Student Government

Presidents' Council:

On May 31st, 2019, St Theresa of Lisieux CHS history was made as Presidents’ Council ran the first ever Pep Rally in support of Cystic Fibrosis Canada and Community Bread, the latter of which was in honour of Mr. Boland. The Pep Rally, featuring a co-ed soccer game with some amazing STL athletes playing alongside our incredible STL staff, had Team Cystic Fibrosis and Team Community Bread battling it out on the field as the school community enjoyed ice cream, popcorn, music, a raffle, and our school mascot Roary’s great dancing. In the end, Team Cystic Fibrosis won the hard-fought game, and we raised a grand total of $3400 for both charities! A very special thank you goes out to the amazing athletes and teachers that played, Mr Nero and the tech crew for helping set up, and to Ms Ah-Chin, Ms Balkovec, Ms Mastromartino, and Ms Faraone, who helped Presidents’ Council plan this extraordinary event!

Athletic:

On Thursday, June 13, STL’s Athletic Council hosted its 17th annual Athletic Banquet! This event is held to honour the successes of our athletes and athletic programs throughout the past year. It seeks to celebrate those outstanding players who have distinguished themselves on the field, court, or in the pool, awarding for each team a Most Valuable Player and Most Inspirational Player. This year’s Banquet took the theme of The Hall of Fame, paying tribute to the successes and drive of our athletes to become better every day! A bittersweet farewell was bid to retiring coaches Mr. Babic, Mr. Marosszeky, and Ms. Balkovec, who have extraordinarily served their teams for many years. This year, the very first John Spicer Award was awarded; we would like to congratulate Christine Lee on winning this special honour. Lastly, a big congratulations goes out to our Athletes of the 2018-19 Year: Michael Chou (Junior Boys), Martine Falzone (Junior Female), Lucas Tari (Senior Boys), and Faith Ruetas (Senior Girls).

Cub:

Cub Council’s purpose is to welcome grade nine’s to our home of STL, and assist them in becoming unified with our STL family of students. By introducing grade nines to STL’s Student Government, our goal is to serve and accommodate these new members of our family as they embark upon a new chapter of their life. Cub Council has hosted events throughout the year in which grade nines were able to take part and gain insight into the high school experience. Our Halloween Paws event was an opportunity where the grade nines were motivated to complete their first two months of high school successfully. Cub Council also organized a pumpkin-carving activity after school that engaged our grade nines in an inclusive and creative environment. We organized Clubs for Cubs, an open-house event where grade nines were able to explore the variety of extracurricular opportunities offered at STL. Additionally, during exam season, Cub Council hosted its annual Exam-Preparation Workshop; our grade nines attended a presentation and were provided with handouts that described tips and helpful ideas as to how to prepare and manage their workload during the most stressful times of the school year. We continue to strive to establish a welcoming and friendly environment for our student body at STL. Cub Council embodies inclusivity, leadership, and growth as it encompasses our grade nines into the rest of our high school community. “WE ARE CUBS, HEAR US ROAR!”

Chaplaincy:

Change for Jesus

From April 12th - 18th, Chaplaincy Council held their annual Change for Jesus coin drive. This year, as an addition to the fourth period coin collection, a booth was held during all three lunches where students were able to donate their spare change and leave their mark on a beautiful painting. In light of the Lenten season, the Change for Jesus coin drive was an excellent way for students to change their hearts in preparation for the Resurrection of Christ, as well as strengthen their personal relationships with Christ. Together, we were able to raise a whopping $957.75 for Sharelife, a charity which goes towards supporting children and youth, families, single and teen parents, elderly people, people with special needs, immigrants, and refugees. Thanks for demonstrating the Little Way, STL!

Closing Liturgy

“Voices of Faith” was the theme of the closing liturgy held on May 28. With the help of student volunteers and custodians, Chaplaincy Council transformed our gym into a sacred sanctuary. The mass, led by Father Peter Choi, allowed us to reflect not only on the amazing things we had accomplished during the academic year, but also the hardships we encountered along the way which allowed us to grow stronger as a school family. On behalf of Chaplaincy Council, we would like to thank Father Peter Choi for celebrating the mass, Ms. Doria’s Choir for their beautiful voices, the school board trustees for their endless support, the custodians and student volunteers for helping set up the gym, and the whole student body for their reverence and cooperation during the liturgy. We wish all of STL a happy and blessed summer vacation!

Diversity & Equity:

Diversity and Equity council has had a stellar 2018-2019 school year, bringing STL all manner of awareness, representation and cultural celebration. On the diversity side of things, the council kicked the year off with a classic event Where you At,” which allowed students to explore where everyone in the school originated from. The council continued cultural celebrations with “Christmas Around the World.” This event highlighted holiday season traditions and customs from different countries across the continent, and the week was packed full of games and activities. In January, D and E introduced a new event, “Colour the World,” which allowed students to dress in a colour that corresponded with their region of origin. For one day, the student body was a diverse and colourful mix of reds, blues, yellows, greens and purples, becoming the palette of multiculturalism.

On the more serious topics of equity and representation, Diversity and Equity invited Tannika Riley and her team for a Black History Month workshop which focused on a vibrant African history that has been overshadowed by racial injustice. In spring after the violent, tragic, New Zealand and Sri Lankan attacks, the council painted banners and set up memorials in the main hall, in honour of the victims and families. Finally, to wrap up the year, D and E explored learning disabilities through a “Learning Disability Awareness Week" which featured activities that explored the types of challenges that individuals with disabilities go through on a day to day basis. Mini-games like unscrambling words or trying to draw with an exercise band restraining you, attempted to emulate the experiences of ADHD and Tourettes, respectively. The council created informative videos to bring awareness as well.

Diversity and Equity council would not have run as smoothly or successfully without the help of our wonderful advisors, Ms. Joseph, Ms.Cappella, and Ms. Buffa. Best wishes go to the graduating members, Mireille Messih, Andrei Rudtchenko, Alex Tan, Justin Stanislaus, Jude Lobo, Cassandra Chapi, Vice Presidents Miriam Henin and Joyce Fu, and of course, an excellent leader and phenomenal president, Apaar Vijay.

Intramural:

Written by: Jonathan Shenouda

Intramural Council has dedicated 9 months throughout the school year in ensuring a healthy, active, spirited, and enjoyable time for all students at STL. Many bonds were formed between students, members, and teachers at the many drop-ins and Toronto sport nights we organized. Some of our most popular events this year consisted of the Jr. Dodgeball Drop-In, the annual Raptors Night, a TFC Night, and an Intramural Week. These events could not have been possible without the hard work and dedication from all Intramural Council members and advisors. Our first ever Intramural Week was an astonishing success through the month of late February to early March. In addition to promoting active living and school spirit, we were able to collect sport equipment donations for 360Kids and the Guatemala Service Trip.

The council joined community at the “Walk With Hope” for L’Arche Daybreak’s 50th anniversary, the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Charity event, and a soccer charity pep-rally for CF and Community Bread (In memory of Mr. Boland). The Intramural family has formed bonds with people that will last a lifetime and learned the value and importance of teamwork, responsibility, collaboration, and family. Intramural Council would like to thank all members, advisors, and the STL community for all their support. They wish all graduating members lots of success and happiness in all future endeavours.

Social Justice:

In the spring season, Social Justice Council ran numerous successful events including Peace Days, Social Justice Week, and its Freedom of Speech, Youth Homelessness, and Political Corruption Monthly Awareness Booths. During Peace Days, our mission was to help educate people about the myriad of wars and crises around the world by promoting discussion about peace. Students were also encouraged to post their ideas regarding social injustices in our world on an alluring banner displayed in the main hall. In addition, bracelets with the universal peace day motto, “under one blue sky,” were sold for $1 each to the STL community. Each purchase came with the choice of a free baked good made by Social Justice council members. This year, over $350 were raised for Doctors Without Borders, a charity dedicated to providing medical aid in areas of conflict.

For Social Justice week, we educated the STL community regarding five different topics on five separate days. Each day, students participated in thought-provoking discussions with council members and were encouraged to share their opinions on various global issues such as Climate Change, Culture of Life, Wealth Disparity, Aboriginal Rights, and Ethnic Cleansings. As well, many engaging activities were created by Social Justice council members to help educate the student body in an interactive manner. Furthermore, on April 2nd, Mrs. Marie-Claire Bissonnette spoke at STL regarding her stance on the culture of life debate and enlightened students on the sensitive topic. This year, baked goods were also sold throughout the week to garner funds for charitable causes. The bake sale was extremely successful as it ultimately raised over $565.56 for the National Resources Defense Council, UNICEF Rohingya Relief Fund, and Canadian Feed the Children. Of this sum, the majority was donated to Canadian Feed the Children to purchase two orchards for Aboriginal peoples and two fish-farming kits for farmers in Ghana. Overall, Social Justice Council had a very successful spring season.

Spirit:

The month of May has been a very exciting and entertaining one, thanks to the cheerful students on Spirit Council! The month was kicked off with Spirit at Sports, an event aimed at supporting the student athletes of STL during their games. Members of Spirit Council engaged the excited student spectators through cheers, noisemakers, and lemonade at both the soccer and rugby games. Both events were a huge success with a lot of participation and engagement. Way to go, STL!

The next event hosted by Spirit Council in May was Spirit Week. This year’s Spirit Week featured events such as Mario Kart, Try Not to Laugh, and the exciting Don’t Forget the Lyrics, which had students singing their hearts out! The grade 11’s were the grade that achieved the most spirit points at the end of the week, although the entire student body showed excellent engagement at every event!

Spirit Council ended May on a high note (literally!) through their final event - Music Friday! At the end of every week, students jammed out to their favourite tunes during travel time in between classes. From Disney, to Boy Bands, to Theatre, there was something for everyone to sing along to, and not a single student wasn’t bopping along to a catchy tune at some point during the event.

Spirit Council would like to thank the custodial staff, Mr. Nero and the tech crew, admin, and their advisors for making these events possible. A special good bye and best wishes to our graduating students: Sonali Goel, Alexandra Rombos, Vice President Anna Malakhouskaya, and our outstanding President Sahara Mehdi. We wish everyone a fun summer!