Happy New Year everyone! With God’s good grace and the support of all facets of the Saint Michael Catholic High School community, we are well-positioned for

another wonderful semester at our school.

The support of the community – students, staff, parents, and all community stakeholders, Saint Michael has once again proven itself to be a responsive and responsible school community. From the tremendous $21,000.00 raised for our annual Rwanda initiatives through the pilgrimage, to the annual Christmas Basket drive to support those less fortunate in our community, Saint Michael has once again proven itself to be a beacon of Catholic and social justice initiatives.

We have enjoyed a very successful first semester with staff, students, and parents focused on the ingredients that make Saint Michael such a unique place: Catholic values, strong academics, competitive teams, active clubs, a common direction and a social conscience.

Our after-school P3 program offering additional academic assistance for students continues to be a popular and worthwhile endeavour. Our review sessions in preparation for EQAO assessments are heralded as among the “best practices” within our school system.

Speaking of after school hours, there is always something going on after the 2:15 p.m. dismissal. From sports teams, to clubs, to after-school academic help sessions, the halls, gym, library and grounds of Saint Michael are a place of activity for an extended period of time after classes finish. We encourage all students to get involved with co-curricular programs to enhance their experience at Saint Michael.

Please visit our school website (www.saintmichaelmustangs.com) for information on up-coming events and reporting dates. Through-out the semester students will bring home markbook reports from each of their teachers. If at any time you would like to speak with any teacher regarding your child’s progress, please call them on their voicemail extensions.

Further, please continue to use the SafeArrival system to report your child’s absence from school on a day-by-day basis. It is only with your assistance that we can maintain correct records and ensure that your son or daughter is where you and we believe them to be. Please also note that the Education Act provides for a very restrictive set of eligible reasons for a student to be away from school – namely illness, an appointment which cannot be scheduled outside of school time, bereavement, or any other unavoidable emergency. We ask for your indulgence in working with us to ensure that we are in compliance with these attendance expectations.

We are currently in the process of readying to have students choose courses for next year and hope to have this process completed by early March. Please ensure that you coordinate these course choices with your son or daughter to ensure that you are fully aware of their academic selections for next year.

Mr. Ken GriepsmaPrincipalSaint Michael Catholic High School

Mustangs Newsletter 8699 McLeod Rd.Niagara Falls, Ontario, L2E 6S5Phone: (905) 356-5155Fax: (905) 356-6626

Winter 2017OUR FAMILY OF SCHOOLSFather Hennepin Catholic Elementary School Loretto Catholic Elementary School Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Elementary SchoolSacred Heart Catholic Elementary SchoolSaint Joseph Catholic Elementary School

Saint Michael Catholic High School

Religion DepartmentThe Coldest Night of the Year is a fantastically fun, family-friendly 2, 5 or 10km walk that raises money for the hungry, homeless and hurting in 80+ communities across Canada. By joining the walk in Niagara Falls proceeds raised will support Project SHARE’s emergency services and provide participants the opportunity to experience a hint of the challenges faced by those experiencing homelessness in their own community.Saint Michael Catholic High School is looking for energetic and motivated community members to become Coldest Night of the Year participants. See Mr. Cukierski or a member of the Religion Department for details on how to join our team.

When: Saturday February 25Where: Saint Paul Catholic High

School

SCHEDULE:4:00pm – Registration opens5:00pm – Opening Ceremonies5:15pm – Walk begins! (all distances)6:00pm – Registration closes8:00pm – Route closes

~Mr. DeCicco

Culture of LifeOn November 24th, Saint Michael students attended the 4th annual Culture of Life Conference at Mount

Carmel Spiritual Centre. Fr Tom Lynch, our guest speaker, talked about life issues.~Chaplain Smith

Christmas Basket ProjectThis year, through our Christmas Basket Project, Saint Michael supported 27 families through Project Share, Hannah House, Nova House and within our own school community.

Advent MassThe Saint Michael community celebrated our Advent Mass on December 14th. Bishop Bergie presided and blessed our Christmas Baskets that were being delivered to families in our community.~Chaplain Smith

Student Services DepartmentPreparing to move onOver the past few months Grade 12 students have had the opportunity to attend numerous presentations that took place at Saint Michael with Ontario University and College Representatives. In addition, University bound students had the opportunity to attend the University Information Program which took place at Saint Paul Catholic High School; where all 21 Ontario Universities were in attendance. Those interested

in attending College took advantage of a bus that

brought them to

ncdsb.schoolcashonline.com/ . There is also a point of sale terminal in the Student Services office and students have the option of making payment via debit or credit card. The activity fee covers the costs of a yearbook, student handbook, student I.D card, recognition of student achievement items, locker and lock rental, and other student activities throughout the school year.

Thinking 12B?Those Grade 12 students that intend on coming back for 12B must set up an appointment with a Guidance counselor to fill out a returning Grad form.

GraduationThis year’s Graduation ceremony will be held on Tuesday, June 27th at Niagara Colleges’ Welland Campus. Graduates will be expected to pay a Grad fee of $100 to cover the cost of invitations, programs, flowers, grad gown and cap and one 5X7 graduation photo. Payment will be due when Grad photos are taken; this will be during the week of February 6th. To date, this year’s graduating class is made up of 187 students. ~Mr. Zanutto

Resource DepartmentAs we begin a new semester a draft copy of the Semester 2 Individual Education Plan will be mailed to the homes of all students presently on an IEP. Parents/ guardians are asked to

the College Information Program which was held at Niagara College. Students had the opportunity to meet with 24 Ontario College representatives. Parents and students have also had the chance to visit various Fall Open Houses that were being held at our Ontario Universities and Colleges. The application deadline for applying to University was January 11th and this year we had 95 of our students apply. The equal consideration date for applying to College is February 1st. To date, 62 students have applied. First semester final marks will be submitted to the Ontario Universities Application Centre (OUAC) no later than February 15th and to the Ontario Colleges Application Centre no later than February 10th.

Planning for next yearMembers of the Student Services department visited our Family of Schools the week of January 30th to distribute Grade 9 Intention sheets. In preparation for course selection for Saint Michael students, members of the Student Services department will be visiting Gr. 9, 10 and 11 classes from February 8th to February 16th to help students to make the right selection of courses and to guide them through the online process. Students will be given a handout with step-by-step instructions of how to apply online. Online registration opens on Thursday, February 16th and closes on Sunday, March 5th. We are encouraging all parents to pay the $55 activity fee online via https://

carefully review this document and forward any questions or concerns to Educational Resource Teachers, Mr. Casburn and Mr. Baldassarro or Special Education Classroom Teacher, Mr. Casucci. The I.E.P. is a working document that can be reviewed or modified anytime throughout the school year. During exam week Mr. Casucci`s class kept active by bowling at Cataract Lanes. In addition to this the class thoroughly enjoyed a lunch outing at the Guilty Burger. On February 14th, 2017 our Special Education Class will be hosting a Valentine`s Day Dance in our school gymnasium. Invitations have been sent out to all secondary schools in our board. This dance has been very successful in the past and we hope to make this event the talk of the town. Hope to see you there! Parents are encouraged to view the new bulletin board displays outside of the Resource Room. These displays offer news and happenings that positively impact the lives of our Special Education students.~Mr. Baldassarro

English Department The English Department is extremely excited about this year’s publishing mentorship students who are preparing their work for submission to literary journals across the country. Predicated by the success of Writer’s Craft students who have gone on to publish poems in nationally acclaimed literary

journals like The Claremont Review. Saint Michael’s is establishing quite the literary tradition in the Niagara Region. Eventually, we hope to reach the ultimate goal of publishing full length books written by Saint Michael alumni. As we inch closer and closer to the literacy test date in March, preparation is in full gear as grade ten students are immersed in week long preparation packages, mock tests and P3 after school sessions. Finally, Saint Michael’s will once again assume a leadership role in the upcoming Inspiring Student Thinker’s Conference in May 2017, which will host and introduce internationally famous and award winning authors to our burgeoning writing students. ~Mr. Serravalle

Social Science DepartmentThe Social Science department has had a very busy first semester with the planning of our Remembrance Day Ceremony and preparations to highlight and recognize Ontario’s first annual Aboriginals Treaties Week. We had many students involved in the Remembrance Day Ceremony and each teacher in our department made a point of highlighting Treaties Week with a lesson that specifically focused on the history and importance of our relationship with our Aboriginal communities. We are now very excited to begin second semester and plan for a variety on new learning opportunities both in and out of the classroom. We are planning a Social Science trip for interested grade 10 to 12 students. The trip will allow students the opportunity to visit Queen’s Park our provincial legislature and the Royal Ontario Museum to take part in subject specific lessons led by a museum teacher. Our grade 10 and 11 Native Studies courses will also be taking a trip to the Six Nations Reserve in Ohsweken, which will provide them with the opportunity to experience some of the customs and traditions that define Canada’s cultural diversity. Mr. Bomberry’s class

Kirsten Carter and Makayla Wallace work on their circuit board projects.

Science DepartmentCongratulations to Eimaan Kahn, Nicholas Ierfino and Emily Hunter who have recently completed science projects at Brock University, through the Brock Mentorship program. These students were able to work in science research labs to conduct their own research and each will present their findings in the upcoming Niagara Region Science and Engineering Fair. If you are interested in participating in the Brock Mentorship program in your senior year, please speak with Mrs. Caruso-Leitch or Mr. Duns. Our annual Science Olympics is fast approaching and we are looking for students to be part of our planning committee. Please listen to announcements and be sure to join us if you are interested in organizing this fantastic event. The STM Science Olympics is open to all students in all grade levels. Teams of three compete in small activities that challenge everyone to put their thinking and communication skills to use. Registration begins in the early Spring and we invite all students to participate. ~ Mrs. Caruso-Leitch

has also invited Sherry Bomberry, a survivor of the Residential School’s to discuss her personal stories. I am sure these opportunities will be truly eye opening experiences for the many students taking part. We are thrilled to have your children in our classes and as always, the teachers in the Social Science department are available to work with you to meet every student’s individual needs.~Mrs. Chmiel

Students in Mrs. Caruso-Leitch’s Chemistry class show off their copper-plated Chemistry Christmas Ornaments.

Moderns DepartmentFRENCH CORNER: VIVE LE FRANCAISOn December 22nd the Grade 10 French Students prepared creative festive drinks. The students explained in French the drink that they prepared for a holiday or festival. This activity allowed students to practice their communication skills while enjoying a treat. On November 28th the Grade 10 French Class prepared a Career Fair as they explored possible jobs and careers whereby French would enhance and enrich their future prospects of career and jobs in a competitive job market. On December 15th, 2017 the Grade 12 French Class visited Crêpe de licious on Victoria

Street. They ordered their meal in French and enjoyed authentic French desserts in a French milieu. The experience enabled students to use French outside the classroom with the appreciation of French Culture and Cuisine.~Mrs. Lambert

Math DepartmentCongratulations to all the students that completed their math credit during first semester. Those of you who excel in mathematics may consider volunteering to be a student tutor this coming semester in our P3 Program. It’s a great way to earn extra marks or community service hours while keeping your math skills sharp! For those students that have math Semester 2, please ask your teacher for help as soon as it is required in order to avoid getting behind. Our P3 Program is ran in the library after school everyday and there is always a math teacher present for assistance. Good luck to our math students that will be writing the Waterloo Math Contests.

The Pascal (grade 9), Cayley (grade 10) and Fermat (grade 11) contests will be written on February 28th. The grade 12 Euclid Contest will be written on April 16th. Past contests are available on-line for practice or see any math teacher for help in preparing. Stay tuned for results in the next newsletter! Continued success to all our math students. This is a subject where hard work pays off! ~Mrs. Milinkovich

Business / Technology DepartmentTechnological studies is beginning to prep for the upcoming Technological Skills Event. This year the local competition will be held at the ScotiaBank Centre in Niagara Falls on March 8, 2017. This event is a must see event for the public as it showcases much of Niagara Catholic’s talents in many of the technological sectors. Technological studies is a worthwhile and viable pathway for so many students. Universities, Colleges and Apprenticeship programs are recruiting top students into the many lucrative programs they offer. The choices are many and the job market is waiting for tomorrow’s highly skilled grads.~Mr. Cianflone

SMTV / Tech CrewThis year SMTV has helped a number of community organizations.Mario Carpino, William Post, Braden Parent, Sean Saulnier, Ethan Stringer, Caitlin Davidson, Jakob Arp and John Byers were instrumental in the video coverage of our Mustangs Got Talent production. Not to be out done Samantha Lightfoot created the Maker Challenge video presented at Brock University. But wait, that is not all, we also entered the OCTE competition with a video to help to inform others about Technological Education. If you are interested in viewing some

of the video please go to our youtube channel. Youtube.com/stmhighschool.~Mr. Mayer

Art DepartmentVisual ArtsThe Visual Arts were celebrated at the C.E.C. in December with a ceremony to recognize several artists whose Christmas Card Artwork designs were chosen by the Board. Among only 9 winners was our own Alexandra Khem Marquez from Grade 11 Art Class. Shown here is Alexandra’s artwork. Congratulations on using your talent and making us proud! ~Mrs. Yablo

Iris Chiu with her drawing of the adminstration staff.

Some students in school may need extra support because of their delays in development.

I have been working with children with special needs for the past four years. Recently, I have started helping out with the Special Education students at the school. I have primarily been working with Thomas, who is now a member of tech crew. Thomas and I have worked on several projects together including testing the audio and running the slideshow at the school masses. Working with the students has given me the experience and knowledge that helped me decide to pursue this career in the future.

~Caitlin Davidson

Making Friends

Physical Education

Department

Junior Boys Volleyball

Junior Boys VolleyballThe Junior Boys Volleyball team had a tremendous season this fall. With some veteran grade tens and a crop of inexperienced grade nines, the boys quickly came together as a team. Practicing four and five days a week, the skills of the boys rapidly improved and they were ready for competition. Their success began in the home opening win against Blessed Trinity and continued through to their final game of the season against Notre Dame. There were some very close matches, including several overtime wins, and this made for some very exciting volleyball. With stellar serving and aggressive defense the boys went undefeated with a record

of 7 - 0. Their Cinderella season came to an end in the NCAA playoffs however, in a scrappy loss to the Holy Cross Raiders. Congratulations to

all the members of the team for their dedication to the sport and intensity on the court. We’re looking forward to continuing our success next year. ~Coaches Kinney

Sr Girls VolleyballOur senior girls volleyball team is now in the middle of our season. Our offence is led by senior setters, Camilla Trojanowski and Emily Pasco, middles, Victoria Danelski and Ashley Harris and left side, Cristina Ieraci, and Kennedy Knezevich. These girls are always ready to dictate play and lead by example. Our starting line up consists of hustle and athleticism which contributes to the girls success. Our lady mustangs are awaiting play offs with only one more regular season Caitlin and Thomas at the Valentines Dance

Mr. Carter’s grade 9 Physical Education class

game left. They are 3-2 in NCAA league play and hope to improve their record after exams. Come out to watch the last home game of the year on February 7 at 4:30 at Saint Michael Catholic High School in the gymnasium.Let’s go Mustangs!!! ~Coach Carter

Senior Boys Basketball

Senior Boys BasketballThe Saint Michael Mustangs Senior Boys` Basketball Team came into the exam break with a 3-3 record in the highly competitive Niagara Catholic Athletic Association. The boys participated in two tournaments in the United States and gained invaluable experience. This young team looks forward to making some noise in the Niagara Falls Review Tournament and playoffs which will take place in early February. Go Mustangs!~Mr. Baldassarro

Curling TeamThe Saint Michael Catholic High Curling team has been re-established this year and is off to a great start. Players Logan Bell, Brad Sim, Kyle Ahn and Evan Heywood are working hard at improving their techniques and are looking forward to their upcoming bonspiels to determine Zone champions. Curling is a wonderful sport and great Canadian past-time. If you are interested in curling, please see Mrs. Caruso-Leitch in room 229. ~Mrs. Caruso-Leitch

One Earth

Eco Action TeamThe Mustang Eco Action Team hosted a Fairtrade and Sustainable Christmas Market in the atrium on Friday December 16th 2016. The students would like to thank the vendors Ten Thousand Villages, One Earth and Global Hearts for bringing unique items from around the world. We hope that students and staff will continue to make an effort to make ethical purchases all year round. A few of the members of the Eco Team head up the Fairtrade and Eco tables where they hand out information and sell reusable gift bags that they sewed using recycled fabrics. ~Mrs. DiMercurio

Ten Thousand Villages

Volunteer Fair

MUSTANGS GOT TALENT

Important Dates

February 17—P.D. DayFebruary 20—Family Day HolidayFebruary 23—Student Leadership SymposiumFebruary 24—Out of Uniform DayFebruary 27—Early Progress Report Sent Home February 28—Shrove TuesdayFebruary 28 to March 2—Maddalena Uniforms Shop Open for Next Year StudentsMarch 1—ASH WEDNESDAYMarch 1 to April 13—ECO Team’s Lenten Clothing DiveMarch 2—French/Spanish/Italian Public Speaking March 5—First Sunday of LENTMarch 8—Spirit Wear DayMarch 9—Development and Peace 50th AnniversaryMarch 12—Second Sunday of LENT Daylight Savings Begins March 13 to March 17—March BreakMarch 17—St. Patrick’s DayMarch 19—Third Sunday of LENTMarch 26—Fourth Sunday of LENTMarch 29—Out of Uniform DayMarch 30—OSSLT March 31—Maplewood Markbook Reports sent homeApril 1—Bishop’s GalaApril 2—Fifth Sunday of LENTApril 4—Student Council Election Process BeginsApril 5 to April 15—Vimy Ridge 100th Anniversary TripApril 6—Parent/Teacher ConferencesApril 9—PALM SUNDAYApril 10 to April 14—HOLY WEEKApril 13—HOLY THURSDAY Drama/LiturgyApril 14—GOOD FRIDAYApril 15—VIGIL SATURDAYApril 16—EASTER SUNDAYApril 17—EASTER MONDAY April 18—Last Day of Term 1April 19—First day of Term 2April 20—First Day of SpringApril 26—Out of Uniform DayApril 27 to April 29—Ontario Catholic Student Leadership Conference (YCDSB)April 28—Mid-Term Report sent homeApril 30 to May 6—CATHOLIC EDUCATION WEEKMay 1—Catch the Spirit May 4—Science OlympicsMay 5—Distinguished Alumni Awards Mustang Spring Semi-Formal Citizenship Ceremony and Foot FestivalMay 14—Mother’s Day