Lianne Castelino

A mainstay of nine previous ParenTalks presentations at St. Michael's College School (SMCS), Dr. Mark Broussenko '07 is used to applying a mental health lens to a variety of topics --- both with and without a medical focus.
In the final ParenTalks event of the 2020-21 academic year, Dr. Broussenko, a family physician and hospitalist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), got granular with his trademark straight talk on several familiar and emerging themes.
Lianne Castelino moderates the webinar presentation.

For years it was like a ‘badge of honour’ that I wore with great pride.
Quite bluntly it is a pre-requisite for working as a journalist in a television newsroom. And, for me, that’s likely where it started.
Honing and sharpening of the skill continued as a young mother, then as an entrepreneur, then as a parent working outside the home 4 days a week, and running a side business.

It was not part of their plan.
"We were going to wait for Grade 9 as his public school is very good," says Carolyn, mom of two, describing her family's decision to apply to St. Michael's College School (SMCS) in late July 2020 --- well after the traditional Admissions period --- and two years earlier than anticipated.
"We weren’t sure he needed a private school education," Carolyn continues. "Neither of us had one, and we turned out just fine…or so we think!"
Four months into the COVID-19 pan...

The ability to sense how someone is feeling and to imagine what it might be like to walk in their shoes even for a moment, are examples of empathy in action.

This emotional understanding and connection to the feelings of others as well as oneself has been the foundation of the Canadian organization, Roots of Empathy, which turns 25 in 2021.

Lianne Castelino speaks to Mary Gordon in the Where Parents Talk podcast.

Phyllis Fagell believes the concept of resilience is not always clearly understood.
“I think a lot of people when they think about resilience, assume it means that you are so strong, that you never stumble,” says the licensed clinical professional counsellor, certified professional school counsellor, author, and journalist.
“It’s not about being stoic, and pulling yourself up from the bootstraps,” Fagell continues. “In fact, that’s another thing that’s often misunderstood about resilience. Yo...

A new Canadian survey reveals how the psychological scars of COVID-19’s second wave are gripping an already strained, stretched demographic: working mothers.

“The impact has been rolling back the clock by 30 years,” says Pamela Jeffery, mother of two and founder of The Prosperity Project which, in collaboration with Pollara Strategic Insights and CIBC, conducted the survey.

Lianne Castelino of Where Parents Talk speaks to Jeffery about the survey results.

Author of multiple international bestselling books including: In Praise of Slow, Under Pressure, The Slow Fix, and most recently Bolder: Making The Most Of Our Longer Lives, author, TED speaker and father of two, Carl Honoré pioneered the ‘slow parenting movement.

Karl Subban, father of 5, grandfather of 4, a retired teacher, school administrator and life-long educator, speaks to Lianne Castelino of WhereParentsTalk TV about how to help kids reach their potential.

The first ParenTalks presentation of 2021 examined evidenced-based research into how students learn best, their learning styles and areas of strength, natural changes in the adolescent brain, and strategies to help parents support their sons against the backdrop of distance learning and social barriers brought on by the global pandemic.

A gifted athlete in high school specializing in soccer, football, and track, John Walsh was certain of one thing as a teenager contemplating his future career. "I always thought I wanted to be involved in sport. It was always in the back of my mind," he says. "I had no idea what."

Even in a revised format, it remains a sizeable undertaking within a COVID-19 world.
A graduation requirement in Ontario mandating all high school students complete 40 hours of community service or volunteer hours was waived by the Ministry of Education last year due to pandemic-fuelled restrictions. This year, the Ministry of Education has reduced the requirement from 40 hours to 20 hours.

Several themes have run through the multiple pivots in Caroline Freibauer's career choices as she reflects on them.
"For me, it's all about continuous learning, really, " says the Head Librarian at St. Michael's College School (SMCS), a position she has held since September 2020. "At some point, you've maxed out either that situation or that career and it is time to look for something new."

From hands-on learning to real-world practicums that take students out of the classroom, the computer science and engineering robotics programme at St. Michael’s College School (SMCS) provides students with opportunities akin to what they would experience at a university.

The Chapel is the heart of St. Michael’s College School (SMCS). It serves as a pillar of strength for the school community, through the celebration of daily and weekly Masses and prayer services, special Masses for alumni and their families, and a sacred place for individual prayer and reflection.

The Media Arts Programme at St. Michael’s College School (SMCS) goes beyond teaching students fundamental skills in video and image making by using these mediums as a way to explore a world of ideas.