SMUS Review

by Erin Anderson, editor

The Senior School Closing Ceremonies captured the breadth of accomplishment within this year’s graduates. From service to leadership to athletics and music, the 160 graduates proved themselves to be talented and capable, something reflected in the multitude of university acceptances from over 100 post-secondary institutions around the world. Each graduate was given a moment in the spotlight, and valedictorians Oliver Brooks and Celina Santilli-Giza gave humourous and intelligent speeches on what it is like to be SMUS graduate in 2010. The retiring Head Boy and Head Girl, Wonjin Kim and Brenna Nixon, welcomed Brian Christensen and Sky Richards into their new roles and all of the Grade 11 students were acknowledged for their incredible year.

Full photos are available in the photo gallery.

by Brandon Ewonus, Grade 12

The Canadian Mathematical Olympiad (CMO) is Canada’s premier national advanced mathematics competition and is staged by the Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS). The CMO is a closed competition, and only the top Canadian students demonstrating excellence in mathematics are invited to participate. This year, I was invited to write the CMO. I qualified, along with only 97 other Canadian students, because my score on the Sun Life Financial Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge (COMC) contest was high and put me in the top 1% of contest writers.

I am no stranger to math contests. In the past two years, I’ve received first place on the BC Colleges High School Mathematics contest, gold standard on the Hypatia contest, a gold medal on the Fermat contest, two gold medals on the Euclid contest, and an invitation to write the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME), in addition to a gold medal on the Canadian Open.

St. Michaels University School math teacher, Mrs. Margaret Skinner was instrumental in getting me excited about attempting a much higher-level math. I have been interested in math related problem solving for as long as I can remember, but she encouraged me to pursue my desire to explore math’s challenging questions. I asked to take AP Calculus BC when I was in Grade 10 and SMUS made it happen. Ms. Linda Rajotte was my AP Calculus BC teacher and she encouraged me to join math club and participate in math contests as an enrichment activity. Mr. Smith, also a SMUS math instructor, organized math contest takers and sent reminders about current contests, which was a great help for busy SMUS students.

Some students across Canada attend math-training camps in order to secure an invitation to this prestigious Olympiad competition. However, other students like myself, pursue math on their own and participate in math competitions and contests through school organized math clubs. The math department at SMUS encourages students interested in mathematics to join the math club and participate in local, regional, and national math competitions.

In my case, since I completed all of the SMUS math courses by Grade 10, I have been taking university level math courses for the past two years, while enrolled at SMUS. I enjoy the challenges math has to offer and am thankful to have been associated with the many SMUS teachers who have supported my interests.

The Math Olympiad is a three-hour contest with only 5 questions. The questions were quite difficult and I had to work quickly and creatively, making sure to answer as fully as possible. I thought it was fun!

Below is a problem I recently came across. Though not as difficult as some of the problems I encountered on the Olympiad, it has a surprising result.

Problem: “Bob has two children. One is a boy born on Thursday. What is the probability that Bob has two boys?”

Solution: First, let’s consider the different possibilities of children.

	1st Child	2nd Child	Possibilities
Case 1	Boy born on Thursday	Boy born on any day	7
Case 2	Boy born on Thursday	Girl born on any day	7
Case 3	Girl born on any day	Boy born on Thursday	7
Case 4	Boy born on any day	Boy born on Thursday	7

Now, the total number of combinations of children with specified gender and birth day is 7+7+7+7-1=27. Note that we must subtract 1 because we double counted the possibility where both children were boys born on Thursday (in cases 1 and 4). Of these 27 combinations, there are 7+7-1=13 possibilities of two boys (once again, 1 must be subtracted for double counting). Thus, the probability that Bob has two boys is 13/27.

Note that in this problem, the trait specified had a 1/7 chance of occurring (being born on Thursday). As a generalization, if the trait specified has a 1/n chance of occurring, then the probability that Bob has two sons is (2n-1)/(4n-1). If no trait is specified (i.e. one child is a boy, what are the odds that the other one is a boy?) then n=1 and the probability that Bob has two boys is 1/3. On the other hand, as n approaches infinity, the probability that Bob has two boys approaches 1/2. Thus if an exact birth date had been specified for Bob’s son, say January 1st, then the probability that he has two sons would have been 0.4996…~1/2.

I was honoured to represent SMUS as an invited participant in the 2010 Canadian Mathematics Olympiad. I look forward to pursuing a degree in a mathematics-related field at Stanford University in California this fall.

by Erin Anderson, editor

The Middle School wrapped up their year with student speakers, music and certificates. Students in Grades 6-8 were celebrated for their accomplishments as individuals and as a group, and the Grade 8 students marked the end of their time at the Middle School. Director of School Xavier Abrioux spoke about the growing influence of technology, particularly social media, while the student representatives from each grade reviewed the school year from their own perspective. In accordance with SMUS tradition, technology teacher Mr. George Floyd presented a video which included clips from different events throughout the year.

Full photos are available in the photo gallery.

by Nancy Mollenhauer, teacher

It was finally a warm June day when the Grade 6 and 7 students headed out on to the fields with anticipation running high as the annual summer Colours Day was about to get underway. The Grade 8 students had been dismissed at lunch to get ready for their dinner/dance that evening so the rest of the kids were giddy at the thought of having the whole afternoon without the older students around. Traditionally, this event occurs during the final week of school when exams are done and thoughts of summertime adventures are looming close.

Divided into their four houses – Bolton. Barnacle, Wenman and Winslow, the afternoon consists of a variety of fun activities and competitions to determine who will take home the coveted title of Top House for the school year. With events such as the egg and spoon race, potato sac race, balloon relay, cross country ski relay and egg toss to name a few, the idea is to involve as many as the kids as possible. Point scores are kept and to finish off the afternoon, we double the points in both the track relay and infamous Tug-O-War to make things a little more interesting! To say the staff and students take this event seriously is definitely an understatement and a close watch is kept on both to ensure that no one gets away with any unscrupulous attempts to alter the outcome.

As in the past, it always seems to come down to the final Tug-O-War event to determine the top points getter and this year was no different. With Bolton vs. Barnacle in one semi and Winslow and Wenman in the other, tensions were running high. All four houses fought to the bitter end but alas, when the dust settled it appeared that Bolton House had claimed victory by a slim margin of 3 points after defeating Winslow in what was quite possibly the best Tug-O-War match up in Middle School Colours Day history. A quick gathering ensued to celebrate a great afternoon followed by popsicles for all brought the afternoon to a close….another chapter written in sporting history at SMUS! Vivat!

by Erin Anderson, editor

The Junior School marked the end of its school year with a ceremony devoted to virtues and a fond farewell to the Grade 5 students, most of whom will be attending the SMUS Middle School next September. The Grade 5 students were praised for their amazing opera, The Barber of Seville, as well as for the fine example they had set for their younger peers in all areas of school life. Mr. Snowden spoke about his continuous enjoyment of his visits to the Junior School and Ms. Richards commended the students on the reception they gace the St. Michael’s School alumni when they visited to mark their old school’s centennial this June.

All of the students were celebrated for their efforts and received a record of achievement, documenting their progress over the past 10 months.

by Rachel Woosun Kim, Grade 12

The AP studio art course is different from regular art courses in several ways. Unlike regular art courses, it consists of three portfolios to submit to the College Board. That is not the only difference. AP studio art is divided into three big categories; 2-D design, 3-D design, and drawing. Each student is recommended to choose one of the categories. Each portfolio is divided into three section; breadth, concentration, and quality. The breadth part requires the students to show the ability to use various materials and handle various subjects. The concentration aspect is where the students choose a single subject and show the development of the idea throughout the 12 pieces. Then quality is judged based on five of your best pieces, which you send to the College Board.

I chose to do 2-D design as my portfolio. I took the course for two years and for my first year, I mostly concentrated on creating pieces for my breadth. In class, students are given more freedom to choose the medium or subject, which allows the students to experiment with their ideas and find the best medium that suits them. This advantage allowed me to be more creative in my work. In my opinion, the most challenging part of AP studio art is the concentration portfolio. It not only requires many pieces, but also needs to show progression in each drawing.

My concentration topic was the eye. My first motivation for choosing the subject was the alienation between the actual eye and the thinking that goes on behind the eyeball. Then I developed it into the idea of supervision, which came at about my 4th piece. As my ideas progressed, even the shape of my pieces changed. For example, one of my pieces that show the inside of the eyeball was drawn on a partially round paper, instead of a rectangular one.

Another turning point was when I decided to focus on the exterior of the eye, instead of the interior. I wanted to show something about assistance for the eyes, such as makeup, glasses, lens, sunglasses, goggles, etc. In various ways, I tried to show different aspects that are related to my subject. Although my first concentration piece was about alienation of the eye, my last concentration piece was assistance the eyes get. I thought about the idea for my concentration as I progressed.

AP studio art definitely is more challenging and time-pressured compared to a regular art course; however, it is a course worth taking. The course allows you to experience different aspects of the art course and allows you to be freer.

by Erin Anderson, editor

Grade 9 and 10 students had their own closing ceremony, which celebrated their contributions to the Senior School over the past year. Between winning gold in everything from rowing to ballroom dance, throwing their talents into Miss Saigon, volunteering their time to help low-income families and performing in music marathon Keep the Beat, it was a busy year for the youngest half of the Senior School. For the Grade 9 students, it was their first year on a new campus, which also meant new teachers, new classes and new opportunities. The Grade 10 year was marked by another excellent experiential programme as well as active participation in lunchtime concerts, school councils, and, for some, boarding adventures.

Student speakers Karan Vats, Rebecca Berardelli and Cormac O’Brien delivered some excellent speeches, with both humour and insight, and the range of musical performances from the students certainly showed that the SMUS concerts will be equally excellent in the coming school year.

by Anna Forbes, Head of Art

A chance email from a teacher at St. Mildred’s-Lightbourn School in Oakville, Ontario brought to my attention the organization PhotoSensitive, which uses the medium of photography to draw attention to major issues, using the work of both professionals and high school students. They were soliciting submissions on the 2010 topic which was Cancer Connections.

I relayed the information to the student body at large and we had several responses, but students were somewhat concerned as to how they would tackle such a sensitive issue. The idea we had been given from the organization was that students would have a connection with someone who had, or was still suffering from, cancer, and take photos of the person or of artifacts connected with the disease or its treatment. One or two staff members who have had experience dealing with this disease came forward and with the invaluable help of Roslyn van der Wal (SMUS parent and service co-ordinator), we made the connections. One student was able to use a close relative for her photography, but the others interviewed one of our teachers, Mr. Douglas Manson-Blair, who very graciously allowed his name and personal details to be used for the project.

The four students involved were Kaylynn Purdy, Maryann Watson, Min Ha Kim and Alicia Pawluk, all in Grade 12. They submitted their photos to the website, and eventually we heard that three of the four had had their work chosen to be featured in the National Exhibition which started out in Vancouver and is at present travelling across the country. We were also invited to the opening but sadly, school commitments prevented us from attending. This project was quite low key, but for the students who took part, it proved enormously enlightening and I would like more of them to be involved in next year’s initiative.

The stunning work of all four students can be seen on the project website.

by Grade 4 students Josh and Triumph
The 100th year centennial celebration was a celebration for the 100 years that St. Michael’s School has been around. Many of the Old Boys came to the Junior School to meet their old friends. We played our instruments. We played the school hymn and the Old Boys sang it. At recess the Old Boys gave us ice cream. Another thing they did was they met with us and talked to us about what the school was like and what it is now. Mr. Symons talked about school traditions, how it was made and fairy godmothers. He kept talking about a fairy godmother lady that kept flying in and giving the school money. For example, they needed a new fence so the lady came in and asked him “how much money will you need?’ and she said “okay” and sat down and wrote a cheque. He also spoke about all the games they had like a slow bike race and there was this one man who just sat on his bike and twisted his wheel at the front and waited until he won. They did a demonstration for us to show us their pole marching. It was a great day!

by Grade 4 student Rachel
The Centennial Celebration was held on June 4, 2010 at St. Michaels University School Junior School. Old boys came from across Canada to SMUS, to attend the centennial celebration. When they arrived, the Kindergarten class greeted them with red carnations. Each old boy got to wear a flower. They had lunch in the gym and met their old friends from many years ago. After lunch there was a celebration assembly which began with the Grade 4 students playing everyone in for the assembly. Mr. Symons gave a speech about how SMUS was invented. When the speech was finished the Grade 4 students played the school hymn on their strings instruments and the audience sang. Afterwards the old boys got together for refreshments and looked at many displays that were set up for the day.

Why SMUS is Important to Me
A centennial speech by Grade 4 student Ethan

Hello, my name is Ethan and this is why St. Michaels University School is important to me. Two generations of my family have attended SMUS. My parents, Nelson and Susan, came to the school and graduated in Grade 12. I am proud to be a lifer at St. Michaels University School and represent the second generation. Nest year, my sister Rowan will go to the Middle School and I will represent my family in the Junior School. When I am in the Middle School two years from now, Rowan and I will be together again.

My favorite part about St. Michaels University School is that we get to learn a lot of different subjects. For example, we have strings and Japanese in our programme. The most important part of St. Michaels University School is the people. Without all the teachers, alumni and friends at the school, our school would not be as special.

by Victor Ma, Grade 11 student

About six months ago, I was simply checking my email in the library when I noticed a new email from an unfamiliar sender. Well, I opened the email, and this is what it said:

“Dear NYB Musician,
Congratulations on being selected as a member of the 2010 National Youth Band of Canada!”

On May 8th, I arrived at Trinity Western University, which was the campus that generously offered to host the National Youth Band of 2010. As soon as I entered the residence hall, I was warmly greeting by the smiling faces of fellow musicians. I immediately felt welcomed into the new family that I would be spending my time with for the next week. After several introductions, we headed over to the rehearsal hall, for the first rehearsal of “NYB 2010.”

The first piece we ever played together as an ensemble was Julius Fucik’s “Florentiner March.” I still remember sitting on my timpani stool, counting my bars of rest, and getting goose bumps from the “magic of the music.” The feeling of that magic was indescribable. I couldn’t help but have a giant grin on my face while playing my part. Even though we were only sight reading, we were able to beautifully play through the piece smoothly, transitioning to near perfection between the march and trio sections.

After about 30 hours worth of rehearsal time over a period of four days, the official National Youth Band tour of British Columbia began. The full house concert at the Bell Centre in Surrey was a definite highlight of the tour. It seemed that at almost every one of the concerts, there was at least one musician, conductor, or ensemble director that I had worked with in the past in the audience. Seeing those who helped develop my musicality at my music performances reminded me of the musical path I had traveled on since starting percussion in Grade 6.

The conductor, Dr. Wayne Jeffrey, was extraordinary. His musicality really allowed each musician to play to his or her full potential in the group. He would take a large portion of the rehearsal period and dedicate it to tuning. Even though it didn’t seem important initially, the tuning “periods” really made a significant difference in the quality our concerts. During one of our rehearsals, I was smashing my hammers on the tubular bells as the music indicated for me to play fortissimo. Dr. Jeffrey stopped the band, pointed at me, looked at me straight in the eyes with a sinister smile on his face, and said, “for the concert, give me even more!”

Our repertoire was quite diverse. We played exhilarating pieces ranging from Whitacre’s “Equus” (which had insane time and key signature changes), to de Meij’s award-winning “Lord of the Rings” symphony. One of the most amazing part of my experience was when several composers of the pieces we played came and worked with us. Having the composers themselves conduct their own pieces allowed us fully understand the blots of ink on the page.

If I were to describe the whole ensemble in one word, I would use the word “amazing.” There really is no other word to describe the amazing connection that grew between each of us, both on and off stage. What was most important was that each and everyone one of us were having the time of our lives during that week. Throughout our experiences together, there are so many great memories that will remain with me forever.