|
|
|
 Christmas already? Where did the time go? We have enjoyed success in football, swimming, cross country and volleyball but now the gym is filled with the sounds of squeaking shoes and swishing nets. Time marches on!
This newsletter is filled with alumni accomplishments and news. We have so many talented grads who are out there making a difference at STMC or in the greater community. This newsletter is also your open invitation to get involved. We have a thriving alumni advisory board and will have some news on the work they are doing in the new year. We have a very active alumni and this newsletter proves it.
 Just a reminder that our traditional Advent Mass and Singalong is coming up on December 15 (10:45am). It is a great way to kick off the holiday season. (Chestnuts! Chestnuts! Older Knights will know the significance of that chant!)
On behalf of Bill Elliott (our alumni President) and myself,we want to thank you for your support through the year and wish you a holy, blessed and rest-filled Christmas season. May the new year bring you the best that life has to offer. We hope to see you out at an alumni event in 2017!!
Hank Bouwman (1974) Bill Elliott
Alumni Relations Officer Alumni Association President
PS If there is any information you would like included in future alumni newsletters, please feel free to contact me.
|
|
Calendar of Upcoming Alumni Events
Advent Mass and Singalong (10:45am)
|
Dec. 15th
|
Varsity Boys Chancellor
|
Jan. 4-7th
|
Alumni Basketball Tourney
|
Jan.19-21st
|
Career Knight
|
March 30th
|
Inaugural Volleyball Tourney
|
April 8-9th
|
| Alumni Ultimate Tourney |
May TBA |
Greater Knight Open Golf Tourney
|
June 3rd
|
| Golden Diploma |
June 23rd |
|
|
Varsity Knights Basketball
Senior Boys Chancellor January 4-7th
Both the senior boys and girls are heading into the 2016-17 season with very high expectations. The Varsity Girls won the opening game of their Chancellor and are playing for the title as I type. The senior boys, who are in the prestigious Howard Tsumura Tourney, head to Hawaii before Christmas. The
51st Annual Chancellor is on from January 4th to the 7th and features top ranked AAA schools.
As per tradition, we invite all our Knights of Old to come out to the Thursday night games. It is a great time to re-connect and to engage in some friendly banter over the upcoming Alumni Bball Tourney! Click HERE to see a copy of the draw.
|
20th Annual Alumni Basketball Tourney
January 19, 20 and 21, 2017
Registration is now open!
|
|
Team Agrodome 2016 Competitive Division Winners
|
This event just keeps getting better and better. Last year we had more than a few highlights: an outstanding A Division final between Agrodome and Vintage, the appearance of two female teams, a field of 16 teams, taps filled with Steel and Oak and, of course, Olaf! Literally fun for the whole family. If you want to register as a team or as an individual,
go to the Tourney Link of the school website. If you want to help out as a ref or work the social room,
contact me. Once again, we will have a tourney ending banquet as well. It's a great time to visit the school and catch up with friends!
|
Career Knight 2017
March 30th 6:00pm - 9:00pm at STMC
 AN OPEN CALL FOR PRESENTERS!
After a one year hiatus, we are bringing back the Career Knight. It is one of the most effective ways you can share your gifts and talents with our current students. We will be looking for alumni to be presenters and act as mentors for our young Knights. If you would like to share your career insights with our students, it would be much appreciated. Grads will speak about their careers in three 15 minute sessions and all speakers will be asked to complete an on-line survey about their career. These surveys will be compiled into a handbook which will be given to our students that night. To see a program from the 2015 Career Knight, click
here .
If this information does not entice you to get involved, perhaps the fact that we serve all our speakers Me-N-Eds pizza prior to the event will be the final incentive you need. It will be a great night to be a Knight!!!
IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION OR ARE INTERESTED IN PRESENTING, PLEASE CONTACT ME!
hank.bouwman@stmc.bc.ca or 604-521-1801 Ext 119
|
1st Annual Alumni Volleyball Tourney
April 8-9th
STMC has enjoyed tremendous success on the volleyball court over the years. This year the senior girls finished 5th in the recent AA Provincial Championships. After a couple of years of discussions we have finally set the date for the first ever Alumni Volleyball tourney. Bill Elliott ('92) and Chris Boyd ('00) have agreed to head up the event but they will need help. This much we know. It will be a co-ed event and it will be a whole lot of fun. If you want to help out or are interested in playing contact, either one of the following individuals:
|
18th Greater Knight Open
June 3, 2017
New Location - Same Guarantee of FUN!!!
|
|
The Sage Construction Team
Vinny Dumas('98), Nick Wise ('05),
Chris Wise ('00) and dad Jim Wise |
Be part of history and be in the field as we take our golfing talents to the
Surrey Golf Course which features challenging holes and a mouth watering menu. Do we need to say more?
This tourney is the Alumni Association's major fund raiser. Funds raised through this event have really had a positive impact on the school. This year we will once again use the monies earned to make a contribution to our Knights of Old Scholarship and the Fallen Knights Fund (see below). You can support this tourney by golfing, sponsoring a hole or providing a prize or two. Not surprisingly, some of you help out in all three ways. It is generosity like this that makes this tourney such a a tremendous success.
To access the registration forms and online payment links, please click on
THIS TOURNEY LINK ON THE SCHOOL'S WEBSITE
7700-168th Street, Surrey, BC
Phone: 604-576-8253
Please Note: All forms will be available soon on the school website!
Hope to see you there!
|
More Ways for Knights to Get Involved
An Exciting Update
1. You are encouraged to join the
STMC Knights of Old Alumni Network on LinkedIn! This initiative, led by Alumni Advisory Board Member
Richard Liu ('88) is in its infancy. We look forward to building a professional network for all our "Knights of Old" worldwide. Please include "St. Thomas More Collegiate" under Education in your profile before submitting a request to join. And feel free to invite all STMC Alumni students, staff, and parents to join us on LinkedIn!
Here is the link:
STMC LinkedIn Site
2.
The Fallen Knights Bursary continues to grow and now sits at over $80.000.00. This is fantastic. Thanks to all who contributed. It is a
great way to remember deceased classmates and provide financial assistance to future Knights who otherwise might not be able to attend STMC.
Brent Christensen (1989) is a prime mover of this campaign and if you would like to speak to him directly
Click Here!
3. An
online survey asking how the school can improve its means of communication was recently sent to you by
Mark Bradshaw ('06). Please take a moment to complete that survey by
December 16th.
4. We had an awesome meeting of the Alumni Advisory Board on Dec 1st. If you are interested in taking on a more active leadership role with the alumni, send me
an e-mail.
|
|
A Young STMC Alumnae Giving Back
Young STMC Alumnae Giving Back
A few weeks ago we had our fabulous STMC Christmas Music Knight, which featured, along with some incredible musical talent, a 50/50 draw that was won by recent grad Jacquie Eisner (Class of 2014). What she did with those winnings we'll let her tell you herself:
"I graduated from St. Thomas More Collegiate in 2014 and since then have been attending Douglas College and working towards becoming a special education teacher. On Nov 25th I had the pleasure of going back to STMC to attend the Band and Choir Music Knight. It was so much fun to be back in my old school and attending this event since it brought back fond memories as I too was part of the choir directed by Mr. Lui and had participated yearly in this choir and band performance. The band and choir did an amazing job once again keeping the STMC tradition of having a strong music program going. When the 50/50 draw was being called I was so surprised when my number was called. I could not believe it. However, I realized it was my perfect opportunity to make a small difference and give the money I had won back to STMC to help keep this amazing program going. Thank you to the STMC choir and band for an amazing night and good luck in competitions this year."
Thank you, Jacquie, for being a shining example of a young alum giving back to the STMC community. You make us proud!
Alumni Philanthropic Giving
Did you know that like Jacquie, you have an amazing opportunity as an alumnus/alumnae to also give back to STMC this Christmas or in the new year? A gift to STMC, regardless of amount, does make a difference in making the learning experience of our students as rich and diverse as possible.
Making a philanthropic gift today has become so easy and convenient. And you have the option to give to an area of need that means most to you. To give directly to STMC and receive a tax receipt promptly, please visit: http://stthomasmorecollegiate.ca/ways-to-give.
If you work for companies like TELUS, FORTISBC, or BC Hydro you could participate in their respective employee giving programs and indicate STMC Foundation as the registered Canadian charity of your choice.
Here are some handy information and links that you may find helpful in giving to STMC:
TELUS Dollars for Doers
Dollars for Doers recognizes and rewards the volunteer hours contributed each year by TELUS team members, retirees and Community Ambassadors. The deadline to register and claim your volunteer grant online is before midnight EST on December 31, 2016.
Team TELUS Charitable Giving
Through this program TELUS team members and retirees can donate to their favourite charity through our registration website and TELUS will match their donation up to $2,500.
TELUS retirees
The 2017 TELUS Charitable Giving program start date will be shifting from fall 2016 to early 2017. We will be in touch in the new year with more information about where and how to register your charitable donations for 2017.
TELUS team members
The 2017 TELUS Charitable Giving program will be launching in late November 2016. You will be receiving an all team member email announcing the launch.
For more information about making a charitable gift to STMC, please contact Jacqueline Doering, Associate Director of Advancement, 604-521-1801 ext. 131 or jacqueline.doering@stmc.bc.ca.
Thank you very much for thinking about giving back to STMC!
|
Knight Life
A Snapshot Look at the Lives of our Grads
If you are on Facebook, you are encouraged to visit the Knights of Old Facebook site. The stories listed here often appear on that site! Go to KnightsOfOldAlumni, and like the page.
Mike Mensah ('99) is seen here doing the lightning pose next to the one and only Usain Bolt. Mike, a former Knight track star, attempted to beat Usain's world record time in a BuzzFeed video. He ripped it up apparently (at least he ripped the knees in his jeans). To see the video go to this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01ZOXady5aQ
Chris Boyd and Jordan Birch (Grads of 2000) did it again! They hosted their 4th Ugly Christmas Sweater Dash in Port Moody on
Dec 3rd. Several Knights of Old worked behind the scenes as well. Also on the scene was the Mayor of Coquitlam Richard Stewart (STMC Grad of 1977). This event plus the hugely popular Ugly Christmas Sweater Party held at the Commodore on December 23rd generate some much needed funds for the Children's Wish Foundation. (To purchase tickets for the Ugly Christmas Sweater Party go to http://nowthatsugly.com/)
UBC Rowing Coach Mike Pearce ('88) and men's 8 member Dave Marchioro ('98), two STMC grads, helped bring the Men's National University Rowing title to UBC. It is a real cool story as Dave returned to UBC to complete his Master's and in the process decided to pick up rowing once again. Congrats men!!!!
Mr. Joe Muise (our Physics 12 teacher) is making science come alive for our seniors with the help of a few of our Knights of Old. A group of our grade 11 and 12 students took part in a program called Students on the Beamlines, which saw them travel to Saskatoon to conduct original scientific research using Canada's only synchrotron. In late September, part of the group visited with alumnus Patrick Murphy (1980) at his winery, Vista D'oro Farms & Winery in Langley. He showed them the processes of wine making and helped them collect the first samples for their research into soil, grape and wine chemistry. (See photo above) In preparation for their November trip, Mr. Muise brought in some of our alumni who are pursuing science-related careers. They spoke to our young Knights via Skype and shared their inspiring stories. The digital speakers were Troy Therrien ('99), who is the curator of Architecture and Digital Initiatives at the Guggenheim Museum and Andrew Satrijo ('96), a chemist with 3M after earning his degree from MIT, Lara Loughrey ('05), a geologist in the mining industry and finally Andrew Pires ('08) who kicked it up a notch by presenting and also showing up at lunch time and offering rides in the Tesla Model that he helped engineer. Tremendous!
Adam Clutchey (grad of 1992) has helped form a society in the Cowichan area of Vancouver Island dedicated to running programs for special needs young adults who fall between the ages of 19 -30. Yet another example of Knights making a positive difference in the world. Well done Adam! Check out their Facebook site!
If you want an announcement made in the newsletter,
contact me.
If you have Alumni news you would like to share with our Alumni community, go to our
Knights of Old Facebook
site
|
The Lives of Future Knights of Old
STMC's talented students
At STMC we have always been blessed with some very gifted students. We have students starring in local productions of the Nutcracker, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat and an upcoming Arts Club production of Mary Poppins which features grade 8 Knight Elizabeth Irving in the role of Jane Banks.
Not to be outdone, our Knights also star athletically.
Tyler Gunara ('20) and his partner won the pre-Novice Ice Dance Skate Canada gold medal.
Cam Morris ('17) signed up to play baskeball for UBC,
Mary Parsons ('17) signed up to play golf for Indiana of the NCAA and
Bianca Te ('17) committed to play volleyball for SFU. Impressive!
|
|
REUNIONS! REUNIONS! REUNIONS!!
Events are in the works!
1. The Grads of 1986 held their 30th Reunion on Nov. 18th.
Special thanks to
Trevor Mueckel for putting this one together. It was actually a two-parter with Part One taking place in Las Vegas. (No pictures of that one of course because what happens in Vegas . . . . ) The PART TWO picture above taken at the pub at the Burnaby Mountain Golf Course shows some of the boys including some old timer teachers whose standing days are well behind them. John Spanjers, moi, Mark Wald and the great Andy Barron.) It is always great catching up with this crowd.
2. ATTENTION GRADS OF 1967!
The Golden Diploma event for 2017 will take place on June 23rd. Preliminary plans are underway and connections are being made. If you are a member of the 1967 class and want to be part of the action, contact me and I will pass on your contact info.
3. Preliminary plans are also underway for grads from the years 1977, 1987, 1992, 1997 and 2007.
If you belong to one of these years and want to be kept in the loop, let me know and I will put you in touch with the right people. There are two things I know about reunions! One they are fun and two, we will do whatever we can to support your event.
|
STMC Homecoming 2016 Re-Cap
September 23
   It is tough to host a Homecoming Game away from home but we managed it. The evening began with a barbeque at the school and ended with the game against Terry Fox at Burnaby Lake. At half time we recognized members of our past Varsity Championship teams (the 1988-89, 1999-00, 2000-01 and 2003-04 squads) It was awesome.
The 1988-89 team,who were the first Varsity team to win a BC title, were well represented and Coach Piva made the trip down from Kamloops to be with the boys. Many thanks to all those individuals who helped make this night a success.
|
Your Prayers are always needed! 
If you have a moment say a few prayers for the Knights of Old and their families. There are always alumni and other members of our community in need of our prayers! While we use this newsletter to speak of our successes, we know there are Knights out there who are struggling or suffering over the loss of a loved one. |
|
Reminder!!!!! Keep in Touch!
Updating our Database!
Maintaining our database is an ongoing process. In fact we only have contact with about 70% of our grads. You can really help us out in two ways:
1. If you ever change your e-mail address and you want to stay on our list, make sure you send us your new address.
2. If you have classmates whom we have lost contact with, please encourage them to send me an e-mail or send them to the
Keep in Touch link on the school website.
Keep in Touch.
Thank you for your time
and
cooperation!
|
|
Help STMC Go Social!
STMC's Facebook page is updated more frequently than our web site or newsletter.
You'll also help build the social network of Knights, because your friends will see that you've LIKED STMC's page.
(You can find Hank Bouwman on Facebook too!)
|
| Contact Information for the Alumni Relations Officer Hank Bouwman Phone: 604-521-1801 Ext 119 E-mail: hank.bouwman@stmc.bc.ca |
|
| |
|
