Crescent School Spring 2009

new...Crescent notecards featuring a map of the school by renowned Toronto artist/illustrator David Crighton.

Available in sets of 10 cards plus envelopes. $9.99 per set.(Please add $4.00 per set shipping and handling to have the cards mailed directly to your home.)

Order by email to sgillan@crescentschool.org

support the guild centennial scholarship fund

All proceeds from the sale of the cards will be directed to the Guild Centennial Scholarship Fund.

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THE past 18 months at Crescent School has been, for the faculty, staff and parent organizations, a time of great

reflection and analysis. A CESI assessment – with the prerequisite self-evaluation – and the formulation of a strategic plan to see us to our 100th birthday in 2013 (along, unfortunately, with a world-wide economic crisis) have forced us to take a long hard look at who we are, who we want to be and how we can best ensure success. Broadly, we believe that we are among the better schools for boys on this continent; we want to be the best school for boys world-wide. This vision isn’t new. What has been adjusted somewhat is how we get there.

We are committed to maintaining and ensuring our sustainability as an organization. Crescent will continue to model sustainability in all areas necessary: financial by keeping costs down while maintaining value; environmental by utilizing the smallest possible carbon footprint; demographic by guaranteeing an inclusive student body representative of the school-age population, and global by offering our students the opportunity for international perspective. However, to go from better to best, we must ensure the sustainability of our grads by building on our strongest assets: our academic and our character development programmes. We believe our grads will be in high demand by both post-secondary institutions and by the marketplace. They will possess the 21st century skills and personal values which are sought after and rewarded: spoken and written communication; numeracy; collaboration; a global perspective; organization; creativity; personal responsibility; honesty; compassion and respect. The acquisition of knowledge for its own sake will take a back seat to ‘how’ the information is acquired and applied. Our grads will have learned how to fish for what is truly relevant and throw back the fads and flavours of the month. Through invention and innovation they will be able to make a difference in the 21st century world we now inhabit. The sustainability of our alumni is what will secure a great future for Crescent School.

We invite you to read about our Centennial Strategic Plan and some of the ways that the entire Crescent community is working to ensure sustainability for future generations of students.

Headmaster’s Message ........................... 2

Better to Best: Building on Strengths ......... 3

Evolution of the Centennial Strategic Plan .... 4

What Will Crescent Look Like in 2013?....... 6

From the Advancement Office .................. 8

Coyote Green Jacket Golf Tournament ....... 8

A “Green” Reveal ................................... 9

Building Green Momentum at Crescent..... 10

Global Sustainability.................................. 12

Environmental Action Committee............... 13

From The Archives ............................... 14

Remembering Dean.............................. 18

In Memory of Eric A. T. Innes ................. 19

Message from the CSOBA President ........ 23

Special Events...................................... 24

Alumni Profiles..................................... 29

University Branch Visits ......................... 32

Life after Crescent................................. 33

Alumni Class Reps................................ 38

Past Parent Representatives Programme .... 39

In Memoriam ....................................... 40

Upcoming Events .....................back cover

Table of Contents

on the cover

EDITOR:Sue Gillan (P ’02),Director of Communications and Marketing

COPY EDITOR:Laura Pink

CONTRIBUTORS:Betty Ann Armstrong Angela BarbieriSandra Boyes Neil Campbell (P ’94)Jill Cannon Stephanie LangAnne-Marie Newton Katie NorthcottLaura Pink

PHOTOGRAPHERS:Betty Ann ArmstrongAngela BarbieriSue Gillan (P ’02)D’Arcy GlionnaHu DiStephanie LangMany members of our Crescent Family

DESIGN :Chris Simeon,September Creative Communications andHarmony Printing Ltd.

Past and Present is published twice a year for the entire Crescent Family and friends byThe Communications and Marketing DepartmentCrescent School2365 Bayview AvenueToronto, ON M2L 1A2Phone: 416-449-2556Fax: 416-449-7950Email: sgillan@crescentschool.orgWebsite: www.crescentschool.org

Photo by Christinne MuschiStudents left to right: Oliver Spencer and Jeffrey So grade 5

F R O M T H E E D I T O R ’ S D E S K

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Cert no. SW-COC-002063

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Ensuring our FutureH E A D M A S T E R ’ S M E S S A G E

THE historical financial corrections that have rocked the world have made

everyone I know reconsider – or consider seriously for the first time – what the term “sustainability” truly means. In the past, the notion of “sustainability” has been owned primarily by the environmental left, and most effectively wielded by those who habitually rail against the historic and irresponsible use of fossil fuels. But given the economic convulsions that have shuttled the world’s banking institutions and corporate multinationals into ICU with only governmental IVs keeping them alive, sustainability has taken on a broader and equally sinister patina. For the first time in many decades, the spectre of a new world order is upon us – and it affects our professional and personal existence in a way no environmentalist could ever envision.

At Crescent, we are fortunate in many ways. We have a great student body whose parents support the School and embrace our mission. We are strong and vital, with a wonderful reputation for being a great school for boys with dedicated, inspiring teachers. Our Alumni and Past Parents are becoming more and more practically connected with the

School they remember and helped build. But frankly, it wouldn’t take long for the wheels to come off the School bus, especially when one realizes that approximately 100 students leave year after year (by way of graduation mainly, and a few relocations) in a full school population of 670 – and that this delicate pavane is replayed annually. The current pervasive instability in the world is more than a little disconcerting to us at Crescent because the balance between this School’s health and decline is so terrifyingly fine.

(Before we all throw ourselves under a yellow cheesewagon, however, let me offer some important data points. Our

these world convulsions will be highly educational, especially when history autopsies the corpse and sorts out what went wrong and how we can recognize the signs and avoid a similar melt–down in the future. Our Crescent boys will be the beneficiaries of the economic forensics. Our boys will study the diagrams, decipher the code, and delve into the intricacies of disorganizational behaviour, and perhaps be able to avoid the sins, arrogance and oversights of their forbearers. We can always hope.

At the very least, we can help our boys become sustainable entities unto themselves by providing them with the skills, outlook and openness to be able to discern a sheep from a wolf, and recognize truth amongst the lies. Our Centennial Strategic Plan strives to address those skills and attributes that our boys will need in the 21st century. We will continue to make them accountable for their actions and decisions – something that has been sadly lacking in many boardrooms around the world. We will make them understand the importance and power of globalism by exposing them directly to other modes of thought through our speakers, our local and our international outreach programmes. We will emphasize Honesty, Responsibility, Respect and Compassion in all domains – and make sure that they have the skills sets such as the ability to articulate their ideas succinctly and persuasively, to understand truth in numbers, and to be organized enough to balance, sort and juggle the mountains of data that will continue to inform them in their lives into the future.

Despite the magnitude of the current problem, to a large extent it resembles all other problems people have been facing throughout history. Those who are best suited to deal with them are the sorts of people we are striving to educate and create at Crescent – boys and young men who are nimble, creative, resilient, courageous, and open to learning and change. Our world has definitely changed – and it always will. We are striving to create insightful leaders for tomorrow’s world who understand our dynamic world. Crescent boys will survive and thrive in this complex, exciting century; we are committed to graduating sustainable students at Crescent School.

...sustainability

has taken on a

broader and equally

sinister patina.

applications are up, on the whole, for new spots at the school, and at the time of writing, our attrition numbers – and our requests for financial aid – are quite low.)

Sustainability is now more than an environmental concept; it’s bigger now – front page news – and more palpably in people’s wallets, which makes it considerably more meaningful and fearsome. Current economic realities are asking us some piercing questions, and the answers better come quickly, or soon the bell will start tolling. It already has done so for hundreds of thousands of workers around the world.

In the short term, what does this mean for Crescent School? We hope, frankly, to be able to ride this tsunami out. As I have mentioned, our enrolment numbers – the source of most of our revenue – look good at present. I will admit, however, that we prepared some dire scenarios that forecasted a downturn of five, 10 and even a 20 per cent decline in students. Thankfully, we’ve not had to invoke those proposed changes – yet. At the same time, I’ve not thrown them in the round file.

As the saying goes, every crisis presents opportunities. In the longer term,

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C r e s c e n t ’ s C e n t e n n i a l S t r a t e g i c P l a n 2 0 0 9 - 2 0 1 3

Better to Best: Building on Strengths

FOR close to a century, Crescent has delivered superior education to boys – day

by day, term by term and graduation class to graduation class. Today, our commitment has never been stronger, nor have we been more mindful of the opportunities to teach such wonderful boys of promise.

Crescent is renowned for delivering current and leading edge curriculum, and creating a culture that both celebrates boyhood and values character, excellence and involvement in all areas of human activity. But we have to go beyond that: the School must not only be grounded in today, but must have a plan for tomorrow. What’s more, that plan must be aspirational. It must ensure real sustainability in the long run yet remain flexible enough to respond to the changes that shape our world.

We have a plan to lead us to our Centennial Year, 2013. We are confident it will catapult us forward to the forefront of boys’ education – from better to best.

Crescent’s Centennial Strategic Plan is not revolutionary; we didn’t need a revolution. We have intentionally built on the strengths of our last plan, which brought us such success and confidence from 2004 until today. The new plan tries to anticipate the emergent educational needs of our students and our staff for the immediate future. We have carefully distilled what we need from what we want. We are reinforcing the foundation of our mission, not reforming it.

At the heart of this plan are two components that won’t surprise anyone: an even deeper commitment to academic excellence, and

the enhancement of programmes that develop character in our boys of promise. Overwhelmingly, our community told us that Crescent is already on the right track – that while some things should change, those two core elements should not – and our educators heartily agreed.

I have extraordinary faith in the commitment of the Crescent community. It is dedicated, energetic – and smart. Together we can achieve our lofty goals of making Crescent preeminent among boys’ schools. We are poised for greatness; all we need now is for everyone to work together as we set sail to create the new frontier.

GEOFF ROBERTSHEADMASTER

CORE STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES – to achieve our vision

Better to Best: Building on StrengthsCrescent’s Centennial Strategic Plan 2009-2013

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The Evolution of the Centennial Strategic Plan

ONE of the great things about my job is that I get to participate in a wide range

of conversations with a lot of different people. Many of those conversations over the past 18 months – with colleagues, students, parents, Board members – have been about the ideas that ended up in the new strategic plan. As you can imagine, these have been stimulating and challenging conversations. By this time, you will all be familiar with the central points in Crescent School’s Centennial Strategic Plan:

excellence in the academic preparation of boys, andexcellence in the development of character facilitated through:

the continual development of great staff and community, together with the provision of appropriate resources, in terms of both facilities and finances.

However, it can be hard to trace the evolution of these objectives in the

thinking of the School unless you are a part of the ongoing internal conversations. Accordingly, I’d like to provide some context for understanding the importance of this exciting new plan.

Our last Strategic Plan (2004 – 2009) had five points of focus:

Men of CharacterGlobal OutreachUniversity PlacementEndowmentCentres of Excellence:

RoboticsStudent LeadershipPerforming ArtsResearch and Development in Boys’ Education

It makes most sense in terms of understanding the implementation of the last plan if you place the mission, Men of Character from Boys of Promise, at the centre and all of the other elements of the plan as supporting that central mission. Outreach, Robotics, Student Leadership and Performing Arts are some of the many ways through which we develop character by providing potentially transformative opportunities for meaningful engagement. Endowment provides the resources necessary to do the work, while our focus on Research and Development has provided the “how” to do the work

The Centennial Strategic Plan commits us to inspiring and challenging

work. We recognize the need ourselves continually to learn and grow,

to consistently strive for excellence as a community of educators.

most effectively. Finally, our increased focus on an innovative and comprehensive University Counselling programme has allowed us to work with our grads – first, to help them to learn about and select the best fit in terms of a post-secondary plan, and second, to help them to present themselves as candidates who truly stand out through their character and accomplishments.

There was no thought of striking out in a different direction in the development of

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the new plan. No sense of “been there, done that – what’s next?” The Centennial Plan is really the “son of...” – it begins where the implementation of the last plan leaves off and extends its scope and focus.

The new plan emphasizes and builds on our greatest strengths. The first core objective, to enhance excellence in academics, focuses us on our most fundamental, widely recognized strength, and calls on us to investigate the most effective ways to prepare our boys for success in the world that they will face – a very different world than the one our generation faced. The best current educational thinking tells us that the key skills for success will be creative and critical thinking, problem solving, and a comfort and facility with collaboration. These skills all begin with strong fundamentals in English (written and spoken communication), mathematics (problem solving) and an ability to be a well-organized, independent learner.

We recognize our strength in this area through the last plan’s focus on Research and Development in Boys’ Education. Crescent Student Services (CSS) was established in response. CSS has a three-fold mandate: learning, wellness and research, and its work in gathering current research findings and translating them for our teachers into innovative classroom practice positions us well to succeed both in terms of excellence of programme and effectiveness of delivery.

The second core objective, to enhance the development of character, calls us to gather up all of our “character in

action” programmes – athletics, outreach, performing arts, robotics, student leadership – to maximize the quality and effectiveness of each as a vehicle for the development of character. We know that potentially the most powerful tools for the development

of character in boys are experiential opportunities, whether on the field, on the stage, in a new environment, or within the robotics lab, when the programme is thoughtfully designed and purposefully directed and coached. Such activities encourage the development of skills

such as teamwork and decision-making, together with values like accountability, courage and integrity, and personal qualities like discipline and resilience. From such activities boys develop the habit of engagement – the combination of empathy, courage and humility to step forward in challenging circumstances and ask “How can I help?” This is what we

call character.

We also recognize that the development of character

is a lifelong project. We are not so arrogant or

naive as to believe that we deliver Men of Character to the world, fully-formed, on graduation. We do commit that each boy will

inescapably confront some fundamental

questions about who he is, what he values, who he

wants to become, and what he has to offer. Boys will respond

to these questions in different ways, and we embrace the healthy debate – it’s the lifeblood of an intellectual community. The ongoing dialogue about the central

questions of character is critical and animates our work.

The Centennial Strategic Plan commits us to inspiring

and challenging work. We recognize the

need ourselves continually to learn and grow, to consistently

strive for excellence as a community of educators. We equally recognize

that the work must be supported with appropriate facilities and adequate resources. The plan grows equally out of our past, and out of our vision for the future – out of who we are, what we value, who we want to be, and what we recognize that we have to give.

COLIN LOWNDESDEPUTY HEAD, HEAD OF UPPER SCHOOL

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What Will Crescent Look Like in 2013?

FOR the first 57 years of

its existence, Crescent was a preparatory school. Students would leave after grade 8 and move on to high school elsewhere, typically the Little Big Four: Ridley College, Trinity College School, Upper Canada College and St. Andrew’s College. Those students would consider themselves primarily old boys of their respective high schools, and only secondarily, if at all, as graduates of Crescent. Then 34 years ago, Crescent produced its first home grown high school graduates. We have not looked back.

As the school stands on the threshold of its 100th anniversary, it seems natural to ponder what the future will hold. The Centennial Strategic Plan, recently communicated, sets a vision of Crescent for 2013.

Our Future

By 2013, Crescent School will be recognized internationally as a premiere independent school for boys and boys’ education. It will be a place where boys of promise come in grade 3 to begin their journey towards becoming men of character. Its students will be known for having received a superior academic education rich in literacy, numeracy and character studies, balanced with a curriculum integrated with arts and athletics and outreach activities. Like now, there will be classrooms, form teachers, mentors, gymnasiums, art rooms, a field house and a centre for creative learning. There will be bright, sunny classrooms filled with student work and exceptional faculty members guiding the learning of our young men.

We will identify and intentionally teach the skills that are required for the 21st century: critical thinking, creativity and innovation

with interdisciplinary themes. At Crescent, our students will develop enhanced skills in communication, organization, collaboration and information/media/financial literacy. For our graduates, it will be second nature to locate, create, integrate and advance all kinds of information. We will equip them to take charge of their own futures and to function effectively as independent learners.

To make this happen we will hire, retain and develop the finest teachers. They will have won distinction as educators and have recognized expertise in their subject areas. The teachers will know how boys learn best and they will apply that knowledge in regular classroom practice.

As a centre for research and development of boys’ education, Crescent School will continue to discover best practices for teaching boys. By 2013, our research will have guided us to create for them an optimal learning environment that will prepare them for their future.

What will this look like in the classrooms? Curriculum leaders from each division offer a glimpse into classrooms of Crescent in 2013.

Lower School

In grades 3 through 6 our goal will be to make boys excited about learning. How?

Research informs us that boys like to move, to do, to laugh and to be challenged. They

like technology, competition,listening to relevant stories and learning from the role-models, the teachers and the mentors who inspire them. Boys need to feel like they belong in their school environment and that what they learn canand will make a difference in their world.

By 2013, Lower School classes will have wireless laptops for each pair of students, enabling them to work alone, in pairs or in small groups. SMARTboards will be used extensively and will encourage interactive lessons. Multi-disciplinary and multi-grade units will transcend traditional structures so boys learn from their peers as well as their form teachers, cross-over teachers and learning coaches. Learning groups will be formed to best support the lesson being taught, and therefore could be one-on-one, teams of four or five, or 22. Learning will take place in classrooms but will also spill into the hallways, into other classrooms, into the labs and permeate all aspects of a student’s life.

A dedicated Lower School Literacy Centre will be a hub for all Lower School learning. Connected to the Lower School Student Services Centre, this area of the School will infuse all classes with exciting learning resources and the technology to research any topic with grade appropriate materials. The space would also offer comfortable seating to choose a book, leaf through a magazine, be read to or have a quiet word with a friend or mentor.

Mentor students from other grades will have a larger role in the lives of Crescent’s youngest students. From being mentored themselves, Middle School and Upper School student leaders will act as literacy partners, who read with their Lower School brothers.

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Robotics will be integrated into existing Science and Mathematics programmes. This will be led by Middle and Upper School teachers and their students.

Middle School

What will 2013 look like for the Middle School? Envision a class where boys are standing knee deep in the middle of a creek on a sunny November morning. A boy holds a sample test tube full of water and asks his partner, “What do you think all of the floating bits are?” His friend who is busy doing a sample plot count of invasive species on the river bank does not know the answer but says, “We will look at all of that on the microscope and then make a podcast of our findings for our classmates.”

Technological innovations and incorporation of new media will be strong components of best practice in boys’ education. The students will be immersed in inquiry-based, integrative units where they may be studying two subjects at once. In the above example students are looking at the water cycle and stream ecology for grade 7 Science and Geography. At the end of such a unit, a service learning component, incorporating the knowledge gained from hands-on work, would be applied.

In order to incorporate the different grouping sizes that will be utilized throughout the day, more versatile spaces will need to be integrated into what is currently the Middle School footprint. Wider hallways to give boys space to move about, classrooms that have walls which open in order to facilitate larger group discussions, sections in classrooms that can be closed off to provide room and space for small group instruction. Potentially, no classroom walls at all could be part of a 21st century learning environment. Students will need to be versatile, and learning, experiential or collaborative in nature, should not be limited to traditional student teacher ratios or traditional spaces.

As we prepare students for the 21st century learning skills that they will need for success in an interconnected world, the role of the teacher will shift from socratic provider to inquiry-based facilitator.

Students will enter classrooms where assessments have choices attached to them. A clear difference between knowledge and understanding will be established, with understanding being a much greater goal.

The same two boys from the creek example will be challenged to engage in the world in which they live. This challenge will come from both the advisor and the learning coaches. The latter will be a tremendous addition to improving the personal and informal teaching that is so successful with boys when they are invested emotionally. The utilization of learning coaches throughout all three schools will be diverse. They will work with all students inside classes, in small groups outside of classes and, as in the example above, will be out in the ‘world’ monitoring activities. The learning coaches will be supported by teaching faculty and advisors. Advisors will also be integral in challenging the boys through work in a small group setting. They will facilitate discussions about upcoming tasks in integrated subjects, challenging the boys to take up leadership in a meaningful fashion and discovering the skills necessary to become a man of character. No easy task, but the advisor will have a wealth of resources on hand. Many of these resources will have been created by the students themselves as they gain perspective on who they are, and begin the exploration into what being part of the interconnected world of our 21st century means.

Upper School

Our Upper School faculty will be empowered to put their mark on their teaching spaces. Currently teachers rotate from room to room and only a few teach all their classes in the same location. This imposes a limit on classroom configurations and restricts ready access to pedagogical materials. In fact, some of our current teaching spaces are not true classrooms. For example, the stage in Hyland Hall hosts a grade 10 English and a grade 11 Social Sciences class. A work room in the theatre has been converted for use as a classroom for grade 11 Aboriginal Studies and a grade 12 Mathematics class. The need for additional purpose-designed learning spaces is real and we are confident

it will be addressed by our 100th year.

Crescent’s “family feeling” has become our trademark. It will become even stronger in the future. Research has shown that there is a direct relationship between how boys learn and how classes are structured. Just as families that sit together for meals are closer, healthier and happier, so are students who feel that they ‘belong’ to a distinct group.

We foresee smaller classes in the future, classes in which the boys sit at a common table to share the learning experiences face-to-face instead of sitting at desks arranged in rows and columns facing the front of the room. Students will come to class with an expectation that they contribute – the same expectation that exists when they come to the family dinner table. The work done the night before, to prepare for the class, will be key and very much part of the expectation. This “Harkness table” format of teaching is growing in popularity. We will see it emerge at Crescent in the future.

We will see a broader range of teaching strategies employed; more cross-curricular work; greater variation in student groupings: from on-on-one to small group interactions with a teacher or learning coach, to full-class discussions, to large groups for lectures and presentations.

Will anything be the same?

Regardless of the changing world around us, the changes that will inevitably take place in our classrooms, and the many different demands that will be placed upon the graduates of Crescent School in the future, our core values of Respect, Responsibility, Honesty and Compassion will continue to be the distinguishing factor of a Crescent School graduate.

DR. SANDRA BOYESASSISTANT HEAD, LOWER SCHOOL

MR. MICHAEL RUSCITTIASSISTANT HEAD, MIDDLE SCHOOL

MR. JAMES WRIGHTDIRECTOR OF ACADEMICS

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From the Advancement Office

strengthen the positioning of the School as an acknowledged leader in boys’ education world-wide as we prepare to enter the second century in the life of Crescent School.

During this period of global economic uncertainty, the Advancement team will be respectful of the impact this may have on our community members. That said, this provides us with an excellent opportunity to listen and learn about the things that truly matter to our community, from a Crescent School perspective. Crescent’s focus on academics and character development remains at the forefront of the Centennial Strategic Plan. By partnering with our community leaders and members and being sensitive to their unique situations, Crescent will come through this downturn with even stronger relationships and shared goals while it seeks to improve the learning experience for our current students as well as future generations of Crescent boys. As has always been the case at Crescent School, we take the long term view with our partners, through good times and bad, to ensure the future strength of this Canadian centre of learning.

ErratumEvery effort was made to ensure the accuracy of the 2007-08 Donor Report, but unfortunately a few errors were made.

The following donors’ names should have been included in the listing of those who have generously committed $50,000 or more to Crescent School during their lifetime:

Nancy & Ian MacKellar

John & Carol Mercer

The following donors’ names were misspelled:

Collin & Carol Hong

Nancy & Ian MacKellar

Portserv International Ltd.

We regret these errors and thank all of our donors for their kind, thoughtful and generous support of Crescent School.

SINCE the last publication of Past and Present in the Fall of 2008, we have

all witnessed the positive impact that our community can have upon all Crescent boys when we share a common goal. Thanks to hundreds of parents, alumni and friends who supported the Turf Fields Campaign through their participation and donations to the 08/Gala, as well as through some very significant major gifts, this world-class $3.2 million facility is being used by every boy in the School, as well as by many of our community partners. Thank you for assisting Crescent School in its programme delivery by making the Eric A. T. Innes Field a reality.

Through our work with the Board of Governors, Development Committee, Foundation Board, and Crescent’s Leadership Team during the past year, the Advancement Office is assisting in strengthening the relationships within our community. We are doing this by listening to the viewpoints of Crescent family members and sharing the mission and vision of the School as expressed through the Centennial Strategic Plan. We are excited to be part of the process that will

DATING back to 1989, the Coyote Green Jacket Golf Tournament has traditionally

been an event for alumni to come together, enjoy a great round of golf, and spend some quality time with fellow Old Boys. Crescent alumni of all vintages look forward to this annual celebration of the School; however, looking to the future, the Crescent School Old Boys’ Association (CSOBA) is committed to broadening the focus of the tournament and expanding the event to include the entire Crescent community.

To celebrate the occasion of the 20th Annual Coyote Green Jacket Golf Tournament, CSOBA is thrilled to announce that the event is currently open for registration to the entire Crescent community. Students, parents,

faculty, grandparents, past parents, and friends of Crescent are welcome and encouraged to round up a foursome and join alumni on the Angus Glen (home of the 2007 PGA Canadian Open) north course on Friday, June 26, 2009. After a continental breakfast in the clubhouse, golfers will set out to play 18 holes in scramble format. A luncheon and silent auction with fabulous prizes will follow. The Coyote Green Jacket Golf Tournament is a great opportunity to reunite with old friends and meet new ones, and all proceeds support a very worthy cause – the William S. Burridge Bursary Fund for needs-based financial aid at Crescent School.

We know that there are many current Crescent families who are passionate about golf, and

we hope that moms, dads and students will take this opportunity to celebrate the end of the school year and kick off the summer with a great day of family golf. Additionally, since 2006, alumni and current students have been working together increasingly more frequently through a number of Mentoring and Networking Programme events throughout the year, and uniting these groups on the golf course is another great opportunity to strengthen the Crescent alumni network.

For more information about the tournament or to register (singles and foursomes welcome), please contact Angela Barbieri at abarbieri@crescentschool.orgor 416-449-2556 ext. 284. See you on the links!

Crescent School Coyote Green Jacket Golf Tournament – 20th Year Anniversary!

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A “Green” Reveal

CRESCENT’S Log Cabin is literally a small treasure in the woods. Built by the

first owners of the estate, the Log Cabin was originally an artist’s retreat and hideaway for Mrs. Wood. The building’s transformation into a learning centre and common place is perhaps the greenest project to date at Crescent.

What started as a Guild undertaking in 2006 managed by then Guild president Sharon Miller’s (P ’07, ’12) fundraising campaign

“As a restoration project, our goal was to salvage as much as we could and, at the same time, make it as green as we could.”

Close to the site was a huge fallen tree that needed to be removed. Astutely, in an effort to reuse, Mr. Pestonji had the tree moved somewhat (it now rests in the woods just north of the cabin in a small gully) as not to be in the way of the project, and had the old oak cut into slabs and planks for drying. “The

a power source, power will be diverted from the energy created by the solar panels, keeping the Log Cabin entirely “off the grid.” Currently, the energy created by the solar panels is being sold to Ontario Power Generation. Not surprisingly, the solar panels generate more energy in the summer months and the ROI (return on investment) from their use is encouraging. “It really is incredible to think that the Crescent solar panels can generate funds. We buy at .13 cents and sell it

and spearheaded by Outreach Director Mehernosh Pestonji, led to a Crescent commitment to restore, reclaim and reuse one of the property’s original buildings. “I was really taken by the notion of the place,” says Miller. “It seemed to have existed in an era of romance and as a dwelling of artistic inspiration, due in part to the beauty and magic of its wooded surroundings. The Log Cabin really captured the imagination of the Guild; this is where the lady of the house would spend time entertaining her female friends and creating, with like-minded individuals interested in nature and wanting to paint.” The fundraising efforts of Sharon Miller and the Guild – the Cabin Fever gala – raised over $20,000 for the cabin’s facelift.

Shortly after, the wheels were in motion, and the restoration began. The foundation, roof and walls needed to be reinforced, and required a considerable amount of work. As part of an educational apprenticeship project, students from Milliken Mills High School worked on the building – along with the help of professionals – to install a beam to support the floor, replace the old rotten wood and reinforce the structure’s foundation. “We wanted to maintain the integrity of the building,” says Mr. Pestonji.

wood itself is beautiful. And surprisingly, the value of the oak is incredible – in the tens of thousands,” says Pestonji. “Once the tree is dry (a three year process) we will use it to make simple furniture for the Log Cabin. Now that is reusing – it’s great.”

Teacher Jeff Adams and his grade 7 class were also in on the project from the start. Adams and Pestonji discussed the sustainability aspects of the restoration and the best ways to make the project as green as possible. Spurred on by the desire to use alternative energy in a renewable way (part of a Robotics project) the grade 7 class collaborated with Pestonji to use the Log Cabin site as a place to put their green initiatives into action. Wanting to make the building self-sufficient and keep the Log Cabin off the power grid was always a top priority.

The use of solar panels was an option, and after receiving various proposals, the Outreach director decided to proceed and hired a company called Solera. The most suitable site for the solar panels to work most effectively was on the adjacent Field House. Five large solar panels were installed during the summer months of 2008 on the west-facing facade of the sports complex. Once the Log Cabin is ready for use and requires

at .42 cents,” says Pestonji. “We are actually manufacturing energy.”

During the winter months, the last of the work on the Log Cabin is being done a little at a time. As part of the briefing programme for the International Outreach trips, students and trip leaders had their briefing sessions outside in February, with bristle brushes in their hands, working to remove the old paint from the exterior of the building. “Removing the old paint is one of the last steps,” says Pestonji. “We are almost there.”

While the Log Cabin waits for a little more primping and preening before the grand reveal – and maybe a few more dollars from Guild fundraising initiatives too – there is only a short list left of small projects to complete. Committed Log Cabin champion Sharon Miller has offered to sew curtains, and can envision the Log Cabin in all its glory and awaits its completion with bated breath, eager to see her pet-project realized three years later.

Her hand-sewn curtains will be one of the last steps and final touches on this little treasure in the forest, Crescent’s greenest gift, and indeed one of its most cherished spaces.

10

Building Green Momentum at Crescent

to monitor how the School is successful by presenting the diversion rates for waste, paper, shredding and organics. “It’s all in the numbers,” says Andonov. “We can track our efforts. The Environmental Prefect makes the information available to the students in assemblies and encourages compliance. Everyone is on board.”

Most areas within the School are equipped with technology to monitor the lighting and heating systems, especially when classrooms sit empty. This includes motion sensors for the lighting system and a complex, computer-automated HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system that cools and heats the School. “This system is similar to your home’s programmable thermostat,” says Mr. Andonov. “But, as you would expect in a large facility, this system is far more complicated – using dampers that open and close to maintain a constant temperature of 22 degrees in the most efficient way.” By means of a boiler system that includes 22 air-handling units, the system is automated by software, with Direct Energy technicians remotely accessing our building automation system (BAS) to constantly review and resolve issues. Through web access, the BAS can be scheduled on/off with night setbacks to keep the School functioning at its most efficient. “The energy saved is significant and impressive,” says Mr. Andonov. “The numbers are staggering.”

Making changes to the restrooms has improved water conservation. The low flush toilets use three to six gallons of water while the older toilets use 13. As well as installing automatic flush valves, the water consumption in the restrooms has dropped dramatically. Even more dramatic is the water conserved by virtue of the School’s new fields – a significant benefit to our city’s water supply as irrigation is no longer necessary. Needing no fertilizer, lawn cutting equipment or herbicides, Innes Field’s artificial turf (one of only three in Toronto) is a green winner in every way.

Crescent is also proud of its green roof. When the Centre for Creative Learning (CCL) was built in 2004, green roofs were not yet commonplace. The forward thinking architects of the CCL included a green roof on a section of the corridor to

AT Crescent, green is more than just our school colour. Reducing the

amount of paper we consume and using hot water wisely are small adjustments we make in our daily lives to save planet Earth. Like recycling and using the green bin, our daily routines have incorporated green initiatives so well that our efforts can seem almost negligible because they are so ingrained. By trying to reduce our carbon footprint and practising sustainability, we are living smarter – lessening our impact on the environment and saving the planet for our children, grandchildren and their children. At Crescent we embrace sustainability in every way possible; making the small changes and the big ones. From environment-friendly cleaning products and winter ice melters to our infrastructure and operating systems, green initiatives and sustainability are part of every decision-making process and incorporated into everything we do.

With a historic building to maintain and the possibility of new construction projects on the horizon, facilities manager John

Andonov has implemented programmes and initiatives to ensure the School is taking steps towards sustainability – reducing, reusing and recycling. “From the rooftops to the basement, green initiatives are in place,” says Mr. Andonov. “Our goal is to have as green a facility as possible.”

Low flush toilets, motion sensors for lighting, building automation systems, a green roof and solar panels – we have it all here at Crescent. Small changes in the way a facility is run can have a huge impact. “When we go into classrooms that need something as simple as a new coat of paint, we take the time to assess where improvements can be made in order to improve sustainability,” says Andonov, “while of course using a low VOC (volatile organic compounds) paint.” Companies are allowing customers to mark and monitor the changes and improvements they make by simply providing information. The School’s waste diversion company, Wasteco, provides monthly reports with statistics, graphs, pie charts and the number of trees saved in order for Mr. Andonov

By trying to reduce

our carbon footprint

and practising

sustainability, we

are living smarter

– lessening our

impact on the

environment and

saving the planet

for our children,

grandchildren and

their children.

John Andonov, Facilities Manager

11

the main building. However, this green piece of the project, while good intentioned, never flourished due to improper installation.

In 2006, the grade 7 classes initiated a plan to take on the recovery project of Crescent’s green roof with the help of their Geography teacher Sheryl Murray. “The boys wanted to leave a legacy,” says Ms. Murray. “Restoring the green roof and having it here long after this class graduates in 2013 – our centennial year – appealed to all of us.”

The City of Toronto has a green roof project programme in place and after submitting an energy consumption analysis and architect’s structural drawings, the School applied for Toronto’s Green Roof Strategy subsidy. Once the analysis was completed the project seemed more manageable, as fundraising was not necessary due to the amount of grant awarded to the School which covered the cost of the small scale project. Because the structure had been designed properly and required minor adjustments, finding a landscape architect with a green roof specialty was the last step. After visiting Jackman Junior Public School to assess the work of landscape architect Terry McGlade, Ms. Murray was suitably impressed and selected McGlade’s company, Gardens

in the Sky, to design his smallest project to date at 80.75 square metres.

Last June, the four-person Gardens in the Sky team came to the School and planted the roof within a day. Beforehand, irrigation pipes had been installed to connect the School’s water supply to the roof with an extensive tributary-like timed sensor system. Completely rain-fed last summer, the roof is planted with drought-resistant vegetation requiring minimal soil depth to thrive. On completion, Crescent’s green roof was photographed and is featured on the city of Toronto’s website alongside the Royal

Ontario Museum (ROM) and the Toronto Zoo.

With new building projects on the horizon, all architectural plans will take advantage of the property’s landscape and topography. If the proposed new wing for the Middle School is built, it could extend off the CCL on the south slope and will be designed to maximize solar heating, bringing natural light into

the School and heating the facility. Solar panels are already in use on the School’s property as part of the Log Cabin restoration and can be found on the exterior of the Field House (see article on page 9).

Looking to the future Crescent is identifying ways to further reduce consumption through improved efficiencies and conservation, including possible renewable energy strategies such as wind power – in addition to initiatives to further increase waste diversion. As new technology reaches the marketplace, breakthroughs are made in sustainability

sciences and more green answers are forthcoming, Crescent will heartily adapt, willingly improve and continue to lead the way.

On careful inspection you’ll see the Crescent facility as much more than simply a beautiful piece of property, a heritage building and an outstanding academic institution: it’s green too – from top to bottom.

Five solar panels can be seen on the roof of the classroom on left side of photo

Green Roof outside the Scholar’s Hall windows

12

Global Sustainability: Gaining an International Perspective

Agroup of eight Upper School students recently returned from a 19 day outreach trip to China.

The boys, accompanied by staff members Sue Gillan and Kee Ip, spent four hours every morning teaching English to classes of more than 50 students in grades 1 – 8. Afternoons were spent absorbing life in a country with very different cultural, political, social and culinary traditions. The experience, managed by an outstanding partnership with Minnesota-based Global Volunteers, was remarkable for everyone involved. As part of their commitment to the work project, the boys at the end of the two weeks of teaching, had to share their thoughts on the experience of “Being a Global Volunteer in Xi’an, China.”

Here are some of their comments:

I would recommend this trip to anyone who is looking to make a difference in the world. Though these “changes” you make may seem rather small, they are extremely important to the recipients of your help. I have also learned a lot about Chinese culture and history. This has given me the opportunity to make a good assumption of what the “real” China is like. In reality the real China is a beautiful place with a wonderful history and culture which everyone should experience at one point of their life... I would recommend it to anyone. I would rate my experience in China with Global Volunteers as 10 out of 10.

— TED BUCKLES, GRADE 10

I was quite surprised when I found out that I would teach in front of a 50 person class. Working as a Global Volunteer, I have grown to become a better public speaker and to become more confident in myself. Being a Global Volunteer also allowed

To be a Global Volunteer is to be a person of character who helps the local community in any way that befits it. Through passion, honesty and integrity one can successfully do this. Being a Global Volunteer is a duty, and it is an opportunity for you to demonstrate who you really are through your care. Being a Global Volunteer is an experience that will build your character.

— PARSA KHAKPOOR, GRADE 11

When I first learned that I was teaching grade 8 in the school, I was very worried. I was a wreck, very nervous, not able to think properly….but as the day went by, I gained more confidence and started to speak out. The second day went very smoothly. I almost feel that I was useless on the first morning and feel that I should have come here prepared. I think about some questions, such as why didn’t I work harder? Why didn’t I do better? … I may be a little pessimistic, but I feel that I am speaking the truth.

One thing for sure, I am going to miss my students a lot. Now, I set myself a new goal, and hope to come back to Xi’an in the future to fix what I messed up on this trip.

— CHARLES KIM, GRADE 9

[editor’s note: Charles is very hard on himself. He did a remarkable job teaching and interacting with his grade 8 students - most of whom were his age or a year younger. After his initial hesitation and a traumatic first day, Charles exhibited a maturity and adaptability beyond his years and ended the two weeks as a ‘star’ to his class.]

me to work in a team which allowed me to develop teamwork and communication skills. It also gave me the chance to develop many new relationships.

— DOMINIC CHU, GRADE 10

Being a Global Volunteer in China has been both a reward, and a challenge. ... I think I have achieved many good aspects and I will take away many good skills from this experience, but I can assure you that getting a sense of fulfillment as big as mine did not come easy. Teaching in classes made up of fifty or more grade 4 students was an overwhelming task. I know I can overcome this problem however, by harnessing the skills I have, and what we all have as a team.

...We may not have had such a big impact in most peoples’ lives, but by just teaching someone something they didn’t know before, we are slowly making the world a better place.

— MARKO POPOVIC, GRADE 9

Andrew Chung (centre front) with some of his students from Gaoxin Number 2 School.

Charles Kim (in purple jacket) surrounded by his ‘fans’ at Gaoxin Number 2 School.

13

I enjoyed being a Global Volunteer in Xi’an, China because of the learning opportunities this country can give me. China is a country that is very rich with its own culture and a westerner like myself can learn a lot by comparing two very different cultures.

Another reason I enjoyed being a Global Volunteer is because of the connections that I have made with people that I otherwise would never have met. Whether it is teachers, students or other volunteers the connections I have made will be remembered by me for a lifetime and I hope to keep in touch with many of them.

— GRAHAM VOLK, GRADE 10

LAST year, it was very clear to a group of our students and staff that Crescent

needed to make major strides in living our school colour. While many programmes were in place, it was determined that Crescent needed to do much more to support the environment and sustainable lifestyle. To that end, the Environment Action Committee (EAC) was formed and began to operate at the beginning of this school year. The committee is a mix of staff and students, providing a great combination of experience and energy and a range of motivations. It is led by Will Heisey, the current Environmental Prefect, who has displayed a passion for this noble cause and has effectively overseen a committee of five staff and about 10 students.

While there is a never-ending list of challenges ahead, EAC has made progress in a number of areas.

Idling

Crescent has been declared a “No-idling Zone”. This means that when anyone is waiting for more than 10 seconds in the parking lot or circle, their car engine must be turned off. The only exception, as per typical policies, is that idling is permitted when temperatures are extreme and heat or

Web Page

An EAC web page is up and running in the Green Room, Crescent’s intranet site, under the Student Life menu. Students Chris Hatsios, grade 9 and Craig Gilchrist and Rishi Jairaith of grade 10 – under the direction of Upper School teacher Jillian Cooper – have worked hard to create and design this useful site. They rightly realize it will be an ongoing project and would appreciate any feedback or contributions.

Future efforts will focus on several fronts, the main one being bottled water. Toronto is very fortunate to have excellent tap water so discussions are currently underway to consider Crescent’s options here. The committee’s objectives are that bottled water will not be sold at the School and its use either banned or heavily discouraged.

The EAC will continue to involve students in the efforts to ensure that Crescent lives up to the school colour in every possible way.

STEVE OVERHOLT, DIRECTOR OF ITAND A MEMBER OF THE EAC

air conditioning is required. Students and staff did a blitz earlier in the year and most Crescent parents have cooperated fully in appreciation of the students’ efforts. As well, “No-idling Zone” signs were posted to remind drivers to do their part to improve the School’s carbon footprint.

Earth Week (April 20-24)

This was a week of student-led activities, for all sections of the School, to raise awareness of environmental issues. The week kicked off with a speech by Eric Beynon ’94, a Crescent old boy who works for Sustainable Growth, a green consulting firm. Lunches featured “no-waste” competitions and there was a campus clean-up. On the Friday morning, all students participated in a school-wide game involving environmental trivia questions of increasing difficulty with a scavenger hunt twist.

Garbage/recycle

Early in the school year, Will surveyed the School with Upper School teacher Katie Northcott.

With the support of facilities manager, John Andonov, additional blue boxes were placed strategically around the school.

Being true to our colour: Crescent’s Environmental Action Committee

By being a Global Volunteer in Xi’an, China I feel like I am doing something very helpful, constructive and supportive. Being a volunteer is to help a community in a positive way with a positive attitude. You not only help a community but you are helping yourself build character. And by building this character you become a person of promise and dedication. Being a Global Volunteer helps you reach a goal that will set your life as a good human being. We are here to help and serve. We are not just Global Volunteers; we are ordinary people trying to make a difference.

— MARK FAHMY, GRADE 11

What I enjoyed most about being a Global Volunteer, was the way volunteering makes one unselfish. By teaching such young students it has made me more patient and understanding of those around me. These are features or characteristics that I think should be brought home with me, so I can demonstrate them with the people back home. Those experiences helped me understand who I am more deeply as well. This allows me to be a well rounded individual. ... My new found love for teaching these young children made this trip truly a memorable experience that allowed me to grow and mature.

— ANDREW CHUNG, GRADE 10

14

T H E F O R T U N E S O F C R E S C E N T S C H O O L T H R O U G H T H E D E C A D E S

From The Archives

FORTUNES ebb and flow as our society lives through the business cycles of

a generally capitalistic, free enterprise economic system. Memories of Eaton’s, Simpson’s and Massey-Ferguson (all Canadian giants in their day) fade into history, to be replaced by Research in Motion, Telus, Rogers and other new enterprises. Crescent School has witnessed almost a century of such change. But how sustainable is Crescent itself and how have its fortunes ebbed and flowed through the decades?

Today, with a modern and well-maintained physical plant (the “bricks and mortar”), a strong management team and a solid financial footing, a caring and dedicated staff and faculty, involved and supportive parents (and of course Crescent’s boys of promise themselves), the School finds itself in good shape. But that has not always been the case, and over its history the sustainability of the School has at times been a little questionable.

During the tenure of its founding Headmaster, Jimmy James, it is unlikely that the future viability of Crescent was of much concern. From 1913 to 1930 Crescent was quite small, with enrolment ranging from only 20 to 30 students. It appears that that was all James had intended in establishing Crescent as a small school, very much his personal domain, preparing students in the upper elementary grades for entry at the high school level largely into other independent schools such as Upper Canada College or Trinity College School (the two most popular with Crescent Old Boys in that era). With the exception of one year, the School operated out of his house, with James as the sole owner and employee. The war years and the Roaring Twenties were generally prosperous times for Canada and Toronto in particular, and for the immediate world of Crescent School – largely Rosedale but edging westward into the Annex and the southern parts of Forest Hill – things continued to unfold in a generally satisfactory manner.

Times would change dramatically with the 1930s – both for better and for worse. Although considered one of the nation’s great industrialist families, the Masseys

Crescent’s location at 43 Rosedale Road

15

Enrolment more than tripled – the greatest percentage growth of the student body in the School’s history. Williams instituted many of the traditions we associate with Crescent today: a house system, the School colours, a yearbook, an Old Boys’ Association, School plays and music nights. As well, with his flair for publicity, he raised the profile of the School considerably. In a number of ways, the 1930s was one of the most active, progressive, and successful decades in the history of the School.

And yet, if one looked beyond the obvious successes, there were financial problems, and not just as a result of the Great Depression, but ones which would carry on through the life of the School at Dentonia Park. Money was always hard to come by (there was no endowment, no annual giving, and an expensive physical plant to maintain), and Williams was forced to run the School on an exceptionally tight budget. He became skilled at cutting corners, searching out bargains, and keeping a very tight rein on faculty salaries which were kept well below those in the

public system. The Headmaster often coped by hiring teachers from Great Britain where conditions were worse than in Canada, but frequent staff turnover continued to be an issue during all the years at Dentonia Park. At one point in the early 1940s, he even announced that he would work for no salary, accepting from the School only room and board for himself and his wife. It was an apparently magnanimous move, but it provoked a dispute. When

Williams instituted many of the traditions

we associate with Crescent today: a

house system, the School colours, a

yearbook, an Old Boys’ Association...

were never as wealthy as generally imagined. Though inaccurate, the saying, “Toronto has no social classes, only the Masseys and the masses,” was part of the era’s vernacular. By the 1930s the fortunes of that branch of the family headed up by Susan Massey, the widow of Walter (the former president of Massey-Harris) were declining. As the Great Depression set in, and money grew tighter and the tax load more onerous, the huge family estate at Dentonia Park began to show the effects of hard times. As a result, Mrs. Massey gave 70 acres of the property to the city – what is now Dentonia Golf Course – and entered into negotiations to hand over the heart of the estate to the University of Toronto. But the discussions faltered, and she then turned to Crescent School, which her four grandsons had attended. As matriarch of the family she was well satisfied with the education the boys received, and in 1933 she gave the huge mansion (“Susan’s Folly” to some) of anywhere from 35 to 100 rooms – there appears to be no accurate record – and the surrounding 40 acres to Crescent. The School would immediately move from Rosedale well east to Taylor Creek (Dawes Road and Victoria Park Avenue) and Dentonia Park would remain the school campus until 1970.

With the expansive new property – the greatest gift in the history of the School – came many opportunities, and a new Headmaster determined to make the most of them. Walter Williams had taken over the School upon James’ death in 1930, and unlike James he was young (33), ambitious, and suddenly had Dentonia Park with which to work. And so, perhaps surprisingly, the decade of the 1930s (the Dirty Thirties) when other independent schools were fighting to stay solvent and stay afloat, was a time of great growth for Crescent.

Walter Williams, Headmaster 1930 - 1956

16

From The Archives

Williams purchased the School and the house from Jimmy James’ widow, the sale was structured as instalment payments over many years to Mrs. James, and one of the conditions of the sale was that Williams was not required to maintain the payments if he received no salary from the School. No salary, no payments…but Mrs. James clearly not happy with this state of affairs, took her concerns to a prominent lawyer, and Old Boy, Britton Osler, and in short order Williams reinstated his salary, renewed payments to Mrs. James and returned to his unceasing struggle with Crescent’s budget.

The greatest on-going financial concern was the cost of transporting the students to Dentonia Park each day. An idyllic campus it was, with creek and ponds, woods and fields (Raymond Massey, the noted Hollywood actor, described it as “the most beautiful farm I have ever seen”), but unfortunately it did lie some considerable distance from the homes of most of the students in the central part of Toronto. At first, the School had its own two school buses, while later a fleet of taxis was used, but either way the cost continued to wreck havoc with the School’s finances. “When I went on the School

board”, said Sydney Hermant, who served on the Board of Governors from 1957 to 1963, “the number one financial difficulty was the expense of getting the boys to Dentonia. No matter what the parents were charged, it could never be enough to cover the cost to the School.” In the 1950s Crescent sold off three small parcels of land for a few thousand dollars each, but despite this temporary influx of capital, Williams and his successors were forced to let the maintenance of some aspects of the physical plant slide.

The 1960s are a study in contrasts in the financial health of the School. In 1961,

Crescent’s location at Dentonia Park

17

Bill Thom, the Chairman of the Board of Governors, wrote to the parents of “the emergency facing the School and the need for forthright, immediate action to forestall bankruptcy and closing.” This apparently desperate appeal led to the School’s first fundraising campaign; the modest goal of $250,000, to clear off existing debts and to put up a new building of classrooms and a gymnasium, was effectively reached, and the School lived to fight another day.

And then, only a handful of years later, along came the TTC to the rescue. The announcement of the construction of the Bloor subway line, with a station within easy reach of Dentonia Park, sent land values soaring along its route, and in May

times”, he recalled. “That meant, to meet the budget, I learned to fix broken boilers and the rest of the equipment myself. The old house seemed sometimes to be falling down around our ears. Toilets backed up, roof leaking….” Once, when the furnace failed during a winter weekend, he called his brother-in-law in Montreal, a boiler maker (having no intention of paying overtime rates to a repair man), and over the telephone got an instant lesson in furnace repairs; a couple of hours later the old furnace was back in business, although

provide transportation for the student body each day, and therefore also eliminated the one great financial hurdle which the School had never been able to overcome. The Board of Governors brought in a full time Bursar for the first time (the redoubtable Pat Mcdonnell), and began to institute clearer business plans and long range planning processes.

Crescent has traveled a long and at times uneven road since 1913, and the contrast from that day to this is striking: from 20 students to 672, from one employee to

...when Shakespeare wrote

that we all play “many

parts,” he could well have

had Bill Burridge in mind.

Burridge would carry a large scar to his grave for his efforts. He also fixed various electrical and plumbing problems, and when Shakespeare wrote that we all play “many parts,” he could well have had Bill Burridge in mind.

Since the move to the Bayview campus in 1970, Crescent has been in sound financial shape. The sale of the Dentonia property allowed for sufficient funds to reconfigure the Wood mansion (Crescent Manortoday), to construct the addition necessary for the School to initially function at its new site, and to get a leg up on the costs of further construction in the years to come. The new location eliminated the need to

of 1966 the Board of Governors accepted an offer of $3 million for the Dentonia property. This in turn led to the purchase of the Wood estate on Bayview Avenue for $1.1 million leaving sufficient funds for the construction necessary to transform the property into Crescent’s current campus.

Even then, however, and for the next three years as various issues such as the need for easements and zoning amendments delayed the conclusion of the deal, money was tight and a deteriorating physical plant at Dentonia Park had to be held together. The Globe and Mail’s description of it all as “a mess” was perhaps a little strong, but the kitchen ovens were almost burnt out, plaster was coming off the walls, and so on. Bill Burridge, the Headmaster from 1967 to 1970, bore the brunt of it. “I could only go to the bank manager so many

122, from one room in a privately owned

house to the current campus with total

net assets of $25,000,000. After nearly

a century of change in both the nation’s

and Crescent’s fortunes, often dramatic

and substantial, and especially now

during a time of financial uncertainty, it

is worth recalling the School’s history,

its survival during difficult times and its

eventual growth to a position of strength

and stability, with a reputation as one of

Canada’s pre-eminent independent schools.

NEIL CAMPBELLARCHIVIST

Bill Burridge, Headmaster 1967 - 1970

18

Remembering Dean

ON March 10, Dean Voutsas, a grade 7 student, passed away after a long,

noble and courageous battle with cancer. In every aspect of his life at Crescent, Dean personified the mission and values of the School and his loss has significantly touched the whole community.

Dean, and his brother Giorge, came to Crescent in the same year. Dean began grade 4 with Miss Fiorino and Giorge started in grade 5 with Mr. Wotherspoon. Immediately, the boys embraced every opportunity the School had to offer: after school clubs, choir, soccer and basketball, while maintaining excellent grades in their academic classes. Dean’s teachers and peers soon recognized that he was mature and capable beyond his years and that he could be called upon to support the learning in the classroom at any time. One of Dean’s many gifts to us was his ability to offer his insightful perspective on any situation or discussion.

In his time at Crescent, Dean accumulated 195 house points and wore his Hudson House colours with pride. He lived each day at Crescent to the fullest and won several significant awards. In grade 4 he won a Citizenship Award and he was the MVP of U-10 B Soccer. In grade 5, he won the Spirit Award and was the Coach’s Choice Award of the U-11 Soccer team. In grade 6, he was awarded a Proficiency Award for being one of the top three students academically and the Coach’s Choice Award for the Most Inspirational Player of the U-12 Basketball team.

The Crescent community was devastated to learn of Dean’s illness in the summer of 2007. At the Terry Fox run that fall, the School organized a head shaving fund raiser in support of Dean. At the closing assembly of the school year, Dean spoketo the entire School and shared that he had cancer and how deeply he appreciated

everything that everyone had done to support cancer research. Dean’s words at that assembly deeply touched everyone.

Crescent was important to Dean. In his illness, he continued to attend classes, watch soccer games, and participate at the highest level he could muster. Crescent was his home away from home. When repeatedly asked how he was doing, he would

always reply stoically – and generally with a smile on his face – “Pretty good, thanks.”

Dean was many things. He was an exceptional student, athlete and musician. From the basketball court or soccer field to the choir, Dean always did his best. On many occasions, the Crescent community was inspired by his innate grace and wisdom as a public speaker. Dean was a devoted son, brother and a caring friend. His smile was heartfelt and genuine, beginning in his heart and shining out through his eyes. He exhibited tremendous courage in his fight with cancer and we will miss him very much.

Dean as a member of the choir

Dean with members of the U-13 soccer team at the CAIS National Tournament in fall 2008

Dean receiving U-11

Soccer Coach’s Choice Award, spring 2007

Penny Parker (S), Dean and Sylvia Duckworth (S) after

the head shaving for Terry Fox event in fall 2007

Good afternoon. My name is Geoff Roberts, and I’m the Headmaster of Crescent School. I’m honoured to speak to you this afternoon not only because I hold Eric in such high esteem, but because I have an opportunity to say something formally and publicly to two Crescent graduates, his two wonderful sons, Brendan and Scott, about their dad. Gentlemen – your dad, as you have heard from his legion of friends and acquaintances – was a terrific guy and an extraordinary leader.

Crescent School continues to benefit from the extraordinary leadership that Eric exhibited as a member of the Finance Committee and the Board of Governors, a decade of leadership. I consider myself fortunate to have spent some time with Eric over the last 10 years. His life and the way he lived it

continues to inform and form my own life like few other people I have met.

Here’s what I observed about Eric. He seemed to have learned how to live his life with an easy rhythm. There was an unhurried efficiency in what he did at Crescent. We all know the stories of brilliant athletes for whom time seems to slow down at critical moments. Eric exhibited that same calmness but was able to extend it into matters non-athletic. He appeared to be able to shut out the unnecessary noise in life and hear the essential melody.

He was a strikingly generous and confident man. He never took credit for the work of others, even when he could or should have. He didn’t have to pretend.

Continued on next page...

The following address was given by Headmaster Geoff Roberts at the Eric A. T. Innes Memorial held at Rosedale Golf Club on February 7th, 2009.

In Memory

Eric A. T. Innes1950 – 2009

Crescent Parent 1995 – 2007, Board Member 1998 – 2008Board Chair 2004 – 2007

19

20

had that wonderful knack of listening fully to what was being said.

So as I said, I stopped talking, and waited. It was about 15 seconds later – an eternity in guy time – that Eric revealed to me that he had pancreatic cancer, and described what he would be facing in the months ahead. I remember that it seemed to have become very still in my office. It was dim, thankfully. I didn’t move; I didn’t speak. What I do remember thinking is, “What did he just say to me?” I just sat there and listened – and learned, as I often did in our times together. I was learning about something that I didn’t want to learn about.

I call that picture, Two Suits in Comfy Chairs: Leather.

My final image occurred when I was blessed with the opportunity to visit Eric

Of many, I have three distinct memories of Eric: two outside Crescent School, and another in my office.

The first happened, repeatedly, at a diner at Eglinton and Yonge: Mars. Many of you might know it. It had become a custom for Roger Rowan, the Board Chair at the time, and me to meet every week or so to talk about Crescent stuff over breakfast. Eric thought that this was a great idea and joined us when it became apparent that he would be taking over the reins of leadership of the Board. Eric would stride in, fully awake, upbeat, with a smile on his face, slide in one side of the booth, and eagerly partake in the conversation.

We would order: the waitress would call each of us, “Hon.” Roger would usually have a poached egg on brown, I’d be facing another morning of Raisin Bran, and Eric would order oatmeal with maple syrup – and he would enjoy that meal with enormous gusto, as if he had never had oatmeal before in his life, and that he had just made an unexpected culinary discovery. I call that picture, Three Suits in a Diner. I began learning about Eric’s joie de vivre then.

The second abiding image occurred in my office, early in January 2008. He had called me the day before, and cryptically – and very clipped and un-Eric like – asked to speak to me in my office. When he sat down, five o’clock on a dismal, January, late afternoon, he asked how the School was. I told him briefly, but we both knew he was there for another reason, so eventually I stopped talking and waited.

I have two exceedingly comfortable leather chairs in my office. Eric not so secretly coveted them. We had spent many hours talking in those two chairs, sometimes about Crescent, sometimes about his business – I would nod occasionally as if I understood what he was talking about – and we generally exchanged ideas, laughs and worries in those two chairs. We learned to listen respectfully to one another – and Eric

Ron Lloyd ’79 (P ’07), Chairman of the Board and Geoff Roberts

cut the ribbon to officially open the Eric A. T. Innes Field,

September 2, 2008.

The entire school gathers on the newly opened field

21

and Candace in their home just before Christmas. I took over a photo of Innes Field to give to Eric. Actually, it was just a weak excuse to see him. I was ushered into the house after having passed the dog test. Eric was reclining on a sofa, waiting for me. He had his characteristic hearty hello, a glass of water on the coffee table before him, and he seemed quite at ease. He opened the gifts, got up to show me where the picture would be hung, and offered me a cup of tea, which Candace graciously undertook to make. Near the end of our time together, he got up off the sofa. Candace exclaimed, “Mr. Innes, you astound me. What are you doing?” Eric said, “Geoff loves Canadian art. I’m going to show him our collection.” We walked to the front room – not too easily; Eric was having difficulty breathing, but he was committed to showing me the paintings. He did so, and then we made our way back to his beloved sofa, where he lay back comfortably as I drank my tea and we made conversation.

That was the last time I saw Eric. I call that Portrait of a Good Man, Reclining.

Eric Innes was, himself, a finely wrought work of art. He was, in my life, one of a kind, unique, and special and wonderful and memorable.

Like many here today, I feel his loss acutely. He was a man of conviction, a man of courage, and a man of great compassion. He was a true man of character.

Candace, Eric, Brendan ’05 and Scott ’07 Innes at the dedication of the field ceremony, September 27, 2008

22

The following are excerpts from an address delivered by Eric Innes at a Reception to dedicate the Innes Field on September 27, 2008.

This is an extraordinary experience – standing in front of so many good friends and people for whom I have tremendous respect. Thank you all for coming. I promise not

to take too long. On that note, before I start I have to tell you what the opening line was from last year’s valedictorian’s speech at the graduation ceremony: “A speech should be like a Scotsman’s kilt – long enough to cover the important bits – but short enough to hold your interest.”

You know there are a couple of clichés that start most speeches that good speakers usually avoid.

First – “I am happy to be here.” Well I am sorry, but I AM happy to be here with all of you – not only here at my favourite place – Crescent School – but really happy to be here on the planet! As you may know, the last four weeks have been very challenging for me medically and for my family.

Second – “I am honoured and humbled by the recognition.” What has happened here is an incredible honour for me and I will spend a few minutes telling you why. But first, let me simply say that I am humbled because of the generosity of the School and a certain individual goes far beyond any reasonable recognition for the role that I have played.

First, let me give you my take on why this field is so important to Crescent. There will be a tremendous increase in the sheer volume of athletic opportunities for the boys – new teams, new programmes, more practice time – you can go on. But that is only the beginning. What is important is the quality of the athletic experience.

When we built the theatre, we really

didn’t understand the depth and the breadth of its benefits. Today the quality of the arts programmes, from music to theatre, is night and day compared to what it was before the building existed. The building itself didn’t do this, but it was the necessary condition to the development of the programmes that have become so successful.

Back to the field. It will improve the quality and success of our athletic programmes. Stronger programmes generate more winning teams which help to develop confidence and a winning attitude. Most importantly, the higher level of play you achieve, the greater the intensity and the more opportunity for leadership and character development. So it is the breakthrough in the quality and success in the future athletic programmes, as we experienced in the creative arts that I see as the real benefit of this amazing new facility.

My main purpose this morning is to try to explain to you why the Innes Field is special to me. This is an intensely personal gift that I will cherish forever and that my family will always, always appreciate.

I had the great opportunity to become chair of the Crescent Board of Governors at a time in my business career when things were not going well at all. So as usual, I sought the wise counsel of my most important partner about the trade-off of time required to

take this on. Candace’s advice was to go ahead and take the job – the diversion from business issues would be therapeutic. This was great advice but it turned out that it understated the benefits that I garnered from my years in this leadership role.

Let me explain. Crescent has helped Candace and I bring up two incredible young men. I am sorry to embarrass them, but these two guys are my best friends and I think they are amazing. I know that there are a number of other people in this room that feel the same way about their sons and the role that Crescent played in their development as well. I have always said that there is something special about the way theses teachers give boys just enough space to really push the envelope and then help them to learn more from a failure

than a victory.

So yes, we love the School – so do a lot of other Crescent families. Here is the special part. Crescent educated three Innes boys – not two. From the moment I took over the responsibility for the relationship between the Board and the Headmaster – I became a student of Crescent School.

So you see, as Candace predicted Crescent School helped me through a difficult period in my career, providing not only a needed distraction, but an education in the character and integrity that made a meaningful difference in the last four years of my business life and, now even more importantly, has helped to sustain my will through the past 11 months.

For Crescent to do all these things for me and for the Innes family, and then to bestow on me this incredible honour, is almost too much – I have always told Geoff that I have gotten more out of this relationship than the School – this seals that discussion.

So there you have it – when I say I am honoured, I really do mean it. The organization means the world to me, and the field itself is “world class” – another cliché that is rarely lived up to, but in this case, beyond question.

The whole thing is overwhelming. Thank you Crescent School for this great honour.

From the moment I took over the responsibility for the

relationship between the Board and the Headmaster

– I became a student of Crescent School.

23

C R E S C E N T S C H O O L O L D B O Y S ’ A S S O C I A T I O N

Message from the CSOBA President:Paul Joliat ’94

IT has been my distinct pleasure to serve as president of the Crescent School Old Boys’

Association during a time of great change and innovation for our organization, and I look forward to being part of CSOBA’s future success as we move into the School’s second century. I find it particularly fitting that, in my final submission for Past and Present,the theme of this issue is sustainability. Sustainability has been one of the driving principles I have used to help to restructure CSOBA into a self-perpetuating, constantly progressing network of alumni. Guided by the notion that we must move away from event-based offerings towards initiatives that strengthen the alumni network (most notably via mentoring and career development) it is my hope that the CSOBA Board’s work during the last three years has significantly improved what we provide for alumni and strengthened the viability of CSOBA for decades and indeed centuries to come.

Much of what CSOBA offers still falls under the “events” category, but rather than the events being purely annual social affairs, we have sought to essentially deliver the Crescent network to our alumni with opportunities to connect with one another in cities around the globe. We have developed a strong presence on Facebook.com and LinkedIn.com (accessible by searching for “Crescent School Alumni” in the Groups section of

each website), offered mentoring panels for students and alumni and facilitated our recent Professional Development Seminar – an event that brought students, alumni, parents and past parents together for an invaluable evening of guest speakers, audience Q&A and a networking reception. The Professional Development Seminar illustrates perfectly how we have knit together the individual objectives of our four committees – activities, communications and marketing, mentoring and governance – in order to ensure that our programming appeals to alumni in all stages of life, and is appropriately marketed to our stakeholders (including alumni, students, parents and faculty) via print, e-mail and web communications, so as to provide added value through mentoring and networking opportunities. This consciously integrated approach by the four CSOBA Board Committees, (a strategy that was originally delineated in our 2007 Strategic Plan), has shown much early success in engaging both younger and more mature alumni along with graduates of all ages who have typically not been involved with CSOBA in the past. I believe that this concerted approach by all of CSOBA’s standing committees is a guiding principle that will continue to be used by my successors and that each Committee’s purpose and objectives will remain aligned in order to achieve our goal of engaging Crescent alumni in all stages of life.

Although my term as president ends this June, I look forward to supporting the next CSOBA President (who will be announced in late Spring 2009) throughout the coming months as he advances CSOBA’s agenda even further. As president and co-chair of the governance committee, I have spent a considerable amount of time ensuring that our governance model and succession plan focuses on the sustainability and growth of the CSOBA Board itself. Our organization can only be as strong as its leadership. I am extremely proud of the quality and breadth of expertise now represented on the Board, and I sincerely thank each of these dedicated volunteers for their efforts in strengthening CSOBA. I look forward with great anticipation to see what the future holds not only for me but for my two young

boys, Cole and Reid, who will hopefully have the opportunity to join the brotherhood of Crescent alumni one day. While stepping down as President is a bittersweet transition for me personally, I could not be more confident in the ability and commitment of those who will take my place in the coming years. The future is bright for Crescent and for CSOBA, and I have been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to serve our great School and my fellow alumni these past several years.

2008-2009 BOARD

Paul Joliat ’94, PresidentBrett Bergmann ’00Steven Curtis ’95Michael Donnelly ’88Andrew Flynn ’88Rob Godfrey ’90Paul Gorrie ’94Jay Mansoor ’92Doug Smith, Retired Faculty

2008-2009 COMMITTEESACTIVITIES COMMITTEEAndrew Flynn ’88 (Chair)Bruce Burgess ’57Steve Curtis ’95Geoff Newton ’82Geoff Pollock ’91David Train ’89

COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETINGCOMMITTEERob Godfrey ’90 (Chair)Jay Mansoor ’92Tim Watson ’01

GOVERNANCE COMMITTEEPaul Joliat ’94 (Co-Chair)Paul Gorrie ’94 (Co-Chair)

MENTORING COMMITTEEMike Donnelly ’88 (Chair)Brett Bergmann ’00Rob Maxwell ’88Brit Osler ’81Jason Steel ’93

Crescent School Old Boys’ Association

2424

Special Events

September 27, 2008

Ryan Bell ’98, Bill Pedoe (PS, P’98)

Andrew Wilder ’88, Phil Frappier ’88, Andrew Flynn ’88

Mark Falkenberg ’83, Rob Coleman ’83, Mark Rankin ’83

Class of 1993 (Left to Right)

Bobby Gupta, Jamie Price,

Robert Hyde, Josh Resnick,

Lee Polydor, Jason Steel,

Mike Comisarow, David Suydam

Steven Pulver ’03, Luke Connell ’03, Elliot Starr ’03, Graham Steele (S)

Puneet Soni ’98, Robert Hoshino ’98, Tom Mannsfeldt ’98

Mike Dunsmuir ’98, Mark Sorbara ’98

Class of 1978 (Left to Right)

Karim Ismail ( P’03),

Lyle Hamilton, David Blodgett,

John Simpson (P’10),

Tim Roberts (P’16, ’18),

Layne Mingie , John Tytler,

John Downsett

2525

October 28, 2008

American Thanksgiving

Basketball ChallengeDecember 17, 2008

Luncheon

November 28, 2008Paul Gorrie ’94, Jeff Adams ’94 (S), Nigel Churcher ’81

Terry Bidiak (PS), Doug Smith (PS)

Back Row (Left to Right) Ben Yellowlees ’03, Justin Cheung ’03, Mark Giddens ’02, Front Row (Left to Right) Luke Connell ’03,

Adam White ’03, Rob Shaw ’04, John Bulger ’03, David Sutton ’03, Cam Eby ’03

Charlie Dixon(gr.11), Darren Chu (gr.11), Zach Spencer ’07, Kristian Kuld ’08, Remi Ojo ’08,

Dan Moor ’08, Terry Bidiak (PS), Aaron Choi ’08, Jake Simon ’08, Derek McFarland ’08

Brendan Howe ’96, Jason Steel ’93, David Suydam ’93

Richard Nakatsu (PS), Jeff Adams ’94 (S)

Vitali Bourchtein ’07

Paul Comeau (S), John Racioppo ’08

Jack Pitfield ’08, Sheldon Kwok ’08

Ryan Lloyd ’07, John Lynch (S, P’16,’18)

Terry Bidiak (PS), Cam Eby ’03

2626

December 18, 2008

Special Events

Will Angus ’03, Aaron Graben ’91, Anthony Clifford ’03

David Singer ’97, David Hudson ’96, Alex Nicholson ’96

Ian Grundy ’06, Paul Comeau (S), Andrew Miller ’07 Scott McGregor ’06, Sherif Guirgis ’04 Doug Smith (PS), Gordon Mills ’08 Scott Watson ’04, Graeme Doodnaught ’04, Brendan Throop ’04, Rob Shaw ’04

D.J. Lynde ’03, Anthony Clifford ’03, James Fitzpatrick ’03,

David Pierce ’03

Ken McLernon ’03, Chris Dunlop ’03, James Watts ’03,

Andrew Lynde ’99

Ryan Nelson ’05, Lee Berger ’05, Lee Poteck ’05,

Gabe Diamond ’05

Jimmy Roberts ’03, Ken McLernon ’03, Chris Candy ’02

Josh Goldman ’99, Sean Fleming ’97,

David Notarfonzo-Sebald ’97

Tim Roberts ’78 (P’16,’18), Richard Turner ’82 (P’11), Geoff Newton ’82 (P’16)

Chris Candy ’02, Elliot Starr ’03

November 27, 2008

27

Ron S. Lloyd ’79, P’07, Evan Lewis ’03

Ryan Ballard ’05, Ian Macdonald ’05, David Phillips ’04,

Blake Macdonald ’08, John Nicolucci (S)

Michael Crossley ’06, Jack Forsayeth ’06, John Nicolucci (S),

Adam Hoy ’06, Peter Dixon ’06

Blake Parsons ’07, Michael Mitchnick ’07, David Woodruff ’07,

Jonathan Norris ’07

Will Stuart ’08, Jordan Thomson ’08, Mike Robinson ’08,

Ian Carl ’08, Greg Warkentin ’08

Ian Fisher (S), Brook Parsons ’08, Scott Zechner ’08,

Gordon Mills ’08

Luke Greenwood ’06, Ian Cass ’06, David Forsayeth ’04,

Ian Grundy ’06

Steven Curtis ’95, Geoff Roberts (S), B.J. Reinblatt ’92

David Train ’89

Mike Comisarow ’93, Doug Smith (PS), Zach Curry ’93, Fraser Chapman ’93

Cyrus Zahedi ’00, Tim Lamont ’00

28

Special Events

February 18, 2009

Canadian University

February 20, 2009

CSOBA

Akhil Khithani ’08, Cory Shankman’06, Thierry Arnaud ’08, Carter Whitehead ’06, Arman Draginov ’07

Farhad Shariff ’01, Cam Smith ’79Mark Hord (S), Adam Hoy ’06 Mike Donnelly ’88, Chris Candy ’02

29

AGREEING upon the broad concept of sustainability can be challenging; what

is remarkable is the varied expertise and opinions Crescent School alumni have on sutainability and everything this catch-all term encompasses. Leonard Chan ’95 is a Crescent alumnus with a background in chemical engineering who has been working in environmental remediation for several years. After graduating from Crescent in 1995, Leonard acquired a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in chemical engineering from Queen’s University. Leonard was introduced to environmental remediation in an optional fourth year course at Queen’s. He remembers this course as one that truly captured his attention and interest; therefore, it came as no surprise that he pursued a career in the industry. With two notable degrees to his name, Leonard worked in environmental consulting and business development for several years, both in Toronto and the United States, before joining Canada Colors and Chemicals where he is currently a sales and product manager – environmental remediation.

Environmental remediation is the process of removing contaminants from natural matter such as soil, groundwater, sediment or surface water, for the protection of human health or for the redevelopment of that property. Problem solving is Leonard’s favourite part of the job: a client will come to him with a contaminated site, and he must design a functional and cost-effective system to clean it. One of his recent projects includes

a property owned by Northstar Aerospace, in Cambridge, Ontario, that was at one time used for the plating and degreasing of airplane components. One of the primary chemicals used was trichloroethylene (TCE). The TCE had contaminated the groundwater and spread out into a two kilometre plume, eventually stretching out beneath 480 residential homes. Leonard will be involved in the design and implementation of the ten year clean-up plan needed to put an end to the carcinogenic vapours that are seeping into the basements of the impacted homes. Human health is one impact of several Northstar Aerospace must consider. In addition, there are issues of corporate responsibility, the risk of enormously costly lawsuits and environmental liability as the contamination heads toward the Grand River.

Removing pollution from the environment is something Leonard feels strongly about: “The world actually becomes a better place, if only slightly, and measured by the square meter, but that’s not too shabby for a day’s work.” Leonard enjoys what he does, and what he does makes a difference, so what advice can he offer current Crescent students? First and foremost, he stresses the importance of enjoying your work. “Figure out what it is you love to do and then figure out a way to get paid for it,” he says. Such advice sounds simple enough, but when asked if he has always wanted to pursue a career in environmental remediation, Leonard recounts a long list of childhood ambitions that are as far away from his chosen field as

possible, including palaeontology, law, acting, and writing. Leonard explains that when he was growing up, the environment and sustainability were not the headline topics they are today; he didn’t even know that jobs related to these fields existed.

Leonard arrived at Crescent in grade 7 and fondly recalls his years in the Middle School with past faculty member Doug Smith. He remembers Mr. Smith as a teacher who never missed an opportunity to teach his students a lesson, unafraid to seize the moment and go beyond the books. “At Crescent, your education comes in all forms,” says Leonard. Crescent School and teachers like Doug Smith gave him the freedom to pursue all of his varied interests. The educational environment and cocurricular activities at Crescent provided a platform for Leonard to explore all of his interests – academic and otherwise – ultimately playing a role in his professional accomplishments.

Further career advice for current Crescent students from Leonard includes the importance of being a well-rounded individual – one of many words one could use to describe this Crescent graduate. Though he works in the sciences, Leonard’s hobbies include everything from volleyball and basketball to music, creative writing, and screenwriting. Recently, Leonard came back to campus to participate in the Terry Bidiak Alumni Basketball Challenge where he played with Team 90s.

Although Leonard isn’t certain he will be working in this field forever, he enjoys the challenges and describes it as a “good place to be.” Needless to say, Leonard’s line of work is one that is becoming increasingly important. Leonard expects environmental remediation and the demand for environmental professionals to continue to expand: “We have reached a point in societal development where we can no longer ignore the fact that our material needs are exceeding actual availability. New policies will reflect a move towards a sustainable future,” says Leonard. He also believes that Crescent is a great place to introduce the notion of sustainability to young students. “It’s important that education in sustainability start early so that it can begin to shape the decisions students make for the remainder of their lives.”

Leonard Chan ’95

Alumni Profile

30

Karim H. Ismail ’78

KARIM Ismail is a person who radiates positive energy: confident, sincere and

wise are words to describe this Crescent alumnus. Karim has many personal and professional accomplishments of which to be proud; however, it was only after he reached a low point in 2002 that Karim was truly challenged and discovered his

Karim then received his MBA from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. The next six years would see this Crescent Old Boy working in the Ontario government, including three years at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in various management roles. Karim moved down the street to join

The process involved a close examination of his life, dreams, and goals. Turning his life around involved discipline and patience, but resulted in improved health, a renewed sense of spirituality, closer bonds with his wife and children and achievements he once thought impossible (including climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro). Since climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro with his daughter Aliya in 2005, Karim has led many independent school student groups through the Climb for Leaders organization (www.climbforleaders.com). Climb for Leaders combines a demanding physical challenge with community service and fundraising goals to support educational projects in the developing world.

Keep Any Promise: a Blueprint for Designing your Future guides the reader though the process of designing a written plan for one’s life: setting goals, implementing strategies, and keeping promises. The techniques worked for Karim and are proving to work for his readers. The Crescent lesson persists, and Karim continues to set high expectations for himself: he has promised to help five million people reach their goals over twenty years. Karim was recently back on campus to speak at the inaugural CSOBA Professional Development Seminar where he shared his stories, wisdom, and insights with a group of Crescent alumni and current students. The feedback from this event and Karim’s talk was overwhelmingly positive; not only did his message resonate throughout the audience, but Karim successfully moved one step closer to his goal.

inner strengths. This personal journey to find his ‘best self ’ is outlined in his first published book, Keep Any Promise: a Blueprint for Designing your Future (www.keepanypromise.com).

Born in Tanzania, Karim grew up in Kenya and moved to Toronto in 1977 at which time he enrolled at Crescent. Most of the curriculum was new and Crescent’s academic expectations were high. In order to grasp the new material and meet expectations, Karim learned to become intensely focused. Years later, Karim still draws on the strengths he acquired while at Crescent. “All along the Crescent lesson was ingrained – set high expectations, visualize a triumphant end, persevere, and stay extremely focused!”

Karim recalls failing his first English literature test. He was devastated, but also puzzled, as he thought he had memorized the material perfectly. Karim’s teacher, Bill Pedoe, gently explained that the purpose of the test was to evaluate his ability to analyze the material, not his ability to memorize it. The lesson was learned: Karim graduated second in his English class, and went on to major in French literature at Trinity College at the University of Toronto.

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centres in the late 1980s as administrative director for the Extended Care facility, overseeing 670 beds dedicated to caring for Canada’s war veterans. He soon took over the facility planning portfolio, and in a short time in his new role as Vice President of Facilities oversaw the development of a complex healthcare facilitiy worth over $500 million. In 1994, Karim and his spouse, Narmin, established Eighty20, a web consulting business which they have transformed into the leading provider of e-communication services to independent Canadian and U.S. schools.

Although Karim’s hard work had brought him much professional success, he found himself unhappy in his personal life; facing financial challenges, health challenges, strained family relationships and a lost sense of spirituality. Karim couldn’t understand why he was so successful in one aspect of his life, but not in the other. It was at this moment that Karim developed the idea of applying the principles that he had developed over 20 years of professional success to his personal life. Karim set these principles into practice and experienced a complete personal transformation. By applying a “blueprint” to his personal life, Karim was able to achieve his goals.

Alumni Profile

31

S U S T A I N I N G T H E C R E S C E N T A L U M N I N E T W O R K

D.J. Lynde ’03

SINCE graduating in 2003, former Head Boy, D.J. Lynde, has kept an exceedingly

busy schedule. D.J. went to the University of Western Ontario, where he graduated in June 2007 with a gold medal B.A.(Hons.) majoring in political science and history. Currently, D.J. is in his second year of legal studies at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, where he is the editor for three of the faculty of law’s publications – a remarkable achievement. Not surprisingly, D.J. remains involved with student governance at the University of Alberta, as well being an active volunteer and member of the Liberal Party of Canada. D.J. was recently recognized and awarded the McCarthy Tétrault Leadership Award for academic excellence and leadership contributions in the Faculty of Law; he will be returning to Toronto where he will work at McCarthy Tétrault LLP over the summer.

Rugby continues to be an important part of this Crescent alum’s life: D.J. plays at law school on the Golden Bearristers Rugby Football Club and in Toronto with the Bay Street Rugby Football Club. In between all of these commitments, D.J. regularly volunteers his time to a legal aid clinic and pro bono projects. It’s exhausting to imagine keeping a schedule like D.J.’s; however, he still finds the time to stay in touch with Crescent School and his fellow alumni. D.J. recognizes the importance and the benefit of staying connected to the School, the faculty, the students, and fellow Crescent Old Boys. “You should never network for the sake of networking for a job,” says D.J. “It is important to build bridges with the people around you in order to build lasting friendships and professional relationships.” Although D.J. is humble when asked about his networking skills, there is no doubt that building lasting friendships and professional relationships is something that comes naturally to him.

Sustaining the Crescent alumni network is something that requires collaboration and innovation: D.J. was actively involved in the October 2008 launch of the Crescent School Alumni Facebook group and remains the leading alumni administrator of the group. “People are constantly moving due to educational and work opportunities, and it can be easy to lose touch with fellow Old Boys,” says D.J. “Facebook provides a simple way for

Crescent School Alumniis now on

Facebook & LinkedIn!Search for Crescent School

Alumni in Groups.

Alumni Profile

everyone to remain in touch.” Membership has increased to more than 400 members including Old Boys from the Dentonia Park Campus to recent graduates and current students. The group caters exclusively to Crescent alumni and serves as a forum for Old Boys to interact with each other, find lost friends, connect in different cities, RSVP to alumni events and keep abreast of current Crescent news. Thus far, the group has been successful on all fronts.

Crescent Alumni have expanded their online presence beyond Facebook and now have a group on the professional networking site, LinkedIn.com. LinkedIn is a popular site geared towards professional networking, rather than social networking. The Crescent LinkedIn alumni group serves as a forum for Old Boys that focuses specifically on one’s professional accomplishments, ambitions and connections. This online network provides opportunities for alumni looking for a career change, networking leads, career advice, or simply another way to connect to other Old Boys.

When thinking about the future of the Crescent alumni network, D.J. reflects on the past. “When I was in Middle School, e-mail was still in its infancy. Today, it is hard to think of how institutions would operate without such technology,” says D.J. “We need to think of innovative ways to reconnect with Old Boys and keep them in touch.” The Crescent School Old Boys’ Association (CSOBA) has been working diligently to keep alumni engaged. Hosting events that are meaningful and provide added value to Crescent graduates

has been very successful in keeping the alumni connected to Crescent School and to each other. Athletic events, professional development/networking opportunities, mentoring events, and social occasions bring alumni together with the School, with each other, with faculty, and with current students. CSOBA has made huge strides in developing the alumni mentoring programme – a programme from which D.J. benefitted when he was a student. “I remember how useful it was to have Old Boys come back to the School and listen to them speak passionately about their professions, and how they came to find their life path.” In fact, it was a field trip to visit Crescent alumni at a law firm that played a role in D.J.’s decision to pursue a career in law. The opportunity to visit fellow Crescent men in their work environment and to acquire an understanding of their journey from the classroom to Bay Street made a lasting impression on D.J., inspiring him to become involved with the Crescent alumni network.

As ambassadors for Crescent and mentors to current students, our graduates are immeasurably important. Sustaining the Crescent alumni network via online networking, alumni events, and mentoring opportunities benefits alumni and students alike. Old Boys have the advantage of belonging to a network that is enriching, meaningful, and beneficial. However, in order to strengthen and sustain this network, participation is required. D.J. Lynde is proof that a full schedule and a busy lifestyle shouldn’t keep a Crescent graduate from getting involved with, and benefitting from, the Crescent alumni network.

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University Branch Visits

November 16, 2008 February 6, 2009

October 2, 2008Paul Comeau, Adam Wyprysky ’06

Jeff Ballard ’08

Jake Simon ’08, Cory Shankman ’06

Eric Mercer ’08, Ravi Doobay ’05, Doug Smith (PS), Mark Piliguian ’05

Roger Zhu (P’17), Geoff Roberts (S), Leo Gu (P’11), John Lynch (S, P’16,’18) Stuart Pulkinen ’08, Justin Manikas ’04, Sandro Zorzi ’92,

Jesse Gill ’97, David Thom ’92, Adam Chodos ’97

Andrew Kaye ’07, Martijn Williams ’07

Brook Parsons ’08, Akhil Khithani ’08, Ben Hawkins ’08,

Jeff Ballard ’08, Haley Mann ’08, Evan Reiter ’08

33

Fraser McKee ’38 has recently completed his seventh book on naval and Merchant Navy history chronicling the story of the three ships, Prince David, Prince Henry andPrince Robert, built for the Canadian National Railway to compete with the Canadian Pacific’s “Triangle Run” Princesses in 1930 on the West coast. Fraser has also published books on Canada’s employment of armed luxury yachts for naval use including one on the ship, HMCS Swansea, and one on Canada’s lost 67 merchant ships and fishing schooners. He also co-authored a carefully researched volume on the Navy’s successes and losses in the Second World War, and has published an extensive technological paper on mine warfare.

Andrew Hall ’76, father of Crescent alumnus Sam Hall ’07, is the chief operating officer of Pro-Art Dental Laboratory Limited, a dental manufacturing company.

The Mahovlich Family

This past summer, the father and son team of Michael Mahovlich ’82 and EricMahovlich ’09 rode their bikes to Montreal in support of the Toronto People with Aids Foundation (PWA). Together they raised over $5,000 for PWA, which uses the six-day bike rally as its main fundraiser.

Of the 320 riders that took part, Eric, at age sixteen, was the youngest on the tour. Eric rode with great enthusiasm much to the dismay of his father who had to dig deep just to keep up. Michael and Eric would love to hear from other members of the Crescent family who would be interested in joining the bike rally next year: michael@mmphotos.com or visit www.bikerally.org for more information.

Peter Aceto ’87, the president and chief financial officer of ING Direct Canada, was featured in the September 2008 issue of the Bayview Post. A lawyer by training, he developed his work ethic while studying at Crescent School. In the article, Peter discussed his student experience at Crescent:

“Crescent had a huge impact on my life. It was a wonderful place to learn about myself as a person. Young people need to be able to experiment with lots of things, and they really let us try that,” he says.

“It was an open place, very hard-working but very disciplined.”

Brian Lang ’87 and his family are thriving in Belgium, where Brian is a vice president at MasterCard Europe. Brain and his wife, Alison, are expecting their fourth child in March to join sisters Kyra and Solenne and brother Torin. Brian also recently completed his fastest marathon (a sub-three hour run in Budapest) and longest race (an 87 km run at Comrades in South Africa). He has been granted an extension to stay in the Belgium MasterCard office for the foreseeable future, and finds his work both challenging and rewarding.

Chris Slightham ’89 and his wife Tia Florea are thrilled to announce the arrival of their son, Hudson Christopher, on January 24, 2009, weighing in at 7 lbs., 15 oz.

Life after Crescent

Alan Diner ’87 is head of the Canadian Global Mobility and Executive Transfer practice for the law firm Baker and McKenzie LLP in Toronto.

Darren Newman ’91 and his wife LeeAnn, a member of the Lower School Faculty at Crescent, welcomed Evelyn Georgeen Newman on November 27, 2008 at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. Evelyn is named after her great grandmother, Georgeen Myrtle Carnegie. She is a healthy and thriving baby girl who is adored by her big sister, Stella, 22 months.

34

Life after Crescent

Geoff Pollock ’91 is an investment banker, a member of the CSOBA Activities Committee, and also a volunteer with the School’s business courses. He is engaged to be married to Evgeniya Samartseva.

Patrick Nobbs ’92 attended Wilfrid Laurier University after finishing at Crescent, graduating with a degree in philosophy. After a few years of travel and working in various fields, Patrick returned to Toronto and pursued a science degree at Ryerson University. After Ryerson, he took a position at the Rosedale Day School, where he is currently a deputy headmaster. In Patrick’s life outside of school, he continues to love travel and outdoor activities. Sports and friends continue to play a major role in his life, and he is in close contact with many of the Class of ’92. Patrick was married to Lee in Montebello in August 2008.

Myles Slocombe ’92 returned to Toronto last September after a two-year adventure in Calgary, Alberta, where he built a successful residential real estate practice. He was involved with a number of non-profit and charitable organizations including the Art Gallery of Calgary, Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and made the most of his time next to the mountains skiing, hiking, running, kayaking, cycling and paragliding in the Rockies. Myles is delighted to be back in Toronto and has transitioned his business to Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Johnston and Daniel Division.

Chuck Braff ’95 After graduating from Crescent, Chuck took a year off from his studies and travelled through Europe. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2000. After a short stint in Toronto, Chuck started a development company in British Columbia with his brother, Andrew Braff ’92. Currently living in Los Angeles, Chuck is earning an MBA and MRED (Masters in Real Estate Development) from the University of Southern California (USC) and is starting an organic ski wax business. He is also working toward his career ambitions of being a land developer. Outside of work, Chuck is the head squash coach at USC. He loves skiing and spends a lot of time at Big White.

David Cuthbert ’96 is currently the chief resident in Radiation Oncology at the McGill University Health Centre. David is really enjoying living in Montreal and looking forward to the next Terry Bidiak Alumni Basketball Challenge.

Kyle Wittlin ’97 lives in Hollywood. Having completed a degree in Film Scoring from UCLA, he composes music for film (The Long Green Line) and television. Kyle is also the music director at Bridges Academy in Studio City, California.

George Doodnaught ’98 is studying law at Leicester University in England. This past summer, George worked in the legal field in The Hague, Netherlands.

Andrew Lynde ’99 graduated from Ryerson University with a bachelor of public administration in June 2008. He is currently studying education at Medaille College in Buffalo, New York. Andrew has been helping teach and coach various sports teams at Crescent. His dream is to return to Crescent as a teacher following completion of his studies.

David Gentili ’00 was the Conservative candidate in the riding of Toronto Centre in the 2008 federal election.Paul Joliat ’94 and his wife Amy

welcomed their second son, Reid William, to the world on October 20, 2008. Little Reid is a brother for Cole, and the family is doing very well.

Brett Bergmann ’00 was recently married to Beth Wightman at St. Justin’s Church in Unionville, Ontario, October 25, 2008. The reception (complete with some very tasteful karaoke) was held at York Downs Golf and Country Club. Fellow Crescent alum, Andrew Hallisey ’00, was in attendance. Prior to his wedding, Brett competed in the National Championship for City Chase(Canada’s version of The Amazing Race). The show aired on CBC and the full episode can be seen at www.cbc.ca/citychase. In this gruelling 36 hour race (without sleep), Brett and his partner represented Toronto, racing around St. John’s, Newfoundland against nine other teams. The race included 40 km of running amid a number of challenges including a military boot camp, milking a cow, repelling down a cliff, kayaking around the coast of Newfoundland, deciphering Morse code, and strip bowling. In the end, Brett’s team came in 2nd place, just missing out on winning new cars and going to Morocco for the world championships.

Mike Reid ’00 spent the past year involved in organic farming in Scotland, and is now back in Toronto, where he maintains a strong environmental focus working at Newton Home Comforts.

35

Tim Watson ’01, earned his undergraduate degree at Queen’s University, and is currently enrolled in the joint LLB/MBA programme at York University. Tim with his brother Scott Watson ’04, coach the North Toronto bantam select hockey team.

Zaki Hussein ’02 completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Western Ontario in 2007 and is now enrolled in the human resources programme at Ryerson University in Toronto.

Jamie Lynde ’02 proposed to his long-time girlfriend Nadia Tanel in February 2008. They will be married in June 2009 and will hold their wedding reception at Steam Whistle’s Roundhouse. Jamie is in his final semester of the MBA programme at McMaster’s DeGroote School of Business. He has accepted a full-time position with the accounting firm KPMG in Toronto.

Sean Hoff ’02 is currently living in Paris, where he will be until February, finishing graduate studies at business school. He lived in Dubai, UAE this summer, working for a consulting firm allowing him the opportunity to travel through the Middle East and Africa, specifically Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Sudan and Afghanistan. Before that, he spent a year in Barcelona at ESADE Business School, where he completed a master’s degree and loved his life in “the best city in the world,” visiting the beaches, touring around the Mediterranean coast and learning Spanish.

Sean was elected valedictorian for his master’s degree graduating class, became trilingual (French/Spanish) and is currently looking forward to employment in banking or consulting in London, New York, Madrid or Buenos Aires. In the next five to 10 years, he wants to build up enough contacts and capital to start his own business, hopefully settling in Barcelona. But hopefully by then he will be able to make it the next reunion in Toronto!

Willie Santo ’02 graduated in April from the University of Guelph, master of economics programme. Over the summer, he and his girlfriend bicycled through the Netherlands, Belgium and France (over 1,000 km) and then backpacked through most of the remaining western European countries.

Anthony Clifford ’03 graduated from St. Mary’s University in 2008 and is now working in commercial real estate with Titan York in Toronto.

Chris Dunlop ’03 graduated from Dalhousie University in 2007, then travelled extensively for nine months through Australia and south-east Asia, and is now working for the Bank of Montreal.

Max Greenwood ’03 is studying at the University of Toronto, where he has played varsity hockey.

Rob Grundy ’03 graduated from Acadia University in 2007, earning his bachelor of education at the University of Western Ontario in 2008. He is currently teaching at the Rosedale Day School, along with Patrick Nobbs ’92.

Mike Homer ’03 graduated from New York University with a degree in film and television studies in 2007. While in New York, he worked for Saturday Night Live,and is now back in Toronto.

Amaan Ismail ’03 recently completed a bachelor of science degree in foreign service from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. and is currently pursuing a master of laws in international law at the University of Bristol in England. Amaan is also applying for jobs with the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

Eddie Lynde ’00 married Jennifer De Miglio in July 2008. They spent their three-week honeymoon traveling in Spain. In June, Eddie completed his articles and was called to the Ontario Bar. He has resumed his legal studies and studying towards his LL.M. at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois.

Chris Homer ’01 is in Boston in his second year at the Harvard Business School.

Chip Rowan ’01 Upon completion of his master’s degree in kinesiology, Chip started working at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute Lyndhurst Centre, which is a facility dedicated to the rehabilitation of spinal cord injuries. In his roles as team leader for the outpatient Fitness Centre and as a research coordinator, he has had the opportunity to greatly expand his knowledge and experience in the field of exercise while helping individuals with spinal cord injuries achieve their rehabilitation goals. Chip enjoys the challenges and rewards that present themselves each day. In the fall, he is looking to pursue further education either in a Ph.D programme or medical school.

36

Life after Crescent

James Kilpatrick ’03 graduated from Dalhousie in 2008 and is now in the real estate business in Toronto.

D.J. Lynde ’03 is in his second year of legal studies at the University of Alberta. He is currently an editor for both the Alberta Law Review and the Review of Constitutional Studies. D.J. was recently recognized and awarded the McCarthy Tétrault Leadership Award for academic excellence and leadership in the Faculty of Law. He has accepted a summer position with the Toronto office of McCarthy Tétrault LLP for 2009. He remains active in federal party and student politics. See the profile of D.J. on page 27.

Ken McLernon ’03 earned his bachelor of arts degree at the University of Western Ontario in 2007, and plays hockey weekly with five other Crescent Old Boys.

Dan Parkinson ’03 moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2003 to study film at Augsburg College. In 2006, he moved back to Toronto to establish his career in film. Dan was married on September 19, 2008 to Amy LeBlanc-Parkinson. Currently, Dan works as a key grip and gaffer and is the grip and electric mentor for the Canadian Film Centre. He owns his own production company called New Life Productions.

Dave Pierce ’03 has been working for Xerox Canada in downtown Toronto as a senior account manager for the past two years after earning his commerce degree at Queen’s University in 2007.

James Watts ’03 earned a commerce degree in finance at Dalhousie University in 2007, and is currently enrolled in a chartered financial accountant programme in Toronto.

Graeme Doodnaught ’04 earned a degree from the University of Guelph, and is now pursuing graduate work. Graeme works for Sunnybrook Hospital and for an equine breeding farm. Graeme is training for a half Ironman.

David Forsayeth ’04 completed the Queen’s commerce programme, and is now at the University of Toronto Law School.

Luke Gibson ’04 graduated from Queen’s University in 2008, and now works for TD Canada Trust.

Jonah Goldberg ’04 has completed a bachelor degree in history at the University of Ontario, and this past September he worked for the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center in Toronto, heading up the marketing effort for the film premiere of Against the Tide.

Hussein Jaffer ’04 is currently pursuing a master’s degree in health finance and management at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.

Jonathan Liu ’04 is a recent graduate of McMaster’s arts and science programme and completed a thesis studying Salmonella with a distinguished professor in the biochemistry department. Jonathan is now working full-time at a small pharmaceutical consulting firm called Metrix Group and is enjoying it tremendously. He frequently travels with partners at the firm to visit clients and has the benefit of developing many new skills given the company’s relatively small size. However, Jonathan is looking to pursue further education and has decided to apply to medical school.

Chris Morley ’04 earned a degree from Queen’s and is now pursuing a master of mathematics degree at the University of Waterloo.

Ruston Martin ’04 graduated in May from Queen’s University with a bachelor of commerce degree. His most notable achievement while at Queen’s was a first place finish in the veteran category of the University Triathlon series. In the third year of his studies, Ruston went on an exchange adventure to the land of milk, cheese and chocolate in St. Gallen, Switzerland. During his eight months in Switzerland, Ruston was a ski instructor and worked for two months in Geneva.

This past summer, Ruston worked for Tennis Canada in a sales position for the Rogers Cup Tournament. His success with this job over the summer springboarded him to his current position as account executive for the Toronto Argonauts Football Club. Although the Argos have not won a game since his arrival in September, he is having a great time with the team and looking forward to attaining a Grey Cup ring at the end of the 2009 season.

David Phillips ’04 spent an exchange year in Singapore and is completing his degree at Queen’s. He will work in consulting at Bain & Company next year. David designed and implemented the chrispronger.com website. Old Boys Jared Nusinoff ’03 and Mike Wallace ’04 also work at Bain and Company in Toronto.

37

Alan Poon ’04 has recently graduated from Queen’s University and is currently studying at the Royal School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.

Michael Prinsell ’04 earned a degree from Colgate University and is now pursuing graduate studies at the University of Rochester.

Rob Shaw ’04 is taking a fifth year of eligibility to continue to play varsity basketball for Queen’s University, where he has been captain for two years. Rob will graduate in spring 2009 and then plans to attend law school.

Brandon Throop ’04 has spent time cycling professionally in Europe and is a member of Team Ontario for velodrome bike racing. He is now studying at the University of Western Ontario.

Scott Watson ’04 graduated from Bishop’s University in 2008 and is a researcher/writer for the National Citizens Coalition. He coaches hockey with his brother, TimWatson ’01.

Ryan Ballard ’05 spent an exchange year in Sweden and the last summer in London. He is completing his degree from Queen’s Commerce programme.

Jacob Barnes ’05 is in his final year in Queen’s commerce and is involved with student government. He recently went on a volunteer trip to work in Ghana. Jacob was the 2007 recipient of the Dr. Robert Crandall Prize, which is awarded to a commerce student entering third year who “has improved the life experience of those in the university and/or the greater Kingston community.” Crescent faculty member Jeff Mitz was responsible for establishing the Dr. Robert

Crandall Award. Mr. Mitz has recognized Dr. Crandall with being an important mentor and friend in his life, and Jacob in turn has credited Mr. Mitz in the same way.

Gabe Diamond ’05 recently graduated from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario and has joined the family real-estate development business with his father. He owns and operates two businesses with fellow Crescent Old Boy Lee Berger ’05. Their company Care Chairs (www.care-chairs.com) is a medical convalescence equipment rental company, which was born out of Mr. Haag’s Enterprising Person class in grade 11. Gabe and Lee also run the North Toronto Baseball Camp (www.ntbaseballcamp.com), a specialized baseball day camp that runs Monday to Friday in July and August.

Patrick Forbes ’05 was a member of the Queen’s golf team last year, won two tournaments and was named Queen’s athlete of the week in September 2008.

James Hunter ’05 spent an exchange year in Scotland and the summer of 2008 travelling through Europe with Ryan Ballard ’05 and John Coutts ’05. He is finishing his commerce degree at Queen’s.

Brendan Innes ’05 is in his final year at Western and hopes to attend medical school. He and his brother Scott Innes ’07 were heavily involved in the 2008 Ride to Conquer Cancer to benefit the Princess Margaret Hospital.

Ian Macdonald ’05 is currently finishing his commerce degree at Queen’s. He has run two businesses on campus and will be working at Johnson & Johnson next year.

Ryan Nelson ’05 attends the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario.

Lee Poteck ’05 currently studies at the University of Western Ontario and referees Junior A hockey.

Jack Forsayeth ’06 is enrolled in the Queen’s commerce programme and will be spending the first half of 2009 on an exchange programme in Sweden.

Ian Grundy ’06 attends Queen’s and will be in Denmark for the first half of 2009 on an exchange programme.

Jonathan Prinsell ’06 studies at Syracuse University and works in promotions and marketing for the Syracuse Crunch, the American Hockey League affiliate of the National Hockey League Columbus Blue Jackets.

Matthew Wilson ’06 is in his third year in the bachelor of business administration programme at Wilfrid Laurier University. He is working at Research In Motion (RIM) for a winter co-op term. Matthew is the President of XLerate, which is the largest business club on campus (www.wluxlerate.com). His most recent awards include the Laurier Campus Ambassador (awarded Ambassador of the Year 07/08) and the Canadian Millennium Excellence Scholarship.

Scott Innes ’07 attends the University of Western Ontario and with his brother Brendan Innes ’05, is involved in fundraising for the Princess Margaret Hospital.

Blake Parsons ’07 attends Princeton University, and raced on the Varsity Heavy Eights boat at the Head of the Charles Regatta.

Doug Reeves ’07 is enrolled in the Queen’s commerce programme. This past Christmas, he volunteered in Ecuador helping to build a day care centre.

Blake Macdonald ’08 studies in the Queen’s commerce programme and is playing hockey for the Gananoque Junior B team.

Jake Simon ’08 attends the University of Western Ontario and spent the summer of 2008 in Kenya working with the Free the Children Programme.

38

Crescent School Alumni Class Reps

1957Bruce Burgess – lpuck@sympatico.ca

1975Fred Gaby – fred.gaby@sympatico.ca

1976Paul Sinclair – paul.sinclair@ubs.com

1978Lyle Hamilton – lyle@lytonpromotions.com

1979*Cameron Smith – cameron.smith@opg.com

Robert Vogel – robert.vogel@nbpcd.com

1980Bruce McMinn – bmcminn@interlog.com

Ian Stewart – ian.stewart@sympatico.ca

Jonathan Geisler – jonathan@trendtechmarketing.com

1982Conor O’Hare – ohare@himel-law.com

Richard Goldman – richard@jarilee.com

Simon Clements – sclements@blgcanada.com

1983Jordan Levitt – levitt2453@rogers.com

1985Ian MacCulloch –

ian.macculloch@colliers.com

Nicholas Bartzis – nick@stscanada.com

1986William Boake – wboake@sympatico.ca

1987Jamie Lougheed –

jamie.lougheed@greenwoodcollege.com

James Coulter – jamie.coulter@raymondjames.ca

1988Michael Donnelly –

michael.donnelly@tdsecurities.com

1989*David Train – davidtrain@execucor.com

Gianluca DeBerardinis – gdb@techniqueasset.com

Greg Wells – greg.wells@utoronto.ca

1990Daniel Mansoor – dmansoor@britpm.com

Jason Melbourne – jason.melbourne@genuitycm.com

1991Stephen Martin – steve@boardsports.ca

1992Cam Heaps – cam@steamwhistle.ca

Myles Slocombe – info@TOportfolio.ca

Sevag Yeghoyan – sevag@ksesportswear.com

1993Brian Matthews –

briandmatthews@hotmail.com

Brian Morgan – brian@themorgangroup.ca

1994*Andrew Rupf –

andrew@zarexinteractive.com

Jeff Adams – jpadams@sympatico.ca

Paul Joliat – pjoliat@yahoo.com

Paul Gorrie – paulrgorrie@rogers.com

1995Sean Bell – seanbell99@hotmail.com

1996David Hudson – davehudson@rogers.com

Patrick Osler – patrickosler@gmail.com

Tighe Crombie – tighecrombie@hotmail.com

1997Adam Chodos – adamchodos@gmail.com

Kyle Wittlin – kwittlin@hotmail.com

Thomas Vandewater – tom_vandewater@scotiacapital.com

1998Brendan Spinks –

brendan.dt.spinks@hsbcib.com

Michael Stoddart – mstoddart@clarkhall.ca

Tom Dobson – thdobson@hotmail.com

W. Greer Pedoe – gpedoe@hotmail.com

1999*Blair Casey – blaircasey44@hotmail.com

Gordon Aitchison-Drake – gord.drake@gmail.com

William Dobson – willdobs@hotmail.com

2000Andrew Zabrovsky – anz@duke.edu

Brett Bergmann – bcbergma@mccain.ca

Edward Lynde – eddie.lynde@utoronto.ca

John Cooper – John.Cooper@NBPCD.com

Jonathan Krieger – JRKrieger@gmail.com

2001Tim Watson –

timothywatson@osgoode.yorku.ca

Tim Usher-Jones – tusherjones@gmail.com

2002Chris Candy – ccandy00@hotmail.com

Jonathan Marin – 2jjm@qlink.queensu.ca

2003Amaan Ismail – amaank@hotmail.com

D.J. Lynde – lynde@ualberta.ca

Matthew Fong – matthew_fong@hotmail.com

Richard Cheung – rp_cheung@hotmail.com

2004*Graeme Doodnaught –

variety_is_good@hotmail.com

Hussein Jaffer – hjaffer@jhsph.edu

Berny Karahmet – bmarjanac@sympatico.ca

Stephen Wyprysky – swyprysky@hotmail.com

2005Chris Penner – 5cjp@qlink.queensu.ca

Jonathan Telch – jonathantelch@hotmail.com

William Chyr – chyr@uchicago.edu

2006Jack Forsayeth – jackfrost13@hotmail.com

Matt Wilson – matt.wilson2@hotmail.com

Nick Warwick – warwickn333@hotmail.com

Scott McGregor – scottmcgregor9@hotmail.com

2007Blake Parsons – bhparson@princeton.edu

Justin Kwong – jkwong29@uwo.ca

Scott Innes – scott_innes0@hotmail.com

John Racioppo – john_racioppo@brown.edu

2008Jeffrey Ballard – jballar5@uwo.ca

George Gleeson – 8gag@queensu.ca

Daniel Moor – 8dagm@queensu.ca

Remi Ojo – remiojo@gmail.com

*Reunion years – Alumni Reunion September 26, 2009

39

Recent PaintingsProvence, Sicily, Ontario

May1 – May 9

Please join us for theOpening Reception

Friday May 1, 7-9 p.m.

Daily Hours: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Preview / Contactjfleetwoodmorrow@crescent school.org

28 Industrial Street (buzz Studio #219)Toronto, Ontario M4G 1Y9

Past Parent Representatives Programme

The Past Parent Representatives (PPR) programme is a new initiative operating under the umbrella of the Crescent Family Committee (CFC), which is made up of current parent volunteers. The programme will offer all past parents the opportunity to reconnect with each other and to maintain lasting and meaningful ties between past parents and Crescent School.

In its inaugural year, the PPR programme has grown to include representatives from each of the years 2002 through 2008. The reps have been in contact with other parents in their class to request e-mail coordinates for future correspondence, and to update on events and news of interest at the School.

If your son graduated prior to 2002 and you are interested in getting the parents from his class organized, please contact Karen Daly, past parent liaison for the CFC at ked.daly@rogers.com or Sue Gillan, Director of Communications and Marketing at sgillan@crescentschool.org.

Lots of exciting initiatives are being planned to bring past parents back to Crescent to reacquaint themselves with each other and the School and to share news of their sons. To ensure that you receive timely communications from your parent rep, please make e-mail contact with the appropriate volunteer listed below.

Past Parent Representatives

Class 2008 Susan Thornburrow (Will Thornburrow)

s.thornburrow@rogers.com

Jennifer Lowden (Trevor Lowden)jjtstlowden@rogers.com

Class of 2007Samantha Lloyd (Ryan Lloyd)

samanthalloyd@rogers.com

Jill Harvey (Blake Parsons)jill_harvey@sympatico.ca

Class of 2006Margo Brown (Reid Irwin)

brownmci@rogers.com

Julie Buckley (Kyle Buckley)buckley6@rogers.com

Class of 2005Lynda Coutts (John Coutts)

coutts2610@rogers.com

Class of 2004Sharon Kamiel (Daniel Greenberg)

sksmiley@hotmail.com

Nancy Siller (Joseph Kay)nsiller@researchdimensions.com

Class of 2003Marilyn Wright (Charles Wright)

cdwright@sympatico.ca

Barbara Patterson (Mark Patterson)pattersons@sympatico.ca

Class of 2002Christina Candy (Chris Candy)

candy@candyhomes.com

Mary Davis (Clark Davis)davis4mollyco@sympatico.ca

CRESCENT SCHOOL’S MISSION:

Men of Character from Boys of Promise

CRESCENT’S CORE VALUES:

Respect,

Responsibility,

Honesty,

Compassion

JANE FLEETWOOD-MORROW(Lower School Art Teacher)

40

Elisabeth “Libby” Burgess

Elisabeth “Libby” Burgess passed away on December 29, 2008, surrounded by her children and grandchildren at the family ski

chalet. The wife of the late Cam Burgess, who served on the School’s Board of Governors from 1974 to 1986, including a term as

Vice-Chair, and mother of Peter ’86, Libby was a member of the Crescent School Guild for many years and its President in 1981-

1982. As well as being a devoted supporter of the School, she also played an active role in the community, serving as president

of the Big Sisters Association and in various roles with the Presbyterian Church. Libby will be remembered for her gregarious

personality and her strong, forthright sense of humour. To Peter and the rest of the family, the School extends its condolences.

Eric Ford

Eric Ford passed away on January 15, 2009 after a lengthy illness. Eric took a keen interest in the life of the School, serving

on the Board of Governors from 1971 to 1981, and assuming the responsibility of Chair from 1977 to 1979. He was also

the father of two Old Boys, Brian ’77, and David ’79. A graduate of UTS and Trinity College, U of T, Eric had a long and

successful career as a chartered accountant with Clarkson Gordon and the Sherwood Group. He had a strong commitment

to community service, serving on the boards of a variety of organizations, often as chair, and participating in fundraising

efforts for many charities. He was also the chancellor of Thornloe College, president of the Albany Club, and a senior advisor

to the Progressive Conservative parties of Canada and Ontario. A lover of music and the arts, he was a pianist, chorister,

and member of the Arts and Letters Club. A strong Anglican, he served both his church, St. Clement’s, and the Diocese of

Toronto. To his widow Eleanor, his sons Brian and David, and the rest of the family, Crescent extends its condolences.

Elizabeth May “Betty” Tytler

Betty Tytler passed away on February 27, 2009 after a long illness. The mother of two Old Boys, John ’78 and Ian ’79, Betty

was an involved member of the Crescent School Guild for many years. She organized two successful fundraising art shows at

the School in 1977 and 1978, and in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s completed valuable research on the early history

of the School. Crescent has lost a good friend, and extends its condolences to John and Ian and the rest of the family.

In Memoriam

!

SAVE THE DATE!

Crescent SchoolCoyote Green Jacket Golf

TournamentFriday, June 26, 2009Angus Glen Golf Club

7:30 a.m. Shotgun

For more information contact

Angela Barbieri at 416-449-2556 ext. 284 or

abarbieri@crescentschool.org

We look forward to seeing you on the Green!

Crescent School Alumni Annual Giving

Programme

We need you on our side!

Honour your Crescent experience with a gift today.Visit http://alumni.crescentschool.org/donate.asp to make a secure gift online.

Your gifts make a daily impact on current and future generations of students. For more information on ways to support Crescent School, please contact Stephanie Lang at (416) 449-2556 ext. 260 or slang@crescentschool.org.

We are grateful for your generosity.

SA

VE

TH

E D

AT

E! 2009

Crescent SchoolAlumni Reunion

Saturday, Septemer 26, 2009Crescent School

6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Return undeliverable Address Blocks to:

CRESCENT SCHOOL

Communications/Marketing2365 Bayview AvenueToronto, ON, Canada M2L 1A2

www.crescentschool.org

40018682

APRIL Wednesday 22 MS Music Night

Thursday 23 Alumni Leadership Dinner

Saturday 25 Guild Garage Sale

Thursday 30 International Outreach Celebration

MAY Friday 1 London Alumni Branch Reception

Tuesday 5 Volunteer Reception

Friday 8 Upper School Formal

Friday 8 Dentonia Luncheon

Monday 11 Grandparent’s Day

Wednesday 13 and Thursday 14 The Jungle Book Lower School Drama Production

Thursday 21 Upper School Arts Night

Thursday 28 Lower School Arts Night

JUNE Tuesday 2 – Friday 12 Middle and Upper School exams

Tuesday 2 Grad Parents Cocktail Party

Thursday 11 Athletic Awards evening

Tuesday 16 Welcome to CSOBA (grade 12 barbecue)

Tuesday 16 CSOBA Annual General Meeting

Wednesday 17 Retirement Party

Thursday 18 Prize Day

Friday 19 Graduation

Friday 26 Coyote Green Jacket Golf Tournament

Black events are of most interest to current families

Grey events are exclusive to alumni

Green events are of interest to the entire Crescent Family

2009Crescent School’s Upcoming Events