Author: Hon. Joe Volpe

Canada Education Matters Italian News Updates Ontario Opinion Toronto

Chi insegna cosa ai vostri figli nelle scuole

TORONTO – Molti insegnanti sono modelli di virtù, esempi e modelli per i bambini affidati alle loro cure. “Servono” in loco parentis, i nostri surrogati una volta che li lasciamo nella proprietà della scuola. Come minimo, da loro, ci aspettiamo che trasmettano valori che riflettano l’amore per “l’apprendimento” (analisi critica), il senso di responsabilità, il rispetto per la Legge (e tutto ciò che comporta) e l’impegno per la visione istituzionale del loro datore di lavoro… noi, i genitori dei loro studenti. 

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Parental rights in schools: who teaches what to your kids

TORONTO – Many teachers are paragons of virtue, examples and role models for the children under their care. They “serve” in loco parentis – our surrogates once we drop them off onto the school property. At a bare minimum, from them, we expect that they will impart values reflecting love of  “learning” (critical analysis), a sense of responsibility, respect for the Law (and all that it entails) and commitment to the institutional vision of their employer… us, the parents of their students. 

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Toronto, una volta grande città, in declino

TORONTO – No, non sto pensando di presentarmi per la poltrona di sindaco al municipio di Toronto. Ahimé, ho dovuto respingere lo tsunami di persone ansiose di vantare le mie incredibili doti di competenza amministrativa (fortunatamente ancora incontrastata), l’inattaccabile acume filosofico e ideologico (prendo una pagina dalla “Guida adatta all’auto adulazione per i narcisisti”) e credenziali etiche impeccabili (anche se il primo ministro Trudeau afferma che solo l’ex governatore generale corrisponde a questa descrizione)… Read More in Corriere Canadese >>> 

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Toronto, a once great city, in decline

TORONTO – No, I am not contemplating seeking the Mayor’s chair at Toronto City Hall. I had to beat back the tsunami of people anxious to vaunt my incredible gifts of administrative competence (happily as yet uncontested), unassailable philosophical and ideological acumen (I am taking a page from “The Narcissist’s Guide to Self-Adulation”) and impeccable ethical credentials (even though Prime Minister Trudeau says only the former Governor General fits that description). 

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Implosione delle scuole cattoliche: la “cattofobia” nasce dall’interno

TORONTO – Le scuole dovrebbero essere spazi sicuri per tutti i bambini mentre crescono e mentre apprendono abilità sociali e accademiche. Sempre più spesso manifestano disfunzionalità che troppo frequentamente sfociano in violenza. Questo non è stato un buon anno per le scuole di Toronto e dintorni… Read More in Corriere Canadese >>> 

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Implosion of Catholic Schools: catholic phobia from within

TORONTO – Schools are supposed to be safe spaces for all children as they grow while learning social and academic skills. Increasingly, they manifest dysfunctionalities all too often resulting in violence. This has not been a good year for schools in Toronto and elsewhere. 

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Cancel Culture: colui/colei che ha i soldi decide la musica

TORONTO – Congratulazioni e auguri vanno al neo arcivescovo della diocesi di Toronto, Sua Eminenza Frank Leo. Il prelato nato a Montreal è in possesso di meritate credenziali sul fronte accademico, teologico, canonico e diplomatico, avendo servito negli ultimi dieci anni il “corpo diplomatico” del Vaticano… Read More in Corriere Canadese >>> 

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Cancel Culture: S/he who has the money calls the tune

TORONTO – Congratulations and best wishes go out to newly-appointed Archbishop for the diocese of Toronto, his eminence Frank Leo. The Montreal-born prelate is possessed of well earned credential on the academic, theological, canonic and diplomatic front, having served the “diplomatic corps” of the Vatican for the last ten years. 

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Tory si è dimesso: perché proprio adesso?

TORONTO – John Tory, ora ex sindaco di Toronto, ha rassegnato le dimissioni  venerdì in quello che sembrava essere un annuncio/conferenza stampa messo insieme frettolosamente. Per quelli con la memoria corta, il signor Tory ha vinto le elezioni tenutesi lo scorso 24 ottobre (tre mesi fa) con un margine così ampio che avrebbe potuto anche essere acclamato… Read More in Corriere Canadese >>> 

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Doug Ford vince alla lotteria, di nuovo

TORONTO – Non vado mai al casinò [per giocare d’azzardo]. Doug Ford (nella foto, dalla sua pagina Twitter / @fordnation) deve farlo, almeno occasionalmente. Vince costantemente e qualcun altro fornisce il capitale di rischio: i partiti di opposizione a Queen’s Park. L’uomo (spero di non offendere nessun ideologo di genere) va in giro con i ferri di cavallo di scorta… Read More in Corriere Canadese >>> 

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Il TCDSB ha schivato un altro proiettile, forse

TORONTO – Il caso di alto profilo del Trustee Del Grande contro il Toronto Catholic District School Board ha occupato le menti dei genitori cattolici per tre anni. Nel processo, i sotterfugi di alcuni membri woke del Consiglio e del loro direttore hanno danneggiato l’educazione cattolica in generale e Del Grande in particolare… Read More in Corriere Canadese >>> 

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Joseph Ratzinger,
Cardinal and Pope. RIP

TORONTO – Today’s Media and Press cannot resist succumbing to the temptation of finding fault with any and all things Catholic, even as the Vatican prepares to bid its last adieu to one of Catholicism’ leaders. Backhanded compliments abound. I will not speak ill of the deceased, especially in the case of the former Pope Emeritus.

I knew Pope Benedict XVI only by reputation, that is, only by the reputation attributed to his views and leadership by commentators who had the means and desire to impart their passing impressions on the rest of us.

But I did see him in person…once. It was on a cold and overcast day, April 8, 2005, uncommon weather in Springtime for Rome. Along with Prime Minister Paul Martin, eleven MPs (including Cabinet Ministers), one Senator and the Grand Chief of First Nations (Phil Fontaine), I was among the privileged one million plus attendees outside the entrance of Saint Peter’s Basilica for the funeral of the recently deceased [Saint] Pope John Paul II.

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger was the Celebrant. We waited in St. Peter’s Square from 7:00 AM until the soon to be Pope Benedict XVI began the funeral at 11:00 AM. The Mass lasted a full two hours. As members of an official “State delegation”, my colleagues and I were afforded the luxury of folding chairs to relax any discomfort over the six-hour open-air event.

Five million and more other attendees spread over the piazzas of Rome had only their faith and their respect for the Pope to give them strength. An estimated two million Catholics had made the trek from Poland to pay their last respects to their hero.

No wonder, from my perspective, Pope John Paul II was the key political dynamic in the dissipation of the Cold War tensions that threatened world peace following WWII, and the integration of new political dynamics following the break-up of the USSR. That dissertation is for another day.

The inheritor of that narrative was Pope Benedict XVI, the first German pontiff in one thousand years. Irrespective of his personal social views (it is important for any leader to have them), his election as Pontiff will always be associated with the philosophical and moral rectitude associated with the concept and the act of Reconciliation everywhere.

For Canadians, it is especially significant that he invited leaders of our Aboriginal communities to Rome (including Phil Fontaine) to embark on the ways and means to mitigate and resolve the negative impacts of Residential schools.

During his papal mandate, the Church also recognized and named her first Aboriginal Saint, the Lily of the Mohawks – Saint Kateri Tekakwitha.

But he was above all, a humble and compassionate man who recognized his limitations and who admitted when he could bear no more. The papacy was and continues to be more important than any one individual. He was humble enough to say: “This has been more than enough for me; Lord let this cup pass from my hands”.

He resigned and stepped aside. Tomorrow the Universal Church and the World say goodbye and RIP to Joseph Ratzinger the man and Benedict XVI the Pope.

News Updates

Enough is enough. Maybe Even Min. Lecce gets it

TORONTO – The charade unfolding in the HDSB with the transitioning teacher’s antics is an affront to common sense, to public decorum and to professional expectations. Repeatedly, the school community is subjected to threats to its public safety. For several months, Oakville Trafalgar High School, the City of Oakville, the province of Ontario and Canada have been the object of international ridicule as Kyle/Kaila Lemieux flaunts gigantic prosthetic breasts in and out of school.

Until Monday, Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education, had gone missing. Maybe one of the members of his political action groups (erstwhile “Vaughan Working Families” or Nonnas for Stephen) called him up and told him the public has had enough. Or maybe the Premier has decided to tighten his leash.

Either way, it looks as if the government has finally decided to tell the Halton District School Board that its brand of woke has limits. More importantly, Ministry officials have finally decided that HDSB Administration and Trustees can no longer hide behind the all-purpose defense of “it’s about human rights”.

In response to what appears to have been a carefully placed “question” during a Press Conference, on December 19, Monday, Minister Lecce outed his official concern that the matter may have “gotten out of hand”. Or maybe not.

The Toronto Star’s Kristin Rushowy captured his formulaic response: “I do continue to believe that the [HDSB] which is the employer, has an obligation to ensure that these classrooms are safe and respectful places to learn. Teachers need to uphold the highest professional standards when they are in front of children,” Lecce said.

“I do not believe the board administration has done so to date, and I do believe the Ontario College of Teachers corroborates this principle. It said the board has the necessary authorities to enforce those standards, so I expect them to do so.” He concluded.

Clearly, to date, the Board and the Administration have “thumbed their nose at” him and at expert legal opinion advising them to do the obvious: restore a semblance of sanity in school boards like the HDSB.

Pointing fingers at counterculture, woke officials, without imposing directions is hardly a sign of leadership. Maybe the Nonnas for Stephen were not specific enough, or those Vaughan Working Families do not send their children to schools anywhere.

 

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Il wokismo non costruisce né Paese né società

TORONTO – Il Premier del Quebec, Francois Legault, con il 17% di vantaggio sul suo [non] rivale più vicino all’Assemblea Nazionale, continua a “caratterizzarlo” come un “nemico dello Stato” – la Nation Quebecoise, s’intende. In un articolo di Francesco Veronesi pubblicato la scorsa settimana, il sondaggista Angus Reid, nel suo primo sondaggio dopo le elezioni del Quebec, ha trovato il Premier così avanti rispetto ai partiti “mainstream” riconoscibili ai canadesi da essere a malapena colti dal proverbiale margine di errore… Read More in Corriere Canadese >>> 

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For Legault wokism is an enemy of l’État Québecois

TORONTO – The Premier of Quebec, Francois Legault, sitting at 17% points ahead of his nearest [non]rival in the National Assembly, still “characterizes” him as an ‘enemy of the State’ – the Nation of Quebecois. In an article reported by Francesco Veronesi last week, Pollster Angus Reid, in its first poll following the Quebec election, found the Premier to be so far ahead of “mainstream” Parties recognizable to Canadians that they are barely captured by the proverbial margin of error. 

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TDSB, un esperimento andato decisamente male

TORONTO – Un cartello alla manifestazione studentesca davanti al liceo George Harvey/York Memorial lo scorso venerdì ha attirato la mia attenzione: “[Insegnanti] se non vi comportate da adulti, lo faremo noi” (nell’immagine sopra – foto Corriere Canadese). Per un momento è sembrata una sfacciata confutazione alle notizie della settimana precedente quando gli insegnanti, parlando sotto copertura dell’anonimato, hanno dipinto gli studenti come teppisti che si addestrano per il crimine… Read More in Corriere Canadese >>> 

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TDSB, an experiment in “wokism” gone absolutely wrong

TORONTO – One placard at the student demonstration before the high school George Harvey/York Memorial last Friday caught my eye “[Teachers] if you don’t act like adults, we will”. (in the pic above – photo Corriere Canadese). It is gone now but for a moment, it came across as a cheeky rebuttal to the news of the previous week when teachers, speaking under cover of anonymity painted a picture of students conducting themselves as hooligans training for criminality. 

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TDSB: “woke” sì, “sveglio” non tanto

TORONTO – La manifestazione degli studenti, venerdì 2 dicembre, presso il liceo accorpato di Keele Street (George Harvey e York Memorial: qui il nostro servizio di venerdì) è stata impressionante per diversi motivi. Uno, era pacifica e generalmente ben temperata. Due, al suo apice, c’erano, secondo il mio conteggio approssimativo (contestato da altri resoconti dei media interessati a gonfiare i numeri), circa 150 partecipanti (poco più del 10% del corpo studentesco registrato). Tre, gli studenti erano pronti a lanciare un messaggio in risposta alla pubblicità estremamente negativa che le loro scuole hanno ricevuto nei recenti resoconti della stampa e dei media… Read More in Corriere Canadese >>> 

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Education at TDSB: “woke” yes, “awake” not so much

TORONTO – The demonstration by students, on Friday, December 2 (here our article), at the combined high school on Keele Street (George Harvey and York Memorial) was impressive for several reasons. One, it was peaceful and generally well-tempered. Two, at its peak, there were, by my rough count (contested by other Media reports interested in inflating numbers), about 150 participants (just over 10% of the registered student body). Three, students were prepared to deliver a message in response to the extremely negative publicity their school(s) garnered in recent press and media reports. 

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Sistema scolastico pubblico, un vero disastro: come siamo arrivati a questo punto?

TORONTO – Un nucleo di cento (100!) adolescenti terrorizza le vittime in un edificio; picchia gli insegnanti; prende d’assalto gli uffici dell’Amministrazione; intimidisce e minaccia “gli amministratori”; costringe i ragazzini più giovani e più deboli ad essere coinvolti in risse e sesso pubblico (in ogni altra società equivale allo stupro) ai fini della condivisione sui social; distribuisce/vende droga apertamente; studenti in overdose nei bagni. Insegnanti assenti in congedo medico, amministratori che vanno e vengono; polizia assenteRead More in Corriere Canadese >>> 

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What’s wrong with our society? Disaster at TDSB

A nucleus of one hundred (100!) teenagers terrorize victims in a building; beat up teachers; storm the offices of the Administration; intimidate and threaten “the administrators”; compel younger, weaker, kids to engage in fights and in public sex (in every other society that amounts to rape) for the purposes of video transmission; distribute/sell drugs openly; students overdosing in the washrooms. Teachers absent on medical leave, administrators through revolving doors; police absent.  (more…)

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“Il seme della violenza” e l’indolenza woke

TORONTO – Ottobre e novembre non sono stati mesi buoni per i sistemi educativi e le esperienze in classe nelle scuole della GTA. Lasciando da parte l’impatto della diffusione del virus respiratorio e stagionale, alcuni Provveditorati sono diventati decisamente tossici per studenti e genitori preoccupati per la loro sicurezza… Read More in Corriere Canadese >>> 

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TCDSB, riconteggio dei voti: questa è la legge, fate come volete

TORONTO – L’azione, o la mancata azione, del Provveditorato non gli ha lasciato altra scelta che cercare un risarcimento in tribunale. Phil Horgan, consulente legale del candidato fiduciario Robert Pella, nel Distretto 1 del Provveditorato Cattolico di Toronto (TCDSB) ha emesso un avviso di applicazione presso la Corte Superiore dell’Ontario, insieme alle motivazioni, per un ordine di riconteggio delle schede elettorali votate nelle elezioni svoltesi il 24 ottobre… Read More in Corriere Canadese >>> 

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Caso Del Grande: vergognoso abuso di autorità istituzionale

TORONTO – Alla faccia dell’egoistica santità della generazione woke ora apparentemente in controllo delle istituzioni e delle associazioni professionali. L’Ontario College of Teachers (OCT), l’Albo dei professori, tra martedì 29 e mercoledì 30, terrà una simbolica esecuzione pubblica di un certo signor Michael Del Grande… solo per dimostrare un punto… Read More in Corriere Canadese >>> 

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Recounts at TCDSB: here is the law, do what you want

TORONTO – The action, or non-action, of the school board has left him with no choice but to seek relief in the Court. Phil Horgan, legal counsel to trustee candidate Robert Pella, in Ward 1 of the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) issued a Notice of Application in Ontario Superior Court, together with reasons, for an order to recount of the ballots cast in the election held October 24. 

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Shameful Kangaroo Court’s Jurisdictional Overreach

TORONTO – So much for the self-serving sanctimony of the woke generation now seemingly in control of institutions and professional associations. The Ontario College of Teachers (OCT), between Tuesday the 29th and Wednesday the 30th, will hold a symbolic public execution of one Mr. Michael Del Grande… just to prove a point. 

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A Halton non c’è una gatta ma una puzzola

TORONTO – Sembra che alcuni “esperti” siano entrati nel dibattito sulla farsa che ha finito per mettere sotto la categoria “diritti umani” i problemi dell’Halton District School Board (HDSB). Per non essere proprio puntiglioso, il consiglio scolastico e la sua amministrazione o sono degli sciocchi incompetenti o hanno bevuto il proverbiale Kool Aid… Read More in Corriere Canadese >>> 

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The “Pepe Le Pew” cartoon smell test: it is not a cat!

TORONTO – It seems that “experts” have entered the debate on the charade that has come to define “human rights” issues at the Halton District School Board (HDSB). Not to put too fine a point on it, the school board and its administration are either incompetent fools or they have drunk the proverbial Kool Aid. 

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Fr. Ralph: uomo buono e umile francescano

TORONTO – La Chiesa e la sua Congregazione stanno perdendo sempre di più il loro bene insostituibile, gli uomini e le donne che hanno risposto ad una chiamata, una vocazione. Ralph Paonessa, nato e cresciuto in America, è venuto a Toronto per eseguire gli ordini di Dio nella comunità italiana della città nel 1964… Read More in Corriere Canadese >>> 


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