CAPSTONE PROGRAM NEWS | SEPTEMBER 2015

New Program, New

Possibilities for
Returning Grads
I am very pleased to introduce the students who are
enrolled in the inaugural cohort of the Simcoe Muskoka
Catholic District School Boards CAPSTONE program.
The need for an educational program designed specifically
for returning graduates emerged out of several years of
research on students academic and social outcomes during
their Grade 12b year. CAPSTONE provides flexibility and
focus for high school graduates who plan to go on to postsecondary education, but who have delayed their decision to
do so in order to obtain additional credits, upgrade existing
marks, improve their financial situation, or make a clear
determination about which pathway they would like to pursue.
Students in the program are engaged in the study of some
unique interdisciplinary courses, including Applied Social
Research, Environmental Inquiry & Sustainability in Action,
and Engineering Science. In additional to building their
theoretical knowledge in these areas, students are engaged
in hands-on learning activities, undertaking real-world inquiry
projects, and doing community service work. The program
truly strives to engage their minds, hearts and hands.

Formal

Fun

I would like to thank the 15 students from Patrick Fogarty

Catholic Secondary School who have joined the program this
year. Inside this edition you can read their bios, which they
wrote for themselves, as well as view their recent school
photos. Future editions of CAPSULE will provide an overview
of some their program orientation activities, projects, and
community service work, which we look forward to sharing!
I would also be remiss if I didnt take this opportunity to
thank the many colleagues and supporters who contributed in
thought or action to the establishment of this program. The
first few weeks have been a very busy time, but I consider
myself to be very blessed to have the opportunity to work with
these 15 young leaders as we live out our call to nurture
Gods family and work together to transform our world.
- Mr. Jeff Cole

Flipping out

Students of the Fall 2015 Cohort

Ever-enthusiastic Rachel Blackwell
is passionate about teaching and
community service. She has
worked as a camp counsellor for
three years, where she strives to
ensure children are happy, safe,
and enjoying their summer camp
experience. She is also an
instructor of swimming, dance, and
theatre. Rachels passion for
service is evident through her
volunteer work with local charities and churches. Her
outreach includes a mission trip to Guatemala, where she
and the compassion team served a community in need.
Through all of these experiences, she displays leadership,
confidence, people skills, and a love for working with children.

Tye Carnahans loyalty, ambition

and determination have helped him
succeed in playing competitive
hockey for many years, and to earn
bronze and silver medals at the
regional and provincial levels.
Possessing a competitive drive that
has been fueled by playing hockey
at the highest level, Tye also strives
to achieve the goals he sets for
himself off the ice. Working as a
lifeguard has allowed him to own two used cars that he has
worked on and fixed on his own, satisfying his strong curiosity
to learn how things function. Tyes interest in math and
physics will likely lead him into a career in mechanical or
electrical engineering.

Ambitious, optimistic and selfreliant, Katie Brown has a passion

for the world around her and is
beginning to look for new ways to
explore it. After travelling abroad to
Italy and Greece for the first time in
her life, she truly recognized her
love for travel and gained an
appreciation for the worlds diverse
cultures. Katie is an avid follower of
current events and has recently
become inspired to think of ways that she can help solve
local, national and global environmental issues. As an honour
roll graduate still looking to finalize her post-secondary plans,
Katie hopes to work for herself one day.

Gian Chipongian is excited to

use his computer knowledge and
design skills to assist his
Engineering Science team in the
creation of a competition robot. As
a participant in the Ministry of
Educations Students As
Researchers program in 2014-15,
Gian was part of a team that
surveyed Grade 12 students about
options for returning graduates. The
results of his teams research led to the development of
CAPSTONE, and Gian has been looking forward to
participating in the program ever since. With renewed
determination and dedication, Gian hopes to discover
opportunities that will help him excel in the engineering field.

Hard working, dedicated, and

motivated, Madison Bruner-Legault
has a strong desire to further her
learning and to follow her passion
for the art of dance. Always
searching for new experiences, she
is currently studying Applied Social
Research to learn more about
human behaviour, and aims to
apply to post-secondary for
Kinesiology. Contemporary dance
has been one of her greatest, lifelong passions. Recognized
as an outstanding performer at many dance competitions,
she still finds the inspiration to compete, and to further her
artistic side in dance and performance. In doing so, Madison
finds the motivation to excel in all aspects of her life.

Babe Ruth said, It's hard to beat

someone who never gives up.
Makayla Churchill is motivated,
hard-working and always strives to
make the most of any situation, no
matter how challenging it might be.
She prides herself on having
excellent time management skills,
displayed by her ability to maintain
two jobs, at Zehrs and Pride Marine
Group, while attending school.
Makayla enjoys reading anything written by John Green, as
well as romantic novels. She hopes to study Environmental
Sustainability in post-secondary and to one day travel the
world. One thing is certain: Makayla will never give up on
reaching her goals!

Madelaine Dagenais has a

diverse range of interests that
include law and justice, exploring
the outdoors, running for personal
fitness and makeup artistry. Her
early success as an honour roll
student in Grade 9 has motivated
her to continue to make school a
priority, even while juggling the
added responsibility of a part-time
job throughout the last four years.
As a supervisor at one of Canadas largest bulk food retailers,
she has developed skills in customer service, teamwork and
communication. In Grade 12, Madelaine discovered her
passion for criminology and intends to pursue post-secondary
studies to become a criminal lawyer.

Hunter Lemay was introduced to

video games at the age of four,
marking the beginning of his
journey into computer engineering.
By creating simple games and
small text-based adventures early
on, Hunters precocious interest
turned into a more serious
endeavor in high school as he
elected to take all available
computer programming courses. A
self-professed computer geek, Hunter has also played small
town hockey and baseball, which helped him become all-toofamiliar with the concept of losing! But these hard lessons
also taught him the importance of perseverance, a trait that
will undoubtedly help him succeed as an engineer.

Confident and dedicated, Taylor

Fischer is a member of the Orillia
Jr. C. Terriers hockey club and an
all around avid sports fan. His love
for watching professional sports
provides constant inspiration for
him to reach higher, go faster, and
get stronger to achieve his own
personal goals. Like many athletes,
Taylor likes to win! But as a positive
and grounded young man, he
knows that a real winning attitude is what will help him to
become most successful in life. Taylor is in the midst of
determining his future plans, but right now is thinking about
attending college or university to study Business Commerce
or Electrical Engineering.

Andrew Makey-Heindl is a leader

in the school community and has
earned a reputation for always
being there when you need him.
Knowledgeable and skilled with
audio/visual technology, Andrew
was honoured to receive the Ys
Mens Club of Orillia award in
Grade 12 in recognition of his
leadership and athletic
achievements. CAPSTONE has
already opened new doors for Andrew, and has sparked
interests in different aspects of engineering that he never
knew existed. Andrew aspires to educate himself toward a
career in firefighting and paramedics, and to become the first
responder you will want by your side.

Loving, energetic, and helpful are

three words that best describe
Ashley Lee. She chose to
participate in the Environmental
Science program because she has
a love for animals and is very
interested in helping wildlife. Ashley
also takes pride in helping her
family by looking after her younger
sister, and caring for her
grandfather who has medical
issues. A former recipient of the Female Athlete of the Year
award in elementary school, Ashley still finds time to be
active in sports, but is an especially avid baseball player and
Blue Jays fan. Ashley intends to apply to college and pursue
a career in teaching children about the environment.

Marshall Murphy is confident,

loyal and determined, and there is
perhaps no better proof of this than
his recent achievements in high
school sports. As the top scorer on
the school lacrosse team last year,
Marshall led his squads charge to a
regional championship in its very
first year of competition. He hopes
these leadership and personal
qualities translate into success in
the military selection process, as he aspires to become an
infantry solider or combat engineer. As a student in the
Engineering Science course, Marshall is taking the
opportunity to increase his knowledge and understanding of
the engineering discipline, before heading into basic training.

Nurturing faith, illuminating minds, inspiring hearts,

and empowering hands ~ we are working together
to transform our world.

Stefania Stachura is known to

those around her as determined,
organized, and energetic. A
reliable, eager teammate who
communicates well and is
comfortable in public situations, she
works well both independently and
in a group. Stefania is trained as a
National Lifeguard, qualified to
teach advanced courses, and
currently works at the Orillia YMCA
as deck supervisor. As a member of the music department at
school, she received the honour award at the National level,
and also successfully co-organized the first annual Music
Gala where her skills of hosting, customer service, and
problem solving proved to be great assets. She plans to
continue her education in the field of management studies.
Driven by a desire to interact with
people and places, Stephen
Valiquette is dedicated to
community involvement. As a camp
counsellor, teeball coach, inclusion
facilitator and youth committee
mentor, he sets an example for
others to follow. Stephens foray
into Applied Social Research will
help him to understand what makes
people tick, and provide an exciting
opportunity to continue his legacy of social action. Honoured
as the recipient of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers
Award at graduation, Stephen hopes to balance academics
with escapades to achieve personal harmony as he forges
ahead into Education and Adventure Leadership.
Creative, trustworthy, and hard
working, Shelby Williams puts her
heart into everything she does. A
natural leader, she instinctively
knows how to direct and help
people through group projects both
in school and in her community.
Shelby is particularly proud of the
fact that she launched her own
drama production, Happily Ever
Laughter, where she helped fifteen
children and young adults realize their potential in the arts.
Her many years experience as a babysitter, cabin leader and
camp counsellor, have helped Shelby develop knowledge of
children and have motivated her to pursue a career in
teaching or social work.

For more information, contact:

Mr. Jeff Cole
CAPSTONE Coordinator
Phone: 705.722.3555 ext. 391
Email: jcole@smcdsb.on.ca
Program website:
www.smcdsbcapstone.ca
Program blog:
www.smcdsbcapstone.ca/blog
Twitter:
@smcdsbCAPSTONE
#CAPSTONEblog
Instagram:
smcdsbCAPSTONE