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■wt f ^K i r^ iJ9^* ' 7 "m \1 ^- ICvf ^^''■ BR^k --^^.w'- Hl^^^'''^'''' "'1 U i •4 *1 .'■'i'.'v''--,. pf Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2018 with funding from Royal St. George's College https://archive.org/details/georgian2018roya Royal St. George’s College Headmaster’s Message Danya Leemhuis: November 28, 2003 - March 9, 2018 Dear Georgians, Danya Leemhuis, a member of the class of 2021, passed away in March 2018. As usual I’m writing these remarks in early July sitting in my office in a disquietingly still school. Reflecting on the year that was in A memorial service for Danya was held in the chapel on April 21, 2017/18 I’m drawn to an unexpected moment at our Grade 12 2018. graduation ceremony a few short weeks ago on June 13th. Truthfully the ceremony was already memorable as it was taking place without Rachel DeBlois delivered the following tribute to Danya. Rachel’s electricity as we had lost power during a short but vicious storm speech has been edited for publication in the yearbook. just a few hours before. Just as the natural light was about to fade, and I was making my way to the podium to share my remarks, Mr. The 2017-2018 edition of The Georgian is dedicated to Danya’s Jamieson stood up by the organ and, in his magnificent tenor, sang out memory. the opening line of the Beatles song All You Need is Love. “Love, love, love.[dut da duh].... love, love, love.” Good afternoon everyone. Mr. Jamieson’s surprise solo flash My name is Rachel DeBlois and I am one of the teachers here mob shared the central theme of at RSGC. Thank you Adrian, Lorraine and Nicky, for giving me the my closing remarks in a much more opportunity to speak today. I am honoured and extremely touched eloquent way than I ever could. My that you would let me share my “journey in friendship” with Danya with message was about love. The kind of everyone here. I thought it best to keep my remarks today light and love that we promise with our Known happy because when I think of Danya, I only have the happiest of happy and Loved guarantee; the kind of love thoughts! that I have the privilege to witness every day in our beautiful school; the Fortune smiled on me this year as Danya and I were together for kind of love that unites a community. Advisor Group, Homeform and French class. I really got to know him quite well, but I’m getting ahead of myself, so let’s start at the Each of the 49 previous issues of beginning! The Georgian is an important part of our Archives. Each holds the images I met Danya in the Fall of his Grade 8 year for his Admissions and words of a year in the history interview. When I met him that day, I felt like I had I met a kindred of our College. Each captures the spirit! There was an energy about him, something so tangible that specific memories, stories, challenges and successes of that year. I you could honestly just feel him radiating that joie de vivre! He had a remain so grateful to Mr. Hutton for his care in editing this book. smile that could light up a room. It was a one in a million kind of smile that brightened up his whole face! I just loved it! and I miss it! At the But somehow, after a year where we’ve shared the worst tragedy a beginning of the interview, he was a bit nervous, sitting on his hands school community can face - the loss of a student - the yearbook takes and bopping a bit on the couch. Normally, when I notice that a boy is on an even greater significance. The memories of Grade 9 student nervous, I put away my list of questions and just start chatting! Funny Danya Leemhuis, lost tragically on March 9th, along with the words of story; We bonded over super difficult last names to pronounce and Mme DeBlois, found on the these pages, will stand as a tribute to the the interesting versions we would get. He said “Madame, I totally know impact he had during his brief time as a Georgian. what you mean - I get the weirdest pronunciations! Leem-Huh-is. Lee- EM-who-is and sometimes some people don’t even try - but it’s really More importantly, I think, the images, names, stories and reflections simple," he said, “it’s LEE-MISS. The H and the U are silent!” Again...a reflect the underlying love that makes every relationship in a kindred spirit! Some last names are just plain difficult! community possible. Perhaps Danya’s gift to all of us was a reminder of the words that appeared on the cover of the order of service from Even before the interview was done, I knew in my heart that Danya his tragic yet beautiful memorial service in the Chapel on April 21 st. was already a Georgian; he exemplified all the qualities we strive to Love Changes Everything. endow our students with every day. I wanted him to be a Georgian. Actually, I NEEDED him to be a Georgian! So fast forward to Offer Day. I Stephen Beatty '86 crossed my fingers that we would get a quick response, but Adrian and Lorraine - you made us wait a bit! I was freaking out, for real. You can ask Tom Stevens, our Director of Admissions, because I freaked out right in front of him! But finally, when we got word - I was so excited that we chose each other - we chose him, and he chose us! It was pretty awesome! Danya loved being a Georgian from Day 1. It was written all over him. He was so quick to make friends all over the College. His energy and enthusiasm were infectious and I just couldn’t help but revel in his excitement for whatever it was he was together - him with his angelic voice...in that high register...and me and doing. There was one time when we my voice... - a voice good for teaching - but not so much for singing were sitting during our weekly Evensong in Chapel! - but neither of us cared - we just belted it out. It was our service and he got to chatting with a thing. It was kind of cute. friend, and chatting during Evensong is, well it’s just not cool. It got to the Danya was one of the most empathetic boys I’ve ever met. Back in point where I had to pull out the oldest the fall, I had to take some time off due to an illness. While I was away, teacher trick in the book, and sit Danya sent me a get well email and when I finally came back, he was between them to try to stop the giggling. one of the first students I saw in the hallway and he came running up, But when Danya giggled, as many of you smile beaming from ear to ear, stopping just short of giving me a hug will recall, he was a full-bodied giggler! and said - “Oh Madame, I’ve missed you! I’m so very glad you’re back.” Everything shook! So I had to move him We are all so lucky that we get to call RSGC home - a place where it’s not bizarre or weird to have these close relationships with our boys away from us just to stop. Afterwards, with that giant smile on his face, - because that’s who they are - they’re OUR boys. They are OUR family. he said “Madame, I really am SO sorry. I just couldn’t help it! It was a They connect with us in ways that change us forever as teachers. funny joke!” And of course I believed him because how could you look at Danya was that for me. Danya was that for our Grade 9 class. Danya that sweet innocent face and not believe that the joke wasn’t funny. It was that for this College. Although his time here was brief, his impact just wasn’t possible! will forever be felt. We all have stories and happy memories of Danya that will carry us through the dark days. Today is a day to celebrate He loved it here. Could he sit still in class and focus for the entire his bright light. To remember how great a friend he was to everyone. period? Nope. Could he sit beside a classmate and not chat? Not To remember his energy and enthusiasm. To remember his giggle. To really. Were we, as teachers, in a position to encourage this ? I’m remember his love of life. To remember him. Goodbye Danya. You will afraid not. But did we know deep down, that he wasn’t chatting to be always have a special spot in our collective hearts. We will always love mean or super disrespectful to us? Absolutely! We already knew there you and we miss you a lot. wasn’t a malicious bone in his body! He was chatting with his friends because he probably hadn’t seen them since Period 1 and it was now Thank you. likely P4 - which is like SO LONG, and SO MANY things can happen in that time frame when you’re in Grade 9, right? Danya was a good student. French, however, n’etait pas si fantastique, but that didn’t stop his light from shining through. What I loved about him was that during our class discussions and lessons, Danya would just leave it all out there, even though he didn’t know how to say it, he didn’t let that stop him from saying it. He would participate. He would share his thoughts and opinions, mostly in broken French and he also threw in some English words, said of course with a thick French accent - I think he even made up some French words, or used some Franglais just to try to keep the conversation going. That was his energy. That was his passion. To be involved. To try his very best at all times. And it was also good for a laugh or two. To prepare for my last test before the March break, he attended a lot of extra help sessions and practiced with me just so that he could feel a bit more confident. I marked it, but before I returned it, I asked "so Danya, how do you think you did?” And, in classic Danya form - he said "well, Madame, before you asked me, I thought I did ok, but now. I’m suddenly not so sure....” When he saw his mark, he said - “Really? Are you sure this is mine?” And I’m like “yep, you earned it!” “Oh thank you Madame!” “It wasn’t me - it was all you!” Normally, I keep all the tests because we all know that papers you give back to Grade 9 boys have a magical way of ending up crumpled at the bottom of their knapsacks or scrunched up in their locker wrapped in some old stinky gym sock! But in this case, when he asked if he could bring it home to show Adrian and Lorraine, I said YES. He was so very proud of his achievement...and so was I. I think of Danya often - thoughts and feelings will just hit me - vivid memories, like just the other day at Evensong. Our closing hymn was a College favourite - #30 - The Day Thou Gavest Lord has Ended. It’s a classic. I actually mentioned to one of my advisees, Oscar, during the opening chords that Danya and I liked to sing that particular song Terry Fox Run 2Q17 Senior School A Run Senior School B Run 1 Sebastian Danson □liver Sabiston 2 Ethan McAuliffe Matthew Culbert 3 Stefan Knezevic Pearse O’Malley 4 Devin Chappie Kieran Tisdall 5 Graydon Benson Michael Rawlinson 6 Justin Ovenell Denis Miller 7 Angus McLeish Mason DiPierdomenico 8 Joey Lisser Sam Tatoff 9 Pierre-Christof Ascherl Oliver Murphy 10 Will van Nostrand Subin Yuan 11 Danya Leemhuis Rafique Shabbir 12 Ben Anderson Jonathan Parker Junior School A Run Junior School B Run 1 Jed Van Dyke Samir Thomson-Amarshi 2 Zayd Thomson-Amarshi Hutton Mann Shaw 3 Ethan Shea Jared Duckman 4 Sam Andersen Michael Flynn 5 Spencer Scott Patrick Walford 6 Callum Frazer Andrew Friedman 7 Owen Lavoie Sam Case 8 Aris Kanellopoulos Jackson Kellar 9 Jamie Strain Jack O’Keeffe 10 Harrison McDonald Alexander J. MacDonald 11 Jonah Rasch Owen O’Leary 12 Chris Ploughman Matteo Musicco Junior School 0 Run 1 Peter Tedford 2 Quinn Fitzpatrick 3 Alexander Escoto 4 Gabriel Escoto 5 Elliott Mann Shaw 6 Jake DiCapo 7 Jack Wettlaufer 8 Zach Loader 9 Aidan Arabzadeh 10 Spencer Strain 11 Sebastian Thompson 12 Atticus Tiplady September 22, 2017 The involvement of video games within RSGC this year has been nothing but extensive. The “Gamers Union” club has reached very high attendance. On average the club saw about 54 people over 12 sessions, which makes the union the most popular club in the school for the 2017-2018 school year. The GUEL (Gamers Union eSports League] was back for its second year. The GUEL featured its annual Smash Bros tournament and included an additional tournament for fans of Mario Strikers. Across the two tournaments a total of 84 students participated and masses of senior school students viewed the final events. With the success of the GUEL, CEL (Coalition of Independent Schools eSports League] was created. Hosted between RSGC and UTS, the league saw video game competition between students from different schools. It was the first competition of its kind. The video game culture has shifted immensely at RSGC within the past few years. It is great to see more Georgians involving themselves with extracurricular life. Michael Vassos ‘18