Greetings parents/guardians.
The week of May 2nd marks Catholic Education Week(CEW) across the province of Ontario. The theme for this year’s CEW is Rebuild, Restore, Renew Together. As in past years, our school board awards two students the Beacon of Hope award. This award is staff nominated and given to a student who is an “unsung hero”, a quiet leader, who goes throughout their day being a positive role model in the school. It is my privilege to announce this year’s Beacon of Hope award winners: Katrina Schwaluk and Thach Peter. Congratulations Katrina and Thach! This is a well-deserved award and thank you both for all that you do to make our community a better place through your quiet leadership and positive roll modelling. Here is what the nominating staff had to say about each student:
Thach Peter
I have had the privilege and honour to teach and coach Thach Peter whom I strongly recommend to be a recipient of the Monsignor Doyle C.S.S. Beacon of Hope Award. Thach exemplifies Catholic values everyday both at school and in his personal life. He is a model student, practicing Catholic, exceptional peer leader, MVP basketball player & District 8 Champion, responsible son and caretaker for his younger siblings. Not only does Thach consistently meet academic expectations he also maintains a part-time job that he excels at. Thach is very dedicated to everything he puts his mind to and amidst his successes and popularity among his peers he remains humble and thankful. He has a keen awareness and recognizes all those who have supported his success and made him into the incredible individual he has grown to become. Thach exemplifies the empathy, wherewithal and commitment to always encourage his friends, teammates and all of the Monsignor Doyle C.S.S. student body to be active contributors to the school community and beyond. He takes life and game losses with pride and uses all those experiences as a springboard to retreat, plan and reinvent his approaches for greater success while remaining quiet and humble and never boasting about his achievements. Thach simply leads by example on all fronts of his life and has the Christ like courage to always lead with integrity and love.
Mr. Shawn Rosario
Katrina Shwaluk
We would like to nominate Katrina Shwaluk for the 2022 Beacon of Hope Award. Katrina is a quiet and thoughtful young woman who has really come into her own in high school, despite the interruption of a pandemic. She’s not the first person you notice in a room, but she’s a strong and stable presence who is very aware of her surroundings and watches her peers carefully. She is always the first person to see that something is wrong and want to correct it – she’s quick to notice that someone needs help or is upset in some way, or when a fellow student needs an adult to intervene. Katrina notices people and always wants the best for everyone, even if she’s never spoken to them.
Katrina has been a member of Heart Club since she arrived at Monsignor Doyle in Grade 9. She was shy and looked scared of her own shadow, but she showed up every week and fully engaged in our activities and community activism. In Katrina’s Grade 10 year, Abby Rocha was the student leader of Heart Club, and took Katrina under her wing and showed her how to be a leader. This choice surprised me, but Abby knew what she was doing and gave an opportunity to someone who relished it and eagerly learned. This year, Katrina has been the student leader, and she has really shone in her role. We haven’t been able to be as active in the school community as we have been in the past, but Katrina is always the first to volunteer to help, and to come up with ideas. She’s been stellar with the new members of Heart Club and is careful to make sure that everyone feels like they belong. She notices when people sit alone, and makes sure to include everyone. She’s been exceptional at making everyone feel welcome and included and fulfills all of her duties very responsibly.
In class, Katrina showed she was a compassionate and empathetic student. She has demonstrated that she could participate in class with a variety of challenging topics, and still be respectful while contributing her ideas to our class. She showed real leadership in her dedication and commitment to learning, especially in her grade 12 history class. Katrina did not earn the highest grade in history, but she came to class everyday, did her best and was such a positive presence for our community.
Katrina is definitely an unsung hero at Monsignor Doyle and we would love to see her recognized for her contributions to the community.
Ms. Breeann Hureau and Ms. Julie Johnson
As evidenced above, Katrina and Thach are perfect candidates for the the Beacon of Hope Award for 2022. I know that their parents are extremely proud of their children for what they have accomplished and what they exemplify each and everyday.
Sincerely,
Lou Bellini – Principal
Monsignor Doyle Catholic Secondary School