![Brianna Smrke graduated with a 100% average Brianna Smrke](/images/stories/education/education10/smrke.jpg)
The 18-year-old Michael Power/St. Joseph High School student graduated as the top student in the Toronto Catholic District School Board with a flawless mark of 100 per cent in all six of her courses.
The secret to her success? Smrke says it’s been a supportive family and a positive school environment that helped her develop as a well-rounded student and person.
“I didn’t know I would be the best,” Smrke said, adding she just kept working hard, a habit she developed early. Her diverse experiences in sports, arts and community work also helped build up her skills, she said.
Ragot leads Dufferin Peel grads
By Sheila Dabu Nonato, The Catholic Register![Dufferin-Peel](/images/stories/schoolB_logos/Dufferin-Peel.jpg)
But it took just two years for Ragot, who was enrolled for a semester in the Brampton school’s English as a Second Language class, to finish with the highest marks at the Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board. He ended his high school career with a 98.83-per-cent average.
Mom helps Chiang excel in York
By Sheila Dabu Nonato, The Catholic Register![St. Robert Catholic High School student Albert Chiang Albert Chiang](/images/stories/education/education10/albert_chiang.jpg)
During the hospital visit, Chiang spoke to his grandfather’s doctor and was fascinated by the process and the profession. So this summer, Chiang is volunteering at North York General Hospital. He will be studying at McMaster University in the health sciences program in the fall.
Chiang, who’s 99.33 average at the Thornhill, Ont., school was just shy of Charis Lam’s 99.83 average for tops with the York Catholic District School Board, said this experience sparked his motivation to pursue a career as an eye surgeon. (Lam declined interview requests from The Catholic Register).
Gereb is Halton's top student
By Sheila Dabu Nonato, The Catholic Register![Assumption High School student Eszter Gereb Eszter Gereb](/images/stories/education/education10/eszter_gereb.jpg)
Gereb, 17, graduated as Halton Catholic District School Board’s top student with an average of 97.2 per cent.
The Burlington, Ont., student hopes to add physicist to her list of accomplishments. Gereb said she found physics to be her most difficult subject, but adds it also turned out to be her favourite.
Community of great importance to Durham scholar
By Sheila Dabu Nonato, The Catholic Register![Timothy Ko graduated with a 97.7 per cent average from St. Mary Catholic High School in Pickering, Ont. (Photo courtesy of Timothy Ko) Timothy Ko](/images/stories/education/education10/timothy_ko.jpg)
“Being part of a community is really important,” said the Pickering, Ont., student. “All my friends kept me in a good mood while at school... If I see someone else doing well, I want to do well.”
Ko had the highest marks in the Durham Catholic board, ending his high school career with a 97.7-per-cent average.
School doors shut on immigrant children, report says
By Sheila Dabu Nonato, The Catholic Register![TCDSB Logo](/images/stories/schoolB_logos/TCDSBLogo.jpg)
The July 14 report by Social Planning Toronto said the Toronto Catholic District School Board was not implementing or enforcing policies that ensure non-status children can go to school.
“Results of this study demonstrate that TCDSB school staff are largely unaware of the rights of non-status students to public education under the Ontario Education Act,” said “Policy Without Practice,” a report by Social Planning Toronto, an advocacy and research group of 150 community organizations including Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Toronto.
TCDSB passes 'sustainable' budget
By Sheila Dabu Nonato, The Catholic Register![TCDSB Logo](/images/stories/schoolB_logos/TCDSBLogo.jpg)
Provincially appointed board supervisor Richard Alway told The Catholic Register that the budget is financially and educationally “sustainable.”
All-day Kindergarten program set to launch
By Michael Swan, The Catholic Register![Nina Locke’s daughter Aja is excited to start senior Kindergarten this fall (Photo by Michael Swan) Aja](/images/stories/education/education10/Aja.jpg)
The program will begin in fewer than 600 schools province-wide when the school year dawns following Labour Day, but should be available in all elementary schools by 2015-2016. By September 2011 up to 50,000 pupils will be enrolled in upwards of 800 schools.
Course engages students in charity work
By Catholic Register Staff![tcdsb logo](/images/stories/schoolB_logos/TCDSBLogo.jpg)
The course, which will be taught by Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton Secondary School teacher Steve DeQuintal, will take place at St. Sebastian’s Church, 20 Pauline Ave.
Toronto St. Patrick School embraces art and media
By Catholic Register Staff![St. Patrick School](/images/stories/education/education10/stpatrick2.jpg)
St. Patrick Catholic Secondary School in Toronto’s east end was selected for a Grades 9-12 arts, media and technologies centre after a review of five city schools including Cardinal Newman, Jean Vanier, Neil McNeil, Notre Dame and St. Patrick’s.
De La Salle (Oaklands) Cadet Corps forms character
By Sheila Dabu Nonato, The Catholic Register![Grade 6 student Aiden McCarthy goes over the edge, rappelling down De La Salle College’s two-story library. McCarthy’s mother said he was nervous, but that she wanted him to take risks. (Photo by Sheila Dabu) Grade 6 student Aiden McCarthy goes over the edge, rappelling down De La Salle College’s two-story library. McCarthy’s mother said he was nervous, but that she wanted him to take risks. (Photo by Sheila Dabu)](/images/stories/education/education10/mccarthynonato.jpg)
He is one of 12 students — 11 boys and one girl — who are part of the De La Salle (Oaklands) Cadet Corps program. Now in its 100th year, the program is one of the few remaining — if not the only — Catholic cadet corps in Canada. It is part of a century-old tradition of training leaders at the private Catholic school for Grade 5-to-12 students run by the De La Salle Brothers.