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Alumni Events, Alumni News, Fundraising

NTCI Homecoming 2017

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Come one, come all to NT’s inaugural Homecoming Weekend: October 12–14.
If you missed the 100th, this is the perfect opportunity to come out to see the school and reminisce with old friends. And even if you did make it to the 100th, it’s already been five years, so it’s really time to check in again. Here is how the weekend is starting to shape up:
Thursday, October 12 – Red and Grey Day

Featuring most of the fall athletic teams (football, girls’ basketball, boys’ soccer, field hockey, boys’ volleyball) in action in the gym and on the field, with games starting as early as 9:00 a.m. and continuing until late afternoon. Full details will be released in late September once the games have been scheduled.

R&G Day 2015
And here’s what’s on tap for the day:
  • Self-guided tours of the “new” (2010) school
  • Meet current athletes and coaches
  • NT Foundation will host refreshments for alumni in the 2nd- floor staff room from 1–4 p.m. Meet fellow grads! All grads are strongly encouraged to come back, especially those with significant anniversary years: 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002 and 2007
  • Sale of vintage uniforms
  • A reception will be held at 5:00 p.m. at the Granite Brewery on Mt. Pleasant at Eglinton. Cash bar, light snack provided.

Friday, October 13 – Mix and Mingle

  • Student-led tours of the school starting at 1:00 p.m. (sign-up required)
  • Bring your treasured memorabilia for a show and share from 1–3 p.m. in the staff room on the 2nd floor. (There is an elevator if stairs are hard for you.)
  • Come out to a meet-up with fellow alumni for the evening at a local establishment (details TBD; please watch for email updates).

Saturday, October 14 – NT Homecoming 2017 Concert

  • NT’s auditorium will be THE place to be on Saturday, October 14. A really exciting concert is in the works, and you won’t want to miss it. Mark the date on your calendar and watch your inbox and social media for details and advance notice of ticket sales. This will be an alumni/staff-plus-one event, with ONLY 560 tickets, which are sure to go quickly. Purchasers’ alumni/staff status will be monitored, and tickets will not be sent until we verify that status. If you don’t receive Foundation emails, check here for updates.
NTCI Foundation presents the NT Homecoming 2017 concert
  • featuring
    • Jim Cuddy (’74)
    • The Skydiggers ( Andy Maize (’78) & Josh Finlayson (’82))
    • with special guests Devin Cuddy (’05) & Charlotte Cornfield (’06)
  • Saturday, October 14th
  • 7:00 pm
  • NTCI Auditorium
  • Tickets: $80
  • Limit 2 tickets per NT alumni or NT staff (a 19+ event)
  • Tickets go on sale August 28th on eventbrite:  nthomecoming2017.eventbrite.ca
Alumni In The News

Jennifer Wahlroth (’79)

NT alumna Jennifer Wahlroth was recently the recipient of a rare honour, bestowed on her by North West Territory Pipe Band. A certified accountant by day with Avery Cooper & Co. in Yellowknife, Jennifer started piping lessons in 1992 and began performing with the pipe band two years later. She also put her accounting skills to work as secretary/treasurer of the organization. This past January, her dedication to the band was recognized at its annual Robert Burns Dinner, when she was presented with a Lifetime Honourary Membership. Only the fourth person in the pipe band’s 40-year history to be thus honoured, she was previously awarded the Pipe Major Floyd Adlem Award in 2008 for outstanding service.

Alumni In The News

Daniel Levy (’02)

Daniel Levy, co-creator, writer and star of the highly popular CBC comedy Schitt’s Creek was featured in the December 2016 issue of Professionally Speaking, the journal of the Ontario College of Teachers. In the Remarkable Teacher segment, he paid tribute to Anne Carrier, Head of English at NTCI from 1998 to her retirement in 2005, and the pivitol role she played in helping him “find his voice.”

Levy recalled, “High school was a tricky time… I knew I wanted to write, to create, to have my voice heard but I had no idea how to do it.” But being in Anne Carrier’s class in 2001 was perfect timing: “She came along at just the right moment.” Dan specifically praised Anne for her emphasis on subtext and the “challenge of reading between the lines… She inspired me to think differently and continue to write.”

Kudos to Dan on his successful career and for recognizing
the major role Anne Carrier played in his journey to success.

Alumni In The News

Dr. Shaf Keshavjee (’79)

In January 2017, all media outlets were buzzing with the inspirational story of double lung transplant recipient Melissa Benoit. The surgical team behind this remarkable achievement was led by NT alumnus Dr. Shaf Keshavjee.

Recognized as a world leader in thoracic surgery, Dr. Keshavjee graduated from University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine in 1985, then trained in surgery at U of T, Harvard, and the University of London. A key member of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at University Health Network, Dr. Keshavjee is also an Officer of the Order of Canada (2014) and the developer of the Toronto XVIVO Lung Perfusion System, which allows donor lungs to be kept alive outside of the body in order to be assessed, treated and repaired before being transplanted into a patient.

Congratulations to Dr. Keshavjee and his team on their lifesaving innovations and remarkable achievements.

Alumni News, Foundation Student Reps

Our 2017 Student Reps

Being student representatives on the North Toronto Foundation has been not only a privilege but a delight. In the beginning, we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into and were frankly a little intimidated. As both the youngest and the newest, we knew absolutely nothing about how anything worked within the community that the Foundation had built over the years. Nevertheless, we were not surprised to be greeted with open
arms and warm smiles at our first meeting – NT’s welcoming tradition in action. Everyone introduced themselves with their name and grad year and, of course, some background information on themselves.

The Foundation usually holds about five or six two-hour meetings throughout the school year. On some topics, such as financials and newsletter discussions, we don’t have much to contribute. However, when it comes to what’s currently going on inside the walls of NT, we can definitely contribute student knowledge, such as thoughts on club activities and upcoming school-run events, and updates on everything from recent athletic achievements to events such as Midnight Madness or Mental Health Awareness Week.
A more specifically defined job of ours is to work alongside another Foundation member to organize the Dragons’ Dens. We help with the promotional and organizational aspects of the event, serve as MCs during the presentations and contribute background information on the clubs when the time comes to vote.

Being on this committee has taught us many skills that we will be able to use in the future. While both of us have been involved with councils at North Toronto and have run many events, the difference between a school-run committee and the alumni council is huge. We’ve gotten a feel for what real responsibility is, and an understanding of how to handle big projects that involve hundreds of people. In addition, it has been incredible to hear the beginnings of real-world initiatives, such as the acquisition of a trophy case or the creation of the Foundation News. Overall, serving on the  Foundation has been an amazing experience!

Eleni Anastasiadis and Jake Ballantyne

Alumni Events, Alumni News, Fundraising

NT’s Class Rep Program

In October 2016, the NT Foundation held an informative and beneficial workshop on running a class rep program, attended by alumni from various years and led by Martha Drake, Executive Director of Advancement, University of Toronto Schools.

As the Foundation strives to increase participation in the alumni community through new events like the upcoming inaugural NT Homecoming Weekend, we continue to look for new Class Reps— individuals who take the lead in locating members of their year and liaise with them regarding Foundation events or year-specific ones. Here are some examples of what current Class Reps are doing:

  • The Class of ’62 meets monthly at a local restaurant for lunch. Members know the date in advance and whoever can make it does. Get-togethers are organized by Sheila Moscoe and Stan Pearl.
  • A combined group of ’79–’82 alumni get together a couple of times a year at Gabby’s on Yonge north of Lawrence. Don Ross (’80) is the organizer. The date is circulated via email and there is always a large turnout.
  • A 40th reunion for members of the ’76 football team took place in November 2016.

If you would like to get involved in the Class Rep program, please contact Stan Pearl (’62) or Lisa Cain (’82) . To ensure you are included in upcoming events or get-togethers, contact your Class Rep. In the list below, the highlighted years indicate special anniversaries in 2017.

  • 1957
    • Looking for a rep
  • Facebook – NTCI alumni of the 50s (4 members)
  • 1962
    • Sheila Moscoe: moscoe-ntci62″at”rogers.com
    • Stan Pearl: stanpearl”at”rogers.com
  • 1964
    • Ron Wakelin: rwakelin”at”utschools.ca
  • 1965
    • Janice Gillespie: janiceigillespie”at”rogers.com
  • 1967
    • Susan Norwich: susannorwich1″at”gmail.com
  • 1968
    • Laurie Pascoe: lauriepascoe”at”gmail.com
  • 1970
    • Nancy McFadden: nancyanddoug.mcfadden”at”gmail.com
    • Alan Fairweather: afairwea”at”rogers.com
  • 1971
    • Lorraine Clarkson: wasagabeacher”at”gmail.com
    • Brian Maltman: bmaltman”at”ca.inter.net
  • 1972
    • Looking for a rep
  • 1976
    • Facebook – NTCI ’76 (2 members)
  • 1977
    • Looking for a rep
  • 1978
    • Facebook – NTCI class of ’78 (28 members)
  • 1979
    • Katherine Smith: katherinegsmith.smith”at”gmail.com
    • Facebook – NTCI 1979 friends (125 members)
  • 1980
    • Don Ross: sales”at”universityfirewood.ca
  • 1981
    • Phil White: pleblanc997″at”gmail.com
    • Mike Clarry: michael”at”clarry.net
  • 1982
    • Lisa Cain: lisa-ian”at”rogers.com
    • Barbara Szelinger: barbara.szelinger”at”rogers.com
    • Mark Kinoshita: mark.kinoshita”at”tdsb.on.ca
    • Facebook – NTCI class of ’82 (126 members)
  • 1983
    • Kirsten Sixt: ksixt”at”hullandhull.com
    • Andrea Fairweather: fairweatherandrea”at”gmail.com
    • Facebook – NTCI class of ’83 (54 members)
  • 1984
    • Marc Jamieson: marc.jamieson”at”gmail.com
    • Facebook – NTCI class of ’84 (48 members)
  • 1987
    • Jennifer Hellen Baldachin: jbaldachin”at”rogers.com
    • Jamie Farr: jamescolinfarr”at”gmail.com
  • 1988
    • Debbie Gray: d3bgray”at”gmail.com
    • Suzie Anderson: suzie”at”rogers.com
    • Facebook – NTCI class of ’88 (83 members)
  • 1989
    • Facebook – NTCI ’89 – 25th anniversary (70 members)
  • 1990
    • Facebook – NTCI ’90 (5 members)
  • 1991
    • Facebook – NTCI class of 1991 (110 members)
  • 1992
    • Catherine Trueman: catherinetrueman”at”telus.net
    • Facebook – NTCI class of ’92 (96 members)
  • 1997
    • Looking for a rep
  • 2002
    • Looking for a rep
  • 2003
    • Facebook – NTCI ’03 (5 members)
    • Facebook – NTCI class of 2003 (4 members)
  • 2007
    • Bogdan Tudose: bogdan.a.tudose”at”gmail.com
    • Facebook – NTCI class of ’07 (93 members)
  • 2008
    • Lyndsey Gott: gott.lyndsey”at”gmail.com
    • Lora Kikuchi: meiflower.932″at”gmail.com
    • Facebook – NTCI grads ’08 (70 members)
  • 2014
    • Facebook – NTCI grads 2014 (277 members)
  • 2015
    • Facebook – NT grads 2015 (296 members)

As we have new year reps, we will be listing them here.

Alumni Events, Alumni News

Hey NT’08 Grads!

We have a new Facebook group named NTCI Grads ’08.  Please add yourselves and fellow classmates.  Next year it will be 10 years since our graduation.  This is a good opportunity to meet up (next year spring/summer, 2018) and catch up with fellow NT grads and teachers.  We hope to include tours of the new NT building and a meet up at the Granite Brewery for an evening of food, drinks, and memories. We are also open to suggestions!

Lora Kikuchi & Lyndsey Gott

Alumni News, Fundraising

NEW: Sports Parents Council

We all know that NTCI has a very successful Music Program, supported by a fabulous Music Parents Council. But while NT has also excelled in many City & OFSAA Championships, there has until now never been a Sports Parents Council.

A group of interested NTCI alumni and parents, with the support of current students, staff and the NTCI Foundation, have begun creating an NTCI Sports Parents Council. This council will support ALL sports occurring at North Toronto and raise much-needed funds for tournaments, uniforms, equipment, new locker rooms and so much more.

We need your help! Get involved! Learn more about how you can make a difference and be involved, even in a small way, in improving the already amazing sports at NTCI!

For more information, please contact Kirsten Sixt: ksixt@hullandhull.com.

Alumni News

Midnight Madness – Graduating art show

The Midnight Madness art show is a culmination of the year’s work for the AVI and AWD grade 12 art courses. It represents the hard work we have put in and advances we have made as artists throughout our high school career, and is an expression of our creativity as the class of 2017. The exhibition was designed and executed by the students collaboratively under the leadership of Ms. Marquis. This includes the theme, logo, catalogue, publicity, set up, and opening night itself, which were all completed with great success and coverage by many news outlets including the Toronto Star.

The theme of Midnight Madness was inspired by late nights full of studying, and cramming, and the madness that sets in as deadlines approach. As grade 12 students we endure the constant pressure of reaching our post-secondary goals, but amidst these academic stresses art class continues to be a creative outlet for our anxieties. This show allowed us first hand experience of putting on a professional art exhibition, and taught us not only what goes into these events, but how to do each task. As a student involved in the show I found having our work displayed and appreciated in a show that we organized to be an extremely fulfilling experience. I am very proud of our teamwork, and individual commitment, that allowed for a beautiful final product, and successful opening night. On behalf of all students I am also very thankful for everything the art department at North Toronto and alumni have provided for us students that allowed for this amazing experience.

Eva Boghosian (NT’17)
Alumni News

Principal Joel Gorenkoff Leaves NTCI

NT’s (now former) principal Joel Gorenkoff and his wife, Leeanne, at the Foundation’s farewell party in February.

On a snowy night in February, past and present members of the Foundation came together to celebrate Joel Gorenkoff, principal of North Toronto from 2007 to January 2017. His time at NT ended abruptly when he received notification of a transfer to Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute. Always positive, Joel understood that he was needed at Lawrence; at the same time, he was certainly disappointed to say goodbye to the school he has called home for the past ten years. Equally disappointed were the Foundation members, who had come to rely on his dedication, dependability and genuine passion for the improvement of NTCI.

During his time at North Toronto, Joel oversaw the transition from the old building to the current school, making an effort to ensure that the many Heritage pieces valued by alumni, such as the Heritage Court and the award walls, were preserved. He was also instrumental in organizing the 100th anniversary, working closely with the Foundation to ensure a celebration that brought together current students and alumni. But perhaps Joel’s greatest contribution to the Foundation has been his appreciation of the positive value the Foundation brings to the school community. He encouraged the placement of two student reps on the Foundation Board and has worked closely with the Board on newer endeavours, such as Homecoming Weekend and alumni events at Red and Grey Day.

While we are certainly going to miss Joel’s presence on the Foundation, we are grateful for the many contributions he made while at North Toronto. These contributions will continue to impact NT students for years to come. We wish him all the best in his future endeavours at Lawrence Park.