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)

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.