Thanks to the passion and dedication of HS teacher Mr. Sweeney, Mentor College was recently named a "COVID Hero". The actions of this Mentor COVID Hero go back to the cold winter months - when Mr. Sweeney (with help from Mr. Starkey, Mr. Miller, Mr. Simpson, Ms. Fenton, Mr. Baird, and Mr. Young - with sons Sam and Aaron) turned the dream of an outdoor rink on campus into a reality. Students in Phys. Ed. classes were able to enjoy free skating and even curling sessions on the rink until schools were closed due to the pandemic. Friends in the neighbourhood also enjoyed use of the rink during off-hours. 

The summertime at our schools is when we take the opportunity to upgrade infrastructure and this year, it was time to upgrade the rooftop HVAC units at the Main and Primary Campuses. The 37 new units are more energy-efficient, capable of moving more air (both fresh and recirculated), and have a coolant that is more environment-friendly. In addition, a new heat exchanger (that will also reduce humidity) has been added at the pool; we hope that we will be able to return to our aquatics programming in the 2021-2022 school year. 

The Main Campus project took place two weeks ago and this week (as pictured), a VERY big crane is taking the first of the old HVAC units from the Primary Campus roof. The angle of the photo is deceiving but the crane is so big that it is actually over top of the pool!  

It was great to welcome students back to school today! We wish everyone a safe, successful, and productive 2021-2022 school year!

For a limited time, High School students have the opportunity to purchase Marauder-branded T-shirts, hoodies, and more! The online locker is open from today until October 11. Items are shipped directly home. Shipping is free for orders over $75. 

Click here for complete information!

Students in Ms. Bahl's Grade 7 class were in the dome this morning playing Ultimate Frisbee. This year, in order to minimize contact, Intermediate Division students enjoy co-ed physical education class with their cohort. Teacher Ms. Masterton starts off the year with ultimate Frisbee - emphasizing sportsmanship and camaraderie.

This morning, students in Mrs. Pascual's Grade 4 class were in computers class - where they were practicing coding. By playing the game Lightbot, students learn programming concepts by giving commands to a little robot as it navigates a maze.

Cheese! It is Photo Day today in the High School Division! Students and staff have been keeping a safe distance and showing off their smiles as they file in and out of O'Brien Hall. On Friday, it is the TEAM, TSS, and Intermediate Divisions - followed by the Primary Division next Tuesday!

After a couple of weeks of discussion about the various federal parties and the election system, students in Ms. Suri’s (8E) and Mr. Poonah’s (8A) classes cast their votes for a federal leader today in a mock election. Instead of voting for candidates based on their home ridings, students voted solely based on the names of the federal leaders in order to keep the ballot common. They will receive their election results at the end of the day.

Members of the mountain biking club (aka "rain or shine" club) had their first practice yesterday riding through the Cawthra Estate trails. After a few minor trail miscalculations, all 12 riders successfully made it back to the school!

Students in the TEAM, Primary, and Intermediate Divisions headed to the field, track, and sidewalk yesterday and today in the annual Terry Fox Run. What a great opportunity for students to enjoy time outdoors and to get some physical activity and raise funds for a good cause. Well done, students!

Over the past four years, our Grade 12 students have been working towards this goal: university admissions. Today marked the beginning of University Week. Ms. Walmark, head of guidance, met virtually with Grade 12 students to review their Guide to Grade 12 Graduation booklets - including their transcripts and login credentials to the OUAC. Students were also given the opportunity to ask general questions. Today's assembly and individual appointments with Ms. Walmark set the students up to successfully meet their goals.

Upcoming University Week Events:

University Fair: Tuesday October 12, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Students have registered for four 30-minute information sessions with universities of their choice. Representatives from each university will give a short presentation and take questions from students and parents.

Alumni Morning: Thursday October 14, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Grade 12 students connect with Mentor alumni who are currently enrolled in university. Alumni will spend the hour talking about their experiences going through the admissions process and about what to expect entering first-year university. Students can also ask questions about academics, extracurricular activities, residence life, food, and more.

This year, the Mentor College annual University Fair moved online. It was a resounding success! There were 21 schools from four different provinces in attendance, and 113 students from Grades 11 and 12 were able to meet with up to four schools for half-hour Teams sessions. Representatives began by offering information and updates about their institution, and then answered student questions about topics such as programs, entrance averages, and residences. Thanks to all who attended!

Today was our annual Alumni Morning. Grade 12 students met with alumni currently attending undergraduate or post-graduate programs in Canada and abroad.

Grade 12s submitted their questions about the university admissions process, the workload of a first-year university student, cafeteria food, and how they might fare compared to peers from other schools. Alumni responded providing a diverse range of perspectives. 

Armin Bujis (Class of 2018), currently enrolled in a dual business/geophysics degree at Western University, emphasized the advantages that Mentor College graduates have in comparison to their peers from other schools. The same sentiment was echoed by all alumni, who shared similar stories about time management, organization, and academic skills.

Our alumni are an amazing group!  We are so proud of them, and thankful that they were willing to share their experiences to support this year's grade 12 students' in their transition to university.

October 13th and 14th saw golfers from all over Ontario gather at Sawmill GCC to compete in the OFSAA Golf Championships. Ainsley Fink gained experience during her first round, and with grit and determination, bettered her first day score by 16 strokes in round two. In doing so, she posted the second lowest score of the day!  

This amazing accomplishment was enough for her to secure 9th place overall! It also earns her a place in the Mentor College history books as the first female golfer to finish top 10 at OFSAA. This was Ainsley's second tournament ever!

We congratulate Ainsley on her skill, tenacity, and professional attitude.

The mountain biking team finished its season on Saturday by hitting the trails at Kelso in Milton. Coaches Sweeney, Miller, and Borkhoff were impressed with the growth in team members' riding skills and confidence. Special mention goes to Mark Hogan who won the time trial competition. Great work team! Coaches look forward to hitting the trails next season!

The High School Sudent Council has started an event on Fridays where seniors can use sidewalk chalk to show off their artistic talents and spread cheer!  We must do this while the weather is nice, and each week rains wash the creations away to invite new artists the following Friday.

This morning in French class, Grade 2 students learned that computers will always do what you tell them to do, but not necessarily what you want them to do. By working with Bee-Bots (robots that introduce children to coding and computational thinking), the students practiced newly-learned vocabulary while coding! French teacher Mme Wertman would call out where the Bee Bot should go next. The students would find the corresponding picture and then take turns coding Bee Bot to get him to the correct image.

It is time to order your Intermediate Division yearbook! Purchases can be made online.

Please visit the Jostens Mentor College Intermediate Division Yearbook page to place your order!

The Yearbook Club thanks you for your support!

Runners were so glad to get out for a race this year at the High School Cross Country ROPSSAA championship, after training for many weeks. For many athletes, this was their first ever high school running race, and their coaches are very proud of their dedication and hard work this season. Congratulations to the following athletes for their accomplishments, and to all runners who came out this year!

Mark Hogan: bronze, 5km (18:10)
Evan Ferreira: 6th place, 6km (22:26)
Junior Boys' Team (Mark Hogan, Amare Getahun, Sohan Rasul, Henry Burke): 3rd place
Senior Boys' Team (Evan Ferreira, Caden Roberts, Simon Fernandes, Alex Melnbardis): 3rd place

Special Mentions:

Evan Ferreira: for beating the Mentor record for 6km held since 2017
Alex Melnbardis: for a personal best race
Girls' Team: for running, cheering, and staying positive through the rainy weather

Please wish good luck and weather to Mark Hogan and Evan Ferreira - who will advance to OFSAA November 6 in Lakefield.

Photo: Mark Hogan

With yesterday's field trip to the Toronto Zoo still fresh in their memories, students in Mrs. Leung's Grade 1 class worked on their journal entries this morning. The children took this opportunity to reflect on their first field trip of the year as they continued with their unit on "African Animals".

It has been a great day at Mentor & TEAM! We have seen tremendous school spirit at all campuses. We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable Hallowe'en weekend!

On Thursday October 28, twenty-six members of the Mentor College Environment Club participated in a garbage pick-up as part of the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup. After about an hour of scouring the lakeshore at Tall Oaks Park, teams collectively picked up over ten bags of litter including 27 plastic bottles, 63 food wrappers, 32 coffee cups/lids, and 346 cigarette butts. Thanks to everyone who participated!

Grades 1 and 2 students participated in the PSAA virtual cross country race last week. Grade 2 children ran on Wednesday and the Grade 1s on Thursday. Runners ran 750m on the Mentor track and then submitted the times to PSAA. 

Well done to all who ran! We look forward to seeing you again next year! Here are the winners from each grade.

Grade 1: Grey Krejci, Luke Nie
Grade 2: Sophia Papayiannis, Lucas Lu

On Saturday, members of the High School Athletic Association raked leaves at 15 houses in the school community! The event was an effort to raise money for the Woodland Cultural Centre's Save the Evidence campaign - which "raises awareness and support for the restoration of the former Mohawk Institute Residential School, and to develop the building into an Interpreted Historic Site and Educational Resource." 

In addition to raising awareness of how a simple action of raking leaves can support Truth and Reconciliation, the students also raised $380. By keeping the memories alive of the harmful impact that residential schools had on many Indigenous children, we are hopeful that the same mistakes will never be made again.

Special thanks to our friends at Back Road Coffee Roasters - who donated free hot chocolate for the event!

High School wrestlers were the first ones on campus this morning for their second practice of the season! Team members meet twice a week for a 7:00 AM start. Well done! We look forward to more updates from the team and wish everyone a great week!

Congratulations to Evan Ferreira and Mark Hogan - who ran in the OFSAA cross-country Championship in Lakefield on Saturday!

Mark finished better than any Mentor runner in recent years: 16th place in the junior boys’ 5K race. His time was 18.25 (3:41 / km pace). He ran in right behind the lead pack - chasing the lead ATV down the trail. Having previously finished third at regionals, on Saturday he beat that race's second-place finisher. The team awaits what he has in store for next year’s season!

Evan Ferreira has been on the cross-country running team for 4 years, and attended OFSAA for the first time on Saturday. His dedication to improving his own fitness and his ability to push himself to his absolute limits on the course led him to a great 6K race on Saturday, where he placed 61st. Evan's time was 22.09 (3:41 / km pace) - a personal best, and a new Mentor senior boys’ record! Congratulations on an amazing season this year; keep running into your future, Evan!

Brayden has been a leader on the team. His dominating serves have allowed his teammates to depend on him in tough situations during a set. His consistent passing creates good offensive opportunities. Brayden's all-round positive and respectful attitude towards all members of the team shows what a true leader he is becoming. Coaches Lucato and McRae are very proud of you, Brayden!

Lea has had an exceptional impact on the varsity girls’ basketball team this season. She has been a true leader both on and off the court. She had her breakout game last week against Stephen Lewis Secondary School where she scored 16 points. Along with the excellent offence, she made sure to get her team involved in a well-deserved win. Lea always ensures that our team is both physically and mentally ready. She is a true captain!

Students in Mme Wertman’s Grade 3 French classes were excited this week as mail from their Grade 3 pen pals in Prince Edward Island had arrived! The Grade 3s are paired with a Grade 3 French Immersion class in Charlottetown, PEI whose teacher is former Mentor Primary Division French teacher Mme Roussie!

Mentor students sent their letters to their pen pals in October and they got replies back this week. Students have been motivated to practise reading and writing in French so they can learn more about their new friends.  With a little help from Mme, students started reading their letters and finding out that they have quite a few things in common with their new friends, such as sports, video games, colours, and books they all like.

They are also using their family vocabulary to learn how many people are in their families. While learning that Canada Post isn’t quite as quick as sending an email, the students have learned it was worth the wait! The students will be writing and sending off letters back to PEI this week.

Because of the recent land opening of the US border and this weekend's Mid-Autumn Holiday, we are reminding families of the Government of Canada and Region of Peel stay-at-home guidelines after returning to Canada (waiting period of 14 days before returning to school if not fully vaccinated).

There are no classes scheduled for Friday, November 12 and Monday, November 15. We wish all of our families a wonderful long weekend.

This morning, a group of High School students wrote the American Mathematics Contest (AMC12). The contest is for interested students to develop mathematical skills through solving challenging problems in a timed multiple-choice format. Students develop skills beforehand through practicing skills and working through similar problems. Well done, students. 

The students and staff at Mentor College & TEAM School marked Remembrance Day today. Age-appropriate ceremonies and activities took place in all divisions. The Last Post was played, followed by a minute of silence and the playing of Reveille.

So far this year, over 50 Mentor students have participated in the Caribou Contest! The Caribou Contest is an international math competition with the participation of over 25,000 students. Two tests out of five have been completed and two students from Mentor are in the top 1% in the overall standings (aka Caribou Cup): Hannah Binder (Grades 5/6 Division) and Kenneth He (Grades 7/8).

Top 10% Grades 5/6: Ranav Sharma (<3%), Valerie Yin (<4%), Mahi Budhoo (<6%), Jahaanjeet Brar (<7%) and Jeremy Genyk (8%)

Top 10% Grade 7/8: Sheryl Satur (<3%), Irvin Sivya (<4%), Maya Chen (<4%), Terrence Chen (<5%), Nicholas Genyk (<6%), Marylou Marin (<7%), Isabella Bian (<10%), and Karen Chen (<10%)

The next round takes place on January 12th and 13th.

For the past few weeks, members of the crystal growing club have been growing alum crystals! This week, chemistry teacher Dr. Mathewson heads to the Chemical Institute of Canada with a selection of crystals that will be entered into the National Crystal Growing Competition!

Over the course of the season, Henry demonstrated his dedication to the team. His quick reaction time and willingness to scramble to every ball (diving when needed) earned him the top setter position. He was one of the team’s strongest and most consistent servers. His positive attitude was heard on and off the court, using great communication to call for the ball and encouraging his teammates after plays. Congratulations Henry! Coaches Lucato and McRae are proud of and thankful for the determination you showed during every point!

Soso has a driving force that helped propel the Varsity Girls' Basketball team to a 3-3 record in ROPSSAA play. When the ball was in her hands, Soso aggressively drove it to the hoop and helped carry the offence this season. An amazing teammate, Soso displayed a positive attitude which fostered a welcoming environment that helped the team come together and show improvement with each game. As a Grade 12 student, her quiet leadership will be missed next year. Congratulations on being the Marauder Athlete of the Week!

This past Saturday, cast and crew of the theatre department's fall play Almost, Maine, were hard at work filming the final version of the production in O'Brien Hall. Even though we cannot have a live audience in the school at this time, we are excited to share this heartfelt piece of theatre for on-demand streaming from the comfort of your home this December.

Almost, Maine will stream December 3-5 on Broadway On Demand. A link will be posted on Edsby closer to the date.

For the past two weeks, Grade 11 Healthy Active Living students have been learning about the sport of wheelchair basketball. In addition to the upper-body training, students have also gained a deeper respect for the daily experience of those who use a wheelchair every day. 

To help introduce the subject, Mr. Miller invited ONPARA athlete ambassador Shawn Courchesne to speak to the classes. Mr. Courchesne taught the students the rules of wheelchair basketball and shared his story about a snowmobile accident that broke his back when he was 17 years old. He now plays/coaches with Team Ontario and is involved in other wheelchair sports such as tennis.

Classes continue their wheelchair basketball practice this week.

The High School Club CARE (Club for Animal Respect and Education) is collecting items for the Brampton Animal Shelter. Donations can be dropped off at room 203 until next Friday.

Please see the letter from the Chief Medical Officer sent to us today from the Ministry of Education. 

To: All Parents and Guardians of Children Aged Five to 11 in the Province of Ontario
Re: Ontario Children Aged Five to 11 Now Eligible to Receive Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine

Following a very successful Autumn program, London Soccer Academy is pleased to offer its 2022 sessions and dates. London Soccer Academy has been running a fun and skill-building youth soccer experience since 2016.

Our individual attention to each participant is centred on a positive and technical approach. Our motto is “Discover the Player Within”, so children can begin their playing experience with a proficient foundation. We also place emphasis on teambuilding and positive reinforcement.

The program has two groups: SK - Grade 4 and Grade 5 – Grade 8 open to everyone in these age groups in the school and community. Please find links to the Primary and Intermediate brochures.

Caden played very well in the team's exhibition game against Appleby College last Friday. He led the team in points and helped others get on the scoreboard with his smooth assists. In the first game of the season, Caden's leadership qualities were evident. We look forward to seeing these skills continue as he leads the seniors through a strong season. Great work, Caden!

Students in Grade 12 chemistry classes are participating in workshops hosted by the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Toronto.  Dr. Michelle Arnot spoke to one class of students today, about the biochemistry of drug action and the psychological reasons and effects of substance use disorder. Students also had an opportunity to hear from a 4th year student and a graduate student in the department.

December 1, 2021

It is hard to believe that we have come to the completion of this portion of the school year as we near our last day of classes on December 10, 2021. Our students have had an excellent academic term, and it has been wonderful to witness the excitement shown as they have participated in extracurricular school activities, including some clubs and sports that have been happening this term. It is very encouraging to see even more activities resuming as the year progresses and again when we return in the New Year.

When we resume classes on Monday, January 3rd, 2022, it will only be a short time before January exams for all but our youngest elementary students, and Semester 1 final exams for our Mentor high school students. The TSS hybrid schedule will continue for the year, but when Semester 2 begins on January 31, 2022 for our Mentor high school students, they will move from their current class schedule to one that includes 4 subjects each day.

If your family is travelling during the break, we remind you of the mandatory federal requirements to stay home from school for 14 days after travel for unvaccinated children less than 12 years of age. Travelling families should also be aware of the government requirements and stipulations for travel to their specific destination and for a safe return home, and then to school.

We also encourage you to visit the Peel Health website for more information on COVID vaccinations for students, including information on booking and clinics. If your child receives a Covid-19 vaccine, it will be recorded if you wish to provide a copy to the school office. Our schools have not yet received any information from the Ministry of Education regarding rapid testing kits for students.

Please know that we will be sending all books and belongings home for the winter break so that we are prepared should there be a government-initiated change to our return to in-class in January, and to support students who may need to do on-line learning because of a Covid concern that arises during the holiday or for students needing to remain at home after international travel.

We wish you a wonderful holiday break and look forward to seeing you in 2022!

Best wishes

Chuck Macdonald
Director

Class of 2002 graduate Sonia Sennik made the news recently as one of Canada's Top 40 Under 40. In addition to their role as the Executive Director of Creative Destruction Lab (a seed-stage program for massively scalable, science-based companies based at the University of Toronto), Sonia has added the CDL Rapid Screening Consortium to their résumé. The Consortium played a leading role in the launch and implementation of workplace rapid screening to help reopen the economy in a safe way worldwide.

The high school drama production, Almost, Maine by John Cariani, is available to stream this weekend!

Streaming is available for free on-demand beginning Friday at 7pm EST.

Click here to watch. You will be prompted to sign up for a free Broadway On Demand account, which will allow you to view our production.

Streaming ends Sunday at 7pm EST so don’t miss out!

Early risers have been having a great time in tabata! Dozens of athletes from the ski team, wrestling team and swim team have joined the usual crowd for high-energy workouts in the dome. Thanks to everyone for following safety protocols (physical distance and masking) so carefully! The group's last session of 2021 (on Thursday, December 9) will feature Christmas-themed exercises (and Christmas music!).  See you there!

Many of us started projects at the beginning of the pandemic and didn't stick with it but Class of 2016 grads Emily Crowe, Marissa Parker, and Tracy Wu have kept a wonderful project alive. "Sending You Sunshine" is a project that sends handwritten cards of support to seniors in care homes. These amazing grads were featured on CityTV this morning!