Welcome to our 2013 OISE Internship blog. We, Sara Stanco, Giancarlo Bancheri, and Katie Reilly are completing our internship with Greg Rogers in Catholic Student Leadership at the Toronto Catholic District School Board. As part of our internship we are attending and assisting with the Camp Olympia camps for students of the school board, attending workshops for Catholic educators, and assisting with planning and implementation of Catholic leadership programs.
We have created this blog to document our ongoing professional learning as Catholic educators.
Thank you for being a witness on our journey!
-Sara Stanco, Giancarlo Bancheri, and Katie Reilly
We have created this blog to document our ongoing professional learning as Catholic educators.
Thank you for being a witness on our journey!
-Sara Stanco, Giancarlo Bancheri, and Katie Reilly
Journal #16
SMART Farms Weekend Retreat - Friday, May 24th - Sunday May 26th
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SMART Farms Weekend Retreat - Friday, May 24th - Sunday May 26th
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Journal #15
The CSLIT Safe Schools Summit - Friday, May 24th 8:00am-4:00pm
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The CSLIT Safe Schools Summit - Friday, May 24th 8:00am-4:00pm
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Journal #14
Shopping at Costco? The Life of an intern... - Thursday, May 23rd 3:30pm-6:00pm
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Shopping at Costco? The Life of an intern... - Thursday, May 23rd 3:30pm-6:00pm
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Journal #13
Street Patrol! An Incredible Experience... - Tuesday May 21st 9:00am-2:00pm
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
So we mentioned how awesome Homelessness in Toronto lesson plans went. The students were engaged, and we were excited to share this experience with them. So when the day finally arrived to actually do the street patrol, the chance of thundershowers almost rained on our parade (pun intended!) However, the teachers and students came equipped with rain boots and umbrellas. We meant business, rain or shine.
When the all the students arrived, we did a mini introduction so that the 2 schools would be better acquainted. Of course we introduced ourselves, Greg (who went on the street patrol with GTA Catholic earlier on in the year) and Linton (our seasoned veteran who led the group). Afterwards, we started on making the sandwiches. We had a great assembly line which included students, teachers and OISE interns! The students were having a great time despite a few jokes about free labour. We made turkey sandwiches, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and some cheese sandwiches for our vegetarians. The lunch bags included a drink and cookies. One of the students jokingly asked “what if they’re vegetarian, lactose intolerant and allergic to peanuts?” That made us laugh. After working hard for 45 minutes, the bagged lunches were done! The students ate their lunch and we all celebrated mass with Father Luke in the Chapel before heading out to the streets. Before heading out, we revisited our mind map. We talked about many different factors (depression, alcohol/drug abuse, laziness, mental disability etc) are not experienced by all homeless people; we can't paint them all with the same brush. They each have unique stories and first and foremost, they're humans, created in the image of God. They deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. Linton ended by saying, remember, we are meeting and serving Jesus in every person we encounter.
Earlier, we mentioned a chance of thunderstorms...Well, there was not even a cloud in the sky! And it felt like 27 degrees. So those of us who were wearing rain boots were sweating…and we looked strange carrying umbrellas. We walked west on Bloor to Spadina, South on Spadina to Queen Street and East on Queen past Yonge Street. On the way to Queen Street, we stopped at Scott Mission where we gave away almost half our sandwiches. Unfortunately, we couldn't stay too long at Scott Mission otherwise we would've gotten rid of all our sandwiches. But it was a great first stop for the students. All the patrons were nice and thankful. The students handled everything so well! They were respectful and pleasant. When we were walking south on Spadina, we made 2 groups so that we could get the east and west side of Spadina. This was a great time for the students to interact and as well, for us to get to know them better. When we arrived at Queen and Spadina, some students started conversing with a chatty homeless man. He was quite the character! It was nice to see the students listening attentively rather than ignoring him (which we're sure is what he's used to most of the time) One of the students even told me afterwards that he really connected with what this man was saying. We continued east on Queen Street, stopping every time we saw someone in need. When we arrived east of Yonge (at a little park) we gave away our last sandwiches.
As part of the debrief, we asked the students what they thought about the day/what they learned. The students all had a positive experience and would do it again. We ended with a prayer and parted ways. Overall, it was a GREAT day!
Sara, Katie and Giancarlo
Street Patrol! An Incredible Experience... - Tuesday May 21st 9:00am-2:00pm
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
So we mentioned how awesome Homelessness in Toronto lesson plans went. The students were engaged, and we were excited to share this experience with them. So when the day finally arrived to actually do the street patrol, the chance of thundershowers almost rained on our parade (pun intended!) However, the teachers and students came equipped with rain boots and umbrellas. We meant business, rain or shine.
When the all the students arrived, we did a mini introduction so that the 2 schools would be better acquainted. Of course we introduced ourselves, Greg (who went on the street patrol with GTA Catholic earlier on in the year) and Linton (our seasoned veteran who led the group). Afterwards, we started on making the sandwiches. We had a great assembly line which included students, teachers and OISE interns! The students were having a great time despite a few jokes about free labour. We made turkey sandwiches, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and some cheese sandwiches for our vegetarians. The lunch bags included a drink and cookies. One of the students jokingly asked “what if they’re vegetarian, lactose intolerant and allergic to peanuts?” That made us laugh. After working hard for 45 minutes, the bagged lunches were done! The students ate their lunch and we all celebrated mass with Father Luke in the Chapel before heading out to the streets. Before heading out, we revisited our mind map. We talked about many different factors (depression, alcohol/drug abuse, laziness, mental disability etc) are not experienced by all homeless people; we can't paint them all with the same brush. They each have unique stories and first and foremost, they're humans, created in the image of God. They deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. Linton ended by saying, remember, we are meeting and serving Jesus in every person we encounter.
Earlier, we mentioned a chance of thunderstorms...Well, there was not even a cloud in the sky! And it felt like 27 degrees. So those of us who were wearing rain boots were sweating…and we looked strange carrying umbrellas. We walked west on Bloor to Spadina, South on Spadina to Queen Street and East on Queen past Yonge Street. On the way to Queen Street, we stopped at Scott Mission where we gave away almost half our sandwiches. Unfortunately, we couldn't stay too long at Scott Mission otherwise we would've gotten rid of all our sandwiches. But it was a great first stop for the students. All the patrons were nice and thankful. The students handled everything so well! They were respectful and pleasant. When we were walking south on Spadina, we made 2 groups so that we could get the east and west side of Spadina. This was a great time for the students to interact and as well, for us to get to know them better. When we arrived at Queen and Spadina, some students started conversing with a chatty homeless man. He was quite the character! It was nice to see the students listening attentively rather than ignoring him (which we're sure is what he's used to most of the time) One of the students even told me afterwards that he really connected with what this man was saying. We continued east on Queen Street, stopping every time we saw someone in need. When we arrived east of Yonge (at a little park) we gave away our last sandwiches.
As part of the debrief, we asked the students what they thought about the day/what they learned. The students all had a positive experience and would do it again. We ended with a prayer and parted ways. Overall, it was a GREAT day!
Sara, Katie and Giancarlo
Journal #12
Neil McNeill C.S.S and Bishop Allen C.S.S Street Patrol Lesson - Thursday May 16th and Friday May 17th 8:30am-10am
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
We were at the Autism Program meeting on May 1st when we were asked about helping prepare students for the Homeless Street Patrol on Tuesday May 21st. This lesson plan was special because it was for a small group of autistic students. Now, Giancarlo and I (Sara) have very little experience working with special needs students. We really depended on Katie's experience and wisdom while planning what exactly we were going to teach. Many hours were spent discussing, planning, writing multiple drafts, and revising our lesson plan.
We had many great ideas that we quickly learned weren't suitable for autistic students. However, instead of completely cutting them out of the lesson plan, we simply modified them. We really wanted to have a variety of activities so that it wasn't just us lecturing. All students need to be engaged for a lesson to be fruitful.
So we made sure to have a fun minds on activity. Our opening activity was a bingo card with statements like "I own a cell phone" and "I eat at least 2 meals a day". We wanted the students to see that the majority of them would all write their names beside these statements. But most homeless people couldn't say the same things. We were pleasantly surprised that the students made the link between this activity and homelessness. We then watched a video on homelessness in Toronto with images of homeless people on the streets. All the students had seen a homeless person on the streets so it was great they had that prior knowledge. After the video, we created a mind map of what words came to mind when they thought of homelessness. They were calling out words faster than I could write them on the board! And they were giving us words that we didn't even think of! We then spoke to them about how all these factors (loneliness, depression, mental/physical disability, hunger etc.) all contribute to how ANYBODY reacts, not just homeless people. We wanted them to understand that if a homeless person is rude or verbally aggressive, it could be one of these factors that is contributing to their behaviour. Giancarlo then spoke about his experience doing a homeless street patrol with our classmates earlier this year. He explained that sometimes yes, they encountered aggressive homeless people. But he also encountered friendship and respect amongst the homeless community. They were kind and thankful. We tried to convey that homeless people are people after all. They want to be respected and cared for just like any of us. We wrapped up with doing some role play. We wanted to give the students experience dealing with different scenarios (aggressive and thankful homeless people) so that they won't be surprised on Tuesday.
The lessons went over really well. The teachers came up to us afterwards and congratulated us on a great lesson! It was a relief to have everything go so smoothly, especially since we didn't know what to expect. We all learned that no matter how prepared you are, your students can always surprise you! What a great teaching experience for us as student teachers.
Sara, Katie and Giancarlo
Neil McNeill C.S.S and Bishop Allen C.S.S Street Patrol Lesson - Thursday May 16th and Friday May 17th 8:30am-10am
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
We were at the Autism Program meeting on May 1st when we were asked about helping prepare students for the Homeless Street Patrol on Tuesday May 21st. This lesson plan was special because it was for a small group of autistic students. Now, Giancarlo and I (Sara) have very little experience working with special needs students. We really depended on Katie's experience and wisdom while planning what exactly we were going to teach. Many hours were spent discussing, planning, writing multiple drafts, and revising our lesson plan.
We had many great ideas that we quickly learned weren't suitable for autistic students. However, instead of completely cutting them out of the lesson plan, we simply modified them. We really wanted to have a variety of activities so that it wasn't just us lecturing. All students need to be engaged for a lesson to be fruitful.
So we made sure to have a fun minds on activity. Our opening activity was a bingo card with statements like "I own a cell phone" and "I eat at least 2 meals a day". We wanted the students to see that the majority of them would all write their names beside these statements. But most homeless people couldn't say the same things. We were pleasantly surprised that the students made the link between this activity and homelessness. We then watched a video on homelessness in Toronto with images of homeless people on the streets. All the students had seen a homeless person on the streets so it was great they had that prior knowledge. After the video, we created a mind map of what words came to mind when they thought of homelessness. They were calling out words faster than I could write them on the board! And they were giving us words that we didn't even think of! We then spoke to them about how all these factors (loneliness, depression, mental/physical disability, hunger etc.) all contribute to how ANYBODY reacts, not just homeless people. We wanted them to understand that if a homeless person is rude or verbally aggressive, it could be one of these factors that is contributing to their behaviour. Giancarlo then spoke about his experience doing a homeless street patrol with our classmates earlier this year. He explained that sometimes yes, they encountered aggressive homeless people. But he also encountered friendship and respect amongst the homeless community. They were kind and thankful. We tried to convey that homeless people are people after all. They want to be respected and cared for just like any of us. We wrapped up with doing some role play. We wanted to give the students experience dealing with different scenarios (aggressive and thankful homeless people) so that they won't be surprised on Tuesday.
The lessons went over really well. The teachers came up to us afterwards and congratulated us on a great lesson! It was a relief to have everything go so smoothly, especially since we didn't know what to expect. We all learned that no matter how prepared you are, your students can always surprise you! What a great teaching experience for us as student teachers.
Sara, Katie and Giancarlo
Journal #12
TCDSB Mini Special Olympics- Wednesday May 15, 2013- Downsview Park
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
On Wednesday May 15, we were given the opportunity to attend the TCDSB’s Mini Special Olympics hosted by Michael Power/ St. Joseph High School. The event is a day in which all special education students from across the board are invited to attend a day of fun and physical activity. The event really helps these students to build stronger rapport with each other both within their school groups and together as the entire school board. The event took place at Downsview Parc in the Hanger. The second that you walked into the location the buzz and excitement was evident. The students were all excited and happy to be taking part in such a fun event.
The first part of the day consisted of an Opening Ceremonies in which all the schools paraded into the field, greeted and cheered on by the Executives and volunteers from Michael Power and Brebeuf. It was exhilarating seeing all of the students working together and cheering each other on. The students were genuinely excited and energized to be involved with the day. The opening ceremonies consisted of the national anthem and a number of speakers from both the TCDSB and other sports organizations. Carlton the Bear and the Toronto Raptor were there too! After the opening ceremonies, the schools split up into teams and worked around the circuit playing various sports games and activities. We also ran into some other OISE friends also attending with their Internship!!
The set-up of the event was amazing. It was obvious, the amount of work put into it. There were so many sponsors evident. There was tons of food and snacks available to the students, all set up in a carnival/fair type manner. So not only were the students enjoying the exciting atmosphere of the sports and games, but they were also given the opportunity to experience the food and excitement that comes with a fair. For example there were Tiny Tom Donuts, Cotton Candy, Popcorn, Ice Cream and cake, all free of charge to the students.
The day concluded with a closing ceremony that included some musical performances by teachers and students of the TCDSB as well as some dance numbers and performances by the various dance clubs and teams. The day finished with a huge dance party on the field that every student got involved with.
The students involved varied in abilities from autism to DD. These students showed us that it doesn’t matter what limitations you may have, you can still be fully involved in every activity and still have the enthusiasm and energy to inspire others. This experience really allowed us to interact with these students. The students were so friendly and talkative and you could really tell that they were having a great day. They were also genuinely friendly and appreciative of those around them. As a teacher, it is these experiences that really touch your heart. Not only do you get to see your students enjoying themselves and their friends, but you also get to appreciate every individual student's uniqueness!
TCDSB Mini Special Olympics- Wednesday May 15, 2013- Downsview Park
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
On Wednesday May 15, we were given the opportunity to attend the TCDSB’s Mini Special Olympics hosted by Michael Power/ St. Joseph High School. The event is a day in which all special education students from across the board are invited to attend a day of fun and physical activity. The event really helps these students to build stronger rapport with each other both within their school groups and together as the entire school board. The event took place at Downsview Parc in the Hanger. The second that you walked into the location the buzz and excitement was evident. The students were all excited and happy to be taking part in such a fun event.
The first part of the day consisted of an Opening Ceremonies in which all the schools paraded into the field, greeted and cheered on by the Executives and volunteers from Michael Power and Brebeuf. It was exhilarating seeing all of the students working together and cheering each other on. The students were genuinely excited and energized to be involved with the day. The opening ceremonies consisted of the national anthem and a number of speakers from both the TCDSB and other sports organizations. Carlton the Bear and the Toronto Raptor were there too! After the opening ceremonies, the schools split up into teams and worked around the circuit playing various sports games and activities. We also ran into some other OISE friends also attending with their Internship!!
The set-up of the event was amazing. It was obvious, the amount of work put into it. There were so many sponsors evident. There was tons of food and snacks available to the students, all set up in a carnival/fair type manner. So not only were the students enjoying the exciting atmosphere of the sports and games, but they were also given the opportunity to experience the food and excitement that comes with a fair. For example there were Tiny Tom Donuts, Cotton Candy, Popcorn, Ice Cream and cake, all free of charge to the students.
The day concluded with a closing ceremony that included some musical performances by teachers and students of the TCDSB as well as some dance numbers and performances by the various dance clubs and teams. The day finished with a huge dance party on the field that every student got involved with.
The students involved varied in abilities from autism to DD. These students showed us that it doesn’t matter what limitations you may have, you can still be fully involved in every activity and still have the enthusiasm and energy to inspire others. This experience really allowed us to interact with these students. The students were so friendly and talkative and you could really tell that they were having a great day. They were also genuinely friendly and appreciative of those around them. As a teacher, it is these experiences that really touch your heart. Not only do you get to see your students enjoying themselves and their friends, but you also get to appreciate every individual student's uniqueness!
Journal #11
Kenya Educators Meeting - Tuesday May 14th 6pm-9pm
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
After another long day of office work, we were asked to attend a meeting on Greg's behalf. Hosted by Kathy Banfield of Blessed Sacrament CS, this meeting was a time for a few educators to get together and discuss their upcoming trip to Kenya. As part of this trip, one of the superintendents of the TCDSB, Josie Nespolo, will be donating a school in honour of her late brother. She was then advised not only just to donate it, but to head over there with some family, friends, and colleagues and help build it themselves. Thus, this meeting (and others like it) have been an effort to prepare the members who will be attending on what to expect when they reach Kenya - physically, culturally, and spiritually.
As newcomers to the meeting, it was interesting to learn and understand the educational perspective of students in Kenya. Ms. Banfield showed us a video of a female Massai student in Kenya, and what her journey and role was like growing up (completing all of the household tasks before heading off to primary school, not being able to attend high school for lack of money, etc). The meeting wrapped up with discussions about their spirit wear for their trip, what to do with monetary donations towards the school, and finally a cultural reading piece (a book titled "The Last Maasai Warrior" is being discussed at each meeting) to better understand the Kenyan culture.
While we cannot attend this Kenya excursion ourselves, it is something we have each definitely expressed interest in for future years. This meeting opened our eyes to the lives of students in Kenya, and those hosting the meeting were very courteous in allowing for us to provide our perspectives and inputs to their trip.
Sara, Katie, and Giancarlo
Kenya Educators Meeting - Tuesday May 14th 6pm-9pm
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
After another long day of office work, we were asked to attend a meeting on Greg's behalf. Hosted by Kathy Banfield of Blessed Sacrament CS, this meeting was a time for a few educators to get together and discuss their upcoming trip to Kenya. As part of this trip, one of the superintendents of the TCDSB, Josie Nespolo, will be donating a school in honour of her late brother. She was then advised not only just to donate it, but to head over there with some family, friends, and colleagues and help build it themselves. Thus, this meeting (and others like it) have been an effort to prepare the members who will be attending on what to expect when they reach Kenya - physically, culturally, and spiritually.
As newcomers to the meeting, it was interesting to learn and understand the educational perspective of students in Kenya. Ms. Banfield showed us a video of a female Massai student in Kenya, and what her journey and role was like growing up (completing all of the household tasks before heading off to primary school, not being able to attend high school for lack of money, etc). The meeting wrapped up with discussions about their spirit wear for their trip, what to do with monetary donations towards the school, and finally a cultural reading piece (a book titled "The Last Maasai Warrior" is being discussed at each meeting) to better understand the Kenyan culture.
While we cannot attend this Kenya excursion ourselves, it is something we have each definitely expressed interest in for future years. This meeting opened our eyes to the lives of students in Kenya, and those hosting the meeting were very courteous in allowing for us to provide our perspectives and inputs to their trip.
Sara, Katie, and Giancarlo
Journal #10
Office Days - Friday May 10th, Monday May 13th, Tuesday May 14th
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Unfortunately for us, not all of our Catholic Student Leadership days are fun-filled with wonderful activities. A lot of our time is also spent at Greg Rogers' office at the Catholic Education Centre (TCDSB offices at Yonge/Sheppard). It is here we are constantly communicating with different people via phone, email, or in person regarding many of the Catholic Student Leadership initiatives that take place within the board. We work closely with Greg's assistant Angie, who guides us in the right direction, and with other key members of the TCDSB, such as their CSLIT team (Catholic Student Leadership Initiative Team), their coordinators, and the board's superintendents. It can be overwhelming, but we work together to ensure we can help wherever we are needed with each email or call that comes our way!
Katie, Giancarlo, and Sara
Office Days - Friday May 10th, Monday May 13th, Tuesday May 14th
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Unfortunately for us, not all of our Catholic Student Leadership days are fun-filled with wonderful activities. A lot of our time is also spent at Greg Rogers' office at the Catholic Education Centre (TCDSB offices at Yonge/Sheppard). It is here we are constantly communicating with different people via phone, email, or in person regarding many of the Catholic Student Leadership initiatives that take place within the board. We work closely with Greg's assistant Angie, who guides us in the right direction, and with other key members of the TCDSB, such as their CSLIT team (Catholic Student Leadership Initiative Team), their coordinators, and the board's superintendents. It can be overwhelming, but we work together to ensure we can help wherever we are needed with each email or call that comes our way!
Katie, Giancarlo, and Sara
Journal #9
Youth Engagement Workshop w/ Arthur Orsini - Thursday May 9th 9am-4pm
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
We arrived at our office for 9am to participate in a Youth Engagement Workshop, hosted by Arthur Orsini. Born in Toronto, and currently living in Vancouver, Arthur knows what it takes to live in the big city and commute using different methods. His talk was geared towards Youth Engagement as a whole, but he used the topic of transportation in the city to make many of his points.
We began with some icebreaker activities and the discussion of what we wanted to learn from this discussion. From there, Arthur used many different activities to help illustrate how he could engage us in the topic of transportation to school (with a specific focus on using Bicycles, Public Transit, or walking to school). Example activities included: Dissecting car ads for their true meaning and placing our own spin on them in an effort to turn them into walking or bicycling ads; an activity involving de Bono's six thinking hats in an effort to construct a Walking Group, and promote constructive criticism; and an activity involving fruit, and relating compliments to one another's ideas using the fruit.
All in all, this workshop was a very rewarding experience for us. As Catholic teachers, we will look to implement some of these strategies within our own schools in an effort to engage our students in community initiatives, or even within the regular day-to-day activities.
Giancarlo, Sara, and Katie
Youth Engagement Workshop w/ Arthur Orsini - Thursday May 9th 9am-4pm
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
We arrived at our office for 9am to participate in a Youth Engagement Workshop, hosted by Arthur Orsini. Born in Toronto, and currently living in Vancouver, Arthur knows what it takes to live in the big city and commute using different methods. His talk was geared towards Youth Engagement as a whole, but he used the topic of transportation in the city to make many of his points.
We began with some icebreaker activities and the discussion of what we wanted to learn from this discussion. From there, Arthur used many different activities to help illustrate how he could engage us in the topic of transportation to school (with a specific focus on using Bicycles, Public Transit, or walking to school). Example activities included: Dissecting car ads for their true meaning and placing our own spin on them in an effort to turn them into walking or bicycling ads; an activity involving de Bono's six thinking hats in an effort to construct a Walking Group, and promote constructive criticism; and an activity involving fruit, and relating compliments to one another's ideas using the fruit.
All in all, this workshop was a very rewarding experience for us. As Catholic teachers, we will look to implement some of these strategies within our own schools in an effort to engage our students in community initiatives, or even within the regular day-to-day activities.
Giancarlo, Sara, and Katie
Journal #8
Institute for Catholic Education Conference- Wednesday May 8th 10am-2pm
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"The greatest concern of this council is this: that the scared and central truths of our Christian faith should be guarded and taught more effectively. These central truths embrace the whole human person, composed as we are of body and soul and, since we're pilgrims on earth, they lead us always toward heaven" - Address of Pope John XXIII at the opening of Vatican Council, October 11, 1962.
On May 8th, we were invited to a conference held by the Institute for Catholic Education. When we entered the room, we were surprised to see that we were the youngest ones in attendance. Sr. Joan, the coordinator, jokingly said "you look like you came straight out of grade 12!" Little did we know that this conference was organized for Catholic Education instructors. Even though this conference wasn't meant for Teacher Candidates, it was a very enlightening presentation.
The conference started off with a presentation by Michael Attridge, a professor in the Faculty of Theology at the University of St. Michael's College. He had the challenging task of condensing the history of Vatican II in an hour. However, he started off asking if anyone had any recollections of Vatican II. It was very interesting to hear some of the instructors' memories of the changes that occurred in their parish. One man mentioned that he had just finished memorizing the prayers in Latin when they changed everything to English! The thought of mass being conducted in Latin, and the priest not facing the people was unfathomable to us youngsters. One gentleman remembered the excitement that was brought on by the changes of Vatican II. In Pope John XXIII said in his opening speech "The substance of our central beliefs is one thing, and the way in which is presented is another. It is this latter presentation of the faith with which we are concerned here and our approach to this will be a thoroughly pastoral one".
When we read this--in conjunction with Michael Attridges' presentation--we immediately related it to the student-centered learning vs. teacher-centered learning. Vatican II brought on a change that really focused on our personal relationship with the Church. The old way of doing things (not facing the parish and conducting mass in Latin) was causing Catholics to slowly disconnect from the Church. Having students sit quietly and listen to a teacher lecture may have worked in the past but who for? The Eurocentric way of having a teacher lecture while students absorb the information may have worked before, but as diversity fills our classrooms today, the teacher-centered learning approach is no longer relevant. And when something isn't relevant, the students/parish suffers.
Change is inevitable; in religion and education. We must always evolve so as to make ourselves relevant and effective members of society. We truly believe this conference (or conferences of this nature) would be beneficial for all teacher candidates hoping to teach in Catholic School Boards. The information was well presented which allowed for a fruitful discussion afterward. We believe that what our students and teacher candidates lack is the knowledge, and the opportunity to talk about what they learned. As we have learned from our experience as being student teachers, both teachers and students have questions. We just need to offer the time and safe space to talk about our questions and concerns.
Sara, Katie, and Giancarlo
Journal #7
Pan-Am Games Volunteer Recognition Reception - Tuesday May 7th 4pm-7pm
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
As part of the Pan-Am Games commitment, our group was invited to a Volunteer Recognition Reception. Since Greg left for Kenya yesterday, this was our first real event on our own - and to be honest, we felt a little out of place at first. Many different individuals and groups arrived at this reception in an effort to get to know one another and how their group will be positively impacting the 2015 Pan-Am Games. As the event continued, it became obvious as to why we were there, and what the message of the 2015 Pan-Am Games in Toronto will be portraying. The Keynote speakers, The Right and Honourable Michaelle Jean and her husband Jean-Daniel Lafond gave a very powerful and moving speech regarding the expression of arts and creativity that will also be present throughout the games.
These games are about bringing the city of Toronto together as a grand, diverse community. Many of the venues that are going up will be available for public use once the games are finished. The message is not just about the sports themselves, but about promoting the wonderful multicultural city that we all love; this will be taken to a new level when many countries descend on Toronto in 2015 for the games. As leadership coordinators (now), and teachers (very shortly), our duty will be to ensure our students feel connected not only with their own cultures, but with the Toronto culture as well.
Giancarlo, Katie, and Sara
Pan-Am Games Volunteer Recognition Reception - Tuesday May 7th 4pm-7pm
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
As part of the Pan-Am Games commitment, our group was invited to a Volunteer Recognition Reception. Since Greg left for Kenya yesterday, this was our first real event on our own - and to be honest, we felt a little out of place at first. Many different individuals and groups arrived at this reception in an effort to get to know one another and how their group will be positively impacting the 2015 Pan-Am Games. As the event continued, it became obvious as to why we were there, and what the message of the 2015 Pan-Am Games in Toronto will be portraying. The Keynote speakers, The Right and Honourable Michaelle Jean and her husband Jean-Daniel Lafond gave a very powerful and moving speech regarding the expression of arts and creativity that will also be present throughout the games.
These games are about bringing the city of Toronto together as a grand, diverse community. Many of the venues that are going up will be available for public use once the games are finished. The message is not just about the sports themselves, but about promoting the wonderful multicultural city that we all love; this will be taken to a new level when many countries descend on Toronto in 2015 for the games. As leadership coordinators (now), and teachers (very shortly), our duty will be to ensure our students feel connected not only with their own cultures, but with the Toronto culture as well.
Giancarlo, Katie, and Sara
Journal #6
Camp Olympia Weekend #2 - Fri May 3rd-Sun May 5th
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Weekend #2 at Camp Olympia began just like the first weekend. We arrived around noon, excited to participate in this weekend's activities. This weekend's host school was Cardinal Newman, with a total of 15 schools in attendance. The theme for the weekend was Disney!! It was amazing to see how the schools really portrayed the weekend's theme in everything they did. Each school made a banner which displayed their particular Disney theme. The banners were beautiful and so well executed.
The thing that really stood out this weekend was the students creativity. The students were constantly cheering and dancing and creating a positive environment in very creative and inspiring ways. It was refreshing to see this because this showed each students' and schools strength and leadership.
The weekend was scheduled very much like last weekend and we were happy to help out wherever we were needed. we helped out with supervision mostly, ensuring that students were where they needed to be, when they needed to be there. Like last weekend, the students were well behaved and reflected positively on their schools and the TCDSB as a whole. The lip syncs and prepared performances were outstanding, yet again showcasing the students unique talents.
After experiencing Camp Olympia for the second weekend in a row, it has become evident that Catholic Student Leadership is integral to each schools catholicity and community. The students involved are caring and are great examples of what it means to be involved in so many different aspects of your community. Each of these schools and students exemplifies the Catholic Graduate Expectations. I think it is safe to say that each of us would be happy to coordinate a weekend of this nature in whatever school we become employed in (if we become employed). There are only so many words i can think of that truly describe the feeling and atmosphere that these two weekends have left us with. We cannot wait to continue on this path with Catholic Student Leadership because we have all found a comfort and excitement in working within this experience.
Katie, Sara, and Giancarlo
Camp Olympia Weekend #2 - Fri May 3rd-Sun May 5th
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Weekend #2 at Camp Olympia began just like the first weekend. We arrived around noon, excited to participate in this weekend's activities. This weekend's host school was Cardinal Newman, with a total of 15 schools in attendance. The theme for the weekend was Disney!! It was amazing to see how the schools really portrayed the weekend's theme in everything they did. Each school made a banner which displayed their particular Disney theme. The banners were beautiful and so well executed.
The thing that really stood out this weekend was the students creativity. The students were constantly cheering and dancing and creating a positive environment in very creative and inspiring ways. It was refreshing to see this because this showed each students' and schools strength and leadership.
The weekend was scheduled very much like last weekend and we were happy to help out wherever we were needed. we helped out with supervision mostly, ensuring that students were where they needed to be, when they needed to be there. Like last weekend, the students were well behaved and reflected positively on their schools and the TCDSB as a whole. The lip syncs and prepared performances were outstanding, yet again showcasing the students unique talents.
After experiencing Camp Olympia for the second weekend in a row, it has become evident that Catholic Student Leadership is integral to each schools catholicity and community. The students involved are caring and are great examples of what it means to be involved in so many different aspects of your community. Each of these schools and students exemplifies the Catholic Graduate Expectations. I think it is safe to say that each of us would be happy to coordinate a weekend of this nature in whatever school we become employed in (if we become employed). There are only so many words i can think of that truly describe the feeling and atmosphere that these two weekends have left us with. We cannot wait to continue on this path with Catholic Student Leadership because we have all found a comfort and excitement in working within this experience.
Katie, Sara, and Giancarlo
Journal #5
GSA Meeting at TSU - Thursday May 2nd 4pm-7pm
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"Preach the Gospel at all times. When necessary, use words". ~ St. Francis
We accompanied Greg to another meeting located at the Toronto Secondary Unit's offices on Wilson Ave. This meeting, hosted in part by EGALE (Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere: Canada's Human Rights Trust), included three speakers: Alex Duffy (EGALE), Ricky (a former student from Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton Catholic High School), and Koji (a long-time teacher at Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts).
The purpose of this meeting was designed to promote further awareness of starting Gay-Straight Alliances for our brothers and sisters in the Catholic School system, and to discuss any roadblocks or other issues that arise when trying to implement one. The first speaker, Alex, discussed EGALE's website "MyGSA.ca". This was designed in an effort to help students find ways to kick-start these programs within their schools, and to maintain them once they've been implemented. The website offers a variety of information for both students and educators alike that wish to participate in actively starting a GSA within their school community.
Ricky and Koji each took turns offering perspective into their own personal stories from their own experiences within their schools. Ricky offered an inspiring student perspective; he started many projects (some of which were unfortunately vandalized immediately after completion, symbolizing the hardship that some of our brothers and sisters endure on a daily basis) and petitions within his school. And he stressed the importance of both peer and teacher support in respect to GSA's being effective in their school communities.
Koji was able to offer the educator's perspective. He advised that his students' interests are always first and foremost. His example pointed to re-terming the alliances as QSA's in his school (Queer-Straight Alliance), because after speaking with his students, there was a general understanding that the term GSA inadvertently excluded some members of the LGBTQ community.
This meeting was highly influential and offered lots of valuable information in relation to student leadership. Our students should be empowered to be leaders of all people, regardless of sexual orientation, race, age, etc.
Giancarlo, Sara, and Katie
GSA Meeting at TSU - Thursday May 2nd 4pm-7pm
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"Preach the Gospel at all times. When necessary, use words". ~ St. Francis
We accompanied Greg to another meeting located at the Toronto Secondary Unit's offices on Wilson Ave. This meeting, hosted in part by EGALE (Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere: Canada's Human Rights Trust), included three speakers: Alex Duffy (EGALE), Ricky (a former student from Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton Catholic High School), and Koji (a long-time teacher at Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts).
The purpose of this meeting was designed to promote further awareness of starting Gay-Straight Alliances for our brothers and sisters in the Catholic School system, and to discuss any roadblocks or other issues that arise when trying to implement one. The first speaker, Alex, discussed EGALE's website "MyGSA.ca". This was designed in an effort to help students find ways to kick-start these programs within their schools, and to maintain them once they've been implemented. The website offers a variety of information for both students and educators alike that wish to participate in actively starting a GSA within their school community.
Ricky and Koji each took turns offering perspective into their own personal stories from their own experiences within their schools. Ricky offered an inspiring student perspective; he started many projects (some of which were unfortunately vandalized immediately after completion, symbolizing the hardship that some of our brothers and sisters endure on a daily basis) and petitions within his school. And he stressed the importance of both peer and teacher support in respect to GSA's being effective in their school communities.
Koji was able to offer the educator's perspective. He advised that his students' interests are always first and foremost. His example pointed to re-terming the alliances as QSA's in his school (Queer-Straight Alliance), because after speaking with his students, there was a general understanding that the term GSA inadvertently excluded some members of the LGBTQ community.
This meeting was highly influential and offered lots of valuable information in relation to student leadership. Our students should be empowered to be leaders of all people, regardless of sexual orientation, race, age, etc.
Giancarlo, Sara, and Katie
Journal #4
Autism Program Meeting @ Neil McNeil- Wednesday May1st 2pm-4pm
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The three of us accompanied Greg to Neil McNeil High School to attend a meeting with Susan Menary and the Special Education team to discuss the programs that are currently being played out in both Neil McNeil and Bishop Allen. This program is specialized for students on the high functioning level of the autism spectrum and is meant to help these students to better integrate into their high schools and to help them build stronger social skills. Greg's role in this meeting is to help with the planning of a Catholic leadership component of the program.
The main subject of the meeting was the planning of a weekend for these students to attend a leadership weekend at Camp Olympia. This weekend would be meant for grade 10 and 11 students in the program. There is an initiative to have at least one leadership excursion for every year that the students are in highschool. In grade 9, the students attend their schools orientation weekend at Camp Muskoka, as well as taking a trip to Brickworks to take part in the Outward Bound program. In grade 10, the students attend a retreat at L'arche, and it is in this year that the planned Camp Olympia weekend would take place. In Grade 11, it is planned that the students assist the grade 10 students with their trip to Camp Olympia.
This meeting basically became a planning session for the program and how it will work in years to come. Where we came in was in the discussion of a field trip for the students to help the homeless in Toronto. The leaders of the program want to instill in their students the Catholic Graduate Expectations, especially the idea of Compassion, Empathy and Service to Others. Because we have previous experience in running a 'street patrol' of handing out food to Toronto's homeless, we were able to offer some insight into the planning of this trip.
In the end it was decided that we would run this excursion this year. The three of us were given the tasks of contacting the Newman Centre at U of T to organize these classes to take part in a street patrol. The teachers of Neil McNeil and Bishop Allen also asked us to prepare a lesson for their class regarding the approach and socialization to giving out sandwiches to the homeless. Because these students often struggle with socializing, we are to come up with some activities to get these students use to interacting with the homeless.
We are very excited to plan this lesson and attend this trip with these schools. The trip will take place on Monday May 21. We look forward to reporting on this event when it takes place!
Sara, Katie and Giancarlo
Autism Program Meeting @ Neil McNeil- Wednesday May1st 2pm-4pm
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The three of us accompanied Greg to Neil McNeil High School to attend a meeting with Susan Menary and the Special Education team to discuss the programs that are currently being played out in both Neil McNeil and Bishop Allen. This program is specialized for students on the high functioning level of the autism spectrum and is meant to help these students to better integrate into their high schools and to help them build stronger social skills. Greg's role in this meeting is to help with the planning of a Catholic leadership component of the program.
The main subject of the meeting was the planning of a weekend for these students to attend a leadership weekend at Camp Olympia. This weekend would be meant for grade 10 and 11 students in the program. There is an initiative to have at least one leadership excursion for every year that the students are in highschool. In grade 9, the students attend their schools orientation weekend at Camp Muskoka, as well as taking a trip to Brickworks to take part in the Outward Bound program. In grade 10, the students attend a retreat at L'arche, and it is in this year that the planned Camp Olympia weekend would take place. In Grade 11, it is planned that the students assist the grade 10 students with their trip to Camp Olympia.
This meeting basically became a planning session for the program and how it will work in years to come. Where we came in was in the discussion of a field trip for the students to help the homeless in Toronto. The leaders of the program want to instill in their students the Catholic Graduate Expectations, especially the idea of Compassion, Empathy and Service to Others. Because we have previous experience in running a 'street patrol' of handing out food to Toronto's homeless, we were able to offer some insight into the planning of this trip.
In the end it was decided that we would run this excursion this year. The three of us were given the tasks of contacting the Newman Centre at U of T to organize these classes to take part in a street patrol. The teachers of Neil McNeil and Bishop Allen also asked us to prepare a lesson for their class regarding the approach and socialization to giving out sandwiches to the homeless. Because these students often struggle with socializing, we are to come up with some activities to get these students use to interacting with the homeless.
We are very excited to plan this lesson and attend this trip with these schools. The trip will take place on Monday May 21. We look forward to reporting on this event when it takes place!
Sara, Katie and Giancarlo
Journal #3
The Pan-Am Games Meeting - Wednesday May 1st 10:00am-12:00pm
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
As our internship continues into the full swing of things, our coordinator Greg Rogers has us on the go to many different leadership meetings, conferences, and interactions. We are certainly getting a feel for what it takes to be part of the amazing world of the Leadership Team within the TCDSB.
Wednesday Morning began with a meeting with a member of the Toronto 2015 Pan-Am Games team. The reason for this meeting was to review a document provided by the Pan-Am committee regarding incorporating both the cultural significance and Health & Physical Education components of the games into the curriculum for Toronto Schools. We've been assigned the task of creating a lesson plan to go along with this document.
Katie, Sara & Giancarlo
The Pan-Am Games Meeting - Wednesday May 1st 10:00am-12:00pm
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
As our internship continues into the full swing of things, our coordinator Greg Rogers has us on the go to many different leadership meetings, conferences, and interactions. We are certainly getting a feel for what it takes to be part of the amazing world of the Leadership Team within the TCDSB.
Wednesday Morning began with a meeting with a member of the Toronto 2015 Pan-Am Games team. The reason for this meeting was to review a document provided by the Pan-Am committee regarding incorporating both the cultural significance and Health & Physical Education components of the games into the curriculum for Toronto Schools. We've been assigned the task of creating a lesson plan to go along with this document.
Katie, Sara & Giancarlo
Journal #2
Focus on Youth (FOY) Meeting- Monday April 29th 11:00am-1:00pm
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Focus on Youth is a Co-op leadership program run by the Toronto Catholic District School Board. It is described on the site as being “a partnership between the Ontario Government, school boards and local community agencies. It provides summer programs for students in recognized high needs urban neighbourhoods, as well as employment opportunities and leadership training for youth.” (tcdsb.org).
We had the opportunity to sit on one of the meetings involving the planning and organizing of the Camp Olympia weekend that these students get to be part of. This program has large emphasis on Catholic Leadership, and because of this, as part of the job training portion the students spend a weekend at Camp Olympia, participating in both job related workshops and team building activities.
This specific meeting was focused on scheduling the camp weekend for Focus on Youth (FOY). The organizer of the program, Andre, was able to collect some feedback from last year’s camp and with this we began to plan how we can make this years camp bigger and better!
Attending this meeting has opened our eyes to a whole other level of student leadership. Working with the students in this program seems like it will be a very enriching experience. Each of these students’ backgrounds and talents will greatly empower the weekend spent at Olympia, and we are looking forward to attending this session at the end of the month!
Katie, Sara & Giancarlo
Focus on Youth (FOY) Meeting- Monday April 29th 11:00am-1:00pm
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Focus on Youth is a Co-op leadership program run by the Toronto Catholic District School Board. It is described on the site as being “a partnership between the Ontario Government, school boards and local community agencies. It provides summer programs for students in recognized high needs urban neighbourhoods, as well as employment opportunities and leadership training for youth.” (tcdsb.org).
We had the opportunity to sit on one of the meetings involving the planning and organizing of the Camp Olympia weekend that these students get to be part of. This program has large emphasis on Catholic Leadership, and because of this, as part of the job training portion the students spend a weekend at Camp Olympia, participating in both job related workshops and team building activities.
This specific meeting was focused on scheduling the camp weekend for Focus on Youth (FOY). The organizer of the program, Andre, was able to collect some feedback from last year’s camp and with this we began to plan how we can make this years camp bigger and better!
Attending this meeting has opened our eyes to a whole other level of student leadership. Working with the students in this program seems like it will be a very enriching experience. Each of these students’ backgrounds and talents will greatly empower the weekend spent at Olympia, and we are looking forward to attending this session at the end of the month!
Katie, Sara & Giancarlo
Journal #1
Camp Olympia Weekend- Friday April 26 12:00pm- Sunday April 28 12:00pm
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
We went up to Camp Olympia on Friday. We left Toronto at 8:30am and arrived at Camp Olympia at 12pm where we were enthusiastically greeted by the Hosting School, Don Bosco. We were automatically brought back to our various student leadership experiences of our undergraduate days. Suddenly, nostalgia and excitement hit. As teachers, we always try to help those students who are feeling challenged by the education system. Sometimes, because of this, we push aside the student leaders who aren't struggling because we're busy helping those who need us most. This weekend at Camp Olympia was all about empowering these high school students to use their Catholic leadership within their school, parish and community.
The host group, Don Bosco, greeted all the schools with cheers and songs as they rolled into Camp Olympia in their yellow school bus. It was a struggle not to join in their contagious cheering! Every bus that arrived, unloaded an even more energetic group than the last! Every school brought art pieces, props, cheers and an overall excited disposition.
At around 1PM, we all congregated in the Hangar (a giant gym) and experienced the energy of 13 high schools. Imagine 400 student leaders in costume, cheering at the top of their lungs. There was so much school spirit, it was inspirational. We had a keynote speaker, a TDSB teacher Christopher D'Souza, who challenged us to think critically about diversity; how we accept/defend/promote diversity. The students then went off with their group to do some community building activities. One of the best events was the lip sync event in the evening. Each of the 13 schools put on a choreographed dance and lip sync that demonstrated their "theme". It was amazing getting to witness the creativity and courage of these students. It was even more heartwarming to see how supportive the student audience was while the performances were going on. The energy that night was palpable.
The next day, the students were mixed up so that we could really build a bond with our peers and not just our friends. The students were divided into colours and asked to make a new cheer for their new group. So we went from cheering for specific schools to cheering for our colours. The transition from being with friends to being with strangers was seamless.
These students were rock climbing, zip lining and building structures with other students they had just met. What a great demonstration of trust and team work.
Because this weekend was at the beginning of our internship, we helped out wherever we were needed. We didn't get to facilitate or plan any events, but that was ok. We really got to learn what Camp Olympia--and the office of Catholic Student Leadership--is all about. We mentioned the word "witness" a couple of times. A big part of the Catholic faith is being a witness to the fruits of Catholicism; witnessing love, peace, community and compassion. Our first experience with Catholic Student Leadership left us speechless. Words cannot express the extreme pride we felt at witnessing these 400 Catholic students come together and truly exemplify what it means to be Catholic leaders. We left Camp Olympia feeling exhausted but elated. Needless to say, we all left Camp Olympia excited about our return!
Peace and Love,
Sara, Katie, Giancarlo
Camp Olympia Weekend- Friday April 26 12:00pm- Sunday April 28 12:00pm
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
We went up to Camp Olympia on Friday. We left Toronto at 8:30am and arrived at Camp Olympia at 12pm where we were enthusiastically greeted by the Hosting School, Don Bosco. We were automatically brought back to our various student leadership experiences of our undergraduate days. Suddenly, nostalgia and excitement hit. As teachers, we always try to help those students who are feeling challenged by the education system. Sometimes, because of this, we push aside the student leaders who aren't struggling because we're busy helping those who need us most. This weekend at Camp Olympia was all about empowering these high school students to use their Catholic leadership within their school, parish and community.
The host group, Don Bosco, greeted all the schools with cheers and songs as they rolled into Camp Olympia in their yellow school bus. It was a struggle not to join in their contagious cheering! Every bus that arrived, unloaded an even more energetic group than the last! Every school brought art pieces, props, cheers and an overall excited disposition.
At around 1PM, we all congregated in the Hangar (a giant gym) and experienced the energy of 13 high schools. Imagine 400 student leaders in costume, cheering at the top of their lungs. There was so much school spirit, it was inspirational. We had a keynote speaker, a TDSB teacher Christopher D'Souza, who challenged us to think critically about diversity; how we accept/defend/promote diversity. The students then went off with their group to do some community building activities. One of the best events was the lip sync event in the evening. Each of the 13 schools put on a choreographed dance and lip sync that demonstrated their "theme". It was amazing getting to witness the creativity and courage of these students. It was even more heartwarming to see how supportive the student audience was while the performances were going on. The energy that night was palpable.
The next day, the students were mixed up so that we could really build a bond with our peers and not just our friends. The students were divided into colours and asked to make a new cheer for their new group. So we went from cheering for specific schools to cheering for our colours. The transition from being with friends to being with strangers was seamless.
These students were rock climbing, zip lining and building structures with other students they had just met. What a great demonstration of trust and team work.
Because this weekend was at the beginning of our internship, we helped out wherever we were needed. We didn't get to facilitate or plan any events, but that was ok. We really got to learn what Camp Olympia--and the office of Catholic Student Leadership--is all about. We mentioned the word "witness" a couple of times. A big part of the Catholic faith is being a witness to the fruits of Catholicism; witnessing love, peace, community and compassion. Our first experience with Catholic Student Leadership left us speechless. Words cannot express the extreme pride we felt at witnessing these 400 Catholic students come together and truly exemplify what it means to be Catholic leaders. We left Camp Olympia feeling exhausted but elated. Needless to say, we all left Camp Olympia excited about our return!
Peace and Love,
Sara, Katie, Giancarlo