Exciting news from the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships in Australia - our three debaters have all advanced to the finals! Ethan Wahba '24 will be competing in all 4 event finals, and Sarah Croxon '24 and Millie Steinmann '25 will compete in two each. We wish them all the best! 

We are excited to announce that Canada’s public speaking and debating camp, Debate Camp 2024, for students in Grades 5-10 is holding a one-week camp program at CDS this summer from June 17-21. Run by experienced educators, Debate Camp directors believe in providing an academic enrichment opportunity to youth across Canada and the Northeastern United States via a set of exceptionally well-organized, safe and accredited summer camps. Debate Camp believes in a well-balanced program where an academic focus is combined with opportunities for traditional camp games, and a fun and inspiring approach to learning.

On January 25th, Pathways to People honoured Bell Let’s Talk Day by wearing blue! Mrs. Hall read Dragons on the Inside by Valeria Coulman to all of her classes and brainstormed different questions that we’d want a friend to ask when we’re having a hard day. These questions were turned into stickers to help spark a conversation with a friend about our feelings. Pathways to People was able to donate $500 to Kids’ Help Phone from monies raised for our dress down day.

Prior to the March Break, Ms. Moonan's Grade 12 Film class kept a close eye on Hollywood's award season, culminating in a competition to predict which films and individuals would win at the 96th Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars. 

Looking for your next great read? Need something to enjoy during the March Break? Why not consider the next CDS Book Review read - The Measure by Nikki  Erlick.

The CDS Parent Association is pleased to present an adult yoga class on Friday, April 12th from 8:45 am to 10:30 am.  This class is open to all levels of practice, and even those who would like to try yoga for the first time. Admission is free but we ask all participants to sign up to reserve their space prior to April 9th.

It’s safe to say that the sets for CDS productions are outstanding. This year’s set, designed by Sarah Barbanchon, built by Kim Marchessault, and dressed by Kira Duff, Will Hofstetter and Daniel Robertson, was no exception. The attention to detail and craftsmanship were of a professional grade. In fact, one audience member declared that the set was like another character on stage - just as integral to the story as the actors - and they are absolutely correct.
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The UTMUN conference, which took place in February, was nothing short of incredible. Four CDS students stepped into the shoes of world leaders, engaging in fruitful international diplomacy. We became architects of change, tackling pressing global issues, engaging in passionate debates, and crafting impactful resolutions.

This weekend, the Senior School Robotics Team is headed to our first tournament of the new season. The team is very excited and has been working hard to prepare the robot for the upcoming competition. Each team has an assigned ID number; our team is Team 4951 - CDS Cyclones!

Last week, Grade 4 student Ezra Leung received the exciting news that he had tied for 1st place in the Caribou Mathematics Competition! This worldwide online contest is held six times throughout the school year. Each of these days, six contests are offered, one for each of the grade levels 2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8, 9/10 and 11/12 and each one in English, French, Persian and Mandarin.

On February 21st, the Grade 5 students participated in class elections. Students have been working hard on learning about the electoral process and about the various political parties in Canada. Students were tasked with creating their own political party in each class, along with a logo, slogan, and a set of platform points.

The CDS Jazz Combo recently performed at the Humber College Jazz Festival this week in Toronto.

Watch & Listen to the Ensemble

The Inclusivity Club worked throughout the month of February to prepare for Pink Shirt Day on February 28th. Since Pink Shirt Day symbolizes an important stand against bullying, the club embarked on an ambitious project to create and produce our very own Pink Shirt designs to sell as a fundraiser for Friends of Ruby, an organization dedicated to the well-being of 2SLGTBQIA+ youth through mental health services, social services, and housing. 

Our student athletes played their hearts out this winter term and yielded some exciting results.

Our Cyclones have enjoyed an incredible winter sports season. Congratulations to all of our athletes!

Grade 9 students have been working through a newly added unit which focuses on the Tony Award-winning play Come from Away. Set in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks, Come from Away tells the true story of how the small town of Gander, Newfoundland, welcomed thousands of stranded airline passengers. The students read and watched as the characters grappled with fear and uncertainty, ultimately finding hope and humanity amidst tragedy. Classes have immersed themselves in the captivating narrative by researching real-life characters, analyzing lyrics, and viewing the Broadway musical.

Last week the Junior School participated in an “abilities awareness week” in Physical Education. They tried out wheelchair basketball, wheeled-sled hockey, bell ball and seated volleyball.

The Grade 1 Music classes began to learn about the instruments of the Orchestra recently by using the symphonic tale for children, Peter and the Wolf. This musical composition was written by Sergei Prokofiev in 1936. The narrator tells a children's story, which the orchestra illustrates by using different instruments to play a "theme" that represents each character in the story. It is Prokofiev's most frequently performed work.

Last Saturday, eight members of the Middle School robotics team attended the VEX Lunar New Year qualifying tournament at the International Centre in Mississauga. Of the 43 teams in attendance, Team 4951A, consisting of Lucas Juhasz, Nikhil Mithra, James Muter and Jahan Somaiya, finished 26th overall, and 4951B of Michael Chen, Austin Cheng, Chauncey Li and Samir Mistry finished a respectable 33rd place. Both teams made CDS proud as they engaged all day in learning, engineering, strategizing, driving, and troubleshooting their robot.

Nathaniel and JP, dance teachers at Run The Flex, a leading hip-hop and street dance studio in Toronto, visited with the Senior School students and faculty this morning during morning Advisory.

CDS celebrated World Read Aloud Day together as a whole-school community last Friday afternoon sharing stories and the joy of reading aloud to each other in our Junior School.

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The Country Day School's Annual Dinner & Auction party will return on Friday, May 31, 2024! This is an evening you won't want to miss as we come together to celebrate Under the Big Top - otherwise known as our very own Cyclone Dome here on campus. The CDS Dinner & Auction is our most anticipated adult social event, as well as the largest fundraiser of the year. CDS families and friends have been coming together to celebrate and make this event a huge success since 1974, raising in excess of $6 million dollars since the beginning. You do not want to miss being a part of this evening!

The success of the event every year is due to the generosity of our families and the CDS community and this is where you can help! We encourage everyone to consider making a donation on behalf of themselves or their family.

Based on the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn and written by Sandy Rustin, Clue is a hilarious farce-meets-murder mystery. The tale begins at a remote mansion, where six mysterious guests assemble for an unusual dinner party where murder and blackmail are on the menu. When their host turns up dead, they all become suspects. Led by Wadsworth, the Butler, Miss Scarlet, Professor Plum, Mrs. White, Mr. Green, Mrs. Peacock and Colonel Mustard race to find the killer as the body count stacks up. Clue is the comedy whodunit that will leave both cult fans and newcomers in stitches as they try to figure out…WHO did it, WHERE, and with WHAT!

Watch the promo video.

On February 2, the Grade 10 and Grade 12 art classes visited the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO). While at the gallery, they took part in a tour that focused on the idea of a "Time Machine", examining a variety of art genres and artists and how they related to global connections and cultural exchanges, primarily through memory.

On Wednesday, the Grade 5 students visited Mayor Pellegrini at the King Township offices. Upon arrival, they were seated in the council chamber. Mayor Pellegrini greeted the students and explained the workings of King Township. Did you know that 60% of all carrots produced in Canada are grown in the Holland Marsh in King Township?

Last Thursday, Grade 8 students Matthew Weinroth and Ethan Starkman spoke to the assembled Middle School to honour International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Carolyn Du ‘24 and Zak Khan ‘25 did the same at Monday's Middle/Senior School Assembly.

Drew Schnekenburger ‘24 first started visualizing success for the Senior Boys’ Basketball team last summer. Excited to finish his final year of high school on a high note, especially after missing out on full season experiences during the first two years of COVID, he also wants to leave his mark on CDS athletics as a three-term athlete.

Join fellow CDS Parents for our next Book Review on Tuesday, March 5th at 7:00 pm. This is a wonderful way to meet new parents, while discussing the newest novel The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride.

Last Saturday, both the cast and crew of the Senior School play Clue and the Junior School show SpongeBob: The Musical spent the day in our Performing Arts Centre rehearsing for their respective performances. The SpongeBob directors had the incredible idea to bring the two groups together since they were already in the same space. In the afternoon, the two groups had the opportunity to work with our talented head of Drama, Ms. Bevacqua-Tirone. The group took time to get to know each other, shared a scene from their shows with one another, and participated in a fun drama game.

Last Saturday, CDS hosted the 2024 Ontario Qualifier for the Junior Nationals for students in Grades 7-9. Anna Druta ‘28 and Liam Gunning ‘27 participated in the tournament alongside 34 other students from 10 different schools.

One of the themes of Monday’s Middle/Senior Academic Assembly was that education can be fun! Mr. Harvey congratulated our six impressive Math Award recipients (see story below) for choosing to compete in math competitions because they are fun. In the same vein, Ms. Aldoroty recognized three GY students, Matthew, Ryan and Costa, for competing in a DECA Stock Market Challenge that was a lot of work, but also fun for them.

Every five years it is required by the Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS) to complete an evaluation accreditation. We will have some special guests at The Country Day School from January 28– January 31. A Visiting Committee from CAIS will be here to examine the K-12 programs and all operations of the school. School accreditation is a requirement for regular membership in CAIS.

Last November, we had 39 motivated students rise to the challenge of competing in either the Canadian Senior Mathematics Competition (CSMC) or the Canadian Intermediate Math Competition (CIMC). Both contests are two hours in duration, require full solutions, and provide students with opportunities to demonstrate an excellent knowledge of various mathematical topics.

We're thrilled to announce the return of the CDS Summer Camp once again this summer!

At the Middle/Senior School Assembly Monday, Mr. Liggett shared the news that CDS Director of Senior School, Ms. Celia Bland, will be retiring at the end of this year.

CDS Summer School Registration opens on Monday, January 22, 2024 (for CDS students). Courses can fill up quickly!

This fall, Olivia Budweth initiated a project with the goal of spreading awareness about the effects of Northern Canada’s wildfires. She noticed a lack of knowledge within the CDS community, and given the complexity of the issue, decided that something could be done to change this.

CDS Summer School Registration opens on Monday, January 22nd. Please note: Courses can fill up quickly!