Carter has coaching in his blood

By Bernie Puchalski - October 19, 2020: BP Sports

carter bpsports 10192020 Brian Carter’s indoctrination into high school coaching began at an early age.

“My dad, James, was a phys-ed teacher at NFCVI and I always remember sitting on the bench during basketball games growing up, going to his phys-ed office, having birthday parties in the gym and that kind of stuff,” he said.

Carter has been coaching football and boys and girls rugby at Lakeshore Catholic and Saint Michael for the past 25 years and his brother Dan, a teacher at Notre Dame, has been coaching the Fighting Irish junior football team for the past two decades.

“We grew up with the idea that when you taught, you coached as well,” Brian said. “I had a lot of good coaches over the years who taught me things outside the classroom that were important and I wouldn’t have learned inside the classroom.”

Coaching also played a crucial role in his life away from teaching. While coaching rugby at Lakeshore Catholic, he met his wife Kathy, then doing student teaching and coaching at Westlane, at a coaches meeting.

“We met and hit it off. We ended up dating, getting married and I wouldn’t be where I am now if not for coaching.”

The couple has four children, Rachel, 25, Trinaty, 16, Nathan, 14, and Jaela, 13.

Coaching relationships have always been important to Carter and he has been coaching since Grade 11. That year, he was doing a recreation and leadership class at A.N. Myer and he had to do something in the community.

“I coached Grade 8 basketball for two years at Cherrywood Acres,” he said.

His coaching has led to lifelong connections.

“I am still friends with a lot of those kids and seeing them having families and careers is pretty exciting.”

Transitioning between In-Person Learning and Online Remote Learning

Secondary Student Requirements:

Parents/Guardians of secondary students who wish to transition between in-person and online remote learning must complete the Secondary Student Transition Form by the dates below:

Transition Request Deadline	Course Start Date
Friday, September 25^th, 2020	Tuesday, October 13^th, 2020 – Course 2
Friday, October 23^rd, 2020	Monday, November 16^th, 2020 – Course 3
Friday, November 27^th, 2020	Monday, January 4^th, 2021 – Course 4
Friday, January 15^th, 2021	Monday, February 8^th, 2021 – Course 5
Friday, February 19^th, 2021	Monday, March 22^nd, 2021 – Course 6
Thursday, April 1^st, 2021	Monday, April 26^th, 2021 – Course 7
Friday, May 7^th, 2021	Monday, May 31^st, 2021 – Course 8

Transportation Requirements:

Regardless if your child transitions between in-person or online remote learning, if your child is eligible for transportation you must complete the Opt-In / Opt-Out Transportation Request through Niagara Student Transportation Service (NSTS). Read the detailed Back to School Transportation Plan for additional information.

Falls teen continues to break records

By Bernie Puchalski - September 15, 2020

smchs 09 15 2020 Carson Gauthier is the definition of a quick study.

Training seriously for less than a year, the 14-year-old Niagara Falls resident has chalked up an impressive list of track and field accomplishments.

The Grade 9 student at Saint Michael Catholic High School in Niagara Falls has won nine provincial gold medals, set three provincial records and was named Athletics Ontario’s under-14 athlete of the year in 2019.

His most recent under-15 record came Sept. 4 in Brampton when he threw the javelin 53.12 metres. His previous best in the event was 46 metres.

“I don’t know what happened. That is a good question,” Gauthier said, when asked to explain his record throw. “That was a big leap (in his personal best) because I didn’t practice for two weeks before that.”

The Thorold Elite Track Club member, who won the under-16 boys javelin event at a track and field meet last Saturday at the Niagara Olympic Club, is clearly trending in the right direction.

“That (Brampton) throw would have won OFSAA (Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations) track and field for novice boys javelin in 2019 so it’s exciting to think about the possibilities for next year if we are lucky enough to have OFSAA back,” Thorold Elite coach Steve Fife said.

Breaking records has become a normal expectation for Gauthier.

NCDSB Back to School - Reopening Plan

In remembrance of Julianne

By Bernie Puchalski - July 29, 2020

When I heard of the passing of Julianne Miszk this past Saturday, I was overwhelmed with a sense of sadness, thinking of all the trials and tribulations Julianne faced in the 22 years she graced us with her presence.

Born with Dubowitz syndrome, a rare condition that has only about 140 cases reported worldwide since 1965, Julianne had to deal with a learning disability, an uncommon bone disorder called fibrous dysplasia, surgeries and infections.

If all these challenges weren’t daunting enough, cancer struck.

In November 2016, Julianne had surgery in which a section of her fibula (calf bone) was used to replace a cancerous part of the bone in her jaw.

She spent two weeks in hospital following a 10-hour surgery and had to fight off multiple infections. Sadly, doctors discovered there was still cancer present at the margins of her jaw.

Following chemotherapy, Julianne underwent another 10-hour surgery in July 2017. Doctors took a piece of her scapula (shoulder blade) and put it in her jaw.

In June 2018, doctors determined the cancer had returned inside Julianne’s reconstructed jaw bone. They planned to take the fibula from her other leg, reconstruct with a nerve ending from the top of her foot and follow up with five weeks of radiation. Four hours into the surgery, they discovered so much scar tissue that it was too dangerous to proceed.

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