List of 15 news stories.

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  CDS Parent Association Birthday Book Program

  What is the Birthday Book Program? The Birthday Book Program is a CDS Parent Association initiative designed for both the Junior School and Middle/Senior School Libraries. Parents or other family members are invited to donate books in their child’s honour. This donation creates a sense of pride for the child and provides a lasting and valuable contribution to the library. 
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  Serve Up Some Fun with the CDS Parent Association!

  The CDS Parent Association invites all parents to join us for a Tennis Morning on campus.

  
  Whether you’re a beginner picking up a racket for the first time, a casual player, or simply eager to sharpen your game, this is the perfect chance to enjoy some fresh air, meet fellow parents, and have a great time on the court.

  
  Choose from one of our hour-long sessions:

  • Friday, September 26 | 9:00–10:00 am or 10:00–11:00 am
  • Friday, October 3 | 9:00–10:00 am or 10:00–11:00 am

  
  Spaces are limited to keep things fun and active for everyone, and a tennis pro will be on hand to guide play and offer tips.

  
  Click here to reserve your spot on the court and sign an Activity Waiver & Release.  Questions? Please reach out out to us.

  
  Come swing, rally, and connect — we can’t wait to see you there!
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  The CDS Dining Hall Turns 10!

  Yesterday, CDS proudly celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Niczowski, Temovsky, Arrigo Dining Hall — a decade filled with delicious cuisine and cherished camaraderie. 

  
  

  To mark the occasion, Chefs Richard and Julie and their outstanding Aramark team recreated the very first menu served on opening day: flank steak with chimichurri, potatoes, and green beans. Over the past 10 years, the Dining Hall team has continually raised the bar — from building one of the strongest allergen programs among independent schools, to introducing a diverse menu full of favourites, to offering hands-on cooking classes for Middle and Senior School students.
  
  

  Tomorrow, we’ll celebrate with homemade apple crumble. Look for the recipe on the Healthy Dining webpage in the near future. Happy 10th Birthday to our beloved Dining Hall! 

   

  Play Video
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  Record Turnout for Welcome Back BBQ

  We were delighted to welcome so many families back to campus yesterday for our annual Welcome Back BBQ! The sun was shining, spirits were high, and smiles were everywhere! Students, parents, families, faculty, and staff enjoyed reconnecting with old friends and extending a warm welcome to those new to our community.

   

  A heartfelt thank you to our CDS Parent Association for serving at the BBQ and greeting everyone so warmly, and to our dedicated Student Council members for pitching in with the cleanup. Your efforts helped make the event a wonderful start to the school year!

   

  Photo gallery
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  Watch our 2025 Portrait of a Graduate Videos

  Have you viewed our latest Portrait of a Graduate video series yet?

  
  

  During the first few weeks of summer, we had an opportunity to sit down with recent graduates Jack Brown, Diviya Amarnath, Everett Smith and Angelina Cai to discuss their individual CDS journeys.

  
  

  We encourage you to take a moment to watch our Portrait of a CDS Graduate video collection on the CDS YouTube channel and share with your friends!

  
  
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  Welcome Back CDS!

  The Country Day School campus is already buzzing with activity – though we’re still missing the most important component of all: our students! We are counting down the days until they arrive next week.

   

  As shared in our Summer Mailing, we are delighted to welcome a number of exceptional new faculty members to our community this year. You’ll be introduced to them in next week’s Backpack. In addition, our Middle School, Student Services Centre, Community Relations Office and Robotics Lab have undergone impressive refreshes. We will share photos next week of all of these venues in action.
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  Leave Your Legacy on the CDS Alumni Walkway

  As your graduate prepares to embark on their post-secondary journey, consider commemorating this milestone by purchasing an Alumni Walkway stone.

   

  These engraved pavers can feature your child’s name and graduation year—or, if you prefer, a lasting tribute to your family name. These stones are located in our Alumni Walkway at the front of the Senior School.

   

  Stones are available to all students and families, not just Alumni. All stones purchased prior to June 30th will be placed during the summer of 2025. For more details, visit www.cds.on.ca/support.
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  Middle School Renovation

  Exciting news! Over the summer, CDS will begin a two- summer renovation and refreshing of the Middle School hallways.

   

  A few years ago, as CDS was beginning to build the new Junior School addition, we refreshed all of the Junior School hallways so that would have a fresh and consistent appearance.
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  Calling All Siblings

  As the Admissions Team starts to wind down a busy 2025-2026 season, we have started to think ahead to the 2026-2027 application period.

   

  At CDS, we value the significance of continuity in education for families with multiple children, and we recognize the importance of sibling relationships in fostering a supportive learning environment. Therefore, we ask that current CDS families thinking of applying next year kindly bring this to our attention sometime between now and September to keep the lines of communication open.
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  CDS Holiday Fair - Vendor Applications Now Open

  Each year the CDS Parent Association brings together the community to celebrate the season with our traditional annual Holiday Fair that takes place in November. This one-stop shopping extravaganza is open to both the CDS Community and the public.

   

  While it may seem early and you are thinking about summer plans, and not the Holidays, we encourage anyone interested in becoming a vendor to complete the Vendor Questionnaire now as spots are limited and fill up quickly. 

   

  Thank you!

   

  Laura Sgotto-D'Alessio
  Holiday Fair Coordinator
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  Student Champions Cause with Pop Can Tab Drive

  Since the summer after Grade 9, Brianna Torrealba ’26 has been volunteering weekly at Mackenzie Health Hospital in Richmond Hill. Her dedication has taken her through various departments, from assisting patients in the Medical Imaging Unit—prepping for MRIs, ultrasounds, and nuclear medicine appointments—to supporting laboratory operations, processing requisitions, and restocking essential supplies.
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  Yee Haw - WHAT A PARTY!

  What a party we held last Friday here in our CDS SaddleDome. From the start of the evening, everyone was kicking up their heels and ready to celebrate and support CDS. The night featured a vibrant live auction and an extensive silent auction that truly had something for everyone - from Blue Jay tickets to a trip to Morocco and everything in between.
  
  

  When you walked in you were greeted by line dancers and trick rope entertainers and a live band to finish off the evening. Guests were treated to a scrumptious dinner and the speciality whiskey beverages were a hit.
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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.

   

  A huge thank you to our Parent Association for hosting the breakfast. Look for a photo gallery in next week’s Backpack!
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  Aurora Street Festival this Sunday - June 1st!

  Be sure and stop by the CDS tents at the Aurora Street Festival this Sunday, June 1! 

   

  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 tents 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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  Parent Association Corner

  This week the Parent Association held our AGM  and Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast where we had an opportunity to recognize all members of the community who have volunteered their time throughout the school year.  At the AGM we introduced the new slate for the 2025-2026 Parent Association with Paola Baldassarra-Juhasz taking over as President. Paola has been a part of the community since 2022 and has two children at CDS, Lucas in Grade 9 and Portia in Grade 7.
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