Another Tranche of Teachers From 1970-71

Here is another bunch of teachers from the 1970-71 year class. Herbert Gentry (Music, Band), Miss Iwaniac, Sister Mary Angela, Sister Mary Buckley (Math), Blair Morris (Geography, Urban Studies), Mrs. Morris (wife of Blair Morris), Frank Sachetti (Physics) , Sister Theresa Rodgers (Accounting, Business, Typing)

We were young, we were kings and we didn't know it.  The 1970's were one of the best times of the century to be alive.

Sisters of St. Joseph at Reunion

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The Sisters of St. Joseph are amused at me being a papparazzi -- or more accurately, since they are nuns, a pope-erazzi (sorry for the bad pun -- actually I'm not).

I can't name them all, but Sister Conrad is in the green.  Sister Theresa Rodgers and Sister Dorothy Schweitzer are in the background.  Sister Jane who was in the office with Mrs. Smegal is in the brown outfit in the front 2nd from the right, and the far right is Sister Anne Schenck.

Thanks to Anonymous who left a comment to fill in the rest of the names:

Sister Mary Anne McCarthy is wearing the brown jacket and lime green top; Sister Margie McGurk is to Sr. Mary Anne's left. Sister St. Patrick is speaking to Sister Conrad.

Chess Club 1971

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Sister Theresa Rodgers was quite active in participating in student life. Here she was the staff resource for the chess club -- the 1971 version. Let's see how many people that I can identify.

Back row: Ian Mulgrew, John Stefaniuk, Peter Sekera?, Laslo Kedvessy, Frank Kreisz, Paul Connolly, dunno, dunno

Middle Row: Roger St. Pierre, Dale Oortwyn, Dennis O'Brien, David Cooper, dunno x 4

Front Row: dunno x 2, Don Hamlyn, Sister Theresa Rodgers, dunno, Brendan Crampsey, Doug Zochodne

1972-1973 Bridge Club

Photo 1 1972 -73 BRIDGE CLUB

Back (L-R) S. Oortwyn, M. Walsh, K. Rush, C. Roache, P. Wilson, D. Elliot

Middle (L-R) Sr. Theresa, M. Meringer, P. Kasubeck, M. Orecchio, D. Ciosk, L. Byrne, Sr. Marie

Front (L-R) K. Rush, K. Buchanan, M. Novak, C. Yanch, D. Sutherland

Where Are They Now - Sister Theresa Rodgers

This is a contemporary picture of Sister Theresa Rodgers who was my business and accounting teacher back in the 1970's. She also taught typing. She was one of my favourite teachers -- a kind an gentle soul who put her heart into pedagogy.

1973 Bowling Club

Back Row: Rayna King, Judy Leveque, Gloria Wrobel, John Smegal, Steven Jaworiwsky, Jack Lauzon, Don Metcalfe, Steven Sombyk, Joanne Robinson, Christine Gallas, Sonya Sanders.

Front Row: Cathy Murrant, Frances Gordon, Maureen Moloney, Marion Mulgrew, Bev Smyth, Mary Jane Hambly, Bonnie Macdonald, Joanne Simmons, Christine Teresz, Mary Catherine Robinson,

Sitting: Sister Theresa Rodgers

Sister Theresa Rodgers on a Winter Day

By the time I had reached Grade 12, the school had grown and needed portable classrooms. This was one of them. Sister Theresa Rodgers taught Accounting and in this pic, she arrives from the wintery outdoors to teach the class.

Sister Theresa Rodgers in the Library

Sister Theresa Rodgers is sitting in the library. Behind her is teacher Bill Higgins. Sister Theresa took over from Stella Barnett to teach typing and she taught me accounting. I wish more of the accounting stuff stuck with me. I could use it now when I am looking at balance sheets.

Sister Theresa Rodgers Typing Class

The line down the middle of the picture is because the photo was printed across two pages. Sister Theresa Rodgers took over teaching typing from Stella Barnett.

Accounting -- Sister Theresa Rodgers

Looking directly at the camera is Sister Theresa Rodgers. Seated next to her is Linda Langero and next to her is Miss Catalano, who taught me math for one year. The reason for the outdoor assembly was student initiation and kangaroo court. I believe that those practices are banned these days as dehumanizing. Ahhh ... the good old days of stocks and pillories.

Sister Theresa Rodgers taught me accounting and business. Even though I aced calculus, today I am still unsure when you debit and when you credit an account.

Sister Theresa's online bio reads in part:

I was born and raised in the west end of Toronto and am the middle child of three, the only girl with two brothers, one older and one younger. During my elementary school years I attended Our Lady of Victory School and in high school, St. Joseph's High School Islington. Several of my elementary school teachers were Sisters, and in high school the Sisters of St. Joseph taught me. They were good teachers and caring human beings. These were happy years. I also had two aunts, my mother's sisters, who were members of our Congregation so Sisters were part of my life as long as I can remember.

In high school I was a typical teenager of the late 1950s. I had a good friend with whom I travelled to school. She was a grade ahead of me. When she was in Grade 12 she began to think seriously about a religious vocation. In fact after high school she entered a medical missionary congregation in the USA. All through her Grade 12 year she talked to me about her discernment. That started me thinking about how one knew whether or not she has a religious vocation.

This thought disturbed me greatly because I had other ideas about how I was going to spend my life. At that point, marriage and children seemed a lot more attractive. For the most part I kept these thoughts to myself because I did not want to hear anyone say that I should be open to God's call. I had what I thought were some very good arguments against becoming a Sister. But the more I tried not to think about it, the more it would come back and disturb my peace of mind.

When I finished high school I went out to work. I worked for two years at the Head Office of Dominion Stores as a stenographer/secretary. I enjoyed my job and had an active social life. Not so secretly I had convinced myself that once I had left the Catholic High School environment this idea of a religious vocation would disappear. Well, it didn't. So at the end of my second year of work I decided that I would make inquiries about entering. I felt that this would be the only way I could find the peace of mind that was eluding me. I have often said that God was smarter than I was and for this I am deeply grateful.

My life as a Sister of St. Joseph has been a rich and happy one. ...

The entire text may be found here:
http://www.csj-to.ca/Join_us/sr_theresa_rodgers_story.php