 2 and 5. sarah continues to be involved as both an alumna and Cds parent.

Fondest memory: While she has lots of fond memories from her time at CDS, one that stands out is the annual softball trip to Montreal.

eric Selvaggi ’10 attended Cds for six years. he graduated from Western University with a Bachelor of management and organization studies (Bmos) degree in 2015, and now works at td Wealth management as an investment advisor. eric lives in aurora with his girlfriend.

Clara yi ’01

clara yi ’01 attended Cds for five years and went on to pursue her undergraduate degree at the University of toronto, where she was active on the students administrative Council and president of the Undergraduate Physiology students association representing more than 1,000 students. she later went on to complete her optometry degree at aston University in Birmingham, england, and practiced in somerset, england for a few years before returning to Canada. Clara credits her accomplishments and success with the solid foundations she received at Cds. today, Clara is an optometrist running a private practice in thornhill. she is married with a four-year-old daughter and looks forward to becoming a Cds parent in the near future.

Fondest memory: Going on a once-in-a-life time experience dog sledding for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award program!

Fondest memory: The rugby trip to England and the music trip to China.

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AluMni snApshoTs

cheyenne coRbett ’93

helping families cope with cancer Passion and persistence make the world a healthier place

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hen Cheyenne Corbett graduated from Cds in 1993 – between brothers Christopher Cumming ’91 and nicholas Corbett ’98 – she debated two

options for her university program: science or business. “it was basically between mr. mcCutcheon and ms. thomson,” she laughs. “those were my two areas of strength. in the end, i didn’t pursue either. But i didn’t know that for a few years.”

Cheyenne initially studied business at Western University, thinking she might follow in her father Brian’s footsteps. she also studied english (“shout out to ms. Wry!”) and then added a few psychology electives when she wasn’t finding business to be quite her thing.

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But not much in the psych courses excited her. “the focus was all on pathology,” she recalls. “it was on the causes of disorders within the individual mind. it just didn’t connect to my view of the world at all, which is that people exist within systems and relationships. We’re interrelated and interdependent. then i read one paragraph in one of my psych textbooks and bam! i had a lightbulb moment.” that paragraph was about the field of family therapy. it described a systems or psychosocial approach that caught Cheyenne’s attention. though Western didn’t offer any courses on family therapy, she went on to earn a Ba in psychology as a means to an end: a master’s and then doctorate in marriage and family therapy at nova southeastern University in Florida.

photo: DUke cancer institUte

Cheyenne spent 10 years earning her doctorate. to say she was busy during that decade is an understatement. “i had four children, moved from Florida to north Carolina, worked full time and completed my degree,” she says. “i saw a lot of women drop out of grad school when they became moms. i didn’t want to do that, so i found a way to be a parent, student and professional all at once.” if that wasn’t challenging enough, Cheyenne and her husband Jeff had moved to north Carolina with a dream but no jobs. Cheyenne had come across the duke Cancer institute (dCi) while living in Fort lauderdale and immediately said, “i want to work there!” there were no openings. they packed and moved anyway. “i’m persistent! i called them a few times. When a position came up, i applied. at that time, my first daughter was six weeks old. i wanted to get in the door at duke and learn from them while also offering my expertise to shape the cancer support program, so i took the position (part-time volunteer coordinator). Within a couple of months, i was hired into the role of assistant director. sixteen years later, i’m still there.”

Cheyenne isn’t just “still there” – she’s now director of the duke Cancer Patient support Program (dCPsP) and director of supportive Care and survivorship. she leads the clinical, research and education programs of the dCPsP and all of the dCi supportive care programs, which include family therapy, psychology and psychiatry services, child life services, recreation therapy, teen and Young adult oncology, tobacco cessation, patient navigation, and others. in short, she is doing exactly what she envisioned when that single paragraph about family therapy lit her up. it wasn’t initially Cheyenne’s plan to work in cancer care. she began to move in that direction as a graduate student instead of other options such as domestic violence or addiction. “there were a few reasons,” she says.

“First, my mom has twice been diagnosed

Cheyenne’s daughters at the beach (l-r) aidan, Bailey, Logan and Laine (front).

with cancer. second, i was struck by how the disease was only treated medically. of course it requires that – a medical response.

But there are also social and emotional aspects of disease and valuable supports beyond the physical.”

While Cheyenne’s role at dCi continues to evolve, she is excited about where she is in life. “maybe my work combines mr. mcCutcheon and ms. thomson, with some mr. taylor and ms. Wry mixed in,” she laughs. “those people had such a strong influence on me, as did mr. Burleigh, who was my basketball coach, and mr.

marchese, who coached men’s basketball and invited me to coach and play with them. When i think back to Cds, i mainly remember the support and kindness i felt. it was like a second family, where everyone was accepted for who they are and encouraged to be their best.”

When she considers the education of her four girls, Cheyenne’s vision is clear. “i want a school like Cds. the message i received was, you can use all of your talents. You can be smart and athletic and funny and anything else you want. there aren’t limits. that’s what i want my girls to hear every day.” n The Link spring 2019

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AluMni snApshoTs

Ronald RichaRdson ’02

investeD in life renaissance man with a love of family and friends

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rYing to laBel what Ronald Richardson ’02 does for a living can be tricky. software engineer. entrepreneur. executive. advisor. angel investor. Corporate director.

Charitable board member. Philanthropist. But trying to slot his career into a single category is the wrong approach. it’s best to go back to the start and see the themes emerge. at Cds, ronald was one of the top students, displaying a powerful mix of conceptual ability, attention to detail and genuine curiosity. “i love asking questions about the world and learning, so the academic pursuit of knowledge has always been a part of who i am,” he recalls. in addition to his academic success, ronald was known for his involvement in school life, including softball, volleyball, soccer, track, student council and stage crew. But the one thing no one forgets about ronald is the epic projects he created in the family workshop.

From a pounded copper fountain for an art assignment to a welded steel roller coaster in mr. edwards’ grade 12 Physics course, ronald rarely went halfway. “i credit Cds for a huge boost to my freedom of expression,” says ronald. “the environment encouraged ingenuity, creativity and achievement. i was allowed to be a geek. the community was receptive to academic success.” that freedom extended to ronald’s foray into computers. after using a ti-83 calculator to create space invader-esque games for his friends, he enrolled in computer science. “as far as a springboard into my career, mr. moorlag’s class was definitely it for me,” says

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ronald, who found that programming “just kind of gelled” for him. in 2002, ronald enrolled in the ultra-competitive software engineering co-op program at the University of Waterloo, where he spent five years and completed six co-op placements. When he graduated, the majority of his peers took jobs at large tech companies, but ronald and three classmates had other ideas. moving to ottawa, they founded a software-as-service company called Benbria, which has since been through several stages of growth leading to their current product, an omni-channel customer experience management platform. along the way, the company has developed and sold off two other product lines, generated tens of millions in revenue, secured several Fortune 1000 clients and attracted large investors like Verizon. as he was building Benbria, ronald remained extremely close to his family. he is in continual contact with his mother, Beverley, and brothers Bryden ’03 and Quinn ’05, with whom he has some shared business interests. ronald also had a strong bond with his father, royden, who was killed in a car accident in 2013, an event that had a profound personal and professional impact on him. all of the richardsons are descendants of James richardson, who founded James richardson & sons ltd. in 1857. since then, the company has grown into a multinational enterprise with interests in grain, oil and gas, agri-food, real estate, insurance and investments. despite its size, the company is privately held, which means that it is owned and overseen, in some fashion, by royden’s siblings and cousins. this responsibility will eventually be passed on to ronald, Bryden, Quinn and their close to 30 cousins.

While ronald has been an active and engaged shareholder for over a decade, “the understanding for all family members is to establish yourself and your career outside of the family business, for at least five years, before considering employment by the firm,” he says. ronald recently shifted to an advisory role at Benbria and became a director of tundra oil & gas, ltd., one of the family subsidiary companies. meanwhile in ottawa, he has been involved in other initiatives including working with the Capital angel network and serving as Board Vice Chair, Finance Chair and treasurer for the Queensway Carleton hospital Foundation in ottawa. along the way, ronald and his wife emily have had two children: rose, almost three, and theodore, almost one, who they lovingly call teddy. ronald also keeps in touch with friends from Cds. last november, he and emily travelled to switzerland to visit hart Jackson ’02 and he sees Andrew emmans ’02 almost weekly in ottawa. he is also in contact with friends from the Class of 2002, including Dylan Macnamara, Melissa (Cardoza) Macnamara, Luca Lorenzoni, AJ Brown and Frank Gairdner.

Putting ronald’s career into a single label is difficult, but seeing his passions is not. the interests that led to all those epic projects at Cds have carried him through a life and career in which he is fully invested. n

amanda bRuhm ’07

the roaD less taken a unique path yields new insights about life

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ome roads haVe more bends than others, but Amanda Bruhm ’07 thinks that’s okay. now two years into medical school, amanda’s journey from Cds to ross University school of medicine to her first clinical rotation has taken a few turns along the way. “i always wanted to be a doctor, but there are so few medical schools in Canada,” she says. “i realized while earning my kinesiology degree at Queen’s that there just aren’t enough spots for the number of students interested. When i started looking at american med schools instead, i discovered i didn’t have the prerequisites, though i did for Canada. so i had some decisions to make.”

While considering her options, amanda completed a postgraduate certificate at humber College in exercise science & lifestyle management to see whether a career based in kinesiology would suit her. the short answer? “no!”

But while at humber, amanda completed a co-op at sickKids in a weight management program for youth. as part of a team of therapists and medical specialists, she was reminded of her first love and recommitted to medicine. “i’m as interested in the problems that medicine can address as i am in the problems within the medical field itself,” she says. “i want to make a difference in all aspects and be an example in how i approach the clinical side, how i treat my patients, and how to improve access for underserved communities.”

With that clarity, amanda applied to ross University, then located on the island of dominica in the Caribbean. during her third semester after living on the island for just over a year, hurricane maria devastated the island, forcing ross to first close and then eventually relocate classes onto a ferry docked at st. Kitts. after eight days of enduring the category 5 storm and its aftermath, ross students were evacuated off the island to continue their studies later. the university has now permanently relocated to Barbados. “it’s hard to say what the most difficult part of all this was,” amanda says. “the island was pretty much destroyed – homes, businesses, even the trees. it was hard to suddenly leave everyone

amanda Bruhm at her White Coat Ceremony in 2016.

behind. dominicans are the nicest people you’ll ever meet and their world was shattered. there was also the shock of the storm itself, which was larger than expected. Four of us hunkered down in my bathroom while the first half of the storm passed, then the eye, then the second half. it was a scary time.” luckily, amanda was well stocked with food and water. But communication was wiped out and a week passed before the students were able to leave. out of this ordeal, she learned a few things about herself. “i was very nervous before the storm hit, but calm once it arrived,” she says. “there’s a switch inside me: the more upset others are, the calmer i become. so i learned i’m good in a crisis. But i also learned that survivor guilt is a real thing. and i have some Ptsd, especially when it’s windy. it’s getting better and i’m learning how to manage it. But it’s something i still deal with.” the passage of time helps, and amanda is now greatly looking forward to her first clinical rotation at the Cleveland Clinic in miami, Florida. having been most thrilled by her courses in embryology, she is currently thinking of specializing in obstetrics, though she will be exposed to many areas in the next two years of exams and rotations. “i still have a long way to go before deciding,” she says. “and one thing i have learned is to be open to revising my life plan at any time. i took an unconventional path to med school and have faced some tough situations. my message to Cds students? there isn’t a one-size-fits-all life. Be willing to change your plan. it’s okay to not have it all sorted out at graduation!” n The Link spring 2019

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Darren haryott, matt assadourian, Daniel Battiston, liam Farrell and Joshua lebovic. peter is the Founder/president of pDF employee Benefits and co-founder of collage hr with fellow cDs grad elijah moore ’07 and is currently living in toronto.

Janet Shulist ’03 and her husband, matthew arnot, welcomed the arrival of their daughter, martha, on January 23, 2019 in toronto. after returning from seven years living in london, england at the end of 2016, Janet has been independently consulting, helping her clients to deepen financial inclusion in emerging markets through digital technology.

grandchildren, and loves running marathons and engaging in outdoor activities. “i have very fond memories of cDs and am amazed at how the school has grown over the decades. i remember terrific teachers like mr. taylor, miss scott, miss Wry, Wilma West, and of course the two headmasters at the time, mr. pratt and mr. ross! my, things have changed since the days of the longhouse and rocket club … it was a wonderful time back in those days!”

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crystal (Davies) Peek ’82 reached out to us recently having attended cDs from 1974-1982. Born in cape sable island, ns, she grew up in ontario and returned to halifax back in the early 90s. her husband larry is in the canadian armed Forces and crystal works as a clinic aide at Victoria general hospital in halifax. she has three wonderful children and four beautiful

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03

Peter Demangos ’03 married Julia szulc on october 20, 2018 at one king West in toronto, and the following class of 2003 friends were in attendance: christopher larose-myers,

cassandra udashkinhall ’03 and her husband, adam hall, welcomed the arrival of their son nathan Wyatt on september 18, 2018, younger brother to three-yearold madeline. cassandra is a special events coordinator for event services at Queen’s University and has served as the main host for cDs alumni pub nights during the fall Queen’s University visits.

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madison Kane ’05 and her husband, Francis nuve, had a beautiful baby girl, ivy lee, on august 23, 2018. the family of three is now living in mississauga.

Juliana yi ’05 has recently completed her doctorate at the University of toronto in health services research. she defended her dissertation last fall, which focused on understanding how health care agencies in canada and the United kingdom prioritize which health technologies ought to be evaluated to inform public reimbursement/ coverage decisions. Juliana is currently senior program advisor in evidence Development

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Pictured is Bianca and her conductor, Larry rachleff, giving a solo bow to the woodwinds after the Sibelius performance.

Mr. Burleigh took a family trip to Calgary for the Stampede last summer and enjoyed catching up with CdS Co-founder Mr. edmond G. eberts, his daughter katie (eberts) Plintz ’94, and Shannon higgins ’98.

BiAnCA ChAMBUL ’12

A life in sympHony orcHestrAs

and standards at health Quality ontario. her program of work is focused on evaluating the clinical and economic evidence, as well as patient values and perspectives, of medical devices and health care services in order to make public funding recommendations to the minister of health and long-term care.

“i’ve had a great first year at rice. at the beginning of first semester, our conductor and the woodwind faculty held a seating audition to determine which parts we would be awarded for the opening concert. i was honoured to be assigned to play principal bassoon for Jean sibelius’ First symphony, in which the bassoon is heavily featured. throughout the year, the two orchestras would perform eight concerts each, not including all of the additional chamber concerts and recitals. “the orchestra had our final concert on april 19, and at the end of march, i gave my first master’s degree recital. the day before, i competed in the final round of the winds and brass concerto competition and won! this means i’ll have the opportunity to be the soloist with the rice University orchestra, performing the rossini concerto for bassoon and orchestra next april. it’ll be my swan song before i complete my degree. “i also plan to take more professional orchestral auditions and will be heading to dallas in may to audition for the second bassoon position in the dallas symphony. i’ll then spend the summer in santa Barbara attending the music academy of the West festival, and will then return to houston for my final year at rice.”

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Petrice Gentile ’06 has completed her phD in clinical-psychology at york University and is working as a clinical psychologist for Broadview psychology. she specializes in children, youth, and young adult therapy and psychological assessment services.

Broadview psychology recently opened an office in stouffville to expand their psychological services to the northern gta area.

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nickie minshall ’07 has owned and operated track & Field on college street in toronto since 2015 where she graciously hosted a successful cDs alumni pub night on march 6th with indoor shuffleboard and bocce. she also owns

Bangarang on college and euclid streets, which opened in 2017 and offers guests the opportunity to play corn hole in addition to a range of rare tabletop games with cocktails on tap.

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former cDs soccer star and current West ham United footballer is making her second World cup appearance for canada after featuring heavily in the 2015 tournament which took place in canada.

adriana leon ’10 is once again representing canada this summer at the FiFa Women’s World cup in France. the The Link spring 2019

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ReiD DOBeLL ’12

mAking A difference in cAmeroon Seven MeMBerS oF The 2007 anne Frank CaST reTUrned For The 2018 ProdUCTIon! adam Fournier ‘12, daniel Simmonds ‘11, kelsey houston ‘12 and Megan Lavis ‘13 (and current light crew) came out to support the november 2018 cast and crew of the Diary of anne frank at the Friday performance.

Julia Craig ’13, Monika Bassi ’10 and Chelsea Innes ’11 also attended the Saturday matinee.

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erica commisso ’11 is a new york city based writer with a lot of experience, from freelancing to writing for a radio station website. she has interviewed musicians, hockey players, fashion designers, and many other eclectic personalities. erica’s work can be found in MANHATTAN Magazine and Rolling Stone, among other publications.

reid Dobell ’12 is recently back from spending 27 months in Cameroon working in public health for the Peace Corps. he was stationed out of Banwa, a rural village of 3,500, as the only Peace Corps volunteer the first year and worked mostly on educational awareness activities with Cameroonian partners on preventing hiV and malaria transmission. reid says his background in French and organizational training really helped him integrate into the community. his primary role at the local health clinic was to educate and motivate people about their approach to health and empower them to take charge of their own healthcare. during his two years living and working in Banwa, reid feels he made a positive impact in getting people to think about how good health decisions and practices at home, like sleeping under a mosquito net and practicing safe sex, can prevent illness and reduce visits to the health centre in the future. one of his personal success stories was running week-long health and leadership sleepaway camps to empower young girls to help in educating thousands on hiV/malaria. reid would speak about these issues to high school classes and then help select natural student leaders to invite to the camps. during his time off, he travelled throughout Cameroon, climbed africa’s fourth highest mountain, mount Cameroon, and went gorilla trekking. he also attended a conference in senegal and visited namibia and Zambia before coming home. reid only came home once during his 27 months away, so he has enjoyed catching up with friends and family and speaking to numerous Cds classes about his experience these past few months. at the end of the month, he is moving to Washington, dC to start his master’s degree in international affairs at Johns hopkins University in July.

Will eberlee ’11 just finished his second year at the University of toronto law school and is working as a summer associate for skadden, arps, slate, meagher & Flom llp in new york. after graduation in 2020, Will has arranged to do a clerkship at the British columbia court of appeal. catt Filippov ’11 has her Ba in Drama, theatre and performance studies from the University of toronto and is now an actor and playwright 44

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(alumnae theatre company); All of Me (toronto Fringe Festival); Macbeth (the crowded puppet theatre); and Acid Test Toronto. catt was back on campus for the final cDs production of The Laramie Project in march.

working and playing in toronto. her work consists of true stories, family photographs, and real people she has encountered along the way. recent credits include Impressionism,

anthony Kwan ’11 graduated from the University of toronto with an engineering degree in 2016 and is now pursuing a master of applied sciences in computer engineering at U of t. as captain of the track team, he competes in men’s sprint hurdles and placed 3rd at the canadian Usports indoor national championships last year. While

FROM s d r a c t Pos

D A R G A rd d a reco ’11 signe cords JP Saxe e r ta aris deal with t fall, he was on as L !

7 1 l ri ur with on ap erican to m a rformed a north e on and p s d u in h y harr erground lvet Und at The ve in december.

Toronto

anthony is currently battling an injury, he aims to qualify for a spot in the finals at the canadian outdoor national championships this year. ms. steadman ran into him at the york open University track meet in January where he and several other athletes from canadian universities were competing. ryan Shrott ’11 has a B.eng. degree in mathematics and engineering from Queen’s University and a master’s degree in mathematical Finance from the University of toronto. he is now working at Bmo capital markets as an equity Derivatives Desk Quant.

Shannan Wood ’11 attended her fi nal year of high school in switzerland at neuchatel Junior college. according to shannan,

“studying abroad opened my eyes to other opportunities outside of canada.” she went on to study international relations and economics at the University of st andrews, but quickly realized that wasn’t the path for her and switched to psychology and Business management, before settling on art history and management. “scotland is so rich in history and home to incredible art collections. this major was a better balance between my creative and analytical side.”

Following graduation in 2015, shannan moved back home and got her fi rst job working at an internal communications agency. “though i liked the strategy involved, i wasn’t as interested in the clients and

missed the art, so i took a bit of time off to focus on myself and travelled to costa rica to undertake my yoga teacher training.” she then decided to pursue a master’s in art Business and went to sotheby’s institute of art for a year and a half, wrote her thesis on the importance of the regional art fair with a focus on the city of toronto and canada’s art market at large, and graduated with honors and distinction. she went on to work in the impressionist & modern art Department at Bonhams auction house in nyc, for the Vip relations team for the miami Beach edition of art Basel, and for two separate contemporary art advisors – both with completely unique practices and learned a great deal from both. shannan also did quite a bit of volunteering during that time for rX art, the armory show and artlogic. she is now back in toronto and has landed a full-time job as a pr assistant for kriss communications, a small pr firm that specializes in design communications for architects and interior designers.

CdS nhLer Scores!

Barclay goodrow ’11 scored the overtime game-winning goal for the San Jose Sharks in the first round Game Seven victory against the Vegas Golden Knights on april 24.

He signed with the Sharks in 2015 and played all 82 regular games this past season, finishing with seven goals and 10 assists. The Sharks lost in the semi-final to the St. Louis Blues, who went on to capture the Stanley Cup.

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TeSSA LATOWSkY ’14

filling every WAking moment

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Kate martini ’12 was back on campus for the holiday party in December and once again in april (pictured here with tabitha chan ’12 and reid Dobell ’12), having finished her second year of law school at Queen’s University. For the next few months, she will be working as a summer student at mccarthy tétrault llp in toronto before going on an exchange to the University of hong kong in august. then in January, kate will return to kingston to complete her degree. she is still on the ice on a regular basis as assistant coach of Queen’s Women’s Varsity hockey.

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Kendal merrill ’13 started an online graphic Design & interactive media diploma program at the toronto Film school in april. she is excited to be applying what she learns to her full-time job as marketing & communications coordinator at nikon canada!

tessa latowsky ’14 graduated from Queen’s University in 2018 with distinction in global development studies and packed as much as she could into her time as an undergraduate. some highlights: a sixmonth exchange at the University of strathclyde in glasgow; President of Queen’s global Village during her second year where she was responsible for hiring and leading a team of students to guatemala in 2015 and nicaragua in 2016; executive member of the Vogue Charity Fashion show for two years; head of marketing and head of sponsorship and ad sales for MUSE Magazine (a Queen’s publication encouraging artistic expression on campus); internship with Joseph Young, sole practitioner, and wrote the lsat during her third summer; sat on the Judicial Committee of the alma mater society dealing with non-academic misconduct her fourth year; and maintained a part-time job serving and bartending throughout! then before starting law school at the University of toronto last september, tessa spent the summer out west in Vancouver with her sister tova ’10, who works for hootsuite media inc. during her first year of law school, tessa volunteered with downtown legal services, U of t’s community clinic, helping to identify legal issues with clients, presenting satellite clinics, and presenting informational sessions at shelters (last semester, she hosted a session on tenant rights at eva’s satellite Youth shelter). she also served as associate editor for the Journal of Law and Equality, produced research reports for refugee sponsorship support Program, and worked at dentons Canada llP as a 1l summer student. tessa writes that she is really enjoying law school and is looking forward to learning more about practicing for a full-service firm and developing practical skills. she and rachel atkins ’14 are hoping to travel this summer to israel and greece. and she is already looking ahead to next year when she will be the senior editor for the Journal of Law and Equality and start exploring her options for the next two years.

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rachel atkins ’14 has completed her undergraduate program at Queen’s University with a Bah in a psychology and sociology double major and will begin her final year of concurrent education at Queen’s this fall. she is currently working part-time at the geneva centre for autism as a group services Worker where she works in one-onone settings teaching social skills to groups of individuals with autism. Upon completion of her B.ed, rachel plans on teaching abroad for a year and then pursuing a master’s degree in

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Developmental psychology. she is passionate about working with children, specifically those with developmental disabilities.

Joshua Daiter ’14 graduated from Queen’s University with a computer engineering degree in 2018 and is currently pursuing a master of management innovation & entrepreneurship at Queen’s smith school of Business. Josh is co-founder and chief technology officer of inVintory Wines incorporated, a platform that redefines how wine collectors interact with their wine cellar. at inVintory, they’ve developed the first of its

kind augmented reality wine collection platform allowing collectors to track and locate their bottles more easily than ever before. riana longo ’14 graduated last april from the compressed time Frame Bscn program at Western University and started working at Victoria hospital on the palliative care Unit. she is now working at st. Joseph’s hospital in the pain management program in london, where they help treat and manage patients with chronic pain conditions. this fall, riana is returning to Western to start her master’s of nursing. cara tiemens ’14 not only appeared on the cover of The Globe and Mail saturday sports section in February and march, but also received support at her final ryerson rams home game against the Queen’s gaels from former cDs teachers: mr. milonas, ms. leacock, mr. anderson and matthew andersen ’25. more cDs support showed up for cara’s last-ever game playing for ryerson where the rams beat acadia University at the mattamy athletic centre (former maple leaf

Cara with former teachers Ms. Leacock, Mr. Milonas, Mr. anderson and Matthew andersen ’25.

Cara ’14 with her CdS fans: kellan ’22 (left) and Will ’19 Sherman.

gardens) to claim 5th place in the Usports Women’s Basketball national tournament. the sherman family watched cara finish her career in fine style, leading the rams with 18 points in the victory. congratulations on a great career at ryerson!

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hudson Wildberger ’15 completed his undergraduate degree in Business this spring from mcmaster University and the

Degroote school of Business. hudson writes that “mcmaster has been a great place for me to grow both academically and socially and has prepared me for the next stage in my life where i will start full-time employment as a consultant at ernst and young.”

eRiC PinTO ’15

tAkes yeAr off for reAl World experience “i extended my engineering degree at Queen’s by a year to get real job work experience with a spanish Civil engineering firm, Ferrovial, best known for their work constructing the glasgow and heathrow airports. For the past 12 months, i worked on one of their Canadian projects, 407eastphase2, extending the 407 eastbound by about 30kms, and southbound (to tie in with the 401). When opened later this year, this project will see the construction of hundreds of new bridges and cost approximately $1.2 billion. my responsibilities focused on tracking and analyzing the millions of dollars spent each week and presenting my reports to the executive committee members. i had the privilege of witnessing the construction of many bridges from foundation to girder erection. Being able to stand on top of these massive structures and see the unopened highway stretching over the horizon was truly a staggering sight. “the most important thing i’ve learned from this experience is how crucial it is to have access to the right information. doing so means being in constant communication, and maintaining good working relationships, with the people who can give you answers. sometimes getting what you need requires you to push a little harder which can put a strain on relationships. like everything in life, moderation is key to keeping a good rapport with coworkers. “i am excited to return to school in september for my final year. although many of the friends i have made there will have already graduated, the prospect of meeting new people and having new opportunities is exciting. my future is uncertain. this experience has been educational and exciting, but my interests will likely lead me toward business or law in the future, rather than engineering, although i welcome unexpected opportunities that may come my way.”

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words of Advice

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natalie Ganzhorn ’16 was in a super Bowl tV spot for her new movie, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, coming out in august.

thank you to Jessica Faiella ’18, Bridger hunt ’18, Jillian hardy ’17, marissa Faiella ’18, azim ali ’17 and Julia Garbe ’17 for sharing their university experiences and words of advice with our audiences during the gY transition to University student and parent panel discussions in april.

walked dangerously close to it. in Julia’s free time, she has been knitting hats, doodling, and playing all her favourite Beatles songs on her new electric guitar.

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Julia Garbe ’17 is now enjoying her second year of mechatronics engineering at the University of Waterloo, where she is learning all about robotics. she spent her first co-op term at the rBc technology innovation lab in toronto, where she conducted research on the use of humanoid robots to make the banking experience more memorable, and presented research and suggestions to business stakeholders. there, Julia also built a custom two-player retro arcade machine that her team at rBc now brings to all of their events and exhibitions to draw in a crowd. During her more recent co-op, she worked at magna international as a robotics r&D intern. there, she developed a safety program to slow down and turn off an automotive manufacturing robot if a human worker 48

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martina reports that her family is well and that her five years at cDs were her favourite of all the schools she attended around the world.

Jonathan Sorbo ’17 has finished his first semester at the University of kentucky and is playing ncaa Division i tennis while maintaining a 4.0 gpa!

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Jessica Faiella ’18 and martina Ferraira ’18 dropped by cDs to say hello in December just before the holiday break. Jessica, who is studying at st. Francis Xavier University, was taking martina (studying at Queen’s University) to the airport for her flight home to madrid, spain for the holidays.

Palma Gurdulic ’18 spoke to students at the senior school assembly in January about her experiences studying abroad during her first semester at the University of edinburgh in scotland. she also stressed the importance of asking for help when away from home for the first time and of challenging oneself at university.

CELEBRATE Your Lifelong Connection to CDS

Graduating students, alumni, founding families, and CDS friends – leave your mark on Alumni Commons.

Celebrate your lifelong connection to CDS by purchasing a stone paver in the new Alumni Walkway. For $250 per individual brick, or $1000 per family brick, you can add your name – or the name of anyone you wish to honour.

Engraving space is limited.

New donations will support the Alumni Legacy Fund.

To learn more, visit www.cds.on.ca/alumnichallenge

CDS CDS SIX WEEKS OF PROGRAMS SIX OF PROGRAMS FORWEEKS CHILDREN AGES 6-14 FOR CHILDREN AGES 6-14 JUNE 18 - JULY 27, 2018 SIX WEEKS OF PROGRAMS JUNE 18 JULY 27, 2018 FOR CHILDREN AGES 6-14 JUNEHIGH-LEVEL 18 - JULY 27, 2018

HIGH-LEVEL SPORTS PROGRAMS: SPORTS PROGRAMS: Multi-Sport (ages 6-14), HIGH-LEVEL Multi-Sport (ages 6-14), Basketball, Soccer, SPORTS PROGRAMS: Basketball, Tennis (agesSoccer, 8-14),

Multi-Sport (ages 6-14), Tennis (ages 8-14), Volleyball (completed Basketball,Grades Soccer,6, 7, 8 or 9) Volleyball (completed Grades 6, 7, 8 or 9) Tennis (ages 8-14), SPECIALTY PROGRAMS: Volleyball (completed Grades 6, 7, 8 or 9) SPECIALTY PROGRAMS: Drama, Robotics, Mindbusters Art, Drama, Robotics,(ages 9-14), Drama, Mindbusters 9-14), LIT Robotics, (completed Grade to (ages age 17) Mindbusters (ages9 9-14) SPECIALTY PROGRAMS: LIT (completed Grade 912-14) to age 17) Day Trippers (ages Drama, Robotics, Mindbusters (ages 9-14), Daily lunch provided LIT (completed LIT (completed Grade Grade 99 to to age age 17) 17)

Daily lunch provided Weekly swim included Weekly swimprovided included Daily lunch Before and Before and after-care available Weekly swim included after-care available Before and after-care available

Registration Opens in January!

Register Today!

Registration Opens in January! www.cds.on.ca/summercamp www.cds.on.ca/summercamp T 905.833.1220 x652 Registration Opens x652 in January!

T 905.833.1220 E summercamp@cds.on.ca www.cds.on.ca/summercamp E summercamp@cds.on.ca 13415 Dufferin Street in King T 905.833.1220 x652 13415 Dufferin Street in King E summercamp@cds.on.ca 13415 Dufferin Street in King

Stop by the G enera l S t ore in l ate A ugust to see all our new C DS sp irit it ems ! www.cds.on.ca/gener al- store

JoIn US aT an oPen hoUSe

cAlendAr

For event details visit www.cds.on.ca

June 2019

septembeR 2019

June 17 - July 26 cDs summer camp begins June 17 and runs six weeks through July 26! www.cds.on.ca/summercamp

September 3 orientation Day for new students September 4 First Day of school Welcome Back BBQ

SEPTEMBER 21 10 am – 1 pm OCTOBER 10 9 – 11 am; 7 – 9 pm OCTOBER 30 9 – 11 am