Just when you thought spring couldn’t get any better, SAC is back with the most iconic Spring Spirit Week yet. From April 28 to May 2, ditch the dull and embrace the sunshine, the retro fits, the food, and the vibes. SAC has a lot in store for you, and you definitely don’t want to miss out. Let us usher in the season of warmth together!
Monday – 80s and 90s Day + Retro Movie
Put on your throwback playlist because we’re rewinding to the 80s and 90s. Watch Ferris Bueller's Day Off in the caf at lunch, grab some popcorn ($1, going to SickKids!), and flex your freshest throwback ‘fit.
Tuesday – PJ Day + Student vs. Teacher Soccer
It's game time. Teachers and students go cleat-to-cleat in a soccer match while everyone else chills on the field picnic-style (bring your lunch!). Come to the field to see an exciting game and get some free snacks!
Wednesday – Adam Sandler Day + Clothing Drive
Come cozy, give back. Rock your baggiest fit while supporting a great cause. All donations go to Diabetes Canada! Everyone who donates will get a sweet treat!
Thursday – MAC Merch Day + Club Showdown
Rep your club and battle it out for the crown for the coveted Mac title. The last clubster standing will be awarded with their own giftcard, and a generous pizza lunch for all members of the club. Make sure to rock your MAC merch!
Friday – BBQ vs Soccer Parents + Carnival Day
The moment we’ve all been waiting for. Get ready for MAC’s biggest event of the year.
Carnival Day is going to be next level. We’re talking:
🎟️ BBQ Lunch Combo – Burger or hot dog, pop of your choice, only $5.
❄️ Snow Cone -- $1, proceeds going to SickKids
🍦 TWO ice cream trucks + a funnel cake truck.
🎉 Inflatables – Bootcamp obstacle course, 4-player gladiator joust, and more for $1
🥊 Boxing arcade, snow cones, music, games, and a punching bag that’s ready for your end-of-year rage.
🎵 Live DJ/music station to set the vibe.
🕛 Extended lunch from 11:30 to 12:50.
This is the last school-wide event of the year, and it’s your chance to celebrate everything we’ve made it through together. We want to make sure everyone heads into the warmer months with joy, and this carnival is our first step.
Spring is here. School’s almost out. Let’s make it count. See you all there!
Sincerely,
SAC 2025
🦁💙

Hey MAC!!
Before we dive into the warmer weather and spring season, SAC wants to highlight the incredibly fun, spirited and community-building hockey buyout we hosted on February 27th. Our very own Mackenzie Lyons took on Earl Haig Secondary School in an exciting matchup. Over 100 WLMAC students and teachers showed up to support our LYON athletes on the ice and we raised over $1000 for the Right to Play charity organization ❄️🏒
It was a highly thrilling and competitive match, full of cheering, face paint and an undeniable amount of school spirit. The energy and spirit throughout the community was truly infectious. We are proud to share that our LYONS emerged victorious after showcasing an incredible sense of talent, teamwork, grit and dedication. 🙌🦁
The hockey buyout was a true reflection of the high calibre of our LYON coaches and athletes and an incredible celebration of the spirit and sportsmanship throughout our community. 🥅Ⓜ️🏒
SAC is looking forward to our upcoming MAC’s Got Talent event and May spirit week, so make sure to stay tuned for what’s to come as we enter Spring! 💝🌼💐🌟🌙

Diversity at Mac: Celebrating Black History Month and Chinese Heritage Month
Hey Mac! During the month of February, Black Heritage Month is proudly recognized across Canada. This month is an opportunity to recognize the contributions and achievements of Black Canadians. African Canadians have made countless contributions to Canada while overcoming significant hardships such as racism and marginalization. The TDSB theme for this year is Lift Every Voice, drawn from the first line of the Black National Anthem that encourages collective strength, diversity, and resilience. 
Additionally, the TDSB recognizes Chinese Heritage Month in February. On January 29, Chinese Canadians celebrated Lunar New Year signifying the beginning of the Year of the Snake. During this month, we celebrate the culture and traditions of the Chinese community. Canada is home to over 1.5 million Chinese Canadians that have made substantial contributions to the growth and prosperity of Canada. 
At Mackenzie, we honour Black History Month and Chinese Heritage Month with pride. Here’s what’s happening at WLMAC:
→ Black History Month Assembly organized by BSA (Black Student Alliance)
→ Chinese cultural snack handout
→ BSA Meetings
→ Assorted equity activities and displays

Hey Mackenzie! Get ready to dive into a week of fun, good vibes, and school spirit as Mactoberfest kicks off! Starting Monday, October 28, we’ve lined up an epic Spirit Week with daily themes that are too good to miss.
Whether you’re vibing with a full monochrome look, twinning with your friend group, or flexing in your coziest PJs, we can’t wait to see your spirit! And don’t sleep on our annual Mactoberfest on Halloween, packed with food sales, a stage show, inflatable obstacle courses, and prizes you’ll definitely want to win (we see you, free semi-ticket 👀). 🍁✨
And, does it get any better? Absolutely! If you submit a picture of yourself participating in Spirit Week every day, you’ll be entered into a raffle for a sweet prize! So, show up and show out for a chance to win. 🎁🎉
During this year's costume contest, we picked some surprise judges who will rate the costumes. Prizes will be given to the individual and group costumes with the highest scores. 👻
Daily Themes:
Monday, October 28: Monochrome Day. One colour, from head to toe. This is the perfect time to ROCK that groutfit that is hiding in your closet. 🧢👕👖
Tuesday, October 29: Jersey Day. Whether you're a sports fan or athlete yourself, wear a jersey in support of your favorite team. 🎽
Wednesday, October 30: Twin Day. Grab a friend and dress alike! We can't wait to spot your doppelgangers around the school. 👯‍♀️
Thursday, October 31: Halloween Costumes. Embrace the Halloween spirit, by showing up to school dressed in costume. 🎃🦸‍♀️
Friday, November 1: Pajama Day. End of the week with comfort & coziness. Throw on those fluffy slippers, get dressed in that fun onesie! 🧦

Mactoberfest Celebrations:
Thursday October 1st
Food Sales
Many clubs sell various food


Pizza – [SAC]


Baked Goods – [Gardening Club]


Bubble Tea – [String Ensemble]


Hot Dogs – [BSA Council]


Cotton Candy – [Music Council]


Binggrae Flavoured Milk (Banana, Melon, Coffee) – [Entrepreneurship Club]


Hot Chocolate – [Vietnamese Club]


Krispy Kreme Donuts – [Biology Club]


Assorted Popsicles – [Robotics Club]


Cinnamon Buns – [Debate Club]


Chow Mein – [Cubing Club]


Samosas – [3D Design Club]


Taco Bell Tacos and Churros – [Hope for Hearing]


Rainbow Brownies and Halloween Cookies – [Rainbow Club]


Stage Show


Fear factor


Minute to win it


Costume Contest - Group & Individual


Opportunity to win prizes



Giftcard




Free semi ticket 🎟️🪩💃🏻



Inflatable 🎪 $1


Photo Booth 📷 $1


We’re hyped to see all your looks, Mackenzie! Whether you're going full-out costume mode or keeping it cozy, the most important thing is having fun the way YOU deserve and showing off that Mackenzie pride. Let’s make Mactoberfest 2024 one for the books! 💥📸

Photo credits to Kikkoman
When my sister was first learning to read, my parents incentivized her with a trip to IKEA every time she completed a level of Ladybird books. For a four-year-old who had just barely learned to say “hi,” the promise of one hour’s worth of playtime in the ballroom, followed by meatballs, followed by ice cream, served well in quelling learning frustrations. I can’t say it didn’t please me too at all, every time my mother proudly announced that another three Ladybird books had been mastered and as a reward, the Friday upcoming, we would go to IKEA.
“Mashed potatoes or fries?” My sister nudged me from below as the server held up a plate of Swedish meatballs, already swathed in gravy. “You get the mashed potatoes, I get the French fries, and then we can share,” she whispered, eyes wide and nose twitching at the warm smell of meatballs, gravy, and potatoes that would never lose warmth. “If you can read this label for me,” I whispered, holding out my plastic packaged apple slices. She frowned, “Washed and ready to eat.” So she was learning. “Mashed potatoes please,” I called.
The rest of the evening was spent in complete enjoyment. Over delightful bites of meatballs and over the cooperative trading of fries for potatoes, I recounted my school day to my parents, my parents reminded my sister they were proud of her, and my sister reaffirmed my love for her, “Do you love me, Adai?”
Love her? In these carefree moments shared after careful toiling, I adored her and the world. Looking back at how we happily placed our trays on the rack before rushing off to play on the colourful abacuses, and how each night out ended so sweetly with an ice cream swirl savoured in the library, those Friday nights were not magical because of IKEA alone. I don’t think I could ever play so long and often with an abacus today - only as children did my sister and I find fun and freedom in even the most simple things.
For all the times we mounted back into the car and drove away from those red, yellow, and blue flags, it took me years to realize family moments like those made more than memories. As the taste of meatballs remains forever fresh on my tongue, so does the significance of our IKEA childhood routine. It was more than reading that was learned, more than my sister whose world was brightened, and more than the present that was celebrated.
Project Metropolis will be selling meatballs on Food Day. Come support us and buy a bowl, 5 warm meatballs for $3!

**Winter break is officially here! Look forward to cozy days of sleeping in, relaxing time to enjoy time with family and friends, and most likely some assignments to put in the back of your mind. **
Some things that happened this week:

We hope you enjoyed three food days, where our school's marvellous clubs sold food in the main gym. Another thank you to the clubs!
Maclyonsden is hosting a new winter-themed doodle game! try the game yourself here.
MSC t-shirts were distributed today.
MCPT's third tower defence workshop was held on Thursday, December 16th.
MCPT is opening up club hoodie orders! get a hoodie today here.
Math club's Pascal, Cayley, and Fermat contests have opened. Find the registration form here.
Sounds of the Season by Mackenzie's Music Council has been released on YouTube! find their wonderful performances here.
Wednesday was a late start.
As of Wednesday, there will be no more guaranteed schoolwide wellness breaks. Wellness breaks will be decided on a class-by-class basis, and wellness breaks will not be permitted on late start days.
Rapid antigen tests were sent out this week to all students. These tests should be used if you are showing symptoms of COVID-19, or suspect you were a close contact with someone with COVID-19.
Creator's Joy Holiday E-card drive ends today. Make sure to get those e-cards in!
Mackenzie E-Sports club is hosting a competitive Minecraft Bedwards tournament! Find the registration link here.

Extra note:
Stay safe, everyone. As daily COVID cases increase this season, it is more important than ever to make sure you take appropriate safety measures to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Have a good winter break!

Lots of exciting things happened this week. You might notice a lovely theme of holiday spirit that is beginning in our school.
**
SACmas is back!** For the entirety of next week, SAC is holding a multitude of festive holiday events.
Spirit dress-up days, a whopping 3 food days, candy grams, and a new maclyonsden game!
Find more information on our Instagram page here.
Look forward to the holiday spirit, mac!
Some other things that happened this week:

MCPT's December LCC happened this Thursday. Congratulation to all participants!
Wednesday was a late start. Watch for the next late start days, so you don't get stuck in cold weather around these times.
The Secret Snowflake holiday card event is here! Wellness @ Mac is hosting a schoolwide card exchange for students to spread the holiday cheer.
Signup for the Secret Snowflake holiday card event closes on December 10th. More info will be sent on December 13th. Find out more here.
Grad quote deadlines have been extended to today at midnight. Send in those grad quotes, grade 12s!
The ACED holiday competition was held on Tuesday. Congratulations to all participants, you did wonderfully.

Some things to look forward to next week:

CCC (Canadian Computing Competition) pre-registrations have been opened, and are due on January 5th. Find the registration page here.
Cyberpatriot round 3 happens this Saturday, December 10th.
Music Council "Sounds of the Season" will hold their live premiere of performances on Youtube! Come watch the premiere on Thursday, December 16th, at 7 pm.
This holiday season, the Creative Writing Club is hosting a holiday escape room! Find out more here.
Creator's Joy is opening another holiday e-card event in a partnership with SickKids Hospital. 1 volunteer hour is given for 2 cards, and students can make a maximum of 6 cards. The holiday e-card drive is happening between December 7th and December 17th. Find out more here.

As we come into our first Professional Activity (PA) Day of the year tomorrow morning on November 19, here are a few salutary, sentimental tips.

Hiya Mac! Voila, a beautiful infographic showcasing results from the Mactoberfest survey, a final Halloween treat brought to you by Project Metropolis:

“One of us will be dead by tonight.”
Ms. Hajime stood at the front of the room, hands clasped in front of her, her sharp black eyes trained heavily on the ground. Their depth and focus failed to mask the avoidance of eye contact. It was no doubt an awkward situation to admit that this would be the seventh year a random teacher’s body was mysteriously found somewhere in the halls of William Lyon Mackenzie on Mactoberfest, with a puncture wound in the right wrist to mark blood drawn.
Mr. Hoffman raised his hand, “So are we actually going to stop it from happening this time?” Ah yes, the question on everyone’s mind.
Ms. Hajime flushed. “Unfortunately, we have procrastinated yet again and so, even I have no plans,” she phrased out carefully. There was a collective of nervous chuckling and muttering across the conference room.
“However,” Ms. Hajime continued, “There’s a likelihood that the serial killer will not strike until after midday. We shall have another meeting here at lunch. Until then, brainstorm some ideas, please. And also speak to students in your class who you know have been held back more than a year… see if you can find anything.” She clapped her hands. “Meeting adjourned.”
It was relatively quiet as staff - teachers, hall monitors, cafeteria cooks, and teachers alike - assembled their belongings and proceeded to their Period 1 destinations. Mrs. Joules, the science department head, swivelled around to face me.
“Splendid costume, Mr. Seavann,” she gestured at my firefighter ensemble.
“Well, what with all this,” it was my turn to gesture, but with my black-gloved hand and around the gloomy lunchroom, “we need some folks to be a silver lining.”
Mrs. Joules nodded kindly, “Yes, yes, how noble.”
There was a long silence as we headed down the hall to our respective classrooms, I to Grade 11 Chemistry and she to Grade 12 AP Biology.
“I’m so sorry for you,” Mrs. Joules’ throaty voice cut the air.
“What, why?” I asked, confused.
“Well, just that you must have to be so unfortunate. You still feel new to the school, because you’ve only been here for about seven years but there have been all these dreadful murders happening for six of them,” she rambled.
“I’ve always attracted bad luck,” I shrugged in an attempt to relieve my superior of her guilt.
“But this! This goes beyond bad luck, I’m afraid. It’s just too coincidental. I fear…” her voice dropped a pitch, “I fear you’re the one they’re after.”
My heart stopped momentarily. Poor Mrs. Joules was trembling hard at my side. I patted her shoulder gently, “I’ll be alright. We’ll be alright.” The trembling slowed down a bit, but as we parted ways, I knew that all those crazy thoughts were still running wild in her brain.
Briiiiing! Two and a half hours later, I stood at the front of the room, costume still intact, students considerably out of control as they flooded out, chattering excitedly amongst one another. “Don’t forget your lab reports are due tomorrow!” I called in vain. I simultaneously grabbed the arms of two students just before they reached the door. These two, I had been keeping my eye on during the entire period. Jessica Li and Nicolas Cartier looked up at me rather fearfully, her through her cat mask and he through his Sherlock Holmes spectacles, hands stuffed in his pockets. I had their attention. I let them go and they stepped a foot back towards the middle of the classroom, waiting for me to speak.
“The two of you aren’t doing too well right now. Jessica, you’ve missed three consecutive deadlines, and Nicolas, it isn’t attractive how you choose to nap instead of writing your tests. At this rate, you’ll end up repeating a year… again. Care to explain yourselves?” I tapped my fingers on the lab bench on my left.
Nicolas shrugged, “Why should you care what I choose to do?” The ignorant brat.
“I care because I am your teacher and because I am a citizen. It’s kids like you that eat up tax dollars sent to fund free secondary education,” I snapped.
“You educators are all after money after all,” Nicolas sneered unfazed, “you make me sick.”
He brushed past me, exiting the room.
“You’re the one who makes me sick!” I retorted. My eyes remained concentrated on the second suspect though. Just in case.
Jessica seemed to realize she was up next.
“Sir!” she squealed, “I’m really really sorry. It’s just that everything’s been so confusing and so busy and I… I-” her tears cut her off.
Something inside me softened. “It’s alright to not understand Chemistry,” I reassured her. She looked up at me with hopeful eyes. “But it’s not alright to take Chemistry if you know you don’t understand it. Drop the course if you’re struggling, don’t stay stuck in school because of it.”
The hope vanished from her eyes, and in its place formed distraught. “See?! Even you don’t understand me! You have no idea what I’m going through, what I have to do today, and-and… UGH, you teachers are so heartless!” she burst out of the room, brushing past me even harder than Nicolas had, her black cat tail wagging behind her. For Pete’s sake, what I would do to teach AP kids who had already passed grade 11 and knew what they were doing now.
On the way to the lunchroom for our second staff meeting, I stopped by the washroom. Inside, I found Mrs. Joules dutifully filling up her water bottle. “Any luck?” she asked me as I checked the stalls. “Two kids… reasonably suspicious,” I replied. They were all so dirty. I decided I’d be fine. “Well, see you at the meeting,” I waved. “See you!” Mrs. Joules called back, back to me as she fastened the lid.
“I swear, I didn’t do it!” I stood in the doorway, having just walked into a scene. Nicolas was in the staff lunchroom, his hair worked in a frenzy, hands finally unstuffed from his detective pants. All the staff surrounded him, over the top suspicious.
“Why were you in here alone then, playing with the food in our fridge?” Ms. Hajime inquired, once again at the front of the room.
Nicolas threw up his hands, “I just wanted to play a prank on Seavann!”
Ms. Hajime narrowed her eyes, “A prank? Could this be a murder prank by any chance? Murder by poison?”
“No! I swear, why would I kill a freaking teacher?!” He was too panicked to be suspicious now.
The staff began muttering stuff about a waste of time, when, all of a sudden, a scream came from outside. The hall monitor, who had been standing outside as a guard, burst in. “Mrs. Joules…” she gasped, “she’s… she…”
She didn’t need to finish. We all bolted out, following the direction of the chatter and whistles and shrieks, down the cobwebbed corridors and up the dimmed stairs. And then we found her. Strewn across the tiled floor, right wrist with a gaping scar, and over the body… Jessica Li.
The girl screamed and cried as she was dragged off by the police. I got congratulated for having suspected her rightfully, albeit too late. “At least this will have been the final year,” Ms. Hajime said confidently. What a relief.
That night, at home, I pulled off my firefighter costume wearily. It had been a long day, but at least it had been fulfilling. Out of my bag, I pulled out the matching black gloves I had taken off earlier. Walking into the pantry, I unfolded them, pulled out the dark vial wrapped inside, and opened the empty cupboard to add it to a neat array of six gleaming red bottles, marked by the year.

Halloween Assignment. The words stared back at me from the paper handout, menacingly because not only did it have the dreaded words “assignment,” but it had the word “Halloween” too. That meant this was a big, special assignment. Little did I know it was going to be the assignment.
Mrs. Snore cleared her throat at the front of the classroom. “So yeah. It’s not a lot. Just a doll going up five steps and asking for confirmation from the user to keep going. Once she reaches the fifth step, she stops moving and the program ends.”
Justin’s hand shot up, “Do we need graphics?”
“Nah, you kids get off easy this time,” Mrs. Snore grumbled, “No graphics. No animation. Just console updates… though I have a feeling that’ll be enough.”
As the class cheered and pumped fists, Mrs. Snore pulled out a bag. From inside, she pulled out one small package, a couple of candies wrapped inside a pumpkin and ghost-themed plastic bag. The cheering got louder. Nothing like free candy. We giddily reached out as Snore handed the candy grams out, one to each kid. A closer look revealed the two or three Hersheys, Kitkat, Smarties, and Rockets. There was also a tiny creepy doll figurine. With its hard plastic grin and shiny mat of brown pigtails, it was far from attractive. “I added that as a little souvenir of this project,” Mrs. Snore explained, “It should serve you well… just don’t neglect it on the stairs,” she finished with a grin that challenged the wickedness of the doll just gifted.
I rushed home fast, eager to get the assignment done as soon as possible and actually get more than an hour or two of sleep. In my hurry, I threw my backpack, with its binders, textbooks, Mrs. Snore’s candy gram, and all, on the steps leading upstairs. I myself jumped onto my computer, immediately launching into productivity… accompanied by some good old fashioned procrastination-oriented gaming.
11:58 shone my digital clock, not nearly as condescending as the full yet brooding moon outside. The house was dark except for the bright blue screen displaying hundreds of lines of (unnecessary) code, quiet except for my fingers typing and untyping that code. After a final click, I took a moment to rub my dry, waning eyes underneath my glasses. Just about done. Semi-colons, user-input, and all. Time to test it out, I decided tentatively. It might end up having a few million errors, but better see it at midnight and fix it, then in front of Mrs. Snore tomorrow and have myself be the one that gets “fixed.”
Compile. Done. At least no syntax errors. I took a shaky breath, then hit Run. And run it did.
What is your name?
Gavin
Hello Gavin. I am your new doll.
Press 0 to continue.
Okay, it was going too well to break.
0
Gavin, I’m on the first step.
A loud thump came from somewhere downstairs. Something must have fallen over.
0
Gavinn, I’m on the second step.
Another thump, a bit louder this time. Boy this was starting to get weird.
0
Gavinnn, I’m on the third step.
Thump! At least the program was correctly concatenating a replica of the last character in the name?
0
Gavinnnn, I’m on the fourth step!
THUMP. Maybe it wasn’t that the thumps were getting louder, but that they were getting closer.
0
Gavinnnnn, I’m on the fifth step!
THUMP!!! By now cold sweat was dripping down my neck, my forehead creased in confusion. I reassured myself, however. This was the fifth step. If I wrote the program correctly, this is where it should end.
0
Silence.
THUMP!!!!!
I jumped from the sheer noise, taking a moment to collect myself before peeking at the console.
Gavinnnnnn, I’m on the sixth step…
Had I accidentally gone into an infinite loop? But no… that wouldn’t explain the uncoded change in punctuation. I decided I might as well see what was in store.
0
Gavinnnnnnn, I’m on the seventh step!
As expected.
0
Gavinnnnnnnn, I’m on the eighth step!
Of course it was.
0
Gavinnnnnnnnn, I’m on the ninth step!
Of course it was…
0
Gavinnnnnnnnnn, I’m on the tenth step.
My heart pulsed (not at the thumps that were still ongoing, I’d sort of gotten used to those by now) at the period. It seemed almost sentencing… and the stairs in my house had ten steps.
0
This was so stupid, why was I afraid of the code I myself had written? And yet, nothing could stop my limbs from shaking, the goosebumps from running up and down my forearms as the corners of my eyes furtively glanced back and forth, from the obtrusive monitor to the pitch black hallway beyond my bedroom door.
Gavin. I’m in your parents’ room.
No thumps this time. Almost as if the doll whatever it was was trying to be stealthy.
I didn’t want to press that damned 0 key, but almost as if it were no longer mine, almost as if it were being manipulated, my finger trembled. And then, it slid forward.
0
I braced myself.
Gavin. You’re next.
Mrs. Snore’s words echoed in my wiped out ears that had given all their sense to my eyes at midnight coding hour. “just don’t neglect it on the stairs”
Oh boy, that was a doll too… and I left it on the stairs.
0
I hadn’t even realized my frozen index finger was still hanging over the 0 key, and in my sudden realization, I had dropped it, unleashing nihility.
Gavin. Look over here.
I looked.

“They say, the ghost of Benjamin Sullivan comes to life on the night of Mactoberfest to haunt the fresh souls of WLMAC.”
“I heard, Sullivan was Mackenzie’s arch-nemesis throughout his entire life, and even in death, the two have never stopped trying to destroy each other’s legacies.”
“I heard, that because Mackenzie arrested Sullivan way back in the day, Sullivan wears the biggest chains that go clank… clank… clank…”
“I heard, Sullivan only likes the taste of grade 9 souls.”
“I heard that Sullivan best likes the taste of grade 9s who don’t work on math in math class.”
We looked up to see the owner of the shadow, Mr. Nelson towering over us. “Mactoberfest comes and goes,” he grumbled, “and so do failures.” I panickedly attempted to cover my scrap work, a pathetic effort at drawing what was supposed to be a simple line relation. “You might want to fix that before tomorrow’s test, Bella.” He had seen it. Darn. The burn in my ears deepened as he passed by my chair to check on the next table of victims. “It’s okay Bella,” Cat reassured me, “Only Marlie actually does good in this class anyway.” She gestured her head towards the serene-looking, spectacled kid at the back of the class before bringing her attention back to me. “So what are you dressing up as?”
“Huh?”
“You know, for Mactoberfest? I heard that here at WLMAC, Halloween is taken ultra seriously.”
“Oh… I don’t know. Probably as myself?”
“Ewww. That’s freaking boring. I’m dressing up as a black cat.”
Figures.
“I guess I’m gonna be a ghost then.”
“Oh, that’s actually sick! Are you gonna wear some fancy material cloak or something?”
Expectations, expectations.
“No. I’m wearing my old white hoodie that says ‘Snowbody.’”
“Aw… I guess that’s all you got, huh.”
“Uh-huh.”
Cat knitted her eyebrows as if to say I was being lazy without actually saying it. I didn’t mind, though, I knew it myself. I couldn’t care less about Mactoberfest or about ghosts. But, wearing an oversized white hoodie that questioned my existence for the sake of the day, it wasn’t too much to ask.
That night, after hours of struggling over math, I decided the struggle was not worth it and dragged myself into bed at 2 am. My dreams weren’t much better than my reality. Thoughts of the impending test the next day, and of how Mr. Nelson might just summon the ghost of Sullivan to be rid of me, the worst grade 9 student in William Lyon Mackenzie CI’s long and legendary history of terrible grade 9 math students, flooded my brain, threatening to suffocate me. My heart jolted when a wicked face that must have been Sullivan obscured my dream vision. His long spindly fingers reached out for me like spiders for prey trapped helplessly in their cobwebs. I tried to scream but choked instead as the icy cold hands, shackled by chains, wrapped around my throat. Sullivan’s eyes bulged with intensity and fervour, delight at finally dangling the life of a Mackenzie niner over a cliff. I squeezed my own eyes shut in fear, to spare myself some terror as I prepared myself for the defining snap in my neck. The burst in my chest came first. So painful and so sudden that I was launched out of the nightmare. I was back in my bed. In the dark, but in safety. It was just a dream… just a dream… I told myself, hoping that enough repetition would make it believable. Somehow, I eventually managed to slip off consciousness until morning.
Sizzle sizzle… bacon. I gingerly hopped out of bed into the crisp morning air, pulling on the old ‘Snowbody’ hoodie I had promised Cat I would wear. At least it would keep me warm.
From downstairs, I could hear Tommy already wolfing down his breakfast, the clatter of dishes as my parents warned him not to choke. Choke. That word had a whole new meaning now, but I chose not to ponder over it. “Mom?” I called as I approached. It was Dad who came running up, seemingly to greet me, except that he plowed right past, a look of angst on his usually bright face. “What’s up?” I tried to ask, but he was already gone, somewhere in one of the bedrooms. Mom came up next, also looking grim. “Heart must have stopped in his sleep,” she was muttering, and my blood ran cold. Could it be that Granny had finally kicked the bucket?
I guessed I would ask Tommy.
As I neared the dining room table, I realized that what was probably supposed to be my bacon was starting to burn in the frying pan. Eh, I thought, it’s not like I like bacon anyway. I grabbed an apple and without looking back to ask Mom or Dad to confirm the depressing news, headed out the door.
At school, everyone was in a much more festive mood. Witches, Count Draculas, mummies, Frankensteins, creepy dolls, and devils alike swamped the halls. SAC was clearly up all night because the school itself was revamped in every way possible. Fancy banners hung from every doorway and cobwebs lay strewn across the floor tiles and in between drawn cracks on the walls. From the ceiling hung sparkling orange and black streamers, and it was under one especially ornate cluster that I found the black cat I had been looking for.
“Cat!” I yelled. She didn’t seem to hear me. I ran up to her, waving wildly. “Cat! I’m wearing the hoodie. Just like I promised.” Cat shook her head, the eyeliner-drawn whiskers across her cheeks twitching annoyedly. “Unbelievable,” she grumbled. I stood, frozen, as she pushed past me and towards the cafetorium. Was the problem that I hadn’t put on ghost makeup like she had put on cat makeup? That was a dumb reason to get so angry. My eyes stung. It felt pretty crappy to be ignored so much within less than two hours. A drop of liquid threatened to abandon the protection of my eyelids. I sniffled. Gosh, I needed some privacy. Dropping my apple, I made for the girls’ washroom on the second floor. The one nobody ever visited in the morning.
Cracked glass. This is me, I realized. Hopeless. Unimportant to my parents, a disgrace to my math teacher, and an irritation to my best friend. I splashed cold water onto my face. Some drops splattered onto my hoodie. It was cold. But not nearly as spine-chilling as when I heard the chains.
Clink. Clink. Clink.
They were heavy… they must belong to someone who can carry their weight… or someone who has carried their weight for a hundred years…
Clink. Clink.
I thought it was just a legend.
Clink.
I turned around.
I was looking into the piercing eyes of a frail old man. His cheekbones would have won him a fine part in a Russian ballet, his long and nimble extremities too, were it not for the occasional limp with which he walked. I could see the heavy metal watch just barely fastened on. That must have been where the sound came from. I knew better than to ask him what he was doing in the girls’ washroom. The antique dusty suit and time-worn mask of a face were all too real and terrifying to be costumes. But this wasn’t Benjamin Sullivan. This man, I recognized. It was William Lyon Mackenzie.
The ancient politician regarded me fiercely, as if waiting for me to beg for his mercy. He didn’t need me too. I was already on my knees. “I’ll try harder in math!” I blurted, “I’ll actually listen to Mr. Nelson, and if I flunk today’s test, I swear I’ll take it to my parents. No more forging signatures.” Mackenzie didn’t budge from towering right over me. “Please!” I pleaded, “Anything. I’ll do anything, just don’t consume my soul!”
This brought on a raspy chortle, but he didn’t back up. Instead, he cleared his throat, rearranged his wristwatch with a clink, and then, finally, he spoke.
“Young one,” he began, “do I look like someone who would murder the students of the very school that bears my name?”
Frankly he did. The man didn’t wait for me to respond, however.
“You think so, huh? Well then, allow me to share with you my wisdom.”
He stepped forward with another awful clink. I hoped the hoodie was concealing my terror.
“For a century I have been dead. Watching the living. Observing what we have in common,” clink, “and what is so discriminant.
“Over the course of my research, I have come up with three conclusions.
“One, that the saying that only the dead see the end of war is false.”
I didn’t even know there was a saying like that. Mackenzie seemed to find its inveracity exceedingly depressing, though, by the hardness at which he scratched his head.
“Two,” he continued in his raspy voice, the clinks sounding on his wrist as he got excited, “only the dead cannot die.”
Now wait a minute, what did that have to do with anything? The pieces came together just as Mackenzie raised his index finger up to make a point. Clink.
“And three. Only the dead may see the dead.”

The first two weeks are without argument among the most eventful, dramatic ones of the school year… and they’re even more so when you’re trying to forge a new habit. Here are the thoughts of our “Make or Break” series participants two weeks into sleeping by 11:
Is this challenge getting easier, harder to keep up with, or the same?
Keren (Grade 10): “I think it has stayed the same. Completed homework before bed hasn’t been possible, but I’ve been able to finish it in the morning.”
Alexandra Miller (Grade 11): “Harder!”
Ayesha Rivera (Grade 11): “This challenge is becoming somewhat easier because I feel more tired from the day and I end up sleeping earlier because of this.”
Julianne Ho (Grade 11): “This challenge is getting much harder to keep up with, in order to finish my increasing workload I find myself needing to wake up very early in the mornings, which was one of my biggest difficulties before I had started trying to build this habit.”
Misheel Batkhuu (Grade 11): “I find that it's getting harder, not necessarily because of the challenges I complained about last week, but mostly because I'm getting lazier and lazier. I only start wrapping up my studies for bed around 10:50, whereas I used to be so adamant about being in bed by 10:30 so I could read with my sister. I guess I might be losing a bit of momentum.”
Are the benefits of this challenge increasing, decreasing, or the same in effectiveness and magnitude?
Keren (Grade 10): “They have stayed the same.”
Alexandra Miller (Grade 11): “When I get in bed by 11 I notice a big difference in my energy levels and well-being! It makes me want to go to bed by 11.”
Ayesha Rivera (Grade 11): “The benefits of this challenge have stayed the same as I haven't noticed any new benefits, nor have I lost the benefit of having a bit more energy as a result of having time allocated for sleeping.”
Julianne Ho (Grade 11): “I would say the benefits of this challenge remained the same in effectiveness and magnitude overall, however, I believe some benefits are decreasing while others are increasing when focusing on them individually. In the previous week, I was feeling the positive effects of having long sleep times, such as less sleepiness in class and irritability. This week I had felt the benefits of enjoying the early morning, such as being able to wake up much earlier than I ever thought possible for myself, as well as getting my day started with a boost of productivity.”
Misheel Batkhuu (Grade 11): “They're about the same. I'm still glad I'm doing this though. I don't struggle to get out of bed in the morning, I still run long-distance some mornings (the days aren't consistent, but the times a week still are), and I'm more attentive in class than I was in previous school years. Like, I actually find myself learning in class now, rather than suffering and going home to suffer again as I attempt to teach myself late into the night.”
Are there any drawbacks in this challenge that you're noticing incrementing, decrementing, or remaining in magnitude?
Keren (Grade 10): “Finishing homework has become more of a challenge.”
Alexandra Miller (Grade 11): “As more of my extracurriculars start-up, I have less time to do my homework which makes me go to bed later (or not do it).”
Ayesha Rivera (Grade 11): “There haven’t been any noticeable drawbacks in this challenge so far.”
Julianne Ho (Grade 11): “A major drawback I've noticed incrementing after Week 2 is, as predicted from Week 1, a somewhat low productivity rate that is not quite matching the increasing workload. Another drawback that had taken me by surprise is the energy crash that occurs after school - I find myself accidentally taking a nap (which personally always lasts for 3 hours, no more and no less), which wastes the perfect time in my daily schedule for schoolwork and causes insomnia late at night.”
Misheel Batkhuu (Grade 11): “I've never noticed drawbacks and that fact remains the same for me.”
How do you feel moving on with this challenge for Week 3?
Keren (Grade 10): “A little nervous…”
Alexandra Miller (Grade 11): “Hoping to do better than this week!”
Ayesha Rivera (Grade 11): “I feel positive moving on with this challenge because I feel that I am getting used to my new schedule.”
Julianne Ho (Grade 11): “Week 3 might be the toughest of this challenge yet, as there are many upcoming tests and quizzes that I need to prepare for. I believe this might be the "make or break" week, where other habits that change my daily schedule have to be solidified or I will fall behind and would be forced to leave the challenge. ”
Misheel Batkhuu (Grade 11): “Very determined to be more disciplined and less lazy about getting in bed on time and ensuring I follow the other habits I was trying to pair (bedtime reading, morning long-distance running). I also have to make my morning routine MUCH more efficient. I think waking up early falsely gives me the impression I have time to dilly dally but really, that "extra" time should be designated for intense (or light) studying I couldn't do the night before.”
Which best describes you right now?

Keren (Grade 10): Option 9 (no expression, deadset)
Alexandra Miller (Grade 11): Option 5 (sunglasses)
Ayesha Rivera (Grade 11): Option 7 (weary, eyebags)
Julianne Ho (Grade 11): Option 3 (crying, sobs)
Misheel Batkhuu (Grade 11): Option 1 (angry, determined)
If you would like to make any suggestions for our next "Make or Break" series, we would love to hear your suggestions! Send them in through here: https://forms.gle/9XwhusCA63ueVxCm9