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The Romero Reader

THE ROMERO READER

IN THIS ISSUE :

Principal's Welcome, 2

Grade 9 Orientation, 2

Summer School, 2

Terry Fox, 3

DD/ME Summer School, 3

Student Advisory Council, 3

We Day, 4

Ms. Tramonte, 4

Breakfast Club, 4

Kortright Centre, 5

Pumpkin Farm, 5

Nuit Blanche, 5

Duke of Edinburgh's Award, 6

French Program, 6

Co-op, 7

Explore Romero, 7

Portuguese Program, 7

We Scare Hunger, 8

Archbishop Oscar Romero, 8

Romero Art, 9

Romero Raiders, 10-11

GEMS, 12

Ai Weiwei Exhibit, 13

Hot Beverage Program, 13

Community Service Hours, 14

Book Commentary, 15

Editorial, 15

November 2013 Issue No. 4

NEW Grade 9 Summer School at Romero, page 2

Terry Fox Walk, page 3

Principal:

Ms. Mancini

Vice-Principals:

Mr. Sanborn

Mr. Schultz

A Special Thank You

Thank you to the staff at Santa Maria Elementary School and Frank Oke Secondary School for your hospitality and generosity in sharing your gym facilities with us while our gym was under renovations.

deepest hope that each and every one of the students finds this year to be one of personal fulfilment, academic satisfaction and emotional growth. Furthermore, I hope that all students strive to re-main resilient in the face of a world wrought with change

Principal's Welcome

NEW Grade 9 Summer School Program

THE ROMERO READER PAGE 2

By Ms. Mancini

I would like to take this op-

portunity to offer my sincer-est welcome to the students of Archbishop Romero Catholic Secondary School. In particular, I would like to

By Daniel Bernardo

This school year started off

earlier for some students. Two hundred of the incoming grade 9 students had the op-portunity to spend the first three weeks in July at Archbishop Romero CSS participating in the Grade 9 Welcome Program. The ob-jective was to better prepare the students’ transition from elementary school to secon-dary school.

First, it was really fun; students got to meet new

people and make some close friends. Second, they followed a schedule of four courses: Mathematics, English / Liter-acy, Technology and Physical Education. Mr. Raterman, Mr. Silva and Ms. Aucoin con-ducted the courses and Mr. Sanborn was the summer school principal. Moving from room to room better prepared students because they got to learn where classes were, so in September it was much easier to get around. And the best part was that by the end of it, students also received a credit.

The fun continued every Friday with lunch bar-becues—a reward for work-ing hard. Students even went on a school trip to the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). It was a great trip! They got to see so many amazing artefacts, such as dinosaur fossils and Samurai outfits and swords.

Despite the flooding on the first floor, which quickly got cleaned up, stu-dents seemed grateful for this experience. When school started in September, students were familiar with the build-ing, had some friends to hang

and pressures. In the words of Woodrow Wilson: “The differ-ence between a strong man/woman and a weak one is that the former does not give up after a defeat.”

out with, and knew some teachers. Overall, the Grade 9 Summer School program was a success!

recognize the grade nine stu-dents who have shown excep-tional ease and confidence as they have transitioned into our school. For the Toronto Catholic District School Board, it is a year of Hope. In this tradition, it is my

By Jessica Caravela & Melissa Camara

On September 13, 2013 over

two hundred grade 9 students attended the orientation day at the Downsview Hangar. Ro-mero student leaders and staff organized a full day of activi-ties for the students. This event provided the grade 9 students with the chance to

connect with each other in a fun and interactive way away from school.

Ms. Aucoin’s gym leadership class ran activities such as volleyball, soccer and a flipper race. Students were given a pizza lunch with music and dancing during the lunch hour.

Hanging Around at the Hangar

To end off the day the students were taught school cheers to get into the Romero spirit. Welcome grade 9 students!

Drama, cooking, interactive games, computer work-shops, arts and crafts and sports were a few of the many areas of interest avail-able to students. We can't forget the excursion to Bowlerama, Pizza Day, Fri-day dances and BBQ. Many memories and friends were made. We hope to meet again next summer!

By Ms. Kolpakow

Archbishop Romero hosted

the DD/ME Summer School program during July. Over eighty students and twenty support staff took part. What a summer it was! The flood didn't stop the variety of activities offered:

Romero Walks for Cancer Research

PAGE 3 THE ROMERO READER

On September 27, 2013

Archbishop Romero CSS held its 10th annual Terry Fox Walk, raising a total of $3610. Students were kindly asked to bring a minimum $5.00 donation in order to participate. The top donation was brought in by grade 12 student Ruben Borba, with a generous donation of $175. “I was motivated to raise this

By Jessica Caravela

amount because we are all affected by cancer in one way or another.”

Succeeding the walk, students gathered in the court-yard and enjoyed a barbeque manned by the Romero staff. A school dance with a guest DJ in the cafeteria ended the day. This annual fund-raiser provides the opportu-

nity to unite as a community in order to increase awareness and raise funds to support can-cer research. Since 2003, Ro-mero has raised a grand total of $36, 240. Go Romero!

DD/ME Summer School at Romero

Student Advisory Council

By Anaiz Mora

Archbishop Romero’s Student

Advisory Council is responsi-ble for many school initiatives and events. Members meet once a week to discuss and plan these initiatives and events so that the student experience at Romero can be enhanced. Ms. Ferreira-Sosic and Ms. Gentile are the teacher super-visors. SAC consists of mem-

bers from different grades, so there is a fair representation for the student body. Presidents: * Martha De Oliveira (Co) * Ramses Pena (Co)

* Ruben Borba (VP)

Grade 12 Representatives * Renee Wilson * Nicole Domondon

Grade 11 Representatives * Leanne Gazzellone

*Grace Makiese * Anaiz Mora * Sarah Gomes Grade 10 Representatives * Lalena Batchelor * Silvia Madureira Teixeira Grade 9 Representatives * Kyle Batchelor * Andrew Pibiri * Daniel Bernardo * Iara Beleza * Megan Sheppard * Owen Brady * Shemar Alexander

By Melissa Camara


thirteen Romero students, accompanied by Ms. Araujo and Ms. Massarella, attended “We Day” at the Air Canada Centre. This Year over 30, 000 people from all over Southern Ontario participated in this event. Darren Criss, cast member of the television

developing countries through various initiatives such as building schools and providing clean water. ‘Me To We’ was created by Craig and Mark Kielburger because they believed youth can make a significant change in the world. This event was a great opportu-nity to bring students to-gether and inspire them to make a difference in others’

Archbishop Romero Attends “We Day”


lives. The Kielburger broth-ers recognize the importance of being a responsible local and global citizens, and as such citizens there should be an obligation to care for one another. After all, the youth of today will be the leaders of tomorrow.

By Ms. Tramonte

Saluti dall’ Italia!

Ciao a tutti! Over the past

two months, I have been working and travelling in Italy with a group of grade 11 stu-dents from across the TCDSB. In collaboration with the cultural organization, Centro Scuola, we have been given the opportunity to spend a semester studying subjects like English, Classical

Civilizations, Art History, and of course, Italian. This pro-gram is offered every year and is available to all students within the TCDSB. We have moved into the tranquil moun-tain town of Serra San Bruno “nella bella Calabria” known around the world for its mon-astery and religious pilgrim-ages. The sites are “spettacolari,” the people are

“calorosi,” and the food is “meraviglioso!” We have vis-ited Venice, Florence, Rome, Paestum, Taormina, and Mt. Etna just to name a few. It has been a wonderful experience so far, but the spirit and com-munity of Archbishop Ro-mero is greatly missed. Have a wonderful semester and see you in February! A presto!

Breakfast at Romero's

By Ms. Araujo

A healthy breakfast is the best

way to fuel your mind for the school day. A breakfast meal consisting of the three food groups from the Canada Food Guide is what students will find everyday of the week at Romero beginning at 7:45a.m.

Many of our stu-dents take advantage of this and enjoy a breakfast selec-tion, which includes milk, pancakes, gilled cheese, fruit, bagels and yogurt parfait.

Students arriving early for morning sports prac-tices or students who tend to rush out the door and skip breakfast have the opportu-nity to enjoy Romero's Healthy Choice Breakfast

series Glee, hosted the event. The students that attended also enjoyed appearances and per-formances from Demi Lovato, the Jonas Brothers, Imagine Dragons and many other art-ists. However, “We Day” is not just a big concert; it is also a day to gather and focus on important issues. The goal is to encourage students to help other students locally or in

located in room 122, which is between the Guidance office and the Music room.

Also of note is that the success of our breakfast program has been highlighted twice by Breakfast Clubs of Canada on CP24 with special guest Arlene Dickenson from The Dragon's Den; she is a proud supporter and spokesperson for BBC.

Special thanks to Ms. Bugala, Ms. Polsinelli, and Ms. Mykytyn for their early morning commitment and dedication to this Program.

By Daryl James Fonacier

On October 9, 2013

Romero's student leaders went to the Kortright Centre to test their team-building and

leadership skills. The leaders had to work cooperatively to pass the obstacles that were set out for them that day.

The leaders were first separated into three teams, and then began the challenge. Some of the tasks included

Leadership Training


Pumpkins for the Season

By Vy Nguyen

On October 15, 2013

the students of the DD/ME program at Romero went to Andrew's Scenic Acres lo-cated in Milton, Ontario.

The students spent the day exploring the farmland area and learning about the grow-ing process of pumpkins. They were taken on hay rides and received popcorn as a snack. In the spirit of Hallo-ween, they also got to ex-

perience the facility's haunted forest. By the end of the day, the students and staff members got to take home decorative corn and pumpkins, which they had picked themselves.

synchronized walking using a rope and land skis, and figur-ing out how to balance a wooden plank on a log with all team members on the plank. The student leaders quickly realized that they could not just depend on

themselves to achieve their goal – they needed each other to achieve success. The lead-ers learned how to effectively communicate with one an-other to strengthen the team.

‘Doors of Hope’

By Soraya Issamene

On October 5, 2013

two of Romero's former stu-dents participated in this year’s Nuit Blanche Contem-porary Art Exhibit. These two students, Nancy Martins and Jane Lomba Sa Pessoa, painted a door as part of

Toronto’s ‘Doors of Hope’, which represents the mission of the Catholic Charities. This piece of art work repre-sents local social issues and appeals to the audience to be a part of helping others to help those in need. Once again, congratulations to these Romero graduates.

For the Halloween season, the students will be decorating their classroom doors and carving pump-kins. Happy Halloween!


By Ms. Oswin-Groh

The Core French program at

Archbishop Romero begins in grade nine, when students select their French course at either the academic or applied level. The program empha-sizes oral communication

while further developing read-ing and writing skills in French at the grade nine level. Students engage in a variety of “real-world” activities, which explore different themes such as personal identity, social trends, sports, careers, etc. They create advertisements, invitations, posters, dialogues, biographies, and news reports

French at Romero

Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards’ Ceremony


On October 19, 2013

three current Romero students and two Romero graduates received their Duke of Edin-burgh’s Silver Level Award at the Toronto Police College in Etobicoke. Daryl Fonacier, Christelle Matiling, Dalena Dong, Celia Le and Kim Hoang received their award from the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, the Honourable David C. Onley. The Lieuten-ant Governor addressed the

ents to participate in this en-deavour when they were in grade 9, also attended the event. Congratulations to the all the recipients!

160 students, parents and leaders, stressing the impor-tance of this Award. The Sil-ver Award is a great accom-plishment on a journey that will continue into meeting the Gold level challenges. We look forward to con-gratulating these students when they achieve their Gold level Award.

Ms. Schmidt, who was the teacher facilitator to encourage the award recipi-

Breakfast for the Duke

Mr. O’Dea also pre-sented some student partici-pants with their Bronze and Silver Awards.

Iara Beleza, com-mented that this experience has motivated her to meet all the requirements of the Award. Waking up early and meeting Ms. Lopes at 6:45 a.m at Keele Station was diffi-cult, but it was definitely worth it!

his speech by saying, “On this day years ago, I was at the corner of Gerard and Sherbourne panhandling.” He then said that in 2004 he had received the Order of Canada. How does one get from one extreme to the other? The answer is “through hope, vi-sion, and action”—three words repeated throughout the speech. Filipe da Ponte said he was inspired to do his best and try harder in all his does.

By Daniel Bernardo

On October 22, 2013

a group of student partici-pants in the Duke of Edin-burgh’s Award Program at-tended a breakfast offered by the sponsors of the Award. It was held at the Arcadian Court on Bay Street. After breakfast, the keynote speaker was intro-duced; Frank O’Dea started

in order to better understand the nature of the French lan-guage and its culture. The ultimate goal is to provide students with a functional command of the language that they may choose to expand through further study or con-tact with francophone cul-tures. Students who take French at the academic level in

grade 9 are encouraged to continue taking the subject in grades 10 through 12. Bonne Chance!

THE ROMERO READER

By Mr. Myskohlid

Co-operative Education is

alive and growing here at Archbishop Romero. Our students continue to reap the benefits of “Experiential Learning”-- a valuable com-ponent of the Co-op pro-gram that allows our stu-dents the opportunity to develop Essential Skills, and discover an awareness of where their talents and in-

terests may take them. Co-op is creating opportunities for all Romero students who are choosing post secondary destina-tions including workplace, ap-prenticeship, college or univer-sity. This year many of the stu-dents will be entering the "Accelerated" Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Pro-gram” (OYAP) in such areas as Carpentry, Electrical, Plumbing and Child & Youth Practitioner (For a full list of programmes and “Open Houses” come by the Co-op Department).

In light of former Premier McGuinty’s initiative for student success—School to 18, students have opportu-nities to learn in a classroom environment, apprenticeship or workplace training pro-gram until the age of 18 or until high school gradua-tion. Therefore, students are able to take advantage of Co-operative Education experi-ences in a wide variety of areas. Romero continues to partner with community busi-nesses and organizations to

provide long term success for the students who participate in the Co-op program. Romero’s team of Co-op teachers and the students are grateful to all our community partners who have provided us with such rich learning experiences. Stop by the Co-operative Education Office for more information.

Co-op News Flash

By Anaiz Mora

October has been a busy

month! Archbishop Romero welcomed nine different elementary schools to ex-perience a day at Romero. Grade 8 students from dif-ferent schools got to inter-act with Romero staff and

students, as well as learn about the academic programs and extra-curricular opportunities the school offers.

The day began with a meet & greet in the library hosted by Mr. Kelly. Breakfast followed thanks to Ms. Araujo and other staff in the Breakfast Club. The morning continued with a presentation explaining

Romero’s academic and extra-curricular programs: GEMS, SHSM, OYAP, Enrichment/Gifted, Drama, Media, TIJ, Art, Leadership, Athletics, and other various clubs and activi-ties. After the presenta-tion, which was held in our spacious library, students moved from class to class wherein prospective students

were exposed to classes in progress. Explore Romero could not have happened without the help of responsi-ble student leaders and dedi-cated Romero staff members.

Olá!

By Ms. Lopes

Romero is the only school in

the TCDSB currently offering the Portuguese Language and Culture program! The course is offered to students at all different levels of language competence: from Beginner to Advanced. Students of a lusophone background have

the opportunity to improve their skills, and students of other cultural and language backgrounds get to add to their linguistic knowledge.

In addition to language acquisition, students also learn about the history of the Portu-guese language and the eight countries, which speak Portu-guese as an official language.

There are also opportu-nities to interact with commu-nity members, such as students from the York University Por-tuguese Association (YUPA), members of the Healthy Action Theatre by Seniors (HATS) group from St. Christopher House, and other guest speak-ers. Students also prepare to participate in the Ontario Sec-ondary Schools' Portuguese Contest (OSSPC). Some gradu-

Explore Romero

ates have decided to continue to study Portuguese at the University or College level.


We Scare Hunger

By Anaiz Mora

It is that time of the year

again when we dress up as witches and vampires and collect candy. What fun! But at Romero, Halloween has grown into an opportunity to give. Romero has been con-cerned about hunger in the local community and has

taken action.

As in previous years, Archbishop Romero partici-pated in the “Free the Chil-dren” initiative along with many other participants across North America and the United Kingdom. “We Scare Hunger” is the Halloween initiative. Students collect non-perishable goods and

donate them to our local women’s shelter. As well, awareness about local hunger is increased. In the previous Halloween drive, we col-lected 1,068 non-perishable food items, but this year we challenged ourselves to raise 2000 food items!

On October 31, 2013 staff and students are encouraged to bring a mini-

mum of three non-perishable food items, and in return they are permitted to wear a cos-tume. All food items raised go to Ernestine’s women’s shel-ter. The staff members at the shelter have always expressed gratitude for our efforts in supporting the women and children living at the shelter. Let’s keep up our efforts Romero!

Archbishop Oscar Romero

By David Ho


Archbishop Romero Catholic Secondary School opened its doors for the 25th time. Staff and students have started to prepare a 25th anniversary celebration which will take place in September 2014.

Archbishop Oscar Romero's example has guided staff and students of this school community for 25 years. Below is his story:

Oscar Arnulfo Ro-

mero was born on August 15,

1917 in Ciudad Barrios, El

Salvador. He obtained the title

of Archbishop of San Salvador

in 1977. At this time the gov-

ernment took many measures

which repressed the people

and violated human rights.

After witnessing these viola-

tions, Archbishop Romero

began to speak out against the

El Salvadorian government

and the United States’ military

for supporting the govern-

ment of El Salvador. As a re-

sult, on March 24, 1980 he

was assassinated when he was

celebrating mass at a small

chapel. His spirit remains in

the heart and soul of his fol-

lowers, and the name of this

school. We carry on

Archbishop Romero’s legacy

by caring for each other and

our community.

THE ROMERO READER

Ivan Persaud

Rachelle Manuel

Nancy Santos

ROMERO ART

Jacqueline Osias

Albert Manantan

By Patricia Elizan

The cross-country season

kick-started in cool and breezy conditions at Boyd Conserva-tion Park in Woodbridge on October 9, 2013. The Sacred Heart Invitational Cross Country Meet got 124 schools

in attendance and 2, 534 ath-letes registered. Amongst the 402 runners were Romero students who looped the course through ponds and a vast space of grass with perse-verance and grace.

With the supervision of Ms. Maalouf, these students

ROMERO RAIDERS

Run, Romero, Run!

By Daniel Bernardo

This year’s Junior Boys’ Flag

Football has come and gone! The coaches were very pleased with the grade 9 team members. Mr. Cassano said



and three wonderful plays on defence by Daniel Ricketts and Daniel Thompson who were their offensive jugger-nauts. Good effort Romero Raiders!

Jr. Boys’ Flag Football

Jr. Girls’ Flag Football

all placed high in the division. These partici-pants included Ross Jiang who placed 84th, Chris Agcaoili-Diovani in 264th, Liam Robinson in 274th, Brian Da Silva in 335th, and Carlos Bravo in 339th. Well done runners!

that the team was wonderful; the boys played their best and always behaved very sportsmen-like. Mr. Longa added, “The team has tons of raw talent and could have been contenders.” The coaches also mentioned that they had tremendous de-fence from Jake Ouellet-Jenkins

The Junior Girls’ Flag Foot-

ball team played at Wellesley Lion soccer field on October 3, 2013 and made it to the finals. They won 3-1 games and placed second to Bishop Allen. Ms. Jurzcynski coached the team and was

proud of the girls as the they faced many challenges along the way to the finals, includ-ing some injuries and exhaus-tion. Their highlight play is called “Fake/Reverse,” which made them win the Robin Hood round with Bishop Allen. Way to go, girls!

By David Ho

On October 8, 2013 the Tennis team went to York University to play a tournament under the guid-

Tennis

ance of their coach Mr. Ru-mazza. They went to a stan-dard tournament, but unfortu-nately they were knocked out early in the brackets. This event at York University was the last external tournament

for the Romero Raiders until the Spring. If you are inter-ested in being part of the team, see Mr. Rumazza and listen to announcements.

THE ROMERO READER

team, going 8-2 this year. As the season progressed and the hard work continued, their practice paid off. The Sen-ior team took 3rd place at a tournament at Father Red-mond, and made it to the quar-ter finals at another tournament at Brebeuf, losing to the win-

ROMERO RAIDERS

Sr. Girls’ Basketball

first game at Madonna, after playing hard and working together as a team.

Special thanks from both the Junior and Senior Basketball teams and the Sen-ior Boys’ Volleyball team to the staff at Santa Maria Ele-

mentary School and Frank Oke Secondary school for their hos-pitality and generosity in sharing their gym facilities with us.

ners of the tournament. “This year we have a good mix of last year’s juniors and last year’s seniors,” noted Mr. Spinelli. The team continues to practise, and the student body and staff members look forward to future games.

Sr. Boys’ Volleyball

By Kaitlyn Alexander

Being part of a team is great,

especially a team in which you can have fun and make friends. That's the kind of group the Romero Jr. Girls' Basketball team is. Although we have not known each other for very long yet, we

have easily and quickly be-come best of friends; not only that, but we work HARD too! Throughout the season, started in September, we have had at least two prac-tices a week to prepare for upcoming games. In the be-ginning there were struggles, as getting used to the sched-ule of high school sports was

different from playing the shorter season of elementary school. However, with our ef-fort and devotion we can hon-estly say we are now a team who have the attitude when we step onto the court, "We are in it to win it!" We do not give up, regard-less. With only two

Jr. Girls’ Basketball

Sette and Mr. Raterman this year, “The Raiders” have travelled as guests to all the schools they have competed against, as everyone at Ro-mero waits in anticipation for our new gym to be ready! The girls won their

By Melissa Leal

The Senior Girls’ Basketball

team started off the season with great motivation and en-thusiasm and could not wait to get on the court and start play-ing. Coached by Ms. Maciocia-

Jr. Boys’ Soccer

games left in our season, and as we put our all into these matches, we look forward to playoffs! Go, Jr. Girls’ Bas-ketball Raiders!

This year’s Junior Boys’ Soccer

season has been interesting. According to the coaches, Mr. Zambri and Mr. De Santis, and student-assistant Pedro Neves, this year’s team has started off well. So far, our Romero Raid-ers’ Soccer team has won two and lost two games.

The coaches had some nice opinions about the team, noting, “The team is very good. The members are strong and resilient and every member brings a different skill-set to the team.” We look forward to hearing more about Romero’s Junior Boys’ Soccer.

Federal Secondary Athletics Association) and to represent Archbishop Romero’s school community. Since Septem-ber, students have practiced as a team and made great progress in tournaments and the season of 2013-2014 for the Seniors Boys’ Volleyball

By Jeffery Brito

The members of the Senior

Boys’ Volleyball team have put their heart and soul into this season. Along with Mr. Silva and Mr. Spinelli, they strive for OFSAA (Ontario

By Daniel Bernardo


By Iara Beleza

In the grade 9 En-

riched Geography and Sci-ence classes students have been studying the wonders of nature. To further student knowledge of the environ-ment in our community, the GEMS students visited the Rattlesnake Point Conserva-tion Area on Monday Octo-ber 28, 2013.

Rattlesnake Point is an amazing place for sight-seeing and hiking. The stu-dents hiked along a scenic, four-kilometre trail. Many students commented that the beautiful landscape made the hike seem effortless. The

goal was to take pictures in order to create a promotional poster for the park.

Throughout this trip there were many gasps after looking at the view, many laughs at everyone that tripped on a rock or two, and most amazing of all, many memories which were captured by the cameras.

GEMS at Rattlesnake Point

Romero’s new gym floor is ready!

Coffee or Tea?


Ai Weiwei—According to What?

houses in China, which are places where people meet to talk about life and express their opinions; essentially, they practise their freedom of speech in a meaningful way. Our AGO guide was knowledgeable and intelli-gent. Instead of just having students look at the art, she tried to make them think about Ai Weiwei’s possible intentions. As Liam Robin-son, a grade 12 student de-scribes, “It is a different type of art - one that makes you think. Ai Weiwei uses every-

day objects and gives new mean-ing to them.”

We also learned that Ai Weiwei’s passport was confis-cated, so he cannot travel out of China. Students are able to keep track of Ai Weiwei’s activism through social media.

school children that had died in an earthquake in China in 2008. When he visited the site, he had seen many back-packs amongst the destruc-tion. The government never released a list of children who died, so Ai Weiwei took it upon himself to cre-ate that list with his team and to publish it—this list was also part of his exhibit.

There were also tea houses—houses that weighed a ton each and were made out of tea leaves. Ai Weiwei made these to cele-brate the tradition of tea

By Daniel Bernardo

On October 24, 2013 a

group of students from the Enrichment Program and Ms. Perkins-Ball's grade 12 Relig-ion class went to The Art Gal-lery of Ontario (AGO) to see the art work of Ai Weiwei, a famous Chinese artist and ac-tivist. He uses art as a form of protest against the measures taken by governments, espe-cially the Chinese govern-ment. For example, he made a long snake out of backpacks to represent and honour all the

Avenue West; and Fiesta Farms at 200 Christie Street.

We would also like to thank all our wonderful customers who purchase hot chocolate, coffee, tea and biscotti. Without your pa-tronage, our program could not exist, and the students really enjoy this experience.

By Ms. Galati

The Hot Beverage Program

would like to acknowledge and thank our generous sponsors for their contribu-tions: Metro at 2155 St. Clair Avenue West; Star-bucks at 2151 St. Clair


The students listed below have already met, and in some cases surpassed, the 40 hour community service requirement. Congratulations!

Grade 10

Kelly Augusto

Willon Buckmyre

Fabio da Costa

Carla dos Santos

Kevin Dris

Joseph Fisico

Kyle Mendonca

Samantha Neto

Stacy Piques

Monica Quintal

Alexandra Ribeiro

Derek Salinas

Eduarda Santos Simoes

Carlos Junior Veloso

Grade 11

Maggie Carreiro

Sindy Cartagena

Kent Ciar

Abigail Conforti

Pedro Correia

Nancy Domingos

Daryl Fonacier

Andre Fonseca

Jennalyn Galang

Ashley Garcia

Sarah Gomes

Daren Gomez

Kim Hoang

Kelly Hromadnik

Yacoob Jara-Rivadeneira

Ross Jiang

Marta Machado

Grace Makiese

Diana Marques

Deanna Mataro

Christelle Matiling

Jacqueline Neshkawa

Melissa Neves

Victoria Norman-Da Silva

Henrique Paciencia

Janexy Perez-Munoz

Alexa Mae Pineda

Lincoln Robinson

Nataija Robinson-Johnson

Mark Rocero

Megan Rodrigues

Dilcia Sanchez Serrano

Abraham Tekabo

Lily Tekabo

Anna Felisa Villegas

Grade 12

Mileni Liduvina Alegria Flores

Jason Ali

Sabrina Almeida

Habteab Amare

Kevin Barbosa

Ruben Borba

Melissa Camara

Jessica Caravela

Brian Carrillo

Andreia Cerdeira

Gabryel Chance

Community Service

Daniel Charles

Marta Costa

Dana Jane Curammeng

Rui Da Costa Menezes

Nicole Domondon

Rafael Dos Santos

Sabrina Ferreira

Francisco Flores

Maria Jose Gaitan Ruiz

Andy Garcia Barberiz

Shamar Jemmot

David Lazo-Pineda

Katia Leitao

Rachelle Manuel

John Nguyen

Jacqueline Osias

Austin Pacheco

Diana Pacheco

Laura Peralta

Matthew Pereira

Reshenel Philip

Kwnica Pompey

Rowell James Ramos

Jessica Recarte

Sofia Ribeiro

Shandor Roach

Andrew Rodrigues

Chantel Rodrigues

Daniel Sa Pessoa

Sinara Salazar

Eric Salinas

Andy Sanchez

Nancy Santos

Chantel Silva

Antonio Sousa

Alexander Stohr

Deandra Thompson

Theressa Tulloch

Donte Williams

Help sort food at the North York Harvest Food Bank on

November 12 and 19 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

See Ms. Lopes for more information.

Go to the Guidance Office to find more community service

opportunities!

By Ms. Stokan

I love to read, love losing

myself in literature, and am particularly fond of reading books from authors whose previous works I have en-joyed. Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns fit the bill. I had read The Kite

Runner and was looking for a novel that would last an eight-hour flight to Europe. From the first page I was hooked. Essentially, the book is di-vided into four sections. The first two focus on the main female characters. The first is about Mariam, the illegitimate daughter of a maid and the maid’s wealthy boss. Mariam’s choice to go visit her father led to her mother’s suicide and Mariam’s forced marriage to Rasheed, an older shoemaker who was consid-ered a good match. If nurse Ratchet was the most hated villain in film, Rasheed has

bested her in literature. Ugly, inside and out, he beat her viciously, and depreciated her constantly.

Section two of the novel is the beginning of what starts out as the idyllic life of a young girl, Laila. Of course, the war makes sure that at 14 she is orphaned and ends up being the victim of Rasheed’s brutality along with Mariam.

In life, we love to dream of happy endings but reality is much uglier, and it certainly was for these two women. I would like to add that there is some sense of redemption, which is seen in

school, has a nutritious daily meal, sees a doctor and dentist regularly, and her parents and community are also provided education and practical sup-ports that foster independence and job creation through the development of small busi-nesses and agricultural skills. In the spirit of Christ's love, com-munities are transformed, both where Mari lives, and here at Romero. Through our letters to her, and hers to us, my stu-dents and I are encouraged.

As we share of our-selves in this small, but signifi-cant way, we are reminded of God's great love for all people, everywhere, and of our re-sponsibility and call to live out this love in both word and deed. Yes, indeed, we are blessed!

By Ms. Perkins-Ball

We are blessed here in Can-

ada! We live in a country where most of us have access to run-ning water, food, shelter, edu-cation and opportunities for a bright, positive and hopeful future.

Each day as my stu-dents and I begin Religion classes we take some time to pray, to acknowledge our bless-ings and to thank God for invit-ing us to share our blessings with others. Part of this spiri-tual growth for my students and me is the sponsorship of a little girl in a developing nation. Through the monthly financial giving of my classes, Mari, who is now seven years old, goes to


BOOK COMMENTARY: A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini

EDITORIAL—We Are Blessed!

section three of the novel. The only victory really was that Rasheed, like nurse Ratchet, got what was coming to him. The final section fo-cuses on the life Laila created for herself with her children.

The whole story left me crying. Although fictional, it is no doubt a compilation of the many untold stories of powerless women who are in the supposedly civilized world. It is important to bring to light issues that affect women in an effort to effect change. Nevertheless, I thank God I was born in Canada, and you will too when you finish reading this novel.

MS. CONNORS '

COMIC CORNER

To Mr. Connolly for the birth of his son James Michael Connolly on August 26, 2013. To Ms. Mares for the birth of her son Mark Mares Sidorowicz on June 25, 2013.

Melissa Camara & Jessica Caravela

Aries 3/21-4/19

You're full of energy and can't contain yourself. So after school, try to burn some of it off with physical activity. Try signing up for a sport.

Taurus 4/20-5/20

Get whatever you have to say out in the open. Face any conflict head-on and you will solve any problems you encounter.

Gemini 5/21 - 6/21

You're all talk and that's a good thing, especially when conversations die down to an uncomfort-able silence. People will line up to hear what you have to say.

Cancer 6/22 - 7/22

Your talent to soak up new experiences is strong, so get out there and create some great memo-ries! You may be surrounded by people who are just as inspired.

Leo 7/23 - 8/22

It's a good time for you to learn about a topic you don't know much about. Your mental energy and curiosity are stronger than ever, so get started.

Virgo 8/23 - 9/22

You feel energized, yet your mood could still use a boost. Find one person who is ready to take on a new challenge with you. Start a school club!

Libra 9/23 - 10/22

Do your best to focus on those people who are most important to you. It's a good time for you to deal with any lingering issues from the past. Out with the old...

Scorpio 10/23 - 11/21

You love this season and all the functions that come with it. It's a good time to spend time visit-ing family and friends.

Sagittarius 11/22 - 12/21

Now is the time to make some important decisions. Do not waste time on nonsense. You have goals set, so make them happen!

Capricorn 12/22 - 1/19

Say good-bye to objects you don’t need. Clutter is distracting. Organize yourself and there will be greater success.

Aquarius 1/20 - 2/18

Life is really interesting now. These experiences will keep you motivated.

Pisces 2/19 - 3/20

You're having so much fun, which is great. But do not get overly distracted. There are things to be done, so set some time to do homework.

November 6: Take Our Kids to Work Day November 14: Parent-Teacher Interviews November 15: PD Day November 20, 21, 22: Catholic Schools United Nations Assembly November 20: Junior Academic Awards November 21: Senior Academic Awards December 10: Advent Liturgy, grades 9 and 11 December 12: Advent Liturgy, grades 10 and 12 December 19: Christmas Breakfast December 20: PD Day December 23—January 3: Christmas Break January 28—31: Exams February 3: Semester Two Begins

Ms. Wiszniewski started teaching at Romero in 1998. She taught English, Religion, Philosophy and History. She found her true passion in the Special Education department; she was a Re-source teacher, worked with the students in the DD/ME Program, and became the Special Edu-cation department head in February 2010. High-lights for her include frying eggs with Ms. Co-scarelli at the annual Christmas community breakfast, spending an evening reflecting with staff and students at THINKfast, performing in Romero's Gangnam Style, and cheering the DD/ME students at the Mini-Olympics! Ms. Wizs-niewski is a dedicated teacher; we are grateful for her contributions to our community and we wish her all the best at her new school. Ms. Scarsella was a teacher at Romero for nine years. She taught in the English department for three years, and six years in the Social Sciences department. She also prepared students for the Catholic Schools United Nations Assembly (CSUNA), and she was central to our Remem-brance Day reflection. Ms. Scarsella is a passion-ate and dedicated teacher; her skills and thorough approach will be missed at Romero. We wish her well at her new school.

CONGRATULATIONS

NEWSLETTER TEAM

Contributors: Daniel Bernardo, 9 Soraya Issamene, 10 Vy Nguyen, 10 Jeffrey Brito, 11 Patricia Eve Elizan, 11 Daryl James Fonacier, 11 Melissa Leal, 11 Anaiz Mora, 11 David Ho, 12 Jessica Caravela,12 Melissa Camara, 12 Teachers: Ms. Coscarelli Ms. Lopes

ASTROLOGY Adapted from various sources.

FAREWELL

LOOKING AHEAD

A SPECIAL THANK YOU

Thank you to the staff and students who contributed to this edition of

The Romero Reader.

the romero reader - tcdsb.org · $36, 240. go romero! dd/me summer school at romero student...

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