List of 15 news stories.

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  Celebrating a Legacy: Coach Denise Steadman Receives Pete Beach Award

  The Pete Beach Award is a prestigious recognition established to honour the memory and contributions of Pete Beach, a former Executive Director of OFSAA, and a dedicated leader in the field of education. This year we are excited to share that CISAA has presented this award to our very own Denise Steadman. 
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  Carry the Momentum Forward: Support the Dream Together Campaign

  What an incredible milestone! As we shared last week, our 50th Annual CDS Dinner & Auction was a resounding success raising in excess of $347,000 net. During the evening, we took a moment to look back with a special Year in Review video celebrating everything we have achieved together this past year. 
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  JS/MS/SS/Parent Summer Reading Lists

  "School might be out, but the page-turning adventures are just getting started! Keeping those reading muscles flexing over the break is the ultimate secret weapon for the fall, and here’s the best news: just 20 minutes a day is the sweet spot! For solo reading, encourage your students to dive into books at their current level or even an easier, breezy favourite—it’s all about building unstoppable confidence and pure reading joy." - Ms. Ashley Waller  
  
  

  Need some summer reading recommendations? Check out our lists below that have been carefully compiled by our wonderful librarians Ms. Johnson and Ms. Rutledge. Grab a book, find a dock, hammock or sunny spot, and let the summer reading fun begin! 

  • Junior School - Library Guides
  • Middle/Senior School Library Guides
  • Parent Book Club Reads
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  Aurora Street Fair - Sunday, June 7th

  Be sure and stop by the CDS tents at the Aurora Street Festival this Sunday, June 7!

   

  The CDS Admissions team will be joined by some of our Faculty members (retired and current) and members of the Community Relations team in our CDS tent located on the east side of Yonge Street just north of Dunning Avenue - Booths #525 and #527.

  
  

  There will be fun for the entire family this Sunday from 11 AM to 5 PM!
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  Grade 7 Student Places 3rd in Royal Canadian Legion Contest

  Last November, the Royal Canadian Legion and schools across the country, invited Canadian students to honour Canada’s Veterans and foster the tradition of Remembrance through visual art, writing, and video, as part of the National Youth Remembrance Contests.
  
  Mr. Calmels and Ms. Williams encouraged their students to submit Remembrance Day poems and writings to the competition through the Legion’s Aurora Division, and last week we were excited to receive the news that Elise De Guia in Grade 7 was awarded third place in the Intermediate Poetry (Grade 7-9) division.
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  Record-Breaking Amount Raised at 50th Auction!

  WOW! Thank You for an Incredible 50th Annual Dinner & Auction!

   

  Last Friday evening, our community came together to celebrate our 50th Annual Dinner & Auction, and we are still completely blown away by the energy and generosity in the room. The entire night was a reminder of the strength and spirit of our community. What an amazing night!
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  Annual Grad Breakfast

  Yesterday morning, our GYs and their parents honoured what has become an annual CDS tradition of being “walked to school” one final time for the annual Grad Breakfast. Everyone enjoyed gathering for lively conversation and photo-ops with faculty members and friends in advance of the end-of-year Middle/Senior School Assembly.

   

  We have retired faculty member Mr. Steve McCutcheon to thank for this lovely tradition. As the story goes, before his eldest daughter Renee started Kindergarten, he had a dream about walking her to school, and then wondered what it would be like if he could also walk her to school on her last day of Grade 12. And so the tradition began.

   

  Thank you to our Parent Association for hosting the breakfast. Look for a photo gallery in next week’s Backpack!
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  Join Us on the Links!

  All CDS families and alumni are invited to join us for the CDS Annual Golf Tournament on Thursday, August 20th at Cardinal Golf Club in Newmarket (Davis Drive and Hwy 400). It will be a shotgun start at 1:30 pm, with a best ball format.

   

  Mark the date on your calendar and begin to gather your fellow parents, family and friends! Individual and foursome registration is now open.
  
  Individual: $170
  Foursome: $680
  Includes: Golf, Cart Rentals, BBQ Buffet and Two Beverage Tickets

   

  Golfers of all levels are welcome, but must have a knowledge of golf to play. Middle and Senior School students are welcome to play but only when accompanied by and part of an adult foursome.

  
  Register for Golf now! We look forward to seeing you on the Links in August!
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  Thank You To Our Volunteers

  This week the Parent Association held our AGM  and Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast where we had an opportunity to recognize all community members who volunteered their time throughout the school year. The time that each and every one of you give through the year is greatly appreciated, and we could not do what we do without your support.
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  Auction 2026: A Glimpse into the Field of Dreams

  Our Annual CDS Dinner & Auction is just a few short weeks away and we are excited to be able to offer our guests some amazing items and experiences up for bid. From spa and dinner certificates to your own backyard putting green, World Cup hospitality tickets and a trip to Anguilla - and everything in between! 
  
  There is something for everyone - including the opportunity for your child to plan the menu in the Dining Hall for one week! Imagine your child(ren) being able to enjoy all their favourites in one week! This is just a snapshot of the experiences that we have to offer that you are not going to want to miss out on. We encourage you to take a look in advance at our Live and Premium Silent Auction Items up for bid and reach out if you have any questions.
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  Split the Pot, Share the Dream!

  History in the making! For the first time ever, CDS is launching a 50/50 Raffle in conjunction with our annual Field of Dreams 50th Dinner & Auction.

  
  The rules are simple: The jackpot grows with every ticket sold. At the end of the draw, the winner takes home half the pot, and the other half goes directly toward supporting our new Athletic Centre.
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  CDS Employee Receives AAA Hospitality Award

  Country Day School’s Julia Delafuente has been named Central Canada’s AAA Hospitality Award winner, recognizing Aramark employees who create exceptional guest experiences and elevate those around them.

   

  Delafuente refined the school’s allergen program to better support student safety, represented CDS in culinary competitions, and contributed to the Women’s Culinary Professionals ERG. Known for her optimism and infectious laugh, she fosters a calm, positive atmosphere and a culture of genuine hospitality in the dining hall.

   

  The award celebrates individuals who go beyond their role to shape the experience for their entire community.
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  CDS Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast and Parent Association AGM

  The CDS Parent Association and Office of Community Relations invite you to join us for the CDS Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast and Parent Association AGM on:

   

  Wednesday, May 20th at 9:00 am

  Di Ciano Atrium of the Paul C. Duckett Performing Arts Centre

   

  We hope you will join us as we honour our volunteers and everything they do for CDS.

  Kindly RSVP no later than May 8.

   

  We look forward to seeing you!

   
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  Deadline Alert: One Week Until May 1st Donation Deadline!

  We are heading to the finish line! As we prepare for the Field of Dreams Dinner and Auction, we are officially one week away from our May 1st donation deadline.

   

  Help Us Reach Our Goal!  Our community always comes through in amazing ways, and we are so close to our goal for this year’s auction. We are looking for those final "wow" items to round out our catalog. We remind everyone that we need the support of our entire community to make this event a success. Here are a few tips to consider regarding your family's donation:
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  Alumni Speakers Tristan Lehari & Alessandra Feldstein

  From CDS to Powering Olympians

  We recently welcomed Tristan Lehari ’06, Founder & CEO of TritonWear, to share his incredible journey from a "high-energy" CDS student to a global tech leader.

   

  Tristan’s path was fueled by a passion for swimming and a "spark" for building things that started on his family farm and right here in Mr. Edwards' Physics and Mr. Moorlag’s Computer Science classes. He then took that drive to the University of Waterloo, where he balanced a grueling Mechatronics Engineering degree with varsity swimming—even writing one exam in a hotel room to stay on top of his goals.

   
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