Welcome Back from Student Council PM Daniel Kim
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By: Daniel Kim
Hello, students of Notre Dame and Welcome Back! My name is Daniel Kim and I am your Student Council Prime Minister this year. It is my honor to serve the school this year. Although summer has come to an end I hope that your start of the new school year has gone well. Students that are new to ND, we welcome you to our school and hope that your experience can be as friendly and inclusive as possible. I wish the very best in all your studies regardless of what pathway you choose. I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible and to talk about any concerns that you may have about school events. Student Council strives to make your school year interesting, as we bring students’ ideas forward. Anyone interested in helping create these events is encouraged to join Student Council. This year we hope to be able to create more memories and make ND an even more exciting, welcoming and safe environment. |
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My Last 'First Day'By William Labanich (Grade 12)
It’s crazy how fast time can pass. As my last “first day of school” came to an end, numerous thoughts and reflections sprung to mind. After completing 13 years of elementary and secondary schooling, it’s just a strange realization that there is only one more year left. It seems like just yesterday that I was wandering the halls for the first time, trying to find my class and remember where in the world my locker was. Now, three years later, with a fresh prefect shirt on, I know where my classes are as soon as I get my schedule without ever needing to look for them. From stressing over merely being on time in Grade 9, to wondering how I am even awake, let alone functioning, after summer break in Grade 12, its weird to think about how things have changed in such a short time. It’s great to come back and be able to recognize students and staff alike, and know them well enough to catch up on the summer’s events. Yet despite how much things have changed, some things have stayed exactly the same, albeit for different reasons. The nerves are still there, but this time they don’t stem from being in a new and unfamiliar environment. It never really hit me until walking through the front doors on that first day that “oh man, this is the year that really counts”. Trying to map out the future, while maintaining the best grades I can, and actually having a social life will not be easy. It can honestly be a little nerve-wracking, and has been on my mind all week. However, through everything, I’m looking forward to the challenges ahead in my final year. From hopeful academic success, to selecting and pursuing a post-secondary pathway, this year shall be a memorable one. Here’s hoping that it is filled with friends, old and new, and memories that will stand up to the test of time. Let’s make it a good one ND! Vertical Divider
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My First Week at NDBy: Eileen Grant (Grade 9)
My first week at Notre Dame really introduced me to how friendly and welcoming the school is. I entered the high school terrified, after making a jump from a small school to one that’s a lot bigger. However, as soon as my brother led me to my first class, I felt slightly calmer. I heard a song playing over the PA system and saw many familiar faces in the room as I prepared for my first class of grade nine. As the day progressed, I started to become more comfortable with what had seemed such an intimidating environment and felt more at ease with all the people there. Whenever I needed to know where to go, I’d ask someone and they’d show me the way. Overall, it was a better first day than I anticipated. The week went on and I became more friendly with people in my classes, and even people I didn’t know. Fears I had about course load, what the teachers would be like and whether I’d be ready to excel were replaced by an enthusiasm and excitement about the year ahead. I watched a football game, did a fun cheer, and had a great time interacting with more students that I hadn’t known before. I was arriving at my classes with time to spare and could navigate there a lot easier after a few days of being at the school. It’s not as if every worry disappeared in the first week but I don’t think my mood could have changed this quickly at many other high schools. I believe that it’s because of Notre Dame’s welcoming and friendly atmosphere that I went from an anxious ball of nerves to a happy person waiting to learn more. |
My First Week of High School
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By: Jacob Armstrong (Grade 9)
Hey, I’m Jacob. I’ve been asked to write this little piece on my first week at Notre Dame, even though I technically haven’t been here for a full school week (it’s only been four days). But of those four days, I’ve been having a good time here at Notre Dame, and by last Friday, I was already feeling used to high school. I have to admit, I was feeling a little nervous on my last day of summer, as I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from Notre Dame. However, I was mostly feeling excited at the idea of getting to meet new people. I went to the cross-country practice on Thursday, so I’m already getting involved in school clubs. Let’s talk about my first day at Notre Dame. Well, I mean, it |
Jacob (left) & Mr. Sneyd (right)
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wasn’t technically my first day, as I’ve been here before for the orientation and stuff, but anyways, my first day of actually starting high school. I started off heading to my locker, where I put away my backpack and took out my pencil-case and binder. At the orientation, I had figured out how to get to all of my classrooms from my locker, yet I still managed to take a wrong turn. Once I finally made it to my english classroom, my teacher, Mrs. Sneyd (yes, I know there’s two), starting talking to the class about Notre Dame. She mentioned a coding club, which caught my interest. Then I was given a sheet asking questions about myself to fill out (it wouldn’t be the only one I had to fill out that day).
After that, I went on to business, and so far, I think it’s my favourite of all the courses. Mr. Downey talked about the class for a while, and then he showed us how to log on to the computers. You know what I had to do once I logged on? I had to fill out a word document asking questions about myself. Next up was science, where we went over safety rules. At least there was no sheet asking questions about myself that I had to fill out. Then I got to eat, which was great, because apparently two waffles is not enough to keep me full until 12:30.
I ate, and then I went to my last class of the day, geography. My geography teacher was Mr. Sneyd, the previously mentioned Mrs. Sneyd’s husband (the other Mrs. Sneyd is his sister). He told us about Google Classroom, then he had us log on to the computers to check out Google Classroom. You know my first assignment on Google Classroom was? You guessed it, I had to write a Google document answering questions about myself.
The next few days were a bit less boring. For english, we had to write a letter about ourselves, because apparently the sheet I filled out wasn’t enough. In business, we started learning about different kinds of computers and how they work. Mr. Downey also read the word documents to the class, and we were supposed to guess who wrote each one. In science, we talked some more about safety in the lab, but it wasn’t just reading rules anymore. There’s not much to say about lunch. It didn’t get more or less entertaining. It was just lunch. Then there was geography, where we were told about “Tiesday”, which is apparently what Mr. Sneyd calls “the day after Monday but before Wednesday,” a.k.a. Tuesday. Yet when writing the dates regarding our geography essay, he labeled that day as Tuesday, not Tiesday… intriguing.
Over these last few days, I feel like I’ve gotten a good sense of what this school is like. I’ve made some nice friends, I’m getting used to my new daily routine, and I’m really enjoying myself here at Notre Dame.
After that, I went on to business, and so far, I think it’s my favourite of all the courses. Mr. Downey talked about the class for a while, and then he showed us how to log on to the computers. You know what I had to do once I logged on? I had to fill out a word document asking questions about myself. Next up was science, where we went over safety rules. At least there was no sheet asking questions about myself that I had to fill out. Then I got to eat, which was great, because apparently two waffles is not enough to keep me full until 12:30.
I ate, and then I went to my last class of the day, geography. My geography teacher was Mr. Sneyd, the previously mentioned Mrs. Sneyd’s husband (the other Mrs. Sneyd is his sister). He told us about Google Classroom, then he had us log on to the computers to check out Google Classroom. You know my first assignment on Google Classroom was? You guessed it, I had to write a Google document answering questions about myself.
The next few days were a bit less boring. For english, we had to write a letter about ourselves, because apparently the sheet I filled out wasn’t enough. In business, we started learning about different kinds of computers and how they work. Mr. Downey also read the word documents to the class, and we were supposed to guess who wrote each one. In science, we talked some more about safety in the lab, but it wasn’t just reading rules anymore. There’s not much to say about lunch. It didn’t get more or less entertaining. It was just lunch. Then there was geography, where we were told about “Tiesday”, which is apparently what Mr. Sneyd calls “the day after Monday but before Wednesday,” a.k.a. Tuesday. Yet when writing the dates regarding our geography essay, he labeled that day as Tuesday, not Tiesday… intriguing.
Over these last few days, I feel like I’ve gotten a good sense of what this school is like. I’ve made some nice friends, I’m getting used to my new daily routine, and I’m really enjoying myself here at Notre Dame.
My First Week of High SchoolBy: Samantha Takacs (Grade 9)
The first week of high school. It’s hard to believe the thing I was dreading all summer and already come and gone. It had its ups and downs, and I’m here to tell you what I expected, what happened and what I look back to. During the summer, I felt as any other future grade nine would. I was nervous, but still quite excited. I had no idea what to expect. I thought I was going to have hours of homework every night, that the teachers were going to be rude, it would be difficult to make friends, and that we would do all work and no play. What I was looking forward to most was the new environment, plenty of clubs and teams, and more options overall. Unfortunately, I had a larger list of worries than things to look forward to, but thankfully I was wrong about almost all of them. Going into the first week, I was terrified. I am most definitely not a fan of change, and moving on from a school I’ve been at for ten years is quite a big one. Luckily, the only stressful day was the first one, because I was still getting used to scrambling through the school and getting to my next class within five minutes. Thanks to some older students telling me where to go, I found my way and was surprisingly not late to any of my classes. Other than that, it was a lot of fun. As each day went on, I got less worried by the minute. I soon realized that thankfully, most of my bad expectations were wrong. All of my teachers were super kind and welcoming, I made some friends, I don’t have too much homework (yet), and I realized that high school is not as scary as people make it out to be. Looking back on my first week, I don’t think it could have gone any better. If I had to give advice to future grade nine students from what I’ve learned this week, it would be to find people with the same interests as you, do your work, be prepared and organized, and try to relax and enjoy yourself, because high school is not bad at all. Overall, although it was completely nerve-wracking and the first time I went to a new school since J.K, my first week of school was amazing, and I hope the rest of my years in high school will be the same. Vertical Divider
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Welcome Back:
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New Year, New ND: An Interview with Mr. Cordeiro
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By: Emily Nobes
As you probably know, last year marked Mrs. MacDonald’s last year of service as principal here at Notre Dame, which means that we were all greeted by a new face on September 5th. In the first few days of school, Mr. Cordeiro has made sure to introduce himself to the classes here at Notre Dame, giving us a quick first impression of our new principal. Over the summer, Mr. Cordeiro agreed sit down with Inside ND to answer a few questions about himself, his vision for Notre Dame, and to give you an insightful introduction to himself. |
Emily and Mr. Cordeiro
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For clarity, everything said by me will be labeled E, and all responses from Mr. Cordeiro will be labeled MC.
E: What did you do before coming here to Notre Dame?
MC: I served two years as Principal at Bishop Reding CSS, and prior to that, I served two years as Vice Principal at Jean Vanier CSS in Milton. When Bishop Reding reached 1700 students, the Board built a new school, which was a great learning experience for me. It was great to start up a school with its own identity, new school colours, school logos, just building a culture unique in its own. And now I’m here, excited about Notre Dame, a fantastic school rich in tradition in terms of academic achievement and the arts, music, athletics, etc. We brought in a number of great teachers and support staff over the last few years who I am excited to be joining.
E: Well we’re excited to have you here too. I guess you kind of touched on this already, but what are your impressions of Notre Dame so far?
MC: I love the parent and student community. There’s a lot of energy and motivation to be successful, and I think that is very important. Teachers here are very strong, as well as the connection between home and school, and I also know that the partnership between the school and the parish continues to thrive. But I’m not here just to maintain the status quo. No matter how good a school is, it could always be better, and I’m here to help facilitate and provide our staff and our students the resources and the opportunities to achieve greater success. Post-secondary life is very important to a student’s professional future, and if we can best prepare our students for that next step, not only academically in the classroom but emotionally and spiritually, then we are being successful in our roles and responsibilities as adults.
E: Moving on to the next question, what are you most looking forward to during your first year here.
MC: A lot of listening and a lot of learning. Listening to what the student’s needs are, what their interests are, and what’s meaningful to them. The same is true of the parents. Every parent wants their child to be successful and they know their child best. Listening and really digesting people’s interests is important. I will do the same with staff. We have teachers who have been here for only two or three years and teachers who have been here for twenty, so there’s a lot of knowledge to be learned. Of course, I have my own vision for the school as a principal. I believe in relationships, I believe in building community, I believe that working together collectively accomplishes more than working in individual silos. Enrollment in the school has decreased quite consistently over the years, and I’m here to rebuild that. As far as I’m concerned, in North Burlington, this is the school to be at. Notre Dame is the natural choice, so how do you make it obvious to people? Well, you build greatness around the community. That is what I am here to facilitate, and I look forward to accomplishing the goal.
E: Do you plan on making any changes to the events or clubs that we hold during the year here?
MC: If there are changes that support student success, absolutely. If there are changes that support the ability of teachers to get more involved, and to broaden the opportunities for them and for the students, absolutely. To change things for the sake of change alone, is ridiculous. Change to enhance, change to broaden, change to provide new opportunities are important, because as many club and teams as there are, whether it be sports, or the arts, or student leadership, there’s always something more that can be contributed. There may be clubs that haven’t existed here for some time that we can resurrect, and there may be clubs that have never existed and can now be born. New technologies provide new opportunities. So, you have to adapt. If Notre Dame is going to thrive, and continue to be a success for its students, then we have to be on the cutting edge, to be leaders among the school and our community.
E: I totally agree. It seems to be that there’s always something going on here and that there are always new things to be a part of.
MC: That’s music to my ears.
E: We especially have a lot of involvement in athletics, did you participate on any teams when you were in high school?
MC: Yes, I did. I played some soccer. I have a bronze OFSAA medal and an Ontario Soccer Association gold medal. So, as an athlete, soccer was always something that I excelled in, but it wasn’t my favourite sport. My favourite sport was actually basketball. Unfortunately, I wasn’t blessed with the height that some of my friends were. At five foot eight inches, I did my best to be a point guard. I also played football for a few years. I’ve always been a strong supporter of athletics. The more students feel that the school is a part of their life, and that they’re a member of the community, the more successful they will be in the classroom. In terms of coaching, I coached for a few years, of course basketball. Athletics have always been a big part of who I am and what I think a school should be. However, I don’t want to diminish the role of the arts, student leadership and club activities. I want every student to know that we all have different gifts given to us by God, and we are here at Notre Dame to maximise what those gifts can do for us.
E: Yeah, we definitely have a lot of arts going on here as well as athletics. I’m not sure if you’ve been introduced to our drama and music and visual arts events and clubs yet.
MC: I attended Arts Night last June. Ms. Tolan invited me. I also attended some of the leadership events which Mrs. Munro was also kind to invite. The soccer-baseball tournament that the Prefects ran for example, as well as some sporting events. They were all a great success. Notre Dame has been especially welcoming. I congratulate Mrs. MacDonald on her years of service to our school community, and I hope that I can continue the great work that has already been started, and to add a little bit more to the recipe.
E: Alright so onto the next question, what are your best memories of being in high school?
MC: Relationships. Relationships with those teachers who cared, who made me feel safe and welcomed, who inspired and motivated me, who came to know what my interests were and made the teaching in the classroom meaningful to my life experience. The friendships you build with your peer group, and those memories of the first time you did something. Your first dance, your first football game, your first exam, your first date, graduation, and all those things that adolescents go through that make it fun in high school because you go through it with someone else. You go through it with your friends from elementary school and your new high school friends, your parents, your teachers. So, yes, relationships. Just understanding that we’re part of a community and that we’re here with a sense of purpose to support each other. If I can, in my role, recapture that, or help recapture that for our student body, then I think that I’ve done my job as a principal.
E: Exactly, and I think that a huge part of making memories in high school is being involved in the school community, do you have any plans to encourage student involvement in events and activities this year?
MC: Absolutely. A huge part of encouragement is being involved as the school Principal. I can’t speak about ‘hey let’s join the art club’ or ‘let’s be a writer for the newspaper’ if I’m not there being a part of it myself, as a fan, as a spectator. Living the experience goes a long way in motivating others to do the same. Its is also important to provide the teachers, the coaches, and the leaders of different clubs, the resources and the funds to make it happen. To build enthusiasm, you need to invest in it yourself.
E: That’s right, and especially for people entering the school, it might be different getting involved in a new environment as well.
MC: Yes, and you might have to have a club fair, or a number of announcements that go out to the parent community. It’s very important that we communicate to and engage parents in the life of the school as we did on the grade nine orientation day. We talked to the parents about the importance of having their child get involved in the school beyond the classroom in some capacity. I understand that high school life can be a bit anxious and intimidating for students in grade nine, but when you’re involved in an activity, you’re going to get to meet new people, which is going to inspire you to greatness.
E: What did you do before coming here to Notre Dame?
MC: I served two years as Principal at Bishop Reding CSS, and prior to that, I served two years as Vice Principal at Jean Vanier CSS in Milton. When Bishop Reding reached 1700 students, the Board built a new school, which was a great learning experience for me. It was great to start up a school with its own identity, new school colours, school logos, just building a culture unique in its own. And now I’m here, excited about Notre Dame, a fantastic school rich in tradition in terms of academic achievement and the arts, music, athletics, etc. We brought in a number of great teachers and support staff over the last few years who I am excited to be joining.
E: Well we’re excited to have you here too. I guess you kind of touched on this already, but what are your impressions of Notre Dame so far?
MC: I love the parent and student community. There’s a lot of energy and motivation to be successful, and I think that is very important. Teachers here are very strong, as well as the connection between home and school, and I also know that the partnership between the school and the parish continues to thrive. But I’m not here just to maintain the status quo. No matter how good a school is, it could always be better, and I’m here to help facilitate and provide our staff and our students the resources and the opportunities to achieve greater success. Post-secondary life is very important to a student’s professional future, and if we can best prepare our students for that next step, not only academically in the classroom but emotionally and spiritually, then we are being successful in our roles and responsibilities as adults.
E: Moving on to the next question, what are you most looking forward to during your first year here.
MC: A lot of listening and a lot of learning. Listening to what the student’s needs are, what their interests are, and what’s meaningful to them. The same is true of the parents. Every parent wants their child to be successful and they know their child best. Listening and really digesting people’s interests is important. I will do the same with staff. We have teachers who have been here for only two or three years and teachers who have been here for twenty, so there’s a lot of knowledge to be learned. Of course, I have my own vision for the school as a principal. I believe in relationships, I believe in building community, I believe that working together collectively accomplishes more than working in individual silos. Enrollment in the school has decreased quite consistently over the years, and I’m here to rebuild that. As far as I’m concerned, in North Burlington, this is the school to be at. Notre Dame is the natural choice, so how do you make it obvious to people? Well, you build greatness around the community. That is what I am here to facilitate, and I look forward to accomplishing the goal.
E: Do you plan on making any changes to the events or clubs that we hold during the year here?
MC: If there are changes that support student success, absolutely. If there are changes that support the ability of teachers to get more involved, and to broaden the opportunities for them and for the students, absolutely. To change things for the sake of change alone, is ridiculous. Change to enhance, change to broaden, change to provide new opportunities are important, because as many club and teams as there are, whether it be sports, or the arts, or student leadership, there’s always something more that can be contributed. There may be clubs that haven’t existed here for some time that we can resurrect, and there may be clubs that have never existed and can now be born. New technologies provide new opportunities. So, you have to adapt. If Notre Dame is going to thrive, and continue to be a success for its students, then we have to be on the cutting edge, to be leaders among the school and our community.
E: I totally agree. It seems to be that there’s always something going on here and that there are always new things to be a part of.
MC: That’s music to my ears.
E: We especially have a lot of involvement in athletics, did you participate on any teams when you were in high school?
MC: Yes, I did. I played some soccer. I have a bronze OFSAA medal and an Ontario Soccer Association gold medal. So, as an athlete, soccer was always something that I excelled in, but it wasn’t my favourite sport. My favourite sport was actually basketball. Unfortunately, I wasn’t blessed with the height that some of my friends were. At five foot eight inches, I did my best to be a point guard. I also played football for a few years. I’ve always been a strong supporter of athletics. The more students feel that the school is a part of their life, and that they’re a member of the community, the more successful they will be in the classroom. In terms of coaching, I coached for a few years, of course basketball. Athletics have always been a big part of who I am and what I think a school should be. However, I don’t want to diminish the role of the arts, student leadership and club activities. I want every student to know that we all have different gifts given to us by God, and we are here at Notre Dame to maximise what those gifts can do for us.
E: Yeah, we definitely have a lot of arts going on here as well as athletics. I’m not sure if you’ve been introduced to our drama and music and visual arts events and clubs yet.
MC: I attended Arts Night last June. Ms. Tolan invited me. I also attended some of the leadership events which Mrs. Munro was also kind to invite. The soccer-baseball tournament that the Prefects ran for example, as well as some sporting events. They were all a great success. Notre Dame has been especially welcoming. I congratulate Mrs. MacDonald on her years of service to our school community, and I hope that I can continue the great work that has already been started, and to add a little bit more to the recipe.
E: Alright so onto the next question, what are your best memories of being in high school?
MC: Relationships. Relationships with those teachers who cared, who made me feel safe and welcomed, who inspired and motivated me, who came to know what my interests were and made the teaching in the classroom meaningful to my life experience. The friendships you build with your peer group, and those memories of the first time you did something. Your first dance, your first football game, your first exam, your first date, graduation, and all those things that adolescents go through that make it fun in high school because you go through it with someone else. You go through it with your friends from elementary school and your new high school friends, your parents, your teachers. So, yes, relationships. Just understanding that we’re part of a community and that we’re here with a sense of purpose to support each other. If I can, in my role, recapture that, or help recapture that for our student body, then I think that I’ve done my job as a principal.
E: Exactly, and I think that a huge part of making memories in high school is being involved in the school community, do you have any plans to encourage student involvement in events and activities this year?
MC: Absolutely. A huge part of encouragement is being involved as the school Principal. I can’t speak about ‘hey let’s join the art club’ or ‘let’s be a writer for the newspaper’ if I’m not there being a part of it myself, as a fan, as a spectator. Living the experience goes a long way in motivating others to do the same. Its is also important to provide the teachers, the coaches, and the leaders of different clubs, the resources and the funds to make it happen. To build enthusiasm, you need to invest in it yourself.
E: That’s right, and especially for people entering the school, it might be different getting involved in a new environment as well.
MC: Yes, and you might have to have a club fair, or a number of announcements that go out to the parent community. It’s very important that we communicate to and engage parents in the life of the school as we did on the grade nine orientation day. We talked to the parents about the importance of having their child get involved in the school beyond the classroom in some capacity. I understand that high school life can be a bit anxious and intimidating for students in grade nine, but when you’re involved in an activity, you’re going to get to meet new people, which is going to inspire you to greatness.
"I want every student to know that we all have gifts given to us by God, and we are here at Notre Dame to maximize what that gift can do for us."
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E: Yeah, and you sort of touched on this already, but what advice would you give to a grade nine who’s just entering high school this year? MC: Know that you’re safe, and that you have teachers who care. Get involved in the school, whether it’s athletics or the arts, or both, or whatever else interests and inspires you, and know that your gifts are going to shine. E: Yeah, I think that’s a good sort of mantra to live by going through high school. But grade nines aren’t the only group of people who are going to be experiencing changes this year but the grade twelves as well who are getting ready to move into their post secondary lives |
MC: I’m sure they’re excited about what is out there ahead of them, but there’s also some anxiety that comes with the unknown. For example, what program do I want to do, is it right for me, where should I apply, what’s my pathway, what’s life going to be like when I’m on my own? I get that, but the advice that I want to give is, you’re a beautiful person with many great talents, just believe in yourself and go out there with confidence and humility. You’re going to be a success whether it be at Queen’s University, Mohawk College or in an apprenticeship program. Success is the reward to those who work hard and are gracious and kind in their work.
E:I think that’s a big struggle that a lot of students have.
MC: Yes, statistics show that the average person in their adult life changes their careers five, six times, so you might go into university or college thinking this program, and you might end up graduating in another program. You might go to university for four or five years, then get a diploma in a field that requires more hands-on experience. Many people don’t realize that 20% of Colleges are made up university graduates. Understanding that it’s okay to change your mind and develop new interests is important, it leads to new worlds and challenges that we never previously imagined.
E: Yeah, It’s definitely good to keep in mind that nothing’s permanent, that that you can do what you love.
MC: Exactly.
E:So those are all the questions that I have for you, do you have anything else that you’d like to say.
MC: All I want to say is that I’m excited to be at Notre Dame. I’m looking forward to getting to know more of the parent and student community. I want to see the school grow. I look forward to working with the staff to meet the needs of our students. Modeling and engaging goes a long way to building the whole child. It isn't just the classroom, it’s also the emotional well being, their mental health, their spiritual development, and their relationship with God.
E: After meeting Mr. Cordeiro, I knew that his transition into the school community would be a smooth one, and that Notre Dame is in reliable hands, and hopefully you feel the same. With us being only a few days into the semester, we have an entire year of new experiences ahead of us. Good luck, and remember to make the most of it! InsideND thanks you for reading!