February 2015 LinkLetter - St. Boniface Diocesan High School

February
2015
Address: 282 Dubuc Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2H 1E4  Telephone: (204) 987-1560  Fax: (204) 237-9891
E-Mail: admin@sbdhs.net  Web Page: www.sbdhs.net  Office Hours: 7:30 am - 4:00 pm
Principal’s Message
This month I’d like to take some time to reflect on a second theme of focus for me since arriving at St. B: Access. To live full
lives, we require many kinds of access: physical, emotional, spiritual. How accessible am I to my family, to friends, to my colleagues?
Access to time, treasure and talent are things we must give and receive when living in community.
Our school strives to be accessible to those who wish to join our community. We do our best to make every opportunity available
for students to thrive and enjoy their time with us. This means educating the entire student as a person. This is challenging but rewarding
work. I am privileged to witness this work every day!
An important form of accessibility is finances. I wish to describe, in broad terms, how we try to be good stewards of the money
you invest in your child’s education. Please consider the following:
All schools receive a basic grant per student. As a Catholic school, we receive approximately 50% of the amount given per student to
public schools. We must therefore ask parents to pay tuition.
The tuition at St. B is much less than the remaining 50% required to match public system levels.
Public schools also receive additional grants for building needs that the Independent schools do not receive. To remedy this issue, as
directed by His Grace Archbishop LeGatt, the school has created and is beginning annual contributions to a capital fund to cover
building maintenance and improvement costs.
Apart from the basic student grant and tuition, we have no other steady source of income on
which we can depend. We have, from time to time, received donations and are always grateful for any
gifts people can make.
I hope the information above helps you see the miraculous nature of the work our teachers and
support staff do with your children. I marvel at how well they achieve their mission. I admire the
enthusiasm and faithfulness of our students. I am so very proud and grateful to share in their ministry.
Barely into the new calendar year, St. B. is already preparing for the new school year. St. B.
welcomes Mr. Adam Kowalski to our staff. Beginning Semester II, he will be teaching Gr. 10 Religion,
Gr. 11 and 12 English. He has been in our building before in a substitute capacity and we know he will
enjoy a typical warm St. B. welcome.
As we move forward, please know that I welcome your questions and comments on this and other
topics. Only together, we are “big enough to make a difference”. Let the love of learning flourish!
Wishing you peace,
In this issue:
Did You Know?
SBDHS Alumni Update
Announcements
Student Achievements: Global
Issues and Math Contest
Student Government
Grad Committee
Sports
Youth Ministry
Grad Fashion Show
Fundraiser
Fashion Show Order Forms
50th Anniversary Information
Mr. Paulo Borges
Principal
S T . B ONIFACE D IOCE S AN H IGH S C HOO L L IN K LE T T E R
School Calendar
P AGE 1
P AGE 2
D
F E BRU ARY 2015
ID YOU KNOW…
..that if you and your family lived in Manitoba between 1871
St. Mary’s , 1876.
and 1890, you could have allocated your taxes to the
Photo Source: http://www.archwinnipeg.ca/history_details.php?type=part1
Catholic School of your choice. The Education Act of 1871
designated that the arrangement that stood before Manitoba joined Confederation could continue. Your personal
taxes along with provincial grants were available to all denominational schools, Catholic and Protestant. ANY
parent could CHOOSE a Catholic School for the child’s education with no worry of how they could afford the fees.
What changed in 1890? The Public Schools Act was passed by the Manitoba Legislature in 1890. It repealed ALL
previous education legislation and appropriated all denominational school facilities for the Public School System.
Religious education was not allowed in Public schools.
WHAT triggered these changes?
Watch for the next chapter….
Christine Strutt
St. Boniface Diocesan School Board
SBDHS 50th Anniversary
Mark your calendars!
Did you know that the School's 50th Anniversary is fast approaching?
St. Boniface Diocesan High School will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary on October 9-11th, 2015.
Festivities kick-off Friday evening, October 9th, with a Wine and Cheese at Holy Cross Gym.
On Saturday, there will be a Dinner Reception at the Marlborough Hotel, and on Sunday, there will be a Mass and Pancake Breakfast at Holy Cross Gym.
For further details, please go to: http://www.sbdhs.net/alumni.html
or see the advertisement at the end of the Linkletter.
If you would like to volunteer or have an inquiry, please email alumni@sbdhs.net
Tickets will be available for purchase soon! Check the Alumni page for updates!
S T . B ONIFACE D IOCE S AN H IGH S C HOO L L IN K LE T T E R
P AGE 3
F E BRU ARY 2015
Announcements
“ but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, ”
WELCOME
Hello, my name is Adam Kowalski, and I’m excited to
be joining the teaching staff here at St. Boniface Diocesan High School.
2 Corinthians 6:4
Mrs. Michelle Riese is retiring after serving St. Boniface Diocesan High School for seventeen years as
administrative assistant. She has, indeed, commended
herself in her service to our school.
Through many ups and downs, Mrs. Riese’s guidance
and support have blessed our community. She has not
only endured but has become an integral part of life
at this school.
In the short time since arriving, I’ve witnessed
Michelle’s passion and love for this school. She is an
inspiration and source of encouragement. More
importantly, she reminds me our work here is a call
from Christ.
Jesus is now calling Michelle to new ministries and
adventures. As she discerns her next chapter, I ask
her to keep us in our prayers. We shall, in turn, offer
our prayer of thanks for the gift of her faithful service. Michelle: on behalf of St. B. I wish you all
God’s blessings: thank you for all you’ve done.
I hold a Bachelor of Arts with an honours degree in
English Literature from the University of Manitoba
and serve with the Partners for Learning tutoring center to assist students of all ages with their studies. I
also work with Manitoba Education’s distance learning office, teaching
Grade 11 English to students studying by correspondence.
As an avid musician, I perform with the University of Manitoba Concert
Band in their clarinet section; my interests include swimming, golfing
and cooking. I’m also a member of the St. John Brebeuf parish, where
my wife Elinor and I were married this summer.
I look forward to the coming months and the opportunity to share my
talents with the St. B community.
-Adam Kowalski,
B.Arts Honours, B.Ed.
FAREWELL
On a personal note, I thank you for your patience,
honesty, and support; I remain in your debt. I will
miss you.
P. Borges
So Long, St. B!
After many years at St. B., I made the BIG decision to retire this February! Retirement has been in my thoughts for a couple of years, but deciding ‘when’ was quite
difficult for me. I have picked February 20th as my last day at St. B.! I am really
looking forward to spending much more time with family (especially grandchildren!), travelling and having time for other interests.
GERMANY
2015
The countdown is on - only 2 more months until
we depart on our European Vacation. There will
be a parent/student meeting on February 17th at
7 pm in the library where we will go over all the
final details (money, packing, flights) to prepare
for our departure!
S T . B ONIFACE D IOCE S AN H IGH S C HOO L L IN K LE T T E R
St. B. will always have a special place in my heart. I came here as a result of much
prayer for a change in my life and a very strong calling to apply to an advertisement; thankfully I was offered the job. I have continued to feel the Lord in my
daily work and in my interactions with staff, students and parents over the past 17
years.
It has been an enjoyable adventure, witnessing many changes and accomplishments
with staff and students, and especially with that youthful energy always emanating
through the halls of St. B. I can honestly say that it has never been boring! It has
been a privilege and a blessing to have worked for St. Boniface Diocesan High
School. I will miss the staff, the students and the ‘family’ environment that St. B. is
known for; but now is the time for another change. The extra time to enjoy each
day to the fullest, and a slower pace watching sunsets on our lake deck are only a
few of the things I am looking forward to! I wish St. B. much success and growth.
Thanks to all!
Mrs. Riese
P AGE 4
F E BRU ARY 2015
Student Achievements
MATH CONTEST
Global Issues can be a pretty serious course and it
is so important to enable students to see that
their actions do make a difference. It is hard to
learn about issues like poverty, disease, conflicts
and equality without thinking it is too big for me
do anything. What can I possibly do? That is why students who take this
course are required to implement a project that connects with the outside
world on a local, national or international level. These Take Action projects
empower students and they see that their actions matter and they can effect
positive change. As our course wraps up for this semester, we are proud to
submit the results of our projects.
The Breakfast for Books fundraiser went really well. Final total is just over
$900! St. B. staff and students all pitched in to support this event by buying
tickets and also by providing baking, entertainment and information.
The Carnival kids are well on their way towards their goal of $300 for a scholarship. St. B. students were invited to try their hand at carnival games like
balloon pop and ring toss. The money earned from the breakfast and the carnival will be personally delivered by our Mission Trip students this summer.
It is earmarked for the purchase of library books and for an El Salvadoran
student’s post-secondary tuition.
Over 300 handmade Christmas cards were distributed to patients in the St.
Boniface General Hospital. These cards were made by our students and the
Holy Cross after school program.
Several pairs of gently used prescription eyeglasses were collected and donated to EyeSee – a nonprofit that sends prescription glasses to developing
countries.
Two students decided to volunteer their time at Siloam Mission and at St.
Amant Centre.
A pay it forward “Share A Smile” initiative was developed and launched
whereby people are asked to give a preprinted card to someone who would
appreciate receiving a smile (don’t we all??). The recipient of this card is also
asked to pass it along to another person but not before he/she views this student made video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeKRS7YYhUI) to
learn a little about discrimination and how a smile can make all the difference
to someone!
S T . B ONIFACE D IOCE S AN H IGH S C HOO L L IN K LE T T E R
Once again we have several students
that are going to challenge their
mathematical and problem solving
skills by writing several math
contests on February 24th.
We wish the following students all the
best in their mathematical
enrichment.
GRADE 9 – PASCAL _
Princess Concepcion
Sylvia Wani
Andre Bancolita
Paul Wertepny
Cole Stewart
Kevin Arellano
GRADE 10 – CAYLEY CONTEST_
Michael Krawchuk
Kim Wills
GRADE 12 - University of Manitoba
Contest
Damian Dragne
Dominic Gocik
Hannah Payumo
Edison Guillermo
P AGE 5
F E BRU ARY 2015
Student Government
A Letter From the Minister of Government Services
“ ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm
you, plans to give you hope and a future’ ” Jeremiah 29:11
Hey St. B! First semester is already over, and December was quite the busy month!
To begin the Christmas season, Student Government had Candy Cane sales to spread some cheer to all
your friends this holiday. On December 18 Santa and his elves (Student Government) delivered all the candy
canes around the school. On December 19 we continued to be jolly with our Ugly Christmas Sweater dress-up
day.
After returning from Christmas break, we headed straight into Basketball season with the Varsity Girls
tournament on January 9-10. Student Government opened the canteen and sold great treats! The games were intense, especially the one played in front of the school showcasing the SBDHS Varsity Girls vs. Elmwood. The
passionate fans cheered on the Centurions all the way to the last second. At halftime the TAs fought in a halfcourt shooting contest to win a pizza party for their TA. Sadly, there is no Lebron James at our school to make
that shot, so no pizza was won. Congratulations to all the students who won the “Fans of the Game” competition:
Grade 9
Grade 10
Grade 11
Grade 12
TA 20 Katheryne Lorenzana
TA 24 Cassandra Costa
TA 7
Ashley Verot
TA 36
Magda Buratchuk
TA 23 Joseph Reznichek
TA 24 Lado Geremiah
TA 8
Skye Buehler
TA 35
Josh Opinga
Next up was Hippies and Hipsters Day on January 14. Everyone dressed up and two people (one boy and one
girl) from each TA channelled their inner models and participated in a Fashion Show at lunch. Congratulations
to the stars of the show and the best costume winners, Kadiatu Sillah (TA 23) and Eman Cortes (TA 35)!
Some things to look forward to this month are: the Varsity
Boys Basketball Tournament from February 6-7, Matchmaker
results on February 12, and Dynamic Duo Day on February
12. Be prepared for TA points to reset for Semester II— this
will be a new chance to get your TA Country to the top!
Lauren Lambert
Minister of Government Services
S T . B ONIFACE D IOCE S AN H IGH S C HOO L L IN K LE T T E R
Upcoming Events:
Feb. 6 VARSITY BOYS BASKETBALL HOME GAME
WEAR GREEN AND SUPPORT YOUR TEAM!
Feb. 12 MATCHMAKER RESULTS
DYNAMIC DUO DRESS UP
P AGE 6
F E BRU ARY 2015
Grad Committee
Hey soon-to-be St. B Graduates and our supporters! Thank you to those
students hard at work planning our graduation; Robert Amador, Allison Birch, Karolina
Mokosinski, Tori Choboter, Emmanuel Cortes, Carlos Figueroa, Ula Graves, Broderick
Militar, Hannah Payumo, Magda Buratchuk, Noah Noga and Morgan McCurdy.
Firstly, on behalf of the Grad Committee, I would like to thank all those who supported
us during our Simply Delicious chocolates fundraiser. Grads may still have some chocolates, so
if you forgot to buy some in December, we may still have some left!
Secondly, here are some dates that are SUPER IMPORTANT to remember: Grad Photo
Retakes are on February 27, 2015 (remember to book your time slot, remember your time, and
make your preparations before your time) and the Grad/Staff Luncheon and Rehearsal will be
on June 23, 2015 (more information to come). The big day, Convocation is on Thursday, June
25, 2015 at 10:00 A.M. (don’t be late!) and the Grad Dinner and Dance is the same night at the
Marlborough Hotel at 7:00 PM (buy your suits, dresses and do your hair).
Thirdly, our second fundraiser is the Old Time Fashion Show hosted/modelled by the
Costume Museum of Canada on Sunday, April 19, 2015 at 2:00 PM. Come on out and enjoy a
nice afternoon with friends and family while seeing Turn-of-the (20th)-Century outfits and enjoying some desserts. Ticket order forms are available in this issue of the Linkletter, and tickets
can be purchased in the school Library. Please see the order forms in the Linkletter for more information. Also, every Thursday is Pizza Day ($2.00 per slice & $1.00 per drink). All proceeds
from Pizza Days support our Graduation.
Lastly, each year Grads have the opportunity of purchasing a custom-made Grad Ring.
For any Grad interested in purchasing one, we will be having an information session on Tuesday, February 17, 2015. The Order Submission date will be Tuesday, April 14, 2015. (Note: this is
completely optional and if you are interested you can come to the information session. You do
not have to buy one if you go to the information session.). If interested, you can go to this link:
http://www.jostens.com/apps/store/customer/1113748/Saint-Boniface-Diocesan-High-School/
Dates To Note:
Grad Photo Retakes: February 27, 2015
Convocation: Thursday June 25, 2015—10:00 a.m.
Grad Dinner and Dance: Thursday, June 25, 2015—7:30 p.m. at the Marlborough Hotel
DON’T FORGET!
PIZZA LUNCHES (every Thursday) GO ALL YEAR!
For only $2.00, enjoy a hot, delicious slice of pizza, get a can of pop for only $1.00 more.
Help raise money for grad in the tastiest way possible—it’s a win-win situation for everyone!!!
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR GRADS!!!!
S T . B ONIFACE D IOCE S AN H IGH S C HOO L L IN K LE T T E R
P AGE 7
F E BRU ARY 2015
Sports
Our basketball season is well under way and all of our teams are off to great starts. Our varsity girls team
hosted their annual tournament and had a very exciting game in front of the entire school. Thanks to everyone who showed such great school spirit! Congratulations to Jeylyn Sarmiento who was named to the
Tournament All-Star team.
All game and practiced schedules are online, so please ensure that you get to all of your practices, as the only
way we will improve is to be at every practice read to work hard. Our coaches and teacher supervisors have
put in a lot of time and effort so we expect the same from all of the players! For all up-to-date scores and
standings please go to http://www.mhsaa.ca/schedule/ and select Zone 12.
Thanks to everyone who helped fundraise for our new Scorers Table that has now arrived! A large portion of
the table was paid for by our Dragonboat team, while the rest came from the Popcorn sales, and our Lacoste
Fundraiser. It just goes to show you what the St. B community can accomplish in such a short time! The table
really adds a new level of professionalism to our gymnasium!
S T . B ONIFACE D IOCE S AN H IGH S C HOO L L IN K LE T T E R
P AGE 8
F E BRU ARY 2015
Sports
Congratulations to Skye Buehler for setting a new Beep Test record!
Here are the latest high scorers :
Grade 9
Grade 10
Grade 11
Grade 12
Amanda Losier - 9.2
Lado Geremiah - 11.4
Skye Buehler - 14.5
Joseph Yumang - 10.3
Joseph Go - 10.1
Kynan Swanson - 10.1
Kira Kowalski - 10.1
Cleeford Resureccion - 9.1
Christian M - 13.7
Patrick Susi - 10.3
George Lafleche - 9.1
Broderick Militar - 10.7
Libby Kautz - 8.6
Gillette Camara - 9.5
Nina Morris - 8.6
Kelvin Miler - 10.5
Minas Kyriakakos - 13.2
Marc Madayag - 10.3
Griffin Swanson - 10.2
Kate Knight - 8.6
Danielle Bouchard - 8.2
Andrew Mihic - 10.4
Grace Slivinski - 8.1
Noah Noga - 12.1
Kevin Camara - 9.1
Josh Opinga - 10.1
Wani Geremiah - 12.2
Dominic Slivinski - 10.3
Mikey Hughes - 9.2
Emman Cortes - 10.4
Julien Bertazzo-Lambert - 10.5
Keyshawn Amoyo - 11.4
Justice Lughas - 11.5
Jan Ramos - 9.2
Healthy Tip of
the Month
The weather has warmed
up and the skating trail at
The Forks is now open.
Get out your skates
and take your family and
friends to experience
something that is uniquely
Winnipeg!
( Photo Source: www.travelmanitoba.com )
S T . B ONIFACE D IOCE S AN H IGH S C HOO L L IN K LE T T E R
P AGE 9
F E BRU ARY 2015
Youth Ministry
Youth Ministry Team News
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6
With exams on everyone’s mind during the month of January, the Youth Ministry Team took a break from
planning events and focused instead on prayer! We met at lunch hour to say the rosary and thumb through our
bibles to hear God’s voice in the sanctuary of our school chapel.
On January 15th we had the great blessing of welcoming NET ministries of Canada to run a retreat for our Student leaders. The evening was filled with music, prayer, fellowship, many laughs, and skits that moved us to
tears and inspired our faith. We are rejuvenated to begin this 2nd semester
of ministry!
The Youth Ministry Team has put together a booklet of weekday prayers
and reflections for the season of Lent. These will be posted on our website starting on Ash Wednesday, if you
would like to follow along and join us in prayer during this season.
~ Miss Jamie Slivinski
Please join us for our Ash Wednesday
Mass which will be celebrated
with His Grace, Archbishop LeGatt
and Holy Cross School in our Gym at
1:30 pm on Feb. 18th.
S T . B ONIFACE D IOCE S AN H IGH S C HOO L L IN K LE T T E R
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S T . B ONIFACE D IOCE S AN H IGH S C HOO L L IN K LE T T E R
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S T . B ONIFACE D IOCE S AN H IGH S C HOO L L IN K LE T T E R