Notre Dame Welcomes
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward

By Gabriel Millar
On March 6, the Notre Dame community was proud to welcome Mayor Marianne Ward into our school. Mayor Meed Ward spoke during fourth period in the Lecture Hall to students of varying grade levels, discussing the topics of mentorship, persistence, and equality.
Mayor Meed Ward started by telling the students her own story of becoming the Mayor of Burlington. As a teenager she wanted to be a writer, and achieved this goal by becoming a journalist for the Toronto Sun. Eventually, she felt that writing about politics was not enough and that she could do more. This prompted her to become involved in politics herself, running for council in 2006. Ward says she remembers knocking on her first door at the start of campaigning season, calling it one of the hardest things to do. While most people were very polite and receptive during her campaign, Mayor Meed Ward talked about the hardships of dealing with people who were rude and disrespectful. The importance of separating your own responsibilities from that of others, by making people accountable for their actions, is something that the mayor strongly believes in and offered as advice to Notre Dame students.
On March 6, the Notre Dame community was proud to welcome Mayor Marianne Ward into our school. Mayor Meed Ward spoke during fourth period in the Lecture Hall to students of varying grade levels, discussing the topics of mentorship, persistence, and equality.
Mayor Meed Ward started by telling the students her own story of becoming the Mayor of Burlington. As a teenager she wanted to be a writer, and achieved this goal by becoming a journalist for the Toronto Sun. Eventually, she felt that writing about politics was not enough and that she could do more. This prompted her to become involved in politics herself, running for council in 2006. Ward says she remembers knocking on her first door at the start of campaigning season, calling it one of the hardest things to do. While most people were very polite and receptive during her campaign, Mayor Meed Ward talked about the hardships of dealing with people who were rude and disrespectful. The importance of separating your own responsibilities from that of others, by making people accountable for their actions, is something that the mayor strongly believes in and offered as advice to Notre Dame students.

Mayor Meed Ward talked passionately about the unique challenges that women in politics face. The evidence for these challenges is very prevalent for us locally, as Marianne Meed Ward is the first female mayor to be elected in 15 years. The statistics that the mayor quoted in her presentation, including the fact that only three out of thirteen mayors in Ontario’s major cities are female, had some serious implications. Stressing the importance of diversity in positions of power, Meed Ward addressed the students asking “if we don’t represent what is in our community, how can we make decisions on your behalf?”. Now, Mayor Meed Ward was very clear that diversity of all kinds is important in government, specifically talking about age and cultural background, pointing out that there are no visible minorities not the city council, in spite of Canada’s population being 22.3% visible minorities. While it is very important that we achieve this type of diversity, Ms. Meed Ward pointed out that the diversity of thought which comes with this is where the real value lies, saying that “if not, [diversity] is just token”.
Ms. Meed Ward talked transparently about the struggles the city has faced in the past eight years, calling the work environment “toxic” and telling students “if you don’t think adults bully each other - they do”. Meed Ward gave an example of this difficult work environment when she spoke of the La Salle Marina. After Mayor Meed Ward was outvoted on the issue, one of her colleagues wrote to a local journalist, who was a supporter of Meed Ward, describing how ineffective Councilor Meed Ward supposedly was. When the details of this story got back to Ward herself, she was concerned about the tone and dialogue of her colleagues words. While it is legitimate to have a different opinion on what is the right course of action, the way this person went about dealing with the issue was concerning. In response, Ms. Meed Ward went to the people in power, simply looking for an end to this behaviour, not even necessarily an apology. However, the people in power felt helpless and unable to act use their power, and thus nothing ever happened. The takeaway from this story was an encouraging message that we can survive difficult situations, and while they may seem inescapable at the time, doing the right thing without returning fire is always the right decision.
Ms. Meed Ward talked transparently about the struggles the city has faced in the past eight years, calling the work environment “toxic” and telling students “if you don’t think adults bully each other - they do”. Meed Ward gave an example of this difficult work environment when she spoke of the La Salle Marina. After Mayor Meed Ward was outvoted on the issue, one of her colleagues wrote to a local journalist, who was a supporter of Meed Ward, describing how ineffective Councilor Meed Ward supposedly was. When the details of this story got back to Ward herself, she was concerned about the tone and dialogue of her colleagues words. While it is legitimate to have a different opinion on what is the right course of action, the way this person went about dealing with the issue was concerning. In response, Ms. Meed Ward went to the people in power, simply looking for an end to this behaviour, not even necessarily an apology. However, the people in power felt helpless and unable to act use their power, and thus nothing ever happened. The takeaway from this story was an encouraging message that we can survive difficult situations, and while they may seem inescapable at the time, doing the right thing without returning fire is always the right decision.

After her presentation, the floor was opened for questions from students and teachers alike. During this time, Mayor Meed Ward talked about the most significant issues from the last election being the risk of losing real estate and the community not playing a large enough role in city planning. She then, upon request from a student, explored the possibility of adding a crosswalk for students outside of Notre Dame, and finally discussed the importance of having different types of housing downtown, not only high rise buildings, mentioning that Burlington “won’t the lose wealth, we’ll just make sure we put it in the right place”.
Finally, as a Notre Dame community we would like to thank Mayor Marianne Meed Ward for taking the time to come to our school and talk to us about these important issues in our own community.
Finally, as a Notre Dame community we would like to thank Mayor Marianne Meed Ward for taking the time to come to our school and talk to us about these important issues in our own community.
THE LADY IRISH STORM MIDLAND!

By Daniella Lopez
From a phenomenal start to a melancholic ending, the Varsity Girls Hockey team played exceptionally this season and have every right to feel proud.
The girls were held to a high standard at the beginning of the season due to their great run from last year says Emily Clark, the team goalie. Senior Sara Boucher added “our coaches had told us from the start that they knew we had a lot of potential as a team”… and that they did!
The first game of the season was against Corpus Christi on November 15th at Appleby Arena and the team won 4-1. The girls started off strong and kept on going up since then, finishing the regular season with an undefeated record.
The highest scoring game the girls won was against Assumption 12-0 and the closest margin of victory came in a pair of 2-1 victories over Corpus Christi and in the last regular season game against Holy Trinity winning at River Oaks; A solid performance to end the season.
From a phenomenal start to a melancholic ending, the Varsity Girls Hockey team played exceptionally this season and have every right to feel proud.
The girls were held to a high standard at the beginning of the season due to their great run from last year says Emily Clark, the team goalie. Senior Sara Boucher added “our coaches had told us from the start that they knew we had a lot of potential as a team”… and that they did!
The first game of the season was against Corpus Christi on November 15th at Appleby Arena and the team won 4-1. The girls started off strong and kept on going up since then, finishing the regular season with an undefeated record.
The highest scoring game the girls won was against Assumption 12-0 and the closest margin of victory came in a pair of 2-1 victories over Corpus Christi and in the last regular season game against Holy Trinity winning at River Oaks; A solid performance to end the season.

The ladies placed 1st in their division and were off to the HCAA playoffs; playing St Thomas Aquinas in the semi-finals, and winning 4-0. Next, the ladies took on Corpus Christi for the HCAA finals and were victorious, winning that game 4-1! Thus, qualifying the girls for the GHAC playoffs. The Lady Irish played against St Mary’s and won 4-0, making them not only GHAC champions but also qualifiers for OFSAA.
“We had another successful season with the HCAA and GHAC titles.” Emily Clark, goalie says. While, Sara Boucher, forward added “it was lots of fun.”
However, the fun didn’t end there because the ladies headed off to Midland, Ontario for OFSAA on March 18-21st. The girls played three games to qualify to for the OFSAA Quarter Finals. The first game was against Timmins High School where ND won 11-2. The second game was against St Theresa’s where the girls won 3-0 and the third game was against Bishop Smith where the ladies won 2-0. All the wins would qualify them for the quarter finals against Lo-Ellen Park where the girls would lose in overtime 2-1, unfortunately bringing an end to their extremely successful season.
Even though the season came to an end, the bond the ladies share with each other does not. Forward Sara Boucher, had great things to say about playing on the team, “I’m proud to of had the opportunity to play hockey for ND with this group of girls.” While Emily Clark also had wonderful things to say about the team, “We had a great group of girls and a lot of character on the team, it was a special team to be a part of.” A special shout-out to the seniors who, “provided great leadership”, the grade nines who “brought new energy to the team” and the coaches who, “were so supportive all season long”. There’s no I in team and the girls truly show that with one another.
“Always proud to be Irish”, Emily Clark says and she couldn’t be more correct. Everyone is proud of the girls hockey team for their stellar run, and everyone is especially proud to be Irish!
“We had another successful season with the HCAA and GHAC titles.” Emily Clark, goalie says. While, Sara Boucher, forward added “it was lots of fun.”
However, the fun didn’t end there because the ladies headed off to Midland, Ontario for OFSAA on March 18-21st. The girls played three games to qualify to for the OFSAA Quarter Finals. The first game was against Timmins High School where ND won 11-2. The second game was against St Theresa’s where the girls won 3-0 and the third game was against Bishop Smith where the ladies won 2-0. All the wins would qualify them for the quarter finals against Lo-Ellen Park where the girls would lose in overtime 2-1, unfortunately bringing an end to their extremely successful season.
Even though the season came to an end, the bond the ladies share with each other does not. Forward Sara Boucher, had great things to say about playing on the team, “I’m proud to of had the opportunity to play hockey for ND with this group of girls.” While Emily Clark also had wonderful things to say about the team, “We had a great group of girls and a lot of character on the team, it was a special team to be a part of.” A special shout-out to the seniors who, “provided great leadership”, the grade nines who “brought new energy to the team” and the coaches who, “were so supportive all season long”. There’s no I in team and the girls truly show that with one another.
“Always proud to be Irish”, Emily Clark says and she couldn’t be more correct. Everyone is proud of the girls hockey team for their stellar run, and everyone is especially proud to be Irish!
ND Attends Math @ Mac

By Sophie Divita
On Monday, January 14th, Notre Dame’s Mathletes took a trip to McMaster to experience “Math at Mac”.
McMaster University’s Annual Math at Mac Day was an amazing learning experience, and I am very happy that I went! The day included a series of interactive mathematics activities, focusing on applications of coding in the real-world. Personally, I enjoyed collaborating with fellow Mathletes from ND’s STEAM Club, Prefects, Student Council, and many more peers. Together, we felt motivated and inspired to work together through the competitive activities because there was a chance to win individual and team prizes such as hoodies, t-shirts and mugs! A special congratulations to Megan Vardy (Grade 9 STEAM Club Member) and Jenna Donavan (Grade 10 Student) for winning prizes for two of the challenge problems presented by McMaster University’s Mathematics & Statistics Society. The activities included a variety of problems involving probability, abstract algebra, and coding, while appealing to all ranges of math abilities from grades 9 to 12. I really enjoyed listening to the applications of mathematics in fields such as Cryptography, and working with Sean Clarke (Grade 11 STEAM Club & Prefect member) to decrypt a message using modules. (For example, the Professor Dr. Lovric lectured and discussed the algorithm a computer uses to verify if a credit card number is correct.)
On Monday, January 14th, Notre Dame’s Mathletes took a trip to McMaster to experience “Math at Mac”.
McMaster University’s Annual Math at Mac Day was an amazing learning experience, and I am very happy that I went! The day included a series of interactive mathematics activities, focusing on applications of coding in the real-world. Personally, I enjoyed collaborating with fellow Mathletes from ND’s STEAM Club, Prefects, Student Council, and many more peers. Together, we felt motivated and inspired to work together through the competitive activities because there was a chance to win individual and team prizes such as hoodies, t-shirts and mugs! A special congratulations to Megan Vardy (Grade 9 STEAM Club Member) and Jenna Donavan (Grade 10 Student) for winning prizes for two of the challenge problems presented by McMaster University’s Mathematics & Statistics Society. The activities included a variety of problems involving probability, abstract algebra, and coding, while appealing to all ranges of math abilities from grades 9 to 12. I really enjoyed listening to the applications of mathematics in fields such as Cryptography, and working with Sean Clarke (Grade 11 STEAM Club & Prefect member) to decrypt a message using modules. (For example, the Professor Dr. Lovric lectured and discussed the algorithm a computer uses to verify if a credit card number is correct.)

Along with the amazing math activities and fun presentations, students had the chance to explore McMaster’s campus, and gather a sense of the university atmosphere. As a Grade 11 student, the time until university is fast approaching, and I was truly excited to be part of a post-secondary setting. The day included time to explore the campus which allowed me to pair up with a friend and look at classrooms, lecture halls and the Student Center. My favourite building was McMaster University’s Hamilton Hall (i.e. the math building) where there is a Math Cafe made with walls out of chalkboards to foster collaboration and communication. I was amazed to see how large the lecture halls were, and I appreciated seeing the compare/contrast between a university and high school setting. While exploring campus, I had a chance to talk to some of the students that attended McMaster University. They told me everything about their classes, food plans, and their rent. It was a great preview to the future to come!
As if it couldn’t get better, the entire day was completely free! Even for students who are not interested in studying math during post secondary, I highly encourage you to tag along next school year for a great experience and a fun day of math! GO MATHLETES GO!!!
As if it couldn’t get better, the entire day was completely free! Even for students who are not interested in studying math during post secondary, I highly encourage you to tag along next school year for a great experience and a fun day of math! GO MATHLETES GO!!!
ND SWIMMING - OFSAA RESULTS

By the ND Swim Coaches
The Notre Dame Swim Team had one of its most successful years ever at the 2018-2019 OFSAA Swimming Championship. We finished 24th in the province out of 315 schools. The success of our team this year was directly related to our swimmers swimming personal bests (or very close to them).
Graduating swimmer Ruben Jansen was the anchor of our Open Boys team, and had an excellent mee,t finishing 9th in the 200 Free and 11th in the 200 IM, both times being his second best ever. The Open Boys Medley relay consisting of Josh Matz, Ruben Jansen, Olaf Jansen and Owen Robinson finished 16th which is the highest we have ever placed in that relay in school history. The open boys 4 x 100 relay finished 16th as well and beat our entry time, despite not having our fastest swimmer in the event. Led by a personal best in the 100 free by Josh Matz, and followed up by personal bests by Olaf Jansen and Rafael Rozo in their legs of the race and anchored by an impressive swim by Owen Robinson who swam his second best 100 Free ever.
The Notre Dame Swim Team had one of its most successful years ever at the 2018-2019 OFSAA Swimming Championship. We finished 24th in the province out of 315 schools. The success of our team this year was directly related to our swimmers swimming personal bests (or very close to them).
Graduating swimmer Ruben Jansen was the anchor of our Open Boys team, and had an excellent mee,t finishing 9th in the 200 Free and 11th in the 200 IM, both times being his second best ever. The Open Boys Medley relay consisting of Josh Matz, Ruben Jansen, Olaf Jansen and Owen Robinson finished 16th which is the highest we have ever placed in that relay in school history. The open boys 4 x 100 relay finished 16th as well and beat our entry time, despite not having our fastest swimmer in the event. Led by a personal best in the 100 free by Josh Matz, and followed up by personal bests by Olaf Jansen and Rafael Rozo in their legs of the race and anchored by an impressive swim by Owen Robinson who swam his second best 100 Free ever.

The Junior girls team of Kate Flewelling, Mia Iamarino, Madeline Chiki and Madison Radakovic competed in the 4 x 50 free relay, going into the competition ranked 30th, and finishing 26th overall. Personal bests were achieved by Mia and Madison in that race. Emily Perrino made the B finals in the 200 Free and finished 10th overall with her best time of the year. The open girls team was led by the impressive and dominant swims by Kenna Smallegange who finished 2nd in the 200 Free with a personal best, and 3rd in the 100 Backstroke with her second best time ever. Marica Smith had a great swim in the 200 IM posting her second fastest time ever in the event, finishing 21st overall. Olivia Colman had a great meet, finishing 17th in the 50 free with her 4th best time, and 20th in the 100 free with her 3rd best time. The open girls Medley Relay of Marica Smith, Megan Adiwinata, Samantha Nobes and Emily Perrino finished 30th overall.
The highlight of the weekend was the gutsy swim by the open girls 4 x 100 free relay. Down two of our best swimmers and relying on 2nd alternate Emily Perrino to fill big shoes, we went in to the relay still feeling confident. Olivia Colman led the way with a personal best in her leg of the relay starting the race off with the lead. Marica Smith then took over and also had very close to a personal best in her leg, narrowly holding on to the lead. Emily Perrino then took over and swam her fastest 100 free this season, keeping the team in the medal race and 3.5 seconds behind the second place team. Kenna Smallegange then took over and had one of the most exciting swims in Notre Dame history, catching up and closing the gap with every stroke. She left it all in the water, with her leg of the relay being nearly a full second faster than her personal best in the 100 free, falling short of the silver medal by just half a second. Definitely a bronze medal win for the team and an extremely exciting race to watch.
The coaches are so proud of the efforts of all of our swimmers. They all swam at a very high level and executed their game plans to achieve success. We will be sad to see graduating swimmers leave this season, but we are also encouraged by the youth of the team we currently have, which bodes well for the future.
Way to go ND Swim team and GO IRISH!!!!!!
The highlight of the weekend was the gutsy swim by the open girls 4 x 100 free relay. Down two of our best swimmers and relying on 2nd alternate Emily Perrino to fill big shoes, we went in to the relay still feeling confident. Olivia Colman led the way with a personal best in her leg of the relay starting the race off with the lead. Marica Smith then took over and also had very close to a personal best in her leg, narrowly holding on to the lead. Emily Perrino then took over and swam her fastest 100 free this season, keeping the team in the medal race and 3.5 seconds behind the second place team. Kenna Smallegange then took over and had one of the most exciting swims in Notre Dame history, catching up and closing the gap with every stroke. She left it all in the water, with her leg of the relay being nearly a full second faster than her personal best in the 100 free, falling short of the silver medal by just half a second. Definitely a bronze medal win for the team and an extremely exciting race to watch.
The coaches are so proud of the efforts of all of our swimmers. They all swam at a very high level and executed their game plans to achieve success. We will be sad to see graduating swimmers leave this season, but we are also encouraged by the youth of the team we currently have, which bodes well for the future.
Way to go ND Swim team and GO IRISH!!!!!!
FOCUS ON: ND SOCIAL JUSTICE'S PURSE CAMPAIGN
The ND Social Justice Club is excited to announce our most recent initiative called the “ND Purse Campaign”. The Purse Campaign, put forth by our Social Justice Club members, was launched on International Women’s Day. Our main goal is to raise awareness about social justice issues amongst families, particularly women facing domestic abuse in our community.
We hope to achieve this through collective giving by donating new or gently used purses. We would also like to fill the purses with toiletries such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, razors, feminine products, moisturizers, tweezers, shampoo/conditioner, deodorant, just to name a few. We feel that this is a great opportunity not only to help women, but to educate the male population in our school to also get involved in our initiative. |
Our goal is for every homeroom class to collect at least 1-2 gently used purses and fill them with some of the toiletries listed above. If every homeroom class contributes at least one or two purses we feel we will be very successful in this campaign. As well, if there are any parents or students who would like to contribute a filled purse on their own, they will gladly be accepted. Together, we can make a difference and contribute to a great cause.
NOTRE DAME SHINES AT ARTS NIGHT & BUSKERFEST
By Sierra Pearce
On Thursday, March 21 Notre Dame held its Arts Night and Buskerfest, featuring various artworks created by students. The event was open to the entire Notre Dame community, and was a resounding success amongst the Notre Dame staff and students. The event ran from 6-9 p.m. on Thursday, and gave members of the community the opportunity to view student artwork, performances, and poems for only $2 at the door. Visitors were able to buy snacks, customized buttons, homemade crafts, and view live painting. Students in hand painted environment-themed dresses were available to answer questions about artwork and take photos. Some of the artwork included visual and media arts, musical performances, poetry, Irish dancing, the live painting of a sea turtle, and the environmental dresses which covered various issues. Student artwork was found primarily in the library, as well as many of the musical performances, including the school band. Snacks for purchase included popcorn and brownies, and homemade sculptures were also available. The event was a large success, and both students and staff alike reported having a great time. Much of the artwork was created by both art classes and the art club, and many other performance contributors auditioned prior to the event. The event runs annually, and new talent is always welcome. |
Meet Markus Hogg

by Sarah McLaughlin, Carmen Poolakese
Markus Hogg is a sixteen year old boy; He is athletic, and plays various sports. Markus academically shines and is an active member in his community. In October of 2018 he was admitted into the hospital and was diagnosed with Chondroblastic Osteosarcoma, a cancer affecting bone cells. The cancer has put him through months of chemotherapy and tremendous amounts of pain. On February 18th, Markus went through a huge surgery. The purpose of the surgery was to remove some of the tumour and the bones that were affected. Sadly this surgery left him paralyzed from the waist down. In spite of this, Markus is staying strong, regaining strength, and maintaining a positive attitude.
No teenager should endure this type of physical and mental pain. A sixteen year old boy should be worrying about tests, work and extracurricular activities. Springtime is a time a teenage boy should be worrying about getting a date to the semi-formal and school sports teams, not hair loss and medication. This is not what a 16 year old should not be going through.
Cancer is an ongoing issue that affects millions every year, but we never fully understand it until it happens to us. Markus’ story is a reminder that cancer could happen to everyone. The normalization of cancer is tragic in its own way, but Markus is anything but tragic. His bright smile lights up an entire room, and his laugh is contagious. Although cancer has limited what he can do with his body physically, mentally Markus is doing unimaginably well given his condition.
In Canada we are blessed to have a great and free health care system that covers some of Markus’ treatment, but what about the post-treatment care? In order to walk around in his own home, Markus is needs a wheelchair and chair lifts. The renovations in his home that need to be made in order to make it accessible for him will be extremly expensive. A GoFundMe page was set up to help fundraise for the Hogg’s to help with the post-treatment care. All donations will be greatly appreciated, or if you would like to make something like a craft please do so.
To Donate please visit the Go Fund Me page at: https://www.gofundme.com/69mk1hc
Markus’s instagram: Markus_hogg
Markus Hogg is a sixteen year old boy; He is athletic, and plays various sports. Markus academically shines and is an active member in his community. In October of 2018 he was admitted into the hospital and was diagnosed with Chondroblastic Osteosarcoma, a cancer affecting bone cells. The cancer has put him through months of chemotherapy and tremendous amounts of pain. On February 18th, Markus went through a huge surgery. The purpose of the surgery was to remove some of the tumour and the bones that were affected. Sadly this surgery left him paralyzed from the waist down. In spite of this, Markus is staying strong, regaining strength, and maintaining a positive attitude.
No teenager should endure this type of physical and mental pain. A sixteen year old boy should be worrying about tests, work and extracurricular activities. Springtime is a time a teenage boy should be worrying about getting a date to the semi-formal and school sports teams, not hair loss and medication. This is not what a 16 year old should not be going through.
Cancer is an ongoing issue that affects millions every year, but we never fully understand it until it happens to us. Markus’ story is a reminder that cancer could happen to everyone. The normalization of cancer is tragic in its own way, but Markus is anything but tragic. His bright smile lights up an entire room, and his laugh is contagious. Although cancer has limited what he can do with his body physically, mentally Markus is doing unimaginably well given his condition.
In Canada we are blessed to have a great and free health care system that covers some of Markus’ treatment, but what about the post-treatment care? In order to walk around in his own home, Markus is needs a wheelchair and chair lifts. The renovations in his home that need to be made in order to make it accessible for him will be extremly expensive. A GoFundMe page was set up to help fundraise for the Hogg’s to help with the post-treatment care. All donations will be greatly appreciated, or if you would like to make something like a craft please do so.
To Donate please visit the Go Fund Me page at: https://www.gofundme.com/69mk1hc
Markus’s instagram: Markus_hogg