Following final evaluations, Greenwood had a week of celebratory activities to mark the end of the 2025-2026 school year!
On Wednesday, June 10, the Grade 11 students had their Leadership Day retreat here at Greenwood. This annual event helps the Grade 11s prepare plans as they take on leadership roles at Greenwood the next school year. In the evening, we hosted a Grad Reception for the Class of 2026 at Greenwood.
On Thursday, June 11, we recognized students who won the Arts Award, Athletic Awards, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Bronze Level recipients, Leader by Example Award, Service Learning Award and Spirit of Adventure Award.
Finally, our annual Celebration Day was held at the Meridian Centre for the Arts on Friday, June 12. To start the program, the Vocal Collective performed “Rivers and Roads” by The Head and the Heart accompanied by Richard Piasetski on the piano. During the Celebration Day event, we honoured the recipients of the Student Growth Award, the Roundtable Award, the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Awards as well as the Character Awards (Civic, Intellectual, Performance and Moral). Graduating students Andy Li ‘26 and Olivia Wellman ‘26 shared their Greenwood stories, reflecting on how their time here helped shape their growth and connections.
The outgoing Heads of Student Leadership, Alice Celik ‘26 and Mason Kohler ‘26, presented their final address to the crowd and presented the Heads of Student Leadership ties to incoming Headship, Jacob Alvo ‘27 and Mackenzie Reid ‘27. The Senior Guitar Club performed a cover of “Sign of the Times” by Harry Styles. Celebration Day concluded with the presentation of the Greenwood House Cup. This year, Houses were recognized for their overall performance in each of Greenwood’s four character pillars. House Hemlock was revealed to be the winners of the House Cup for the 2025-2026 school year!
In the afternoon, the graduating Class of 2026 donned their caps and gowns for their Leaving Class Ceremony. To start off the ceremony, Claire Sparling ‘26 and Abby Weston ‘26 presented their personalized Land Acknowledgement followed by Ms. Thomas’s congratulatory address to the Class of 2026. Astrid Kim ‘26 presented a thank-you to Greenwood staff for making her and her peers’ experience at Greenwood memorable. During the ceremony, the Grad Affairs executives Sadie Chapman ‘26, Neve McDowell ‘26 and Jacob Silver ‘26 announced the Leaving Class Gift to purchase an ice machine for the school. The Leaving Class Ceremony concluded with Coco Aylward ‘26 delivering her valedictorian speech.
Thank you to all who joined us for Celebration Day and the Leaving Class Ceremony. Details regarding how to view the recorded video from both ceremonies is available in the latest email issue of Life @ Greenwood sent on June 18, 2026.
Awards Assembly Recipients
In recognition of their outstanding contributions to the arts at Greenwood, the recipients of the Arts Award are:
Spirit of Adventure Award
We recognize students from Grades 10 and 11 for the Spirit of Adventure Award who demonstrated resilience, positivity and determination while on Outdoor Education expeditions. This year, we recognized five Grade 10 students and four Grade 11 students who made the OE experience enjoyable for others through their actions and upbeat attitude. The recipients of the Spirit of Adventure Award are:
Will Hossack’ 28
Sammy Kimelman ‘28
Violet Kostoff ‘28
Jack McNally ‘28
Naomi Rubenstein ‘28
Luc Fletcher ‘27
Fred Laflamme ‘27
Edie Poirier ‘27
Jaimee Ruby ‘27
Duke of Edinburgh’s Bronze and Silver Award
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is given in recognition of the students’ hard work and dedication to regularly challenge themselves to step out of their comfort zone. At this assembly, the students who achieved Bronze and Silver levels were awarded with their pins and a certificate.
Bronze-level Duke of Edinburgh’s Award recipients:
Irmak Aydeniz ‘28
Andy Botting ‘28
Dan Gladstone ‘28
Gabby Hawkings ‘28
Silver-level Duke of Edinburgh’s Award recipients:
Jacob Alvo ‘27
Astrid Kim ‘26
Lotus Lampert ‘28
Ellie Yantsulis ‘27
Athletic Awards
Students and staff show great dedication to their chosen sports throughout the year. We recently celebrated the recipients of the MVP and Coach’s Award at our
Spring Athletics Assembly, however the Awards Assembly recognized outstanding athletes who made a significant impact on Greenwood’s athletics throughout all three seasons. We also recognized a staff member for her contributions as a coach here at Greenwood.
First, the Colin Hood OFSAA awards were presented. This award recognizes two graduating students (one male and one female) and staff member from each high school in Ontario to recognize their commitment to the success of their school’s athletics program and within their Association. This year, we awarded three Colin Hood OFSAA Athletes of the Year Awards to Theo Maceroni ‘26, Stella Seed ‘26 and Olivia Wellman ‘26 while Tiara Hillis received the Colin Hood OFSAA Coach of the Year Award.
U14 Athlete of the Year recipients are:
Emma Cooper ‘31
Sam Hawkings ‘30
Junior Athlete of the Year recipients are:
Rainaa Cluett ‘28
Jack McNally ‘28
Jan Campbell Senior Athlete of the Year recipients are:
Hugo Caldwell ‘26
Liam Carver ‘26
Samantha Jaskolka ‘26
Leader by Example
Students presented with this award demonstrate their leadership through action. They show initiative, leadership and assertiveness in their daily behaviour and set an example for all other students. Recipients for this award were chosen by their peers.
The Leader by Example award recipients are:
Samantha Janson ‘31
Sam Morgan ‘30
Thomas Huang ‘29
Brooke Rogers ‘29
Paige Carter ‘28
Sammy Kimelman ‘28
Nikhil Oberai ‘27
Mackenzie Reid ‘27
Service Learning Award
Greenwood’s students make a significant contribution to our Service Learning and Outreach programming throughout the year. Whether that means building strong bonds with their Reading Buddies, getting to school early to build healthy lunches or mentoring and coaching in out-of-school programs, students make a positive impact on the wider community through their dedication and punctuality. Students were recognized in their grade groups for their outreach work in the year.
The Service Learning award recipients are:
Spirit Day Winner 2026: Hemlock!
Celebration Day Awards
Student Growth Awards
Recipients of the Student Growth Awards demonstrated tremendous growth academically and/or in school life. This year’s recipients of the Student Growth Awards are:
Civic Character Award
The recipient of the Civic Character Award contributed greatly to the common good and exemplified this pillar of character. This year’s recipient is Owen Schonberger ‘26 for his passion and drive in establishing a well-attended Fishing Club.
Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards - Gold
Students who’ve achieved the Gold level for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards were recognized at Celebration Day. Stephanie Georgopoulos ‘26, Samantha Jaskolka ‘26 and Mason Kohler ‘26 were presented with their gold level pin.
Roundtable Recognition Award
The Roundtable is Greenwood’s parent/guardian association. Each year, we present this recognition award to our parent/guardian volunteers who made a significant impact to the Roundtable. This year, we recognized Susan Austin and Ruth Gardner for their contributions to the school community.
Intellectual Character Award
This character award recognizes students who embody a passion for learning and possess open-mindedness and curiosity. This year’s recipients are:
Performance Character Award
This character award recognizes a student who shows resilience, diligence and initiative in the pursuit of a goal. This year’s recipients of this award are the cast and crew of the Senior Play, Art.
Moral Character Award
This character award was created by the first graduating class of Greenwood. This award celebrates the moral character of an individual in the graduating class. This year, the recipient of this award is Graeme Tanenbaum ‘26.
U of T Book Award
This award recognizes a student from the graduating class who demonstrates superior academic performance, original and creative thought, and exceptional achievement in a broad context. This year’s recipient is Andy Li ‘26.
Governor-General’s Academic Medal
This award is presented to a graduating student who achieved the highest academic average in both Grade 11 and 12 at their respective high school. This year’s recipient is Miley Greenberg ‘26.
Rex Taylor Outdoor Education Award
This award is named after Greenwood’s first director of Outdoor Education, Rex Taylor and recognizes a Grade 12 student who shows exceptional leadership and contributed significantly to the Outdoor Education program. This year’s recipient is Sophia Martins ‘26.
The Greenwood Grizzly Award
The Greenwood Grizzly Award recognizes a graduating student who strives for excellence, encourages others and demonstrates engagement and leadership across all school pursuits. This year’s recipient is Samantha Jaskolka ‘26.