A LOOK AT THE YEAR AHEAD

by Henry MacDougall
(click images to enlarge)

Although the summer seems to have just started, it's already time to start thinking about the approaching 2024-25 school year. On the topic of the next school year, this issue will go over the school clubs and athletics teams you can join once school has started again, some fundraising activity with the KG Dragons, and an exclusive interview with basketball coach Darko Kulic.

KG DRAGONS FUNDRAISING

Every summer, the KG Senior boys basketball team conducts fundraisers in the West End. In the past, they often took the form of car washes, but this summer’s fundraisers have largely consisted of selling snacks and drinks.

I asked Darko Kulic, the KG Dragons basketball coach about this, along with a couple of other questions. Here is the full interview:

TWEJ: I heard that this summer, the Dragons aren't doing a car wash, but rather selling snacks and drinks. Why is that?

DK: We have not confirmed 100 per cent no car washes, we are still hopeful to do a few (schedule TBD). This year, I personally had an addition to my lovely family with a new daughter, so now I have two young children at home (3.5 years and 6 months old) so have been unable to help out as much with the car washes.

Car washes require adult supervision and support so unfortunately we have not been able to do as many this year, though we did one earlier in mid June. I am very proud of the fact we have actually done 12 years of car washes so that’s amazing, and hope that it is a tradition that does continue for a long time.

I am very proud of the team with stepping up and still fundraising with selling snacks and drinks, they are a very hard working group who is determined off and on the court.

TWEJ: What is the team raising money for?

DK: As per every year, we fund raise April to September in different ways, such as the car wash, snack and drink sales, Alumni game tournaments, the kids sport camps we run. All of our funds go to allow the boys to have a season of their dreams. The season overall is pretty expensive ($30,000-35,000) and with the team’s recent success we have been invited to many prestigious tournaments, so costs go up.

The money raised pays for everything within the season, such as tournament costs, ref costs, entry to leagues, jersey/equipment upkeep, trip fees, and school board costs, to name a few.

TWEJ: What is the schedule for this year's summer fundraising?

DK: We are usually very organized with this, but with this year’s uncertainty we have not fully organized a set schedule. The team has done two or three weekly snack/drink sales, usually Mon/Wed/Fri between 1 and 7 p.m.

TWEJ: Do you have a favourite memory from all the years of summer fundraisers?

DK: Many great memories to choose only one, but I think to be honest just overall always I am very proud to see how hard working and determined the youth of today can be. It is something amazing to see as there are many barriers in the way, unfortunately with limited resources, for why we can't have the season of their dreams every year, but I am beyond proud as the team always works hard and earns everything and it's something that teaches/builds life lessons, builds teamwork, and friendships.

Thanks to Darko for the interview and congrats on the new addition to your family!

**The page for the Student Council in the 2023/24 yearbook.**

CLUBS AT KING GEORGE

Clubs are among the best ways to improve your high school experience, as they offer lots of opportunities to meet new people and learn new and varied skills. Most of the clubs offered at KG are not a huge time commitment, but some offer an environment with more responsibility. This allows students to step up and take a hands-on role in the group, often with a greater time commitment. Overall, clubs at KG offer varied experiences that benefit students with increased social opportunities, as well as opportunities to learn important leadership and social skills. With the summer already halfway done, now is the best time to start considering what clubs you would like to join in the new school year.

Here's a list of the clubs that are likely to return in the new school year!

Art Club: Run by KG's art teacher Mr. Sinclair, this is a great way to practice your artistic skills in a friendly environment with a crew of like-minded students. Schedule TBD.

Chess Club: Sponsored by Mr. Deblasio, this club is focused on letting students challenge each other in chess, and to ultimately improve their skills.

Drama Club: Run by Ms. Init, KG’s drama teacher, this club is focused on learning acting skills, with the goal of ultimately presenting a play at the end of the year. To join the drama club, you must be a part of the Grades 9 to 12 drama elective. Drama club is known to be very time consuming, with extensive rehearsals that can take time away from homework or other extracurriculars. Good time management is very necessary in this club.

Dungeons & Dragons Club: Run by Mr. Lindsay, as you may suspect from the name, this club lets students create their own characters and play in a D&D campaign.

Here 4 Peers: Sponsored by Mr. Lindsay, KG's French teacher, this club is dedicated to bringing together students to reduce the stigmas surrounding mental health issues. Here 4 Peers aims to educate students on various mental health topics while fostering a supportive environment.

Interact: Sponsored by Ms. Kam, Interact is a service-focused club in which students work together to better their community through projects that range from fundraisers to informative sessions that spread awareness about issues that affect our community. Interact is sponsored by Rotary International, an organization dedicated to generally making the world a better place to live, often through service.

Girls Jam: This is a girls-only music group that meets once a week. Girls Jam is run by Ms. Pearce, KG's music teacher. In the past, Girls Jam has had meetings at lunch, and performs at KG Rocks, our school's yearly concert.

**A picture from the yearbook of some of KG’s clubs**

Rainbow GSA: The Rainbow GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) is a place for everybody who is part or an ally of the queer community, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. The Rainbow GSA is sponsored by Ms. Jerome and Ms. Moore.

Library Club: This is another group that is sponsored by Ms. Kam, King George's librarian. In this club members volunteer their time on Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays at lunch to help keep the library in working order.

Math Club: As you may have guessed, this club is all about math. Sponsored by Ms. Mullen, the club has weekly meetings at lunchtime. Math Club offers a fun environment to complete challenging math problems using creative solutions, often in groups. I've found math club to be very useful for ‘staying in shape’ in math. With our semester system it is very easy to get rusty in math, as with any other academic course, since the semester system can leave you with —depending on your schedule — somewhere between a three to 12-month gap between each math course.

Skate Club: In the KG Skate Club, students at varying skill levels meet weekly after school to improve their skateboarding skills. Skate club is sponsored by Ms. Moore and Ms. Albrecht.

Model UN: In this club members each choose a unique UN-member country to represent, then learn to write UN position papers for a variety of world issues.

Student Council: In the KG Student Council, members work together to plan, organize, and run events at KG. This includes Spirit weeks, school fundraisers like rose grams for Valentines Day, and events like the annual year-end school carnival. Join the student council if you're looking to make an impact in your school community.

Writers Club: Sponsored by Mr. Bredenkamp, one of our English teachers, this is a group that aims to support students in their individual writing journeys.

**A page dedicated to KG Athletics in the 2023/24 yearbook**

KG Athletics: Athletics almost always require a significant time commitment, with practices and later on games. However, KG has a reputation for having a great sports department, and impressively so, for King George being the small school that it is.

Unlike most clubs, different athletic teams start later in the school year, as different sports are played at different times of the year. The tryout dates will be on the intercom announcements throughout the year, or on the sports bulletin board on the second floor.

KG offers the following sports: