A Banner Year for ND Swimming!
By Daniella Lopez
Many wins, many medals, a few trophies and a few new records, what does all this have in common? The Notre Dame Swim Team! On February 14th Notre Dame Swim Team competed in the HCAA Swimming Championship at the Milton Sports Centre. The Individual Competitions saw the Fightin' Irish finish with an ND record number of medal performances. Kenna Smallegange won 1st in the 200m freestyle while Emily Perrino placed 2nd in the 200m freestyle and Ruben Jansen won 1st in the 200m freestyle. Ben Booker placed 3rd in the 50m freestyle, Olivia Colman placed 3rd in the 50m freestyle and |

Owen Robinson placed 3rd in the 50m freestyle. Kenna Smallegange won 1st in the 100m backstroke while Emma Cosgrove placed 2nd and Tarynn Smallegange placed 3rd. Marica Smith placed 2nd in the 100m breaststroke and Josh Matz also placed 2nd in the 100m breaststroke. With many of these swimmers in grades 9 through 11, the future looks bright for the Notre Dame Swimming program.
With such a collection of talented Individual swimmers, of course Notre Dame had a strong showing in the team competitions as well. In the group swimming events, the Fightin' Irish Junior Girls won 1st in the medley relay, and the Senior Girls placed 3rd in the medley relay. The open girls medley relay squad finished 2nd, while open boys also came in 2nd in the medley relay.
With such a collection of talented Individual swimmers, of course Notre Dame had a strong showing in the team competitions as well. In the group swimming events, the Fightin' Irish Junior Girls won 1st in the medley relay, and the Senior Girls placed 3rd in the medley relay. The open girls medley relay squad finished 2nd, while open boys also came in 2nd in the medley relay.
The Notre Dame Swim Team also managed to grab two trophies making them champions in: Open Swimming and Overall Combined Team Swimming; Both firsts for the ND Swimming Program!
With such a collection of talented Individual swimmers, of course Notre Dame had a strong showing in the team competitions as well. In the group swimming events, the Fightin' Irish Junior Girls won 1st in the medley relay, and the Senior Girls placed 3rd in the medley relay. The open girls medley relay squad finished 2nd, while open boys also came in 2nd in the medley relay.
With such a collection of talented Individual swimmers, of course Notre Dame had a strong showing in the team competitions as well. In the group swimming events, the Fightin' Irish Junior Girls won 1st in the medley relay, and the Senior Girls placed 3rd in the medley relay. The open girls medley relay squad finished 2nd, while open boys also came in 2nd in the medley relay.
The Notre Dame Swim Team also managed to grab two trophies making them champions in: Open Swimming and Overall Combined Team Swimming; Both firsts for the ND Swimming Program!

The accolades kept rolling in for Notre Dame as two of our Notre Dame peers broke new records in the GHAC stage. ND 'February Athletes of the Month' Kenna Smallegange (200m freestyle and 100m backstroke) and Ruben Jansen (200m individual medley) had record breaking performances, setting new bests in their respective events.
Notre Dame will send our largest ever contingent of athletes to be OFSAA in Toronto this March because of their stellar performances in GHAC. ND’s OFSAA qualifiers include: Kenna Smallegange 200 free and 100 back, Tarynn Smallegange 100 back, Ruben Jansen 200 free and 200m, Emily Perino 200 free, Olivia Colman 50 free and 100 free, Marica Smith 200m, Josh Matz 200m. The open girls medley relay team and open girls free relay will be heading to OFSAA with team members: Kenna Smallegange, Marica Smith, Samantha Nobes and Olivia Colman. The open boys medley relay and open boys free relay will also be off to OFSAA including: Josh Matz, Ruben Jansen, Olaf Jansen and Owen Robinson. Lastly, the junior girls free relay will be OFSAA bound as well with the team including: Kate Flewelling, Mia Iamarino, Madeline Chiki and Madison Radakovic.
17, that’s right SEVENTEEN Fightin' Irish Swimmers will be heading to OFSAA and Notre Dame can't wait to cheer them on. We’re already proud, and can’t to see what comes next! #GOOOOOIRISH!
Notre Dame will send our largest ever contingent of athletes to be OFSAA in Toronto this March because of their stellar performances in GHAC. ND’s OFSAA qualifiers include: Kenna Smallegange 200 free and 100 back, Tarynn Smallegange 100 back, Ruben Jansen 200 free and 200m, Emily Perino 200 free, Olivia Colman 50 free and 100 free, Marica Smith 200m, Josh Matz 200m. The open girls medley relay team and open girls free relay will be heading to OFSAA with team members: Kenna Smallegange, Marica Smith, Samantha Nobes and Olivia Colman. The open boys medley relay and open boys free relay will also be off to OFSAA including: Josh Matz, Ruben Jansen, Olaf Jansen and Owen Robinson. Lastly, the junior girls free relay will be OFSAA bound as well with the team including: Kate Flewelling, Mia Iamarino, Madeline Chiki and Madison Radakovic.
17, that’s right SEVENTEEN Fightin' Irish Swimmers will be heading to OFSAA and Notre Dame can't wait to cheer them on. We’re already proud, and can’t to see what comes next! #GOOOOOIRISH!
ND's February STEAM Update![]() By Emily Nobes
What’s been going on and what’s to come Throughout the last few months, the STEAM Club’s work has forged on. Meetings have continued every Wednesday, but have no longer been confined to just the Lecture Hall, spreading out to the Woodshop, Greenhouse, computer lab, and beyond... During the months of December, January, and now into February, STEAM’s 2019 Greenhouse and Healthy Living Project has continued, leaving the team well into their construction, research, and design endeavors. Pieces have been measured twice and cut once, sample crops have been grown with care, and numerous lines of code have been written. Eventually, the portable greenhouses that are being constructed will be put to use in front of the school, and a design final will be chosen to be “mass” constructed and donated to various feeder schools in our community with the hopes of fostering an interest in healthy living and horticulture. As we all know, though, STEAM’s work cannot be contained within the walls of the school. On February 21st, 2019, a group of club members headed over to St. Marks to host one of their now infamous 'STEAM Nights', full of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math based games, sharing of information, and community building. In the coming weeks, STEAM will be heading out to two more schools to host activity nights, March 28 at St. Gabriel, and April 1 at St. Anne. ![]() Don’t worry though ND, not all of STEAM’s work happens outside of the school. In fact, the 2018/19 STEAM Student Executive has been working tirelessly to begin putting together an event here at Notre Dame that we are excited to announce. On May 25th, 2019, the group will be hosting the first ever STEAM Conference, and the theme this year is, of course, 'Healthy Living'. The day will be full of guest speakers, food, healthy living conversations, and live demonstrations from some special guests all throughout the school. The doors to the conference will be open to anyone looking to attend, so keep an eye out, because there will be more exciting information coming very soon.
Want to stay in touch with STEAM in between monthly updates? Follow us on instagram and twitter @nd_steam, and check out our website www.notredamesteam.wixsite.com/ndsteam. And, of course, feel free to attend a meeting, we meet every Wednesday in the lecture hall and are so excited to meet you. Vertical Divider
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Council's Corner:
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PARENTS NIGHT IN!On Wednesday March 27th, from 6:30pm-8:30pm, Notre Dame will be hosting a Parents Night In. Parents of students in grade 7-12 from our feeder schools and high school are welcome to attend the event. The night will start off with a carousel in the spectrum of community supports, programs and activities/opportunities. A brief presentation on normal teenage development will occur before parents will move on to attend 2 sessions of their choice. The 5 sessions being offered that parents can sign up for are:
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"I'll take Teachers4theWin for 800 Alex...."By Mr G.
Clang, Clang, Clang. Don't worry, it's not a Fire Drill… it's the sound of #Teachers4theWin walking down the hallway, the 2 Trivia Medals around their neck bouncing off one another in a victorious symphony of colliding medals. Did you know that the Earth is the 5th largest planet in the solar system? #Teachers4theWin did. Did you know that Snoop-Dogg's real name is Calvin Broadus? #Teachers4theWin did. Mr. Cordeiro had his eyes on the prize this year, tearing down his squad from last year and rebuilding from the ground up. The "Dreamweavers" covered all of their bases this year, Mr. Guisti brought the business acumen, Mr. Bozzelli handled the scientific discoveries, and they even let Mr. Martorelli on their team. Mr. Cordeiro's true 'ace-in-the-hole' was ringer (and rumored Jeopardy contestant) John Coltermann… but even he wasn't enough to handle the formidable 'trivial' knowledge of #Teacher4theWin The addition of Anime-Club President Ms. Briggs, in combination Mr. G's delayed adolescence (not to mention the 'TV as a babysitter' during his formative years) lead the Teacher Team to ace the 'Shadowed Cartoon' round; While former ND Staff Ms. Giardina, Ms. Muvrin and Mr. Roynon deftly handled the math, science and sporting categories. The dangerous duo of (Legend) Ms. Vanderkooy & Mrs. Obrovac smothered the Geography and History questions. Ms. Rodriguez gave the group a calming, steady hand and Mlle. Tambasco destroyed the pop-culture questions while Mme. Tayler scouted the silent auction table. A good time was had by all, many thanks to TriviaMaster LaChapelle and the ND Parent Council for organizing and hosting this outstanding evening! |
DECA Provincials 2019 - Putting ND on the DECA Map

By Emily Nobes
It all began in September 2018, when ND DECA called the first meeting of its second year at Notre Dame. Right of the bat, the group was bigger and hungry for the Competition. We trained hard for weeks, pouring over vocabulary and trial exams, polishing our handshakes and introductions, and committing 'Performance Indicators' to heart. On November 24, we charged into battle, pulling up to Iroquois Ridge High School to compete in the Hamilton Regionals Competition, striving towards a spot at the Provincial level. The day was full of fierce competition, and by the end of the day, Notre Dame’s 2019 DECA Provincials team was determined, and that’s when the real fun began.
It all began in September 2018, when ND DECA called the first meeting of its second year at Notre Dame. Right of the bat, the group was bigger and hungry for the Competition. We trained hard for weeks, pouring over vocabulary and trial exams, polishing our handshakes and introductions, and committing 'Performance Indicators' to heart. On November 24, we charged into battle, pulling up to Iroquois Ridge High School to compete in the Hamilton Regionals Competition, striving towards a spot at the Provincial level. The day was full of fierce competition, and by the end of the day, Notre Dame’s 2019 DECA Provincials team was determined, and that’s when the real fun began.

Every year, DECA Ontario holds its prestigious 'Provincial’s Competition' in the Sheraton Centre in Toronto. So, on February 8th, 2019, the team (comprised of Camila Izquierdo, Matthew Kampe, Ben Korol, Emily Nobes, Radi Oumer, Jonathan Paduch, David Pires, and Arjun Snider, accompanied by Mr Giusti and Mrs Elzbieciak), boarded the 6am train for Union Station to participate.
Two members, David and Jonathan, had the opportunity to participate in a full day leadership seminar that the organization hosts for future DECA leaders. “While at the seminar I met students from across the province.” said David, “I learned about the different aspects of leadership, the importance of leaders in society and how to improve my own leadership skills.”
Outside of the Leadership Conference, Competitive Roleplay events ran all day, from 8am-5pm to be exact. To break it down quickly, for all competitors competing in Individual Oral events, everyone was assigned two call times at which they competed, each including 10 minutes to read the case study and prepare, and then 10 minutes to present. Team Oral Events only competed once, with 30 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to present. Written events competed once as well, giving a 15 minutes presentation based on their meticulously pre-prepared report outlining their business plan.
“DECA Provincials was an amazing experience competing in the Financial Team Decision Making event.” said Radi, “I got to learn new things with my DECA teammate and see the amount of talent that everyone in the competition brings. It was great both competing in my event and getting to meet other students from around Ontario interested in what DECA has to offer.”
Two members, David and Jonathan, had the opportunity to participate in a full day leadership seminar that the organization hosts for future DECA leaders. “While at the seminar I met students from across the province.” said David, “I learned about the different aspects of leadership, the importance of leaders in society and how to improve my own leadership skills.”
Outside of the Leadership Conference, Competitive Roleplay events ran all day, from 8am-5pm to be exact. To break it down quickly, for all competitors competing in Individual Oral events, everyone was assigned two call times at which they competed, each including 10 minutes to read the case study and prepare, and then 10 minutes to present. Team Oral Events only competed once, with 30 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to present. Written events competed once as well, giving a 15 minutes presentation based on their meticulously pre-prepared report outlining their business plan.
“DECA Provincials was an amazing experience competing in the Financial Team Decision Making event.” said Radi, “I got to learn new things with my DECA teammate and see the amount of talent that everyone in the competition brings. It was great both competing in my event and getting to meet other students from around Ontario interested in what DECA has to offer.”

Another aspect of the competition is a 100 question multiple choice exam. All competition clusters aside from Marketing wrote their exams prior to the event using an online platform. The marketing cluster, however, wrote on February 9th, filling up an entire ballroom. After that exam concluded, the tallying begun, and awards ready to be handed to their very deserving recipients.
With the competition cubicles cleared out and the strobe lights set to high, the excitement and energy in the awards room is hard to describe, and something that should be experienced.
The first ceremony was fruitful, awarding first time International Business written event competitor Camila Izquierdo a top 8 finish, making her a Provincial Champion and eligible ICDC competitor. DECA hasn’t seen the end of her, and she’ll be off to Orlando, Florida in April to compete for the coveted DECA Glass at the International level.
“DECA was a wonderful experience that helped me to use the business knowledge that I learned in class towards a real-life situation.” said Camila, “It was interesting and challenging to create my own international business plan since I was able to link different aspects of business into one project. What made it even more exciting was the multiple competitions that allowed me to bring my work to life and compete against other students who are passionate about business too!”
Ceremony number two brought more triumph. Arjun Snider took home a Top 20 medal in his first Roleplay event, and a top 20 finish overall. Matthew Kampe finished top 20 in his first roleplay event, a top 20 finish overall, and a top 8 finish, also earning the title of Provincial Champion.
Lastly came the Marketing Awards, leaving Emily Nobes with a Top 20 finish in her first roleplay. Notre Dame DECA has never seen so many members on the Provincial’s stage, and there’s only more to come.
With the competition cubicles cleared out and the strobe lights set to high, the excitement and energy in the awards room is hard to describe, and something that should be experienced.
The first ceremony was fruitful, awarding first time International Business written event competitor Camila Izquierdo a top 8 finish, making her a Provincial Champion and eligible ICDC competitor. DECA hasn’t seen the end of her, and she’ll be off to Orlando, Florida in April to compete for the coveted DECA Glass at the International level.
“DECA was a wonderful experience that helped me to use the business knowledge that I learned in class towards a real-life situation.” said Camila, “It was interesting and challenging to create my own international business plan since I was able to link different aspects of business into one project. What made it even more exciting was the multiple competitions that allowed me to bring my work to life and compete against other students who are passionate about business too!”
Ceremony number two brought more triumph. Arjun Snider took home a Top 20 medal in his first Roleplay event, and a top 20 finish overall. Matthew Kampe finished top 20 in his first roleplay event, a top 20 finish overall, and a top 8 finish, also earning the title of Provincial Champion.
Lastly came the Marketing Awards, leaving Emily Nobes with a Top 20 finish in her first roleplay. Notre Dame DECA has never seen so many members on the Provincial’s stage, and there’s only more to come.
How to Spend Your Time When Schools are Closed on Snow Days

By: Ms. Tolan's P2 Art Class
Thus far, in Semester 2, the weather has played havoc with a record 5 DAYS impacted by adverse conditions...
Below is a tongue in cheek look at how to deal with this new found spare time!
When taking a class poll of how students spent their bus days, this was what we came up with:
46% of students did homework
35% binged Netflix or played video games
30% attempted to come to school for part of the day (One student waited at his bus stop before someone texted him telling him it wasn't coming).
26% went back to bed
23% went out with friends or picked up extra shifts at work
Thus far, in Semester 2, the weather has played havoc with a record 5 DAYS impacted by adverse conditions...
Below is a tongue in cheek look at how to deal with this new found spare time!
When taking a class poll of how students spent their bus days, this was what we came up with:
46% of students did homework
35% binged Netflix or played video games
30% attempted to come to school for part of the day (One student waited at his bus stop before someone texted him telling him it wasn't coming).
26% went back to bed
23% went out with friends or picked up extra shifts at work
NEW COURSES SLATED FOR 2019/2020
BBB 4M1 – International Business
This course provides an overview of the importance of international business and trade in the global economy and explores the factors that influence success in international markets. Students will learn about the techniques and strategies associated with marketing, distribution, and managing international business effectively. It offers students an introduction to international business, including an investigation of the economic relationships that Canadian governments and Canadian businesses have developed with other nations and the effects on productivity, prices, and variety of goods. Students will learn about the requirements for competing in international markets, conducting business in other countries, and pursuing careers in the field of international business. Vertical Divider
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CGW 4U -World Issues: A Geographic Analysis
The Canadian & World Studies department is excited to offer students in a University level pathway the opportunity to take World Issues: This geo-political course is particularly relevant in the 21st Century as students will address the challenges of creating a more sustainable & equitable world. They will explore issues like: economic disparities, globalization, human rights and threats to the environment. Finally, our World Issues program will encompass the necessary post-secondary skill development that all Canadian & World Studies courses strive to build: lecture note taking, data management, critical thought & analysis, debate & discussion, inquiry & research and written communication. Vertical Divider
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EMS3O - Media Studies
Media is all around us, it is an essential part of Modern Life. We all listen to music, watch TV and Movies, read magazines, blogs and vlogs, surf YouTube, read comic books, and belong to Social Media like Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat. Information surrounds us, we are bombarded by Media and Advertising in almost every aspect of our lives… have you ever taken a moment to wonder what it all means? What is all of this Media truly saying? And how are they saying it? What is the message we are hearing from our computers, tablets, phones and TV's? This course is designed for students who want to know more about how the media works to affect our perceptions and beliefs about ourselves and the world around us, and who want to become more active and critical consumers of media. Together we will study how Media affects us, both personally and as a Society, and how much things have both changed, and stayed the same. You’ll also learn about the media industry in Canada and North America, and have opportunities to explore various media-related careers. EMS 30, Media Studies, takes learning out of the classroom and makes real connections to the world outside. |