2000- 2001 A Higher Perspective

AID

SCHOOL 2000-2001

It seems amazing that in such a short few years we have built a high school. In 1995, a very small number of courageous students stepped through the doors of Sheldrake to begin their High School career. Basically, they had one room, rather unfortunately called the Ladies' Parlour (We only had one girl in the class!) Two small rooms appeared miraculously in the basement of the church, the next year, and we set up grade 9 and 10. All of a sudden, we have over 20 students in grey and blue.

Again in 1997, the pioneers were on the move again, down to 1320 Yonge Street to be educated amid office workers and construction workers. 1998 marked the final exodus from Sheldrake and the two schools were together again and the Upper School moved to the third floor.

Now, we sit ripening into something very special. Today, 2001, we can say we are Spirited (the 2001 recipient of a major Spirit award from the United Way) Intellectual (our first graduates had amazing IB results) Athletic (this year we had over 10 teams in the upper school, with the first athletic banquet for these team players) Artistic (the perfonnance of the Art, Music and Drama students were all exceptional matching the best in other independent school) Prindpled (our students are fully engaged in volunteer service across Toronto).

You have come a long, York!

Barbara Goodwin-Zeibots Head of The York School

It is 7:30 a.m., on a very frosty late January morning, my space heater is blasting forth tropical warmth, I am munching on cinnamon hearts in anticipation of Valentine's Day and I am sitting in front of my computer trying to think of what to say. Not that I am ever at a loss for words ... but, Camilla has been gently nudging me for some sage words for the Upper School yearbook and I am accustomed to setting deadlines, not keeping them myself. Camilla's gentle nudges have become increasingly insistent and she has finally demanded that I commit my thoughts to paper this morning or else! It's not that I have nothing to say... quite the contrary, there is far too much to say! In 1995, we had our own Group of Seven at York - our tiny, tentative high school - which is now fifteen times larger than that first year and shows, I would suggest, a fairly high rate of return of initial investment. We have a superb academic program, we have our IB designation, we're coed, we have endless teams and clubs, we are involved in a wide variety of community service activities and we have real dances! I think that says it all? Have a wonderful summer!

Marilyn Andrews Vice Principal I Director of Admissions

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David Hamilton Head of Upper School

As a history teacher, one can't help but see "A Higher Perspective" as a primary document, just waiting for future historians to pore over, dissect, analyze and ponder. What conclusions will they come to, we might ask? Will they sense the thrill of victory on the basketball court? Will they stand in our shoes as we dance our way through three successful dance events? Will they sense the commitment of our students, as they put in yet another hour of homework, finishing off their extended essay?

Will they know the lively atmosphere of the classroom, where curiosity and inquiry are nurtured and rewarded? Will they hear the laughter in the halls as Upper School students entertain Lower School students to a carnival to raise money for the United Way? Will they experience the spark of creativity that gives life to the school play, music concerts, and artistic representatives? Will they share in the sense of self-discovery that one finds on the trails of Camp Kandalore?

Although it is not my business to discern the future, I am confident that historians will, through these pages, breathe in the spirit that is the Upper School at York. They will look back at our time together here as one full of great challenges and great accomplishments, a time when we grew towards the realization of a more perfect school community. Students gave themselves to the community of one another in ways that enriched them both. The pictures are a testament to the light-heartedness of youth, but also the serious application of students' myriad skills and resources. The pages that follow should make you proud, and will certainly draw you back in the years to come so that you, like good historians, may relive the past. And what a past it was!

With many thanks to the hard-working members of the Yearbook Committee.

I am often asked: what distinguishes IB students? Is it the radiant glow that surrounds them? Is it the impressive intellectual dialogue in which they are constantly engaged? Is it the eager quest for knowledge reflected in their shining eyes?

Confidentially - no. The trembling (too much caffeine), rumpled (no time to change clothes), stoop-shouldered (backpack weights 425 lbs), baggy-eyed (another essay finished at 3:00a.m.) bodies hunched over a library table, surrounded by scraps of crumpled paper (physics problems, bits of assignment, invitations to parties long past, Extended Essay draft #23 which the supervisor still hates) are easily identifiable as IB students.

But then, at the end of May, a transformation occurs: confident, independent young adults emerge, proud of their accomplishments and ready for the next phase of their education. They know they have "survived" a rigorous, sophisticated and comprehensive academic curriculum, with the additional hurdles of the Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge and Creativity, Action, Service components.

Following in the footsteps of their trail blazing predecessors, the Class of 2001 did not choose an easy path to graduation, but one which experts agree is the best preparation for post-secondary studies. We wish them all continued success at university.

Barbara Lister IB Coordinator

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UPPER SCHOOL STAFF Sally Barr Jane Bishop Nancy Bunyard Margaret Cathers

Daniel Curran Diane Dowman Jennifer Bliott Seema Faruqui

Robin Fulford Liz Gilbert David Hamilton David Hanna

Lois Lewis John Lindsay Barbara Lister Michael Nease

Elizabeth Needham Kathleen Peak

Bart Snow Carolyn Steele

Alison Sterry

Janine Suboch Casey Wilson Cathy Wong

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GIIADE 9A Shayda Alizadeh Drew Becker Julian Bharti Zara Connolly

Sam Davis Eric Davy Leandra De Valois-Franklin

Carey Edennan

Alexa Feldberg Matt Greyson

Harry Knazan Justin Letofsky

Shanifa Nasser-Sunderji Emma Sereny-Johnson Paul Shirriff Michael Stem

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GIIADE 98 Sam Chown Ryan Clayton Ashley Courtney Craig Crockatt

Daniela Germano Jeff Gray Daniel Jamieson Melissa Line

Marc Liverman Richard Nesbitt Faye Northgrave Tanya Osypowich

Maria Procopiak-Aiverez Chris Simpson Darin Tay Sasha Toten Missing: David Ozersky

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I Katie Barber David Borsook Alan Breuer

Daniel Copeland

Cayley Dickenson Undsay Klncaide Diana Kyung

Mariana Lamas

Terry Un Emily McCay Darryl McNamara Rishi Mehta

Jackie Porter Rachel Ross Jake Ross Mischa Thesberg

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GIIADE lOA

GIIADE lOB Blair Aronovitch

Will Ennis Michael Frankel Amanda Goldstein

Susie Heath Andy Keith Sydney Kert Cassandra Kleinman

Undsay Magrane Bart Motherslll Jonathan Rosen Anna Rupert

Julia Sharp Tanya Tay Daniel Walderman Matt WoHe

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GIIADE llA Ali Akbarali Ben Cadesky Azra Dhalla Lauren

om

Honey Ghods James Legge Jourdain PUtzmaker Galen Reynolds

Emily Sharp Stephanie Swinamer Laura Timko Michael Valo

Phillipe Vanier Matthew Wong

-.-. ....

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GIIADE 118 Graeme Ash Robert Battista JUI Colvin Joseph Cuffaro

Christopher Dube Kyle Galloway Lauren Gibson Avery Haviv

Sopohia Keshavjee Nelina Khatau David Richardson Jason Simon

Daniel Sutkiewlcz Shana Valo

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GIIADE 12 Faizan Ahmed Justin Alizadeh

Yony Bresler Cameron Crockatt

Ben Davis Teymour Graham Robert Kleinman Adrian Lo

Michael McGregor Laurence Payne Camilla Rogalski Mark Rupert

Alanna Silver Bryna Troister

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of From the love-hate relationship (Brendan & Ford) to helping me cope with the stress (Adrian, Sam & Kathryn) to the ~ng) gossip spread (Ford) to the memories of my parties (Ira & Jeremy) to the Rosedale. bus {Eric) to the funniest times In class (Kathryn, Caleb) to saving me from the International lifestyle (Gillian) to weird but cool conversations (Adil, Ward & Eric) and to the secrets (Adll) I would like to thank all of you In m2 f~r (yes I admit It) the great 4 years I've had here. Aside from my class I would like to thank all the Gr. ll's (you know who U R) and CR and AL for helping me cope! THANK YOU!!

Marie Claire Bark

I've been at The York School a really long time now. So I thought I would share some memories and heartfelt advice.

1. Cucumbers - never mix them with chicken.

2. Coffee - never mix It with x-Iax. 3. Pacts - never mix them with WAT. 4. V- never mix It with gym class.

5. Never mix memories wlfh blues - they wash away.

Good luck next year. I'D be gone but you'll be here!

Ira Glasner It has been a long road, but we are finally done! Our class was very unique! First, LG - you were definitely missed this year! CT you have kept me laughing. IG you made the play( AD - I'm glad It all worked out In the end. MC I hope we stay In touch! BM physics was fun, wasn't it? JS have fun next year dude. EM congrats, you deserve everything you get. FS - good luck next year!

GW - I hope you had fun this year. sr - follow your dreams!

WP - good luck bud. KL - I couldn't do It without you! The rest of the HS was great - AS - long live Franks! DH RF BL CW and especially JB & JE -Thanks!

Adrian Bloy

Kathryn Lenard

Education: "That which discloses to the wise and disguises from the foolish their lack of understandDevll's Dictionary Ing" (Ambrose Bierce) "People always say that they can't wait for something to be over until It actually comes to an end" - Thanks York, Brendan.

To JE "Granted we've known each other for sometime, It don't take a whole day to recognize sunshine" (Common) One love.

PS Shout outs to all my boys and all my teachers, thank you for two memorable years. That's it.

"One realizes the full importance of time only when there Is little left" It was the best of times, It was the worst of times, but I can't leave without thanking you all & just like I have tried to make an Impact on you. You have all done the same for me. I will miss York partly because I have grown to call It my 2nd home and you my family. Memories: Drama/class/ ski trips, pacts, windows, gladiator rumbles, Morrlsson, parties/ semis, class-chemistry, boyz nights, "malicious", cheers, Jack & Cindy, Girls, Head boy, no tolerance & the Yorkslde ... Nobody remembers you for what you didn't do.

Adil Dhalla

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"School's great, If you take away the classes" - lack Morris To MCB - my tuan face keep In touch. ST - forget JT and have fun. CT - U kept me sane yet Insane. AD - from KK phone calls to Friday, I'll never 4get U. IGI'm voting 4 U In the next election. JS - see U In AA. BM - stop throwing erasers at ,me. WP - the Illusive ward. GW- you're flnkariflc. FS - keep tapping that• SS. AB - don't worry I'll be living off U In the future. EM - please can we swap brains Rico swave I'll remember you aU In my heart.

Thanks to JB DC BL DH JE RF. As4 getting me here (even If I get a 1 In french) LG - I love you JA PA MC thanks 4 the chats.

Brendan Menzies

Thanks to everyone for all the great times I have had here.

"To'llorrow wejllwiJI run faster, stretch out our anns farther... and one fine morning" -:. The Great

Gatsby~

My time here will always be remembered. The teachers, althqu always~'on my back~ had good Intentions. MC - you were the li~.~on't forget-about BryFry. ~K~~'·Y9ur slm~ of(bumor '-'lW' J II I has al~~ys"!. enllghtened1 lme.

Adrl~n y~frle~;~dshlp has f'!en of gl!!8t value. Adll, your..,smart ~m~~ a~ great{partlctpcjtioJI lias been an asset:f!ldon'tflinow i. <" ··~-· . ·'" ~'--I' ~_,.t~ "tY wt,U do Wlmou~yq.u.

1 ?I youli;.eccentrtc behaviour ,lh;;s , ...~~ ..... w , , " ~r never ailed to outdo~riiliie l ~;vou I ~ ..... alwaYfi.~~\ ~,TP.PY,;t~~!9.' eep tappln',SJi·.~aro~g~l_iK:k with

u

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everythlng.:.J~'• ap_9•Brendan,

you have made?our!pliyslcs class.

Rafs, keep' tt7eal:"" Eric what would we have done without you?

"Hold on to what you try to be your individuality, when the world Is oq..your shoUld~, just, smlle and let It go." Well if there Is one thing t ttav'!. tearJ¥!d- pbor,t this class ovieth,e; pa~ fCJM Yfars Is that ~e a:e·all unlque•lndhiiduals.

It Is the unique individuals that have made~our gradil'attng,_class verY memorible from TOKJ d!sc\.ss o~s to our ErmUsh "chats .

Wet~ must not for{,et th • P-Zirti~~e~ I 1Jk~d tha an~Mg an every!hing cap _..,K'apP'n.

Neverz;a·\'dtill mome'nt".·IZ!tn us, huh? ~~·andlg"cx;a•l 61( In the future. .A\fiii~-tha"OW(o RE. I hope our<£affi~t'tro5s In the future. Take eafe:"sailt.

I'd like to make this as Informal as possible, so I'll just begin by tha~g all of...my.,teaches. I've learned more this year at ifork years of" hlgh~ school thari! .ill\. my, · , I I ' comblned:'•MOvlngf along to my fell~ g{i!Js!~f knaw~~S"a whole we ~ereJ)re!!Ji.dlsfunctlonal but indtv'iduallyyou i re ailQreatfpeoP,Ie"al.Jd so r.o life to th:"nli.Jyo~ !nJys\ for brfuglng a lrtile !enJoy1 ~ ...;.\ .. d h " _1} - • "J~. aJ! .lpDOUr 1019 ~jY~BJ-

I've been waiting for the time when I can finally say that this has all been wonderful but now I'm lln my way. - PtiiSJ i My ihi-'ee years atJYork· and my enti/e fiiS"H iiehbol b<JX!rte~te has been flllep: W!fh g&xi4tim~ and bad ttimes, upsoand downs, and hlghs~·ana40ws. Al~h•lt has a lor{g~ trip, It has ~>len a ~ea't expeTience. I have -l.fs~ ~~!(\ ~stapes ari"di J h:V4{ ~~ ma~a lot of friends. From ork, .D I w"'oulai uite; tharlk AHIDK :ilf A IG CKT_J9}•BM~F BF..F.~r~d EM. Thank\iyotl'-for ~eat' three years, arid'"fl .!ho~~l"see you around. C_l~~.)

been

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Gillian Wilson

Jeremy Shier

Ford Shlrriff

fiJ!I!!!_y~''!,.li~e t~ than~e~er,Y'}"e

In Mo5cow\!or making myt three yea~~~ "the 'b ~~~of my life. ~~iili!n' Hav(QJ6n'e this without ~o~W

To start off, big shouts to AD BM JS WP and EM. Thanks for makIng my.!!h_o!!,..staY•here realofAD you'ye"luia my back, tilil nks. BM - we're..)>.a!l~~ fo~l}llfe.- Of- the joke's WIU ~Uve• on. ~ - we sufferea to~~ I feel~you~ !!Bin. ST -~t's ""a".!lJ.!!.good~ MCj and KL - you're both truly unl~. JG • h lA_.

M y you{ e mnuom comments wiu not -be:\ forgotteJL JS - w~t dt& ' ~do before class?J.iro • lh -~my . you. '\'t* • ·t 1 I teachers, tHanks for I ~ all ,your ,,. , . , , • 1 , , panence. To my brotlier~-1 y got you~~~ ever.,~T~k, class­ much ' l<fve).; to'll"n.,...It'~tie'en an experlen~~~ThankS £ _.all who've been a part J fitt., :i'C:Vrather die on my feet- than- Jive on my knees." - 2Pac Shakur

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YORK SCHOOL FORMAL 2000

The York School Formal took place on May 18'\ 2000 at the top of The Four Seasons Hotel in Yorkville. Great catered food, and Mandel Entertainment combined with the majority of the York Upper School and invited dates proved for a fantastic night for everyone. This was one of the first times that The York School was able to have such a large turnout and since dates were more than welcome (and cheaper!), about 150 people enjoyed themselves at "Windows". Hopefully, the York School Formal will become an annual tradition, because all in all, it turned out to be a memorable night.

Alanna Silver

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S RING FEVER 2000

It was York's pleasure to present Spring Fever 2000 in the wonderful facilities of De La Salle College on May 16'\ 2000 . The York School continued to offer strong programs in music throughout the grades. The bands that were included in the entire night , were: The Concert Band, the Grade 7/8 Choir, the Grade 8 Band , The Upper School Choir and the Jazz Band . Thanks goes out to Nancy Bunyard , Michael Nease, Lois Lewis and Katie Simmons for organizing such a funfilled, musical evening that will be remembered by all.

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THE UPPER SCHOOL ART NIGHT

A great night of artistic intrigue!!!

Student work included painting drawings, printmaking, photogrc phy, collage and mixed-media. Thi variety of differer artistic approacht trace the amazin~ self-expressive development of our skilled design ers and creative thinkers. It prove to be a very fun and creative nigh for the family am the friends of York's Visual Creative Group!!!

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The 1999-2000 York Athletic Banquet was held at Capital Theatre, was an all-around successful event. The hard work and dedication from our Athletic Director, Gerald Feeney, became evident through the enjoyment displayed by all of the participants. Every athlete was recognized for their value to their team, and the athletes most valuable were awarded with medals. There were a number of speeches from both coaches and York athletes, thanking the other, for their devotion in helping the team succeed. It proved to be an enjoyable evening for all, and will be remembered by athletes and coaches for years to come.

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And the Winners Are ......... .

Dedication Board of Director's Award Male Athlete of the Year Female Athlete of the Year Ul6G Basketball UlSB Basketball U20B Basketball Alpine Skiing U20B Badminton

Adrian Lo Azra Dhalla Adil Dhalla Kerry Huntley Laura Timko Laura Timko Nelina Khatau Adam Mandel Kerry Huntley Jeremy Shier Ford Shirriff Adrian Lo

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I Lies! Love them we do. We can't help but lie; we are well trained by a culture captivated with and by lies. But if we all swore off lying wouldn't we have real chaos on our hands?

Lie in the Head, written and directed by Robin Fulford, presents the difficulties two students have when one of them lies and the other finds out. But betrayal is a two-edged sword when the victim flounders in its own web. Each lie betrays the self it does. The cast included Joseph Cuffaro, Ashley Coles, Cameron Crockatt, Adil Dhalla, Suzanne Ennis, Alanna Silver, Samantha Thompson and Andrew Webster. Bryna Traister stage manager and theatre professional Wendy White designed and assistant directed. Not enough can be said about the dedication and talent of these artists. We performed twice at the Upper School Arts Night in April, and received ecstatic reviews. The energy and choreography, the theme, the teen milieu, and combined to produce memorable theatre.

With this thrilling beginning under our belt, we headed off to Lakefield College to the Independent School Drama Festival

where fourteen independent schools participated. At the festival, Lie in the Head proved to be a well-oiled artistic machine, able to leap tall buildings at a single bound. The adjudicator heaped her praises on us and gave detailed suggestions to evolve our level of performance. A rich experience for all of us.

Robin Fulford

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It was a beautiful day in May when The York School International Baccalaureate science classes went to Canada's Wonderland. These classes included Physics, Chemistry and Biology. It was Science Daylll We left with high hopes and heavy loads, of work that is, only to return joyfully exhausted and with little of that work completed. Though the teachers may not have been happy with what was submitted (faster/funner was apparently not an acceptable answer) and the Physics people weren't very happy with the fact that the Biology class did less work, everyone will say that they had a great time. All in all, everyone had a lot of fun. It was a great experience and hopefully all the Yorkies came back with a lot of memories.

Brendan Menzies

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GIIADUATION DAY

Pacing up and down the sidewalk In front of Deer Park United Church, looking like an anxious father-of-the-brideto-be, I eagerly awaited the arrival of the last graduates to the first York School graduation of Upper School students.

Many principals have probably faced the reality of missing a few students at a graduation ceremony, but had they ever faced the prospect of two, out of a grand total of seven students, not showing up? Imagine my relief then, to have the long-awaited cars pull up at the curb and have the last two pearls released Into our hands for our last act of care and guidance - conferring upon them their Ontario graduation diploma, recognizing years of hard and spirited work among us.

The band struck up with - what else? - Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance, and, like a scene out of old English school days, the entire student body flied ln. Then, with an appropriate sense of occasion, the Grade 13 graduating students marched across the transept and mounted the stairs to their exalted place above the admiring throng below. The ceremony proceeded with Its usual speeches and awards, until, finally, we came to focus upon those brave 7 who remained, perched In choir pews, having observed the entire proceedings from behind.

It was with some trepidation that we awaited the first Grade 13 Valedictory Address. Yes, we have had Valedictory Address In the past, and yes, I have never lost any sleep over those addresses, but a Grade 13 address - that was an entirely different thing. Arst, there were to be three students - Daniel Zacks, Benjamin Freedman and Rachel Kozlebrockl - delivering the address, which, for some reason conjured up Images of a three-headed monster.

Secondly, I knew the writers, and I knew what they were capable of writing. I had experienced them In their most sarcastic and sardonic moments. Thirdly, they knew me, and a good number of other teachers who were sitting In the audience - would they be kind?

Our fears were gradually erased as the three unfolded their thoughts on their career at The York School. We were moved to laughter, to thought, perhaps to tears, and most of all to shining pride. For those of us who had struggled with each of the seven students to help them to discover truths - about themselves and about the world around them - the address provided persuasive proof that success was ours, and was theirs. If that wasn't proof enough, I had the opportunity to rehearse the various accomplishments of the seven In tenns of universities and programs they would be following post - York, and, In a word, the proof was Impressive.

The graduates finally made their way from their choir stalls and flied out the way they had come ln. It seemed fitting enough, as graduation day had been but a brief showing, a testament to the accomplishments they had achieved and the growth they had experienced here, and was only to be followed by further accomplishments and growth, set on another stage of life.

Mr. Hamilton

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VALEDICTORY ADDRESS When Ben and I fowld out that we would be gtvlng the valedtdory address we approached It as we had every other major assignment of the past five years. We waited to the very last minute and then logged on to the lntemet, typIng In variations of 'valedldory address' Into a half dozen search engines. And like good friends that rarely let you down, the world's computers fllled our screen with dozens of valedictory addresses from a myriad of lnstttutJons, ranging from a Catholic school in Myanmar to a mUitary academy In the United States to a rather bizarre high school In Nlpplsslng. Indeed, It appeared as If academic Institutions of every conceivable sort were represented and so we began to surf for Inspiration.

Certain consistencies qu.lclcly manifested themselves. For example, It would seem that valedktortans tend toWZIIrds the belief that their experience ln hJgh school has left them with profound - and often dreadfully trite and saccharine - lnsJghts Into ltfe and that It ls their sworn duty to Impart these Insights to their fellow students. Graduates also seem inclined to refiect nostal.glcaJ}y on what are apparently common high school experiences - football games, homecomlngs, proms. And finally, the perpetuation of a school's great tradition and reputation seems to be a fauourtce topic; Ben and I found that valedictorians appear to exact a certain pleasure ln dwelling on their beloved school's history and the contributions made to Its reputation by their graduating peers.

The speeches were mddly Interesting, perhaps, but as inspiration for our own address, they were rather disappointIng. Apparently, unlike eve!Y other valedictorian, I am as confused and beguiled by life now as I was when I began high school five year ago, and If you were ask my parents, particularly when we're discussing my future majors and minors, they would likely pronounce me more confused than ever. And It would be a little presumptuous on our part If Ben and I were to offer advice to our fellow graduates, parUcularly since there are only ftve of them and they like. ly did much better than us.

Similarly, we found ourselves completely unable to wax nostafgk over the high school experiences that appeared so consistently In the other addresses. We had no football team, and we don't even know what a homecoming Is. And It would be rather difficult to have a decent prom with but seven graduates. We were equally unable to relate to the notion of paying homage to our school's tradition, let alone history, simply because we have none.

Our Internet search, then, was rather disappointing. It did not provide us with an answer • there was no one valedictory address that we could pass off as our own. Of course, the Internet Is a great thing and has never and wtU never let us down. Indeed, It may have offered no easy way out, but It did prove to be the catalyst to a significant Insight Into our York School experience: It was unique.

A period of rumination followed. Clearly the absence of certain tradltJonal high school characterlstJcs distinguished our time at the York School, but was that all? lnltialJy, Ben and I were lncllned to emphaslze: the small class &lze as belng responsible for adding to our matchless experience. After all, we started and finished with only seven people, though for two days we were at a truly astronomical ten and for a good half a year reached a low of ftve. But other schools also offer small classes - If truly desired, one could apply to any number of military academies that pride themselves on low teacher to student ratios.

Consequently, we next pondered whether our unique experience was perhaps In some way a product of York's facd· ltles. Certainly there was something distinctive about classes at Sheldrake, whether In the sewing room, with Its Uny windows and claustrophobic stuffiness, our grade nine homeroom with wood Ooors, couch and fireplace, or our grade ten homeroom, which for a good month had no walls. Our present location on Vonge Street has also not been without Its own distinguishing channs, \Whether It was skipping out on art classes to play pool In our third Ooor lounge during grade 11, or endless jaunts on the servk:e elevator In the company of the smoking reaJ estate agents.

J know of at least one York School student who now aspires to be a profes.skmal elevator operator thanks to his time pressing those big shiny up and down buttons. But this explanatJon was short·ltved • just north of us ln the Unden School, located In a townhouse that makes even Sheldrake look appealing, and to our south Is the Abelard School, housed In what appears to be no more than a roomy alcove, making York's Yonge Street locatJon seem downright luxurious.

Then of course there are York's academics. Surely, we thought, the rigorous International Baccalaureate distinguishes our school from most others. But of course, by virtue of our school's IB idenUftcatJon number being 998, there are at least 997 other IB &ehools In existence. Clearly the 18 Is not sufficiently rare to count for our unique experience.

Thus Ben and I \o\l'ere stymied. And so we did what has become 50 natural over the past five years • we procrastl· nated. Ar.rt we played computer games, then we watched foreJgn nlms on Showcase, and flnally, embarTasslngly late at night, we began to leaf through our old assignments. Ben, perpetually short of funds , speculated on the amount of money our combined assignments might fetch from grade nine students looking to gain a competJtJve

edge (or a lot more free Ume). Our notes would be In demand and therefore rather valuable, we supposed, because we had been amongst the first graduating class. And then suddenly, In a sort of exhaustton·lnduced epiphany, we realized just why our high school experience had been so thoroughly unique: It was precisely because we were the nrst graduating class.

What has being the first graduatJng class meant? It was not a simple question for us to answer, but after a rather drawn out bralnstonnlng session certain key elements became apparent. Being first meant dose relationships with teachers. This manifested Itself In many different ways. Whether It was the sense of familiarity that allowed Mr. Lepage to demonstrate the Brownian Theory of Motion by lining the class up and ploughing through us, or the friendly sympathy that made Mr. Hamilton willing to expect Ben's essay 10:30 at night on a Wednesday, or the friendship that dewloped between Ben and Ms. Elliott as she generously stayed with me late Into the night while desperately bylng to Onish wrldng my extended essay.

Being first also meant we enjoyed a heightened focus on the aspects of school that seemed most Important. In grade nlne, for example, we wae taught the subtleties of debating without any concern given to the fact that we were away from our desks and lounging on the class couch. During grade ten math, classes were lnvariably accompanied by music, and In grade eleven, we could usually be found outdoors during English class. Physed Introduced us to rock climbing, weight-training, and ultimate, but unlfonn discipline was rarely enforced, indeed, It would have been difficult to do 50, given the official unlfonn changed four Urnes.

Being the first graduating class, Ben and I realized, additionally meant we had the benefit of a high school experience free from the distractions and stre5$es of large traditional schools. With a class of only seven people cliques were lmposslbdlUes and there was never a desire to confonn to other people's standards. This freedom from pres-. sure allowed us to develop Into unfalteringly Independent people with convictions and value systems all our own.

Our Individuality has been thoroughly constructive, whether eontrlbuUng to fiery debates during gTade twelve philosophy, or facilitating heated ln-class competitions for eJected positions on our nascent student cowx:U, or even ln the creation off the young but notGriously controverslal student newspaper, Voice. For all our Individuality, however, In Its various manlfestatJons our class has been able to join together In remarkable solidarity. No one who was present will ever forget the day we decided to skip gym class en masse, llkewtse, we will always have the memories of our overly-zealous attempts to ftt the entire class onto our beloved two person couch whde In grades nlne and ten.

Anally, Ben and I recognized that being the first graduating class ha.s meant that we went through high school with a sense of owneTShtp and control of our Khoollng. Our small numbers and the sheer newness of the high school fostered an atmosphere where the faculty sought our opinions and advice while developing new policies and prot~ cols and ln this abnosphere we thrived . Our class developed a student council that has evolved Into an effective and productlve governing body. We have discussed the role computers and technology should play In our curricuJum and we have argued endlessly the merits and drawbacks of dJfferent codes of conduct with the admlnlstraUon before and during their lmplementatJon. And, perhaps most Importantly, we have always been aware that our successes and failures were constantly fanning the foundation on which the future of the high school would be based.

We have watched York grow and evolve Into the Increasingly large and thriving high school from which we graduate today with great pride. But our pride Is tinged with sadness. Our unique hJgh school experience was a result of being the first class, and of these there can only be one. The students who wUI enter grade nine next year are going to have an experience almost completely foreign from our own. Larger class sizes necessitate an Increased emphasis on dlsctpllne and changing values have been responsible for the removal of many of the privileges we once enjoyed. Ultimately, though, the high calibre of York's teachers and the demands of the lntematJonal Baccalaureate wtU ensure that students graduate wtth sk!Jls necessary to successfully venture lnto the world of post-secondary educatJon. lhat said, It Is the sincere hope of this graduating class that York wUl manage to retaln some of the characteristics that made our experience so unique and special.

Although we readily await the transition to Wllverslty, we will undoubtedly look back fondly on our days at York.

Attending first year classes In auditoriums fUled with five hundred other students, we might, for a fleeting moment, long for the days when we had but six classmates. Surrounded by strange labyrinthine campuses, It ls conceivable that, just for a second, we would wish for the conslness of Sheldrake. Facing Byzantine university bureaucracies we could, brlefly, yearn for the open-dialogue we: enjoyed with the York admJnlstratJon. But then we shouldn't feel down for too long, because the real York experience still awaits us - the class of 2000 will have the rare privilege of being the Inaugural members of York's alumni association.

Ben Fn!edman & Daniel Zaek5

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THE TERRY FOX RUN 2000

Our annual Terry Fox Run, in memory of Natasha Zimnoch was huge success) As always we raised a huge amount of money for the Terry Fox Foundation for Cancer Research. The weather proved to be perfect for the event, with nice , cool sunny weather. The turn out was fantastic and the students , teachers, parents and fourlegged animals alike had a wonderful time. Mrs . Lister once again out did herself with organizing the event and as always . everything went along as perfectly as planned. Thank you Mrs . Lister) We would also like to thank everyone who donated money to meet our goal of even more then last year) Let the tradition and fun of this enjoyable event continue for years to come at The York School.

Mark Rupert & Camilla Rogalski

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SPIRIT WEEK 2001

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MORE SPIRIT!

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GIIADE 9 KANDALORE TRIP

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VERMONT • 2001

SMUGGI.ER'S NOTCH

INDIGO NIGHT

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UNITED WAY WEEK

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THE HOUSES OF YORK SIMCOE

It was a true privilege being able to lead such a spirited group of people. Through our desire to be the best and loudest house, we quickly became an intimidating force. Simcoe's passionate cheers could be heard throughout the school and our aspiration of winning the cup was maintained all year long. Sporting the red and white colours, with the maple leaf logo, Simcoe took to the 'ice' of the floor hockey tournament, and could have easily been mistaken for Canada's national team.

We put pucks in the net and had a good ol' time. I can only hope that you all had as much fun as I did this year. Thanks for the great times and unforgettable memories. P.S. Pie in the face?!

Head of Simcoe, Laurence Payne

CHAMPLAIN

Hi I am Jason Simon and I am the house head of Champlain. Frankly we rule.

Why? Well first of all we don't have Laurence Payne. Second of all we have nc Azra Dhalla and most importantly no Adrian Lo. We came second in HousE Basketball, soon to be first in volleyball and of course first in spirit! We will win the house games because of hard work and great improved spirit. Our best mem路 her is, of course, C.R. Although we lost some key contributors, namely J and .M K, we will never give up. GO CHAMPLAIN!

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JOHNSON

Wuz up! This is Adrian ... (you know me ... well, I hope so!)

Anyway, I'd like to give a shout out to all the Jedi knights (members of the greatest house on earth) and congratulate them all on their amazing effort in making Johnson the # 1 house throughout the year. We had the best spirit, the best basketball team and the best cheers! Anyway, I'm sure we'll all remember the time we 'pied' a certain someone from Simcoe in the face... (anyway, those are memories we should all keep!) Well thanks for a great year and rock on!

May the force be with Johnson, your house head, Adrian Lo

McCLUNG

So what can I say about McClung. A better question to ask would be what can't I say about McClung. McClung is the 'power house' with the most spirit. We rise above all the rest. Our house is spirited and united. We won the cup last year and will win it again. It's going to be a McClung Dynasty.

As the House Head, I am happy and excited to be part of such a fun and exciting group.

McClung is # 1. Azra Dhalla

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COMMUNITY SERVICE (CAS) AT YORK

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SEMI FORMAL 2001

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UNDER 14 GIRLS SOCCER

TEAM MEMBERS: Zoe Bider-Canfield, Mlchela Comparey, Zara Connolly, Ashley Courtney, Amlra Dhalla, Nicole Dong, Daniela Germano, Haley Gotfrld, Maddy Hayles, Laura Kern, Kristen Laclak, Caletgh Mlngay, VIctoria Motherslll, Alex Robinson, Nlroshy Sukumar, Sasha Toten. COACHES: Ms. Elliott and Ms. Wong.

UNDER 16 BOYS VOLLEYBALL

TEAM MEMBERS: Drew Becker, Eric Davey, Carey Edennan, Jeff Gray, Matt Greyson, Andy Keith, Harry Knazan, Chris Shnpson. COACHES: Mr. Feeney and Ms. Steele.

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TEAM MEMBERS: Avery Haviv, James Legge, Brendan Menzies, Eric Morgan, Galen Reynolds, David Richardson, Jeremy Shier, Matt Wong. COACH: Mr. Feeney.

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UNDER 20 BOYS BASKETBALL

Jeremy Shier, Ford Shlrriff, Brendan Menzies, Add Dhalla, Lamence Payne, Falzan Ahmad, Ben Cadesky, David Richardson, Michael Valo, Galen Reynolds, James Legge, Jourdain Plltzmaker.

COACH: Mr. G. Feeney.

Our reputation was at hand as we entered the court. One of us had more sweatbands visible than his own skin, another had a towel wrapped aroWld his head spitting lyrics to antagonize our opponents, more of us had paint on our face that made us look bad... well, actually pretty ftmny. We took our place and glared at the other team. Oh crap, they had secret weapons!! What are we gonna do now?

Their weapon were ones that we'd never before seen. They moved on the court like no one else, swift, quick to the baD and not to mention bouncy. Their secret weapons were girls. "Shoot, they must be good" we aU thought, "we're In trouble now." We went on to beat them handily and that was the start of a great season.

Since then, our crossovers, our jumpshots and our defence has improved Incredibly. We were told that whmlng wasn't everything and that having fun was most Important. Ya right, like we were gonna believe that. We had one vision and that was a trophy In our hands. We developed character, caused trouble, scrapped and during our spare time, kind of learned the game of basketball. Great season ya路u. 1will miss playing with ya next year.

Ford Shlrrlff (U/20 Basketball Captain)

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UNDER 16 GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Shayda Alizadeh, Zara Connolly, Ashley Courtney, Cayley Dickenson, Daniela Gennano, Susie Heath, Nellna Khatau, Undsay Kincaide, Undsay Magrane, Sasha Toten. COACH: Mrs. C. Wilson.

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UPPER SCHOOL CONCERT BAND

9A - Harry Knazan, Julian Bharti, Justin Letofsky, Paul Shiriff, Shayda Alizadeh 9B - Richard Nesbitt, Tanya Osypowich, Faye Northgrave, Daniel Jamieson, Darin Tay, David Ozersky, Craig Crockatt, Chris Simpson, Sam Chown 1 OA - Will Ennis, David Borsook, Alan Breuer, Undsay Kincaide, Diana Kyung, Terry Un, Emily McCay, Rishi Mehta, Mischa Thesberg 1 OB - Michael Frankel, Susls Heath, Andy Keith, Jackie Porter, Jon Rosen, Tanya Tay, Daniel Walderman 11 - All Akbarall, Rob Battista, Ben Cadesky, Kyle Galloway, Avery Haviv, Sophia Keshavjee, Jason Simon, Daniel Sutklewwlcz, Shana Valo, Michael Valo, Matthew Wong lB- Mark Rupert, Laurence Payne

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UPPER SCHOOL J:A7Z BAND

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James Legge, David Richardson, Ben Cadesky, Susie Heath, Melissa Une, Matthew Wong, Phillippe Vanier.

DEBATE CLUB

Eric Mcqan, Justin Allzadeh, &a Glasner, James Legge, Matthew Greyson, Harry Knazan.

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UPPER SCHOOL CHOIR

Jill Colvin, Honey Ghods, Stephanie Swinamer, Laura Timko, Azra Dhalla, Chris Dube, Daniela Germano, Leandra De Valois-Franklin, Zara Connolly, Drew Becker, Shanifa Nasser-Sunderjl.

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UPPER SCHOOL HOUSE COUNCIL

HEAD BOY: AdU Dhalla HEAD GIRL: Shana Valo SIMCOE HEAD: Laurence Payne ASSISTANT: Laura Timko CHAMPlAIN HEAD: Jason Simon ASSISTANT: Undsay Kllncaide JOHNSON HEAD: Adrian Lo ASSISTANT: Michael Valo McCLUNG HEAD: Azra Dhalla ASSISTANT: Lauren DIII9A CLASS REP: Alexa Feldberg 9B CLASS REP: Sasha Toten lOA CLASS REP: Emily McCay lOB CLASS REP: Susie Heath llA CLASS REP: Emily Sharp llB ClASS REP: Jill Colvin lB 1 ClASS REP: Alanna Silver lB 2 CLASS REP: Kathryn Lenard HONOURARY MEMBER: Samantha Thompson

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Ms. Elliott, Mark Rupert, Camilla Rogalski, Joseph Cuffaro, Jason Simon, Ford Shirrlff, Susie Heath, David Borsook, Rishi Mehta, Mike McGregor, Alanna Silver, Bryna Traister, Cameron Crockatt.

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Yony's sneeze, neiUe, ****** ****** awesomely, hello fuzzy, death by unga bunga, the chuckle, it was winding, bling bling bryna, seniors, coffee time spares, Friday the 13"', that could kick my***, widget, ben you dirty dog!, dick payne, you made my day, you what, finite math is the devil, our coffee time lady's, it'll be okay, there there child, ben's weird alien story, little fat kid with the wedgie, if I take off my shirt can I wear my tie?, jesus is coming look busy, earth is full go home, I'm sorry and which dwarf are you?, what if the whole word farted at once?, the whole vermont trip, come on over, tim's stupid shocker, donkey fish, Roman?, unbrellology, enough said! The 181 class.

The 182 Class is one like no other. Why? Well ... "I just nudged it", broken clocks, stolen vans in the ditch, vending machines, parties at MCs, boy bands, pranks, (uh.. .I mean... ), Outward Bound (UFOs and pouring rain), Washington and New York, Semi Experiences involving limousines and pre-parties), class therapy sessions with the Fulf, physics vs. art debate, Murder in the Henhouse, smashed windows, visits from the 'goth', basketball diaries, chilling in the lounge, , class affairs we can never forget, write me an essay, 18, space cadets and else that made our stay here memorable.

We would like to thank the following sponsors for their support of our yearbook.

The Upper School Guild Mark & Hanna Kassirer and Laura Timko

BONNIE STERN SCHOOL OF COOKING

Have a great Summer' CHOCOLATE DIPPED STRAWBERRIES This is a wonderful summer treat and is so easy to make.

Yield: makes about 16 to 20 strawberries Ingredients: 16 - 20 medium size strawberries, preferably with hull.

8 oz I 250g bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped.

Method: Clean and dry the strawberries, leave green hull on if they are nice.

1 Melt chocolate in a clean, dry bowl set over gentry simmering water. Remove chocolate from heat before it is 2 completely melted and stir to finish the melting. Transfer chocolate to a 1 cup /250 mL measuring cup to make â&#x20AC;˘------,aipping easier.

Dip the strawberries partway into the chocolate and place dipped strawberries on a waxed paper lined baking 3 sheet. Allow them to set for 30 minutes to 2 hours. You will have about half the chocolate left over - refrigerate it for another time - Chocolate my become streaked but that will disappear when it is melted.

Eat strawberries on the same day they are dipped.

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canada \l!arbook Services (1980) umited Bowmanville, Ontario

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