Good evening Niagara Catholic families.
As you may have heard by now, Premier Doug Ford is scheduled to make an announcement about enhanced safety measures in Ontario in an effort to reverse the trend of rising case counts of COVID-19 in the province tomorrow, Thursday, April 1. While we don’t know the specifics, we do know that Niagara has seen a disturbing trend in rising cases of COVID-19, and we believe it is important to be prepared for the possibility of returning to virtual learning after the long weekend.
With that in mind, we ask parents to please remind their children to please bring home all personal items and learning materials they may need for remote learning when they leave school for the Easter weekend.
As we have in the past, Niagara Catholic will continue to provide assistance with technology to families in need, if we are directed to pivot to online learning.
We will ensure all families are aware of the information from Premier Ford’s announcement through our School Messenger, Board website and social media platforms as soon as it becomes available.
This year has presented many challenges, and as I mentioned in my letter prior to the start of Holy Week, I am so proud of all you and your children have done to make the best of a very difficult situation. Thank you for all you have done and continue to do.
We all have an important role to play in stopping the spread of COVID-19 in Niagara, and I encourage to you please do your part by following the local and provincial guidelines this weekend so that our schools and sites continue to be safe, healthy places for our students and staff when we return.
Have a peaceful Easter.
God Bless
Camillo Cipriano
By Bill Potrecz - March 26, 2021
Chris Reid wasn’t quite sure what to make of it when he was asked about moving to forward from his familiar spot on the blueline.
The 15-year-old Niagara Falls native was a solid rearguard for the Southern Tier Admirals U15 squad when head coach Steve Webb approached him about the switch.
“It was a shock. I never knew I had it in me,” Reid said.
Reid quickly showed he had all the tools to be a successful — even a dominant — forward.
“My first time at forward was for a Marlies Tournament and I was top 10 in points in the tournament,” said Reid, a Grade 10 student at Saint Michael Catholic High School.
“It’s way more fun than defence. Once you get the puck on your stick you know you have to do something with it.”
Reid was put on a line with Dylan Lariviere and Sam Tonelli and the unit quickly clicked to become a potent offensive force, finishing second as a line in scoring in the South Central AAA circuit.
“Last year we had a lot of points,” Reid said of his line. “I was a goal scorer and playmaker. I would go into the corners but that wasn’t really my job. I would be more of a set-up guy or a guy who could put the puck in the back of the net.”
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By Bernie Puchalski - March 23, 2021
The next chapter of Sydney Sica’s soccer career will play out at Niagara College.
Sica, who was part of Saint Michael Catholic High School squads that qualified for three straight Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations championships and won two provincial silver medals, spent one year at Ryerson and two years with the Brock Badgers women’s program before signing with Niagara on the weekend.
“I love being in a group of girls, especially in the soccer culture. With team bonding, it is a great way to make friends while you enjoy the college and university experience,” the 22-year-old Niagara Falls native said. “It’s a great experience and it teaches you a lot about time management and being a student/athlete.”
She was also drawn to Niagara by the school’s two-year nursing program.
“I know they provide a lot of great opportunities in the health care field, especially from a clinical standpoint, and I really wanted to get that experience with the simulations and the real life situations they provide.”
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By Bill Potrecz - March 16, 2021
Cam Lowe will never forget his 17th birthday.
As well as gifts, phone calls and messages from friends and family, Lowe received a text from Erie Otters vice president of operations/general manager Dave Brown offering him a contract.
Lowe, a 6-foot, 156-pound centre, was selected 128th overall the seventh round of the Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection in 2020.
“Basically, it came out of nowhere,” said Lowe, a Niagara Falls native who attends Saint Michael Catholic High School. “They told me the news on my birthday, which was crazy.
“It was probably one of the best birthday presents I ever received.”
Lowe admitted he didn’t see the offer coming.
“I was startled. It didn’t expect it. It was a big goal of mine to make the team this year,” he said. “It was a shock and a bit of a surprise.
“I didn’t expect there to be a season due to the COVID. It was crazy news to receive.”
There has been no official announcement if the OHL will have a season, although the rumour mill is heating up.
“I’m hearing rumours about hub cities and stuff and a season coming up so I’m just preparing myself for that and waiting for the call to go to camp and get started,” Lowe said. “It’s kind of quiet right now. We’re just waiting for everything to be announced.
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