VOLUME 7 ISSUE 1 2022
JANET DOWNER is the Assistant Head of School, Academics and Student Programs. Over her nearly 35-year career, she has held numerous roles at PC including Teacher Librarian, Dean of Residence, Social Studies Teacher, Department Head, Middle School Director, and Senior School Director. Janet is the teacher mentor for the student social justice club (YAO) and chairs the school’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) staff committee. Janet holds a BA, B.Ed., MA and MLIS. JULIA HUNT is the Senior Director of Strategic Innovation at Pickering College and is responsible for developing the Global Leadership Program for all students, JK to Grade 12. Some of Julia’s responsibilities include diploma design, program framework, research, training and professional development, communications, outreach, local and international excursions, student life, and leadership activities and speakers. Julia holds her BA and B.Ed. as well as an MA in education and development.
The Sky is the Limit in New Technology Grade 10 student Thomas Bianco says that he loves learning new technologies and his passion is apparent. From AR/VR technologies to drones to 3D printing, Thomas totally immerses himself into new ideas. He describes his process as going from inspiration, to research, to applying the technology in a project, to really understanding it. Recently, Thomas built a 3D printer from scratch using open-source designs. It took him over 150 hours of tinkering and he now hopes to use it to sell 3D prints online. Thomas first took an interest in 3D printing when he learned about it in Middle School at PC. He has also learned coding through the computer science program that taught him Python, HTML, css and finally C#. His newest initiative is a drone-surveying business using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to provide survey data. Thomas plans to explore as many different technologies as he can while he has the time and freedom to experiment. In the future, he hopes to pursue aerospace engineering and potentially have his own business.
continued from front page
CREATIVITY & INNOVATION AT PIC KERIN G C OL L EG E
VOLUME 7 ISSUE 1 2022
Graduates of the Pickering College Global Leadership Program are creative, innovative and courageous agents of ethical and positive change, true to Quaker values.
Women Succeeding in STEM
advertised her workshops and arranged for the rental of a meeting room at a discounted price. She even convinced a company to sponsor the program, which she called Sunday at Two. By the third workshop, Judy had 12 participants. During these sessions, she covered topics such as how society values and treats women in the fields of science, technology, engineering, math (STEM), future careers, and STEM applications. The participants also had an opportunity to hear from recent Pickering College graduates who shared their experiences in pursuing STEM programs at university and participated in a workshop on computer languages such as JAVA and Python. Judy’s time as an international boarding student at Pickering College has taught her how to get along with people from all over the world, how to talk to people and, most importantly for Judy, how to be more of an active participant rather than a follower. School ignited her enthusiasm for making change and so she plans to continue hosting these workshops every summer until the end of university and possibly beyond. She’s also keen to develop a website platform for the program. With graduation just a few months away, Judy has decided to follow her dream and apply to study engineering at university this fall.
If you have any questions, or would like to provide feedback, please contact: Janet Downer, Assistant Head of School, Academics and Student Programs, at jdowner@pickeringcollege.on.ca Julia Hunt, Senior Director, Strategic Innovation, at jhunt@pickeringcollege.on.ca
Grade 12 student Judy Zhu did not think she had what it took to study engineering at university and therefore planned to pursue a commerce program instead. Growing up, comments like, “girls don’t do well in math” shaped her confidence around her abilities in the subject. All of that changed when she met several students with an interest in math and science who encouraged her to pursue math, and helped her to see that everyone has math capability. She is now enrolled in Pickering College’s Grade 12 math courses and, as it turns out, she is more than good at math.
With this new-found confidence, Judy was inspired to take action and motivate other girls to pursue math and sciences, which is what she has focused on for her Capstone Project. The Capstone Project is the culminating assignment for the Global Leadership Program and requires Grade 12 students to independently research an issue of global significance and develop an innovative solution to this issue. Judy implemented her action plan in her home country of China where she hosted a series of 90-minute workshops for girls aged 13 to 16. Through word of mouth and social media, she continued on back page
I ndependent Co-educational Day and Boarding School Since 1842 | JK to University Preparatory
I ndependent Co-educational Day and Boarding School Since 1842 | JK to University Preparatory
Learning For Life. Creating The Future.
6945 Bayview Avenue, Newmarket, Ontario, Canada L3Y 4X2 1 Visit us at www.pickeringcollege.on.ca
Learning For Life. Creating The Future.
6945 Bayview Avenue, Newmarket, Ontario, Canada L3Y 4X2 1 Visit us at www.pickeringcollege.on.ca
CREATIVITY & INNOVATION AT PICKERING COLLEGE
VOLUME 7 ISSUE 1 2022
The Language of Innovation John Perry, Grade 7, clearly remembers the day he was introduced to coding. He was eight years old and visiting a friend when he wandered by his friend’s brother’s room where he saw endless lines of code running down the computer screen. He was mesmerized— and asked his friend’s brother to teach him basic Java. From there, he taught himself other traditional computer languages and new platforms as well. From this early beginning, John has built many games which are available on platforms like itch.io and Steam. In 2019, John received an invitation to Apple Park in California where he met one-on-one with senior vice president of software engineering at Apple Inc. Craig Federighi. John stayed in touch with Craig who provides him with regular feedback on his latest project, the Second Voice app. Inspired by children he has met who cannot speak, John designed an app to help them express themselves using emojis. The user selects an emoji which plays a voice that says either a corresponding word or phrase, such as “I love you.” John recorded both male and female voices so that users could have choice. He is currently in talks with Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital to distribute his app to children who would benefit from it.
Taking Action to Ease Hunger in our Community A table laden with food items located at a main intersection in Newmarket seemed strangely out of place. When Grade 6 student Alexis Youell spotted it while enroute from an appointment, she wanted to find out what it was all about. The sign on the table said, “Free Food, Take Only What You Need” and included contact information for the Full Table Project.
Exploration Begins with Curiosity Grade 11 student Ryan Francis has always had an interest in new technologies, following carefully what is happening in the field of innovation. His curiosity motivates him to experiment with and learn more about drones and remote cars. Ryan got his first drone when he was 10 years old. Initially he thought about starting a real estate photography business but when that did not get off the ground, he instead began honing his drone photography skills. On family trips, Ryan secures the necessary permits to use his drone to take interesting photos of the sites and landscapes, which he posts in a private portfolio. Ryan’s other passion is working on and racing his remote car. Initially purchased as a stock car, he has since replaced all of the parts, updating it frequently to transition it from a drag car to a drift car. In the winter, the car becomes an SUV or an off-road vehicle. At school, Ryan is sharpening his filmmaking and production skills through the communications technology course. In class, he is learning the advanced skills of Adobe Illustrator and Premiere Pro editing software to display different media. Ryan is integrating these skills into two interesting projects—he is producing a documentary on the gaming community to counteract the stereotypes associated with gamers, and he is taking a unit from another class that he found to be unengaging and redesigning it using media to enhance the engagement factor. For this class assignment Ryan plans to incorporate augmented reality. Ryan attributes his continued growth and interest in technology to both the computer science and communications technology courses at Pickering College. He finds that the focus on critical thinking, application and making connections in this discipline gives him a profound sense of accomplishment.
Alexis was familiar with food insecurity as it was part of her My Key Idea project in Grade 5 and saw an opportunity to take action on an important issue in our community. Following a budget set by her parents, Alexis began to regularly bring grocery items to the table such as water and canned goods. She would also sort the food, take away any garbage, and wipe down the table. According to Alexis, it works on an honour system. “Nobody knows how much you need more than yourself.” Alexis says the best part of being at school is the time with your friends. She learns something new every day through classes and her peers and credits the Grade 5 Speaking Club for building her confidence and helping her to become a stronger speaker.
Entrepreneurial Spirit Runs in the Family Grade 4 student Maya Roy-DiClemente says that research is a key skill for an entrepreneur. She attributes her keen research skills to her success in the business she runs with her two brothers, including Evan Roy-DiClemente in Grade 10. Their company, Cheshire Games and Gifts, was inspired by their grandfather who spoke about traditional wooden games that are no longer available in stores. They thought it would be fun to try to make a game for him and their gift was a huge success! They then decided to make and sell wooden games to the public, soon expanding to other gifts, including hair scrunchies and soap. Maya makes most of the soaps herself and came up with the idea of placing a toy inside to encourage children to wash their hands. Evan’s role in the company is the design and creation of the wooden products. His process involves taking a new idea, coming up with the design, programming it into the laser cutter program and cutting the final product. His advice to new entrepreneurs is to be a people person. He says polishing his social skills have helped him to make business connections which have directly impacted the company’s overall sales and growth. The siblings recently received the Youth Entrepreneurial Spirit Award at the East Gwillimbury Chamber of Commerce Business Awards gala for their entrepreneurialism.
John likes to use his coding experience for his Global Leadership Program projects as well. For example, last year when he worked on a project to protect lionfish, he created a Java program to display a lionfish in console game style, which would include facts about lionfish when users hit certain buttons. In the future, John hopes to work in a field that integrates therapy and technology, like his app Second Voice, or in a big four game development studio.
CREATIVITY & INNOVATION AT PICKERING COLLEGE
VOLUME 7 ISSUE 1 2022
The Language of Innovation John Perry, Grade 7, clearly remembers the day he was introduced to coding. He was eight years old and visiting a friend when he wandered by his friend’s brother’s room where he saw endless lines of code running down the computer screen. He was mesmerized— and asked his friend’s brother to teach him basic Java. From there, he taught himself other traditional computer languages and new platforms as well. From this early beginning, John has built many games which are available on platforms like itch.io and Steam. In 2019, John received an invitation to Apple Park in California where he met one-on-one with senior vice president of software engineering at Apple Inc. Craig Federighi. John stayed in touch with Craig who provides him with regular feedback on his latest project, the Second Voice app. Inspired by children he has met who cannot speak, John designed an app to help them express themselves using emojis. The user selects an emoji which plays a voice that says either a corresponding word or phrase, such as “I love you.” John recorded both male and female voices so that users could have choice. He is currently in talks with Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital to distribute his app to children who would benefit from it.
Taking Action to Ease Hunger in our Community A table laden with food items located at a main intersection in Newmarket seemed strangely out of place. When Grade 6 student Alexis Youell spotted it while enroute from an appointment, she wanted to find out what it was all about. The sign on the table said, “Free Food, Take Only What You Need” and included contact information for the Full Table Project.
Exploration Begins with Curiosity Grade 11 student Ryan Francis has always had an interest in new technologies, following carefully what is happening in the field of innovation. His curiosity motivates him to experiment with and learn more about drones and remote cars. Ryan got his first drone when he was 10 years old. Initially he thought about starting a real estate photography business but when that did not get off the ground, he instead began honing his drone photography skills. On family trips, Ryan secures the necessary permits to use his drone to take interesting photos of the sites and landscapes, which he posts in a private portfolio. Ryan’s other passion is working on and racing his remote car. Initially purchased as a stock car, he has since replaced all of the parts, updating it frequently to transition it from a drag car to a drift car. In the winter, the car becomes an SUV or an off-road vehicle. At school, Ryan is sharpening his filmmaking and production skills through the communications technology course. In class, he is learning the advanced skills of Adobe Illustrator and Premiere Pro editing software to display different media. Ryan is integrating these skills into two interesting projects—he is producing a documentary on the gaming community to counteract the stereotypes associated with gamers, and he is taking a unit from another class that he found to be unengaging and redesigning it using media to enhance the engagement factor. For this class assignment Ryan plans to incorporate augmented reality. Ryan attributes his continued growth and interest in technology to both the computer science and communications technology courses at Pickering College. He finds that the focus on critical thinking, application and making connections in this discipline gives him a profound sense of accomplishment.
Alexis was familiar with food insecurity as it was part of her My Key Idea project in Grade 5 and saw an opportunity to take action on an important issue in our community. Following a budget set by her parents, Alexis began to regularly bring grocery items to the table such as water and canned goods. She would also sort the food, take away any garbage, and wipe down the table. According to Alexis, it works on an honour system. “Nobody knows how much you need more than yourself.” Alexis says the best part of being at school is the time with your friends. She learns something new every day through classes and her peers and credits the Grade 5 Speaking Club for building her confidence and helping her to become a stronger speaker.
Entrepreneurial Spirit Runs in the Family Grade 4 student Maya Roy-DiClemente says that research is a key skill for an entrepreneur. She attributes her keen research skills to her success in the business she runs with her two brothers, including Evan Roy-DiClemente in Grade 10. Their company, Cheshire Games and Gifts, was inspired by their grandfather who spoke about traditional wooden games that are no longer available in stores. They thought it would be fun to try to make a game for him and their gift was a huge success! They then decided to make and sell wooden games to the public, soon expanding to other gifts, including hair scrunchies and soap. Maya makes most of the soaps herself and came up with the idea of placing a toy inside to encourage children to wash their hands. Evan’s role in the company is the design and creation of the wooden products. His process involves taking a new idea, coming up with the design, programming it into the laser cutter program and cutting the final product. His advice to new entrepreneurs is to be a people person. He says polishing his social skills have helped him to make business connections which have directly impacted the company’s overall sales and growth. The siblings recently received the Youth Entrepreneurial Spirit Award at the East Gwillimbury Chamber of Commerce Business Awards gala for their entrepreneurialism.
John likes to use his coding experience for his Global Leadership Program projects as well. For example, last year when he worked on a project to protect lionfish, he created a Java program to display a lionfish in console game style, which would include facts about lionfish when users hit certain buttons. In the future, John hopes to work in a field that integrates therapy and technology, like his app Second Voice, or in a big four game development studio.
VOLUME 7 ISSUE 1 2022
JANET DOWNER is the Assistant Head of School, Academics and Student Programs. Over her nearly 35-year career, she has held numerous roles at PC including Teacher Librarian, Dean of Residence, Social Studies Teacher, Department Head, Middle School Director, and Senior School Director. Janet is the teacher mentor for the student social justice club (YAO) and chairs the school’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) staff committee. Janet holds a BA, B.Ed., MA and MLIS. JULIA HUNT is the Senior Director of Strategic Innovation at Pickering College and is responsible for developing the Global Leadership Program for all students, JK to Grade 12. Some of Julia’s responsibilities include diploma design, program framework, research, training and professional development, communications, outreach, local and international excursions, student life, and leadership activities and speakers. Julia holds her BA and B.Ed. as well as an MA in education and development.
The Sky is the Limit in New Technology Grade 10 student Thomas Bianco says that he loves learning new technologies and his passion is apparent. From AR/VR technologies to drones to 3D printing, Thomas totally immerses himself into new ideas. He describes his process as going from inspiration, to research, to applying the technology in a project, to really understanding it. Recently, Thomas built a 3D printer from scratch using open-source designs. It took him over 150 hours of tinkering and he now hopes to use it to sell 3D prints online. Thomas first took an interest in 3D printing when he learned about it in Middle School at PC. He has also learned coding through the computer science program that taught him Python, HTML, css and finally C#. His newest initiative is a drone-surveying business using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to provide survey data. Thomas plans to explore as many different technologies as he can while he has the time and freedom to experiment. In the future, he hopes to pursue aerospace engineering and potentially have his own business.
continued from front page
CREATIVITY & INNOVATION AT PIC KERIN G C OL L EG E
VOLUME 7 ISSUE 1 2022
Graduates of the Pickering College Global Leadership Program are creative, innovative and courageous agents of ethical and positive change, true to Quaker values.
Women Succeeding in STEM
advertised her workshops and arranged for the rental of a meeting room at a discounted price. She even convinced a company to sponsor the program, which she called Sunday at Two. By the third workshop, Judy had 12 participants. During these sessions, she covered topics such as how society values and treats women in the fields of science, technology, engineering, math (STEM), future careers, and STEM applications. The participants also had an opportunity to hear from recent Pickering College graduates who shared their experiences in pursuing STEM programs at university and participated in a workshop on computer languages such as JAVA and Python. Judy’s time as an international boarding student at Pickering College has taught her how to get along with people from all over the world, how to talk to people and, most importantly for Judy, how to be more of an active participant rather than a follower. School ignited her enthusiasm for making change and so she plans to continue hosting these workshops every summer until the end of university and possibly beyond. She’s also keen to develop a website platform for the program. With graduation just a few months away, Judy has decided to follow her dream and apply to study engineering at university this fall.
If you have any questions, or would like to provide feedback, please contact: Janet Downer, Assistant Head of School, Academics and Student Programs, at jdowner@pickeringcollege.on.ca Julia Hunt, Senior Director, Strategic Innovation, at jhunt@pickeringcollege.on.ca
Grade 12 student Judy Zhu did not think she had what it took to study engineering at university and therefore planned to pursue a commerce program instead. Growing up, comments like, “girls don’t do well in math” shaped her confidence around her abilities in the subject. All of that changed when she met several students with an interest in math and science who encouraged her to pursue math, and helped her to see that everyone has math capability. She is now enrolled in Pickering College’s Grade 12 math courses and, as it turns out, she is more than good at math.
With this new-found confidence, Judy was inspired to take action and motivate other girls to pursue math and sciences, which is what she has focused on for her Capstone Project. The Capstone Project is the culminating assignment for the Global Leadership Program and requires Grade 12 students to independently research an issue of global significance and develop an innovative solution to this issue. Judy implemented her action plan in her home country of China where she hosted a series of 90-minute workshops for girls aged 13 to 16. Through word of mouth and social media, she continued on back page
I ndependent Co-educational Day and Boarding School Since 1842 | JK to University Preparatory
I ndependent Co-educational Day and Boarding School Since 1842 | JK to University Preparatory
Learning For Life. Creating The Future.
6945 Bayview Avenue, Newmarket, Ontario, Canada L3Y 4X2 1 Visit us at www.pickeringcollege.on.ca
Learning For Life. Creating The Future.
6945 Bayview Avenue, Newmarket, Ontario, Canada L3Y 4X2 1 Visit us at www.pickeringcollege.on.ca