As July brings an adventurous summer ahead, let’s recall the past year just one more time. Exam week is over and I’m sure we can all look forward to a restful break. With big events such as the Semi Formal, Prom, the Athletic Ceremony and more, this year has been truly unforgettable! To sign off this school year, we say our goodbyes to Mr. Johnson and Mr. Morris, and we thank them for creating an amazing environment at Mackenzie!
Mr. Johnson. A name of this school. A name that echoes and resounds within the halls of this school and will go on to do so long after his physical presence departs us. A hard-working and ambitious principal who treated this school like his second home. His radiant smile and his sincerity toward students will never be forgotten. From spirited dances on SAC Tiktoks to his drive for spreading diversity in the school within clubs, councils and the student body, Mr. Johnson has been remarkable. Always willing to advise and guide students around him; the title of a supportive principal is just not enough to describe him. His outstanding dedication is present in the countless emails and phone calls he makes to keep families informed of the school environment as well as contacting important individuals to assure Mackenzie runs smoothly. Mr. Johnson has created incredible change at Mackenzie, and although his time here has come to an end, he has undoubtedly brought positivity to the lives of students around him. We thank you Mr. Johnson and wish you all the best for what's to come!
Words of Students:
“Mr. Johnson has been an outstanding principal, arguably the best I have encountered. Under his guidance, Mackenzie has become a place of equity and inclusivity where every student's voice is valued. He has never failed to greet students and is always willing to engage in conversations, even amidst a busy schedule. His passion for his work has been inspiring, and we are grateful for his contributions. We will miss you!” - Crystal Cai
“There’s no denying that it takes a great principal to run such a diverse, driven, and ambitious group of high school students at Mackenzie. Over the last 5 years, Mr. Johnson has done an incredible job at fostering a positive, inclusive, and welcoming learning environment for all. His care and attention to detail does not go unnoticed, as Mr. Johnson makes an effort to remember all the students names and faces, while working hard to ensure that student voices are amplified and well represented. Mr. Johnson has been nothing less than the most amazing principal a school could ask for, and will be missed dearly as he moves on to the next chapter. Best of luck Mr. Johnson, we love you!” - Nicole Poroshenko
“Mr. Johnson was a force to be reckoned with. He made sure every student felt included and he was never shy of taking measures to spread positivity. He created an environment where students were comfortable and happy to be at Mackenzie. He brought great energy to the school, and would always wave to students after school. He will be missed!” - Samia Khan
“At the helm of Mackenzie’s leadership for 5 whole years, Mr. Johnson has been an advocate, a mentor, and a great leader. Managing a whole high school with over 1000 students can be a grueling task, but Mr. Johnson does it with a smile, making sure he says “Good Morning” or “Hello” to students passing by in the halls. If you know him you would know, but he is a very open and approachable principal, and Mr. Johnson never shies away from participating in school events, such as Food Day, Mactoberfest, and other great events we have here at WLMAC. Let’s not forget that Mr. Johnson was the principal during the pandemic, and it is beyond me how he managed to manage and lead during those burdensome times. It is unfortunate to have someone like Mr. Johnson go, but I believe he will go on to do great things wherever life takes him. I sincerely thank Mr. Johnson on behalf of all WLMAC students, for an amazing 5 years full of high school!” - Daniel Park
Listen to this special episode of "A Day in a Life of" to get insight about Mr. Johnson's hobbies, amibitions, journey to our school and beyond.

What's the difference between a cat and a lawyer? One is an abominable being that will ignore you and treat you with contempt unless it decides it can get something out of you. The other is a household pet.
As almost every morning brings us a clear sky to gaze upon, we still find ourselves in doubt and hesitation. Which is it that we should be focusing on? The xx days left until culminatings are due, or the same number of days summer gets a lot closer? This year has been long and exhausting, and sometimes we wish only that it would end and set us free. But then we wonder if that is really what we want. What of the little classroom moments that are actually fun? What of the inside jokes that might spawn any day? What of the evolution that is happening so slowly and yet so surely, that when we look down at the essays and tests we can't help crying over, we realize how far we've come?
Life, and its people, come and go fast, and we can only try to savour the time we share. After one awesome year at Mackenzie, Mr. Taylor is moving on much to our chagrin, but not without having recorded something to remember him by.
If a rainbow had a human counterpart, its personification would be Mr. Taylor, a miraculous walking phenomenon who, despite his brief time at Mackenzie, made an impression with awe-inspiring impact. His students know him for his daily updates on the days remaining until exams but also for his unparalleled passion for the social sciences. It's hard to judge what, between his jolly laugh and deep regard for others, is the coolest part about Mr. Taylor, and we can't promise you that this energy-filled episode will help you decide. It will remind you that Mackenzie is blessed with great teachers who, by giving us sunshine and rain, are symbolic of rainbows - don't miss out on learning about and appreciating them while they're here.

As May comes to a close, culminatings and exam season have once again made their way into our lives, and our final spirit week for the year has ended with a bang. Prom gave seniors a last chance to look back, have fun, and celebrate their high school careers. In the middle of all these events, it’s important to hold onto the little moments we share, as it's the small things that we often fail to notice that wind up being priceless and special beyond compare.
Arriving promptly in our building every morning and making sure our building is an attraction in itself, Mr. Dexter is the one behind it all. The spontaneous laughter and joyful smile he brings, along with being a regular listener of “A Day in a Life Of” himself, saying that it was a pleasure to produce this episode would be an understatement. A father who has a particular niche in the kitchen, Mr. Dexter even has future dreams to accomplish within the halls of Mackenzie. If you want to know what it’s like as lead caretaker (other than sweeping our halls), this unique episode is sure to enlighten you!

Snow. Rain. Ice. Sun. Grass. Mud. And snow.
This February and March at Mackenzie have seen landscapes change faster than semi-formal tickets could be bought, and more unexpectedly than a unit test date that has ever been postponed. Nonetheless, as we head out of a March Break and into a remainder of Semester 2, here is a podcast episode you can palpably look forward to listening to. As outside temperatures cycle between -10 and 10 degrees Celsius, enjoy the octaves spoken and sung by the iconic, indolic Mr. Ben Segev.
In halls of teenagers hunched forward from backpacks and in rooms of staff earnestly typing out lesson plans in detail, Mr. Segev stands out (literally). Beyond "bending back" and leading classes based on "the energy in the room," Mr. Segev is known to teach sinusoidal functions on whiteboards under trees in the fresh, open air, and meditate during free periods. But he is also a man whose music has seen the studio and a father who knows how to dream and all the same, embrace and love life as it is. In this very special episode, you will get the chance to hear Mr. Segev's completely academic-unrelated insights; if there's anything to know before and after stepping in, it's that this podcast was the purest pleasure to produce.

So this is New Years’. And what have you done? Another year over- and a new one just begun.
Truly, 2023 comes with mixed feelings after a 2022 that returned some “normal,” but also some obsolete we wished would stay subdued forever. It’s not easy to compare our relief at the lifting of emergency measures with our stress at the looming exams, nor is it fair to choose between our joy to celebrate with others and our horror at the terror striking across other parts of the world. Still, we can be grateful that we have each other, through the good and the bad, and there’s no one better to reassure us of that than the teacher whose lessons are for life and whose life is a long, delightful lesson.
Bubbly and bright, Ms. Grundy is everything you might dream your chemistry experiment to be. The flip side to her humour is her love of pure education; you, her students, who are her experiment. Whether taste-testing chem cookies, jumpscaring children with bonus questions in 40-minute quests, or offering sticker rewards for unit review Kahoots, Ms. Grundy definitely knows how to engage as a teacher. By the end of “A Day in the Life of Ms. Grundy,” however, you may just see past the chem puns, through the anime and video game references, and into an extraordinary woman and human Mackenzie is honoured to call our own.

After hardly two months of 2022/23, school has already set off in many directions, taking its toll here and spreading its wings there. But as due dates pile up and lines for free pizza clump among students, the workloads, meetings, and (PowerSchool) training increase at even scarier rates for teachers. Today, Project Metropolis presents you with one exceptionally assiduous and ardent teacher's generous contribution of her time and insights.
The pinnacle of every student's studies in mathematics and its universal applications, Ms. Gugoiu is a legend. From greeting you with a loud "hello!" at the door to seeing you out with a knowing "bye bye," she takes a kid by the hand and gives them compassion, confidence, and competence. In a world where sleep deprivation is standard and a real love for education is rare, Ms. Gugoiu beams with an ebulliance that even her Calculus could never measure and Vectors could never pinpoint. Truly, good teachers - really, really good teachers - walk in our world to this day and beyond. Whether or not you are already an established member of Gugoiu Nation, "A Day in the Life of Ms. Gugoiu" awaits your listen.

With September right around the corner and our return to school approaches, summer and everything it stands for - freedom, creativity, happiness - seems on the verge of fading away for another dull 10 months. Alas, there lies hope and sunshine yet! Today, we offer you the words and insights of one of Mackenzie's most beloved staff, co-ACL of Math, fashion icon and trig enthusiast, Ms. Chevannes!
Known across the halls of WLMAC for her bright voice and spontaneous jokes, Ms. Chevannes is very much wanted, if not as a math teacher, as a friend. One knows they can count on her to make learning easy and tests perfectly challenging. When it comes to youth life and voice, there's no better advocate than Ms. Chevannes, who herself may be wise but fundamentally is young at heart. But behind the scenes, do math teachers really derive pleasure from marking tests? How do we get on their good side? Do they actually like math, and if so, what is it like striving (and struggling) to teach their passion to others five days a week (minimum!), ten months a year? Ms. Chevannes will tell you if you'll listen.

As the countdown to the end of the 2021/2022 school year begins for real, we present to you a piece that is sure to remind you that for some people, the work (and the fun!) never stops. What's more, the two come hand in hand. Behold, WLMAC, Project Metropolis' podcast's newest episode: "A Day in the Life of Mr. Berenstein!"
To his eager students and elated Debate club followers, Mr. Berenstein is the life and soul of the party. With his dramatic storytelling, insightful questions, detailed commentary, and hilarious character, in and out of the English curriculum, Mr. B is like a 21st century Shakespeare: “playful, yet probing.” However, while Mr. B more than perfectly suits his job such that some may be convinced he could only exist in the English hallway, like every other person, the man has a life. A life made of routines and surprises, honesty and humour, productivity and fun. If you’re looking to discover what an English teacher does besides scrutinizing your work, this episode, dotted with laughter and truth, is for you.

A month and a half into Semester 2, assignment piles and rants about life's trials and injustices (or justices when teenage drama karma has its way) are cluttering our lives. But as warmer weather and birdsong speak of incoming Spring, perhaps it's time we collect ourselves and embrace the bright side. At least our teachers and staff don't have it any better than us, right? Only one way to find out...
Continuing our acclaimed "A Day in the Life of" podcast series, we proudly present the "Ms. Mancini" episode! Effervescent and industrious, Ms. Mancini is WLMAC spirit itself. Her support and love for the school, its students, its staff, whether through her leadership and sponsorship of SAC initiatives, or her engaged interactions in the library, is not only clear, but radiant. And yet, despite her bustling presence and booming voice, how well do we really know this powerful woman?
This exclusive interview explores Ms. Mancini's world and life, in the present (and maybe even past!). Enjoy.