Message from the Principal
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The routine that accompanies school start-up now has us all back into an altogether familiar rhythm. And while I know a few people who do not savour the less scheduled nature of our summer breaks, there is an (almost) indescribable comfort to the return of a pattern that we have all known since we were little. Fall, in our part of the world, is synonymous with a return to classes, the excitement of reconnecting with old friends, the establishment of new ones, and the opportunity to begin anew.
We, at STMC, have encouraged our students to continue to set high standards for themselves - both inside and outside of the classroom - and to contribute to our school and our community in ways that epitomize the very best of a Blessed Edmund Rice Christian Brother Education. It is not only our hope, but it is our expectation that our students leave every situation they are involved in BETTER than when they first found it; be that in a classroom with their peers, on the stage or on a riser during a performance, on an athletic field of competition, or via one of the numerous servant leadership opportunities that are available to students at St. Thomas More Collegiate.
Perhaps most importantly, we have encouraged our students to not be passive bystanders. Education – and in particular Blessed Edmund Rice Christian Brother Education – is not a spectator sport. Those who choose to simply wait for things to ‘happen’ will potentially miss out on some phenomenal experiences and opportunities. This first term sets the tone for the year and a good start is critical. And while we at STMC have generally been pleased with how the vast majority of students have started the year, the beginning of October is an excellent opportunity to stop, take stock, and re-calibrate to ensure that we all stay on track!
Faith in action… Action through faith!
Blessings,
Mr. Steve Garland
STMC Principal
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Message from the President
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A Time of Thanksgiving
The days are getting shorter and a wee bit crisp. Those seemingly endless days of heat and drought this summer is fading into our memory. As we gather with family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving, perhaps take a moment to reflect on all the little things for which you are truly thankful.
For myself, I am thankful for each person at STMC who steps up to accept the challenge of a leadership role – whether it be volunteering with the PA or the new roles that have been created within our administration. For those people, it’s not about the title. It is about living the vision and empowering others to be able to accomplish what is needed to take STMC to the next level in many different areas.
I am thankful for the students who are living the charisms of Blessed Edmund Rice and standing in solidarity with people marginalized by poverty and injustice. There are many examples of our Knights at home and abroad taking action to facilitate positive change.
I am thankful for my own family spread from coast to coast and across the globe.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to our new website – countless hours and a true team effort.
Today, I am thankful for the internet which allowed me to be on vacation in Italy and still be able to make the submission deadline for this newsletter!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your extended family.
Live, Jesus, in our hearts … Forever.
Mrs. Neysa M. Finnie
STMC President
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As we celebrate Thanksgiving this month, we take a moment to thank everyone who has given their time, talent, and treasure in support of our school and our students this past year. With the new and exciting school year already in full swing, our Knights are enjoying the benefits of our donors' generous gifts toward bursaries, curricular and co-curricular programs, and areas of greatest need.
We gratefully acknowledge members of our STMC community for giving to our inaugural Knights Annual Fund campaign last year. Your gifts to the Fund and a major philanthropic gift from a family we received over the summer, enabled STMC to introduce a new Robotics program this year. Our new Robotics Lab opened in the first week of school and we could not be more thrilled to have not only the space, variety and level of new technology available to our students, but also the experiential learning opportunities that this new program offers our Knights.
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Thank you very much!
STMC Advancement Team
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2: New Website Launched!
8:
Thanksgiving Holiday
16:
Academic Knight
19:
Provincial Pro-D Day
26:
Missions: Jeans Day
31:
Halloween Dress Up
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ACADEMIC KNIGHT - Tuesday, October 16, 2018 @ 6:30 PM, STMC Gym
At this special evening, our students will be recognized for their academic achievements in the past school year (2017/18). Certificates for Honours Distinction, First Class, Honours, and Subject Medals will be awarded to deserving students who are currently in grades 9 - 12.
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WELCOME TO NEW STMC FACULTY & STAFF!
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Mrs. Bev Anchikoski, Administrative Assistant, is a Notre Dame Regional Secondary alum, and a graduate of Corpus Christi College and of Kwantlen Polytechnic University. While a student in university, she served on mission trips with NET Ministries in Ireland, Catholic Christian Outreach of Halifax and Lifeteen Intl in Georgia, USA.
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Mr. Andy Beadon,
Faculty
(Robotics 10-12, Graphic Des 11-12, IT 8-9)
,
taught Graphic Design, AP Computer Science, and Robotics for 12 years at Crofton House School and was also the Coordinator of Faculty IT Education at Crofton in the past six years. He holds a Bachelor of Computer Science from Dalhousie University and a Masters in Digital Media from the Centre for Digital Media, Vancouver. He earned his teaching credentials in Dunedin, NZ.
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Mr. Mitchel Cavallarin, Faculty
(Science 9), is not entirely new to STMC as he had been a T.O.C. in 2016/17 and 2017/18 school years. Now a full-time teacher, Mr. Cavallarin also coaches the senior lacrosse team. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, USA.
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Ms. Susan MacIntosh, School Librarian, held posts as teacher librarian at international schools in Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and most recently, at the Nexus International School in Singapore. She holds a Master of Library and Information Studies from Dalhousie University, and a B.A. in English Literature and a Postgrad Teaching Certificate from SFU.
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Mr. Jared Power, Faculty
(French 8, Religion 11),
comes home
after teaching Senior French and Social Studies at Vancouver College for the past four years. An STMC alum (2004), he holds a Bachelor of General Studies in Education, minor in French and History from SFU, and completed the Teacher Education Program at UBC. He coaches varsity football, badminton, and track & field.
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Ms. Barbara Stepkowski, Faculty
(Drama 8-10, Theatre Performance 11-12), holds a B.Ed. (Secondary) English/Drama and a B.A in Theatre from UBC. Prior to STMC, Ms. Stepkowski was a T.O.C. at St. Patrick Secondary School and at Vancouver College in all subject areas. Before embarking on a teaching career, she had a long career as a professional actor in Vancouver and L.A.
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Mr. Jason Wong, Communications Manager, is a Notre Dame Regional Secondary alum. He comes to STMC from Monarch Pediatric Dental Centre where he was the Marketing and Administration Officer for the past two years. He holds a Diploma of Computer Information Technology from BCIT, and a B.Com., w/ specialization in Marketing, from UBC Sauder School of Business.
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We are also pleased to welcome back Mr. Joe Adams in a new role as Vice Principal, grades 8 -10, and Ms. Maggie Soares (from maternity leave).
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A Word or Two from the Academic Counsellors
It is the start of another school year and our office is busy. We wanted to make you aware of a few upcoming Post–Secondary Information Events. These are primarily intended for our senior parents and students, but all our welcome to attend.
Hope to see you there!
Mr. Bouwman & Mr. Spanjers
UBC Info Evening – Wednesday, October 10, 2018
7:00 pm-8:00 pm @ STMC Cafeteria
UBC representatives will be in attendance to offer information about their programs and the new UBC admissions process. A must-attend event for those contemplating heading to UBC.
Study and Go Abroad – Sunday, October 21, 2018
1:00 pm-5:00 pm @ Vancouver Convention Centre
Pre-register for this fair. It is free but you save yourself a lot of time by doing it ahead of time online. Go to
Study and Go Abroad Fair Pre-Register.
Numerous international schools are represented.
BCIT: BIG Info Session – Wednesday, November 14
4:30-7:30pm @ BCIT Burnaby Campus
Post-Secondary Institution Fair – Monday, November 19
6:30pm-8:30pm Location: STMC Various Rooms
Post-secondary schools from throughout the province of BC will be in attendance.
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FRENCH - TRIP TO FRANCE! Now accepting applications.
Where:
Paris and the Loire Valley
Cost:
$3,322
When:
First week of spring break (March 2019)
Registration Deadline:
October 9, 2018
Open to all students, with priority given to senior students.
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SCIENCES
Science competitions, contests, research opportunities and clubs will be advertised via Google Classroom this year. Any students interested in staying in the loop should join the class "Extra-curricular Science Opportunities", with the class code
5fe63n
.
The Astronomy Club has already started its year with an observing session on September 27th. The next one will happen in late October. The new Modern Physics Club will meet for the first time on
October 4th at lunch in Room 220
.
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HISTORY
On Thursday, September 27, 2018 we were fortunate to have Mr. Rene Goldman, a Holocaust survivor, speak to our Genocide Studies students and some other classes as well. Mr. Goldman shared his life story from childhood to the outbreak of WWII and beyond. It was great for our students to hear his story of struggle and survival. Our students were glued to his story and asked a number of touching questions. A wonderful experience for all those fortunate to hear.
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ACTION Conference
Four senior STMC students attended the ACTION Student Leadership Conference in Jacksonville, Florida from September 20-23. Chloe Lindsay, Gabe Manansala, Vic Domingo, and Mia Bevacqua were selected by some of their peers to attend this conference of Edmund Rice Christian Brother schools from across North America. At the conference the students learned about the incredible work that the Brothers do around the world and see how they too can continue on this work in their school and in their community. The conference had about 70 students from Hawaii to the Bronx and the spirit of Edmund Rice was alive and well.
No matter where our students come from they all have that common spirit. Our four STMC students were great representatives of our school and shared with their peers some of the amazing programs we have to help those marginalized by poverty and injustice. These four students will now lead the way in creating a new program that will reach some people not yet helped by our community.
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STUDENT HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH
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We'd love to hear about all the wonderful and exciting things
in which our Knights are engaged
! If you have something you would like to share on our social media feeds or in the monthly newsletter send an email to
[email protected]
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The STMC Swim Team practices diligently at
SFU every Monday from 7:15 pm - 9:00 pm. There have already been a few exhibitions in September and these will continue into October starting with the ISA Swimming Meet. Last year, STMC made it into provincials and that will be the goal again this year!
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The Varsity Knights football team got off to an outstanding start this season beating cross town rivals Notre Dame by a score of 35 - 0. It was an especially meaningful victory for the Seniors on the team who now have bragging rights over their buddies from ND.
In the following two games, the Knights managed to beat the 5th ranked AA team SRT by a score of 30 - 6, and the Mount Boucherie Bears from Kelowna by a score of 41 - 0. The Knights capped off September undefeated with a 35-12 win against the Centennial Centaurs on Friday, September 28th.
The month of October will bring two major tests as the Knights will have to face the two top ranked teams in the province, the Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers (October 5th), and the Terry Fox Ravens (October 19th).
The Varsity team is currently ranked #4 in the province.
On this one year anniversary (September 30th) of the passing of our beloved Coach Kully, may the dedication and example that he showed us in his life continue to inspire all of us to be better Knights!
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Message from the Parents Association (PA)
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As we start another school year, I am reminded how fast time flies. I am so fortunate to be a part of the frenzy as I see students returning excited about the year ahead. I can only hope that parents will follow suit and continue to be role models for our growing youth. Our children will follow in our footsteps if given the opportunity to see kindness, helpfulness, happiness, joy and giving.
I ask that every parent in our school take some time out of their busy lives to help out in our community. I assure you that you will receive more than you will ever give. Your time will be appreciated by your children and the STMC community. Please reach out if you have any ideas, skills that you can contribute, or events that you feel we should organize. Our Parents organization can only be as successful as we make it. God blesses those who volunteer.
Marie Takacs
STMC PAC Chair
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Knight Club Uniform Store
The Knight Club Uniform Store is open from 2:30 pm-4pm on the first Thursday of most months. All uniform items, gym strips, and fun accessories are available for sale whenever our doors are open, so come inside and check out what's in store!
Please mark your calendars with our upcoming sale dates:
October 4, 2018 (THIS WEEK!)
November 1, 2018
December 6, 2018
Would you like to stay warm and dry while cheering on the football teams? We’ve just received our long-awaited shipment of newly-designed Knights blankets and they look absolutely fabulous! Come to the next sale and be among the first to pick one up (and maybe an umbrella too)!
If you’d like to skip the long lineups, why not
PRE-ORDER your purchases instead? Just fill out an order form and drop it off (along with payment) in the Knight Club mailbox - it’s securely locked and conveniently located on the uniform store door. We’ll fill your order, then have your child paged at the end of the school day to pick it up during our next sale--super-easy! Order forms are available online on our
new website, in the front office, or from the tray below our mailbox.
Used Uniforms
Bring Back To Give Back! At STMC, we sell used uniforms several times during the year. Last year, the Used Uniforms program contributed $1,500 back to the STMC school community.
Our inventory is low and we are in need of more gym shorts, golf shirts & kilts. All gently-used and clean uniform donations are welcome throughout the school year.
Please drop off your clearly marked donations in the front office during school hours.
If you have any uniform-related questions, comments or concerns, or would like to volunteer in this area, please send an email to:
[email protected]
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Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots
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As a proud STMC alumnus and as a believer of developing global citizens in our city, Richard Liu, '88 introduced the Jane Goodall Institute's Roots & Shoots (R&S) program to St. Thomas More Collegiate in 2017. Through hard work and planning, two amazing STMC students, Isabella Laing and Logan Stimson, were able to establish the first Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots project in our city of Burnaby earlier this year - funded under the APE Fund program to make a difference for Animals, People and the Environment.
This R&S project dubbed "Fruits of the Community" aimed
"to build garden boxes in our school’s courtyard which will be cared for by us, the students who will give what we grow to the Christian brothers living in our school, and the local soup kitchens in our community."
This project was entirely student-led (Richard was only their adult champion/mentor), and they successfully followed the steps by the JGI R&S to "Inspire – Understand – Take Action – Celebrate".
Dr. Jane Goodall Meeting
Dr. Goodall will be coming to Burnaby on October 4th to receive an Honourary Degree from SFU and will have some time to meet with our STMC students to chat, learn about our project, and celebrate.
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