Issue link: https://publications.tfs.ca/i/1511583
"We went into this thinking: 'We can't make this a regular boring old school history play. We need it to be different. We need it to be unexpected,'" said Roohi B., one of the Level IV student co-writers of the 60th anniversary play. Just like the school's origin story, nothing about this diamond anniversary play was conventional. With six decades of meaningful TFS experiences as source material, who better to tell the story than our students? The result was Artifacts, written by Level IV students, produced by Level III students, and performed by students from across all branches in French and English, with the support of teachers M. Dino Goncalves and Mme Heli Oder. "This production is a nice, healthy mix of Scooby-Doo, early 2000s coming-of-age stories, sleepless nights, and even a few tears!" said Julia K., another co-writer. With the play's sweeping scope, there was no choice but to have it performed on a large stage such as the one at the Meridian Arts Centre. The parent audience watched as 250 students from Grades 1 through Level V acted, sang, danced and performed music. Behind the scenes, students received support from our staff and faculty, who took on roles such as make-up artists, coaches and more. It was a true labour of love! What would our Toronto campus be without its ravine? Over time, it has offered our students a place to explore, play and learn. In recent years, we have developed an even deeper appreciation and connection to it, as we actively care for and maintain its ecosystem against invasive species, namely the Norway maple. This year, we placed a greater focus on sustainability and regeneration as, for the first time, we hosted a ravine-inspired dinner and presentation as part of our 60th Anniversary Speaker Series. Featured guest speakers included the MPP for Don Valley West, Stephanie Bowman, forest restoration expert Eric Davies, and our student ravine ambassadors. Although there is still much work to be done, the commitment and positivity displayed during the dinner made it clear that our ravine restoration plan is headed for success. 60th Anniversary Play Ravine Restoration Dinner TFS 31