Alumnae

Welcome

Alumnae Association

The SMLS Alumnae Association is a global network of 3500+ alumnae who have maintained their connection to the School and to other SMLS graduates. The SMLS Alumnae Executive Committee is comprised of a slate of volunteers whose goal is to inspire our alumnae community to stay connected to the school and to each other through relevant alumnae programs and events held throughout the year. They actively work to promote alumnae involvement and to raise money for the Alumnae Bursary Endowment Fund. 

List of 2 items.

  • Executive Committee

    President: Sarah REEVES Sims ‘90
    Past President: Bisma Bhatti ‘08
    Head of Communications: Sabina Beckman-Breen ‘12
    Head of Events: Ashleigh Breen ‘03
    Secretary: Stephanie Kennedy ‘02
    Treasurer: Kavita BHANGU Parashar ‘00
    Member at Large, Fundraising: Sarah Turner ‘03
    Member at Large, Graduway: Chantal Giurlanda ‘06 
    Member at Large, Class Representatives: Effie Bouras ‘93
    Member at Large: Catherine Cherry-McQuigge ‘70
    Member at Large: Onaiza Kazi ‘13
    Member at Large: Kristen Ashworth ‘18

  • Monthly Meeting Schedule

    Tuesday, September 19th at 7:00 p.m.
    Tuesday, October 17th at 7:00 p.m.
    Tuesday, November 21st at 7:00 p.m.
    Tuesday, December 12th at 7:00 p.m.
    Tuesday, January 16th at 7:00 p.m.
    Tuesday, February 27th at 7:00 p.m.
    Tuesday, March 26th at 7:00 p.m.
    Tuesday, April 16th at 7:00 p.m.
    Tuesday, May 21st at 7:00 p.m.
    Tuesday, June 18th at 7:00 p.m.
     
    Monthly meetings are held every 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the SMLS Boardroom (unless otherwise specified).

    All alumnae are welcome to join us!

Upcoming Events

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Message from the President

I have been a Millie for 41 years.  When I first walked into Mrs. Murray’s Grade 6 class, a shy, awkward girl newly arrived from England, I never imagined that my parents had given me a lifelong gift.  It’s funny to think that my eight student years are actually such a small part of my overall Millie experience.  While the closeness of my connection to the school may have ebbed and flowed through the years,  my Millie friends have always been my nearest and dearest.  A little over eight years ago, my connection to the school changed again when my youngest daughter Amelia became a Millie too. I have loved re-experiencing the school, rekindling memories as I see her enjoying everything the school has to offer.  (I’m quite envious of the girls’ opportunities today in comparison to the “old days.”)  I’m thrilled that this year Amelia will join our ranks as an SMLS Alumna when she graduates in June with the Class of 2024.
 
I think that the prospect of Amelia becoming an alumna was part of what inspired me to first join the Alumnae Association Executive Committee several years ago and to step into the role of President this year.  I want to ensure that our Alumnae Association continues to flourish so that we can support each new generation of Millies following in our footsteps. 
 
We naturally maintain our bonds with our closest friends, but there’s so much more to the Millie community.  The broad networks of alumnae of all ages, across industries and countries are an invaluable source of community and connection.  My biggest goal as President is to build our sense of connection.  
 
Our network is facilitated through alumnae news shared in our social media and monthly newsletters, as well as the bonds fostered by class reps and in-person events.  This year’s Alumnae Association Executive Committee are working on increasing the ways that we can connect both online and in-person.  Our collective aim is to meet you where you are.  You’ll see more options for events tailored to subsets of our wider alumnae population.  For example, a moms and tot’s coffee morning, a young professionals networking night in the city, and virtual meet-ups for the many Millies that aren’t local to the GTA.
 
The marquee Alumnae event of the year is always our Reunion Event in early May.  This year, we’re expanding several aspects of the reunion experience.  We’ll be hosting multiple events over the weekend of May 2nd-5th, 2024. Also new this year will be the anniversary recognition of every five years from graduation, i.e., if your grad year ends in 4 or 9 we are going to be celebrating you.  Block your calendars and start making travel plans for a weekend of all things SMLS.
 
The other way that we can keep connected with each other is by sharing news and updates.  Please let us know what is going on in your life that we can share back out through our various communications (e.g., our monthly newsletter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn).  Most importantly, when your contact information changes, please let the school know.
 
I love connecting with Millies of every age and stage.  If you’d like to chat about ideas for alumnae events, how to volunteer, or to share some news, I hope you’ll get in touch - alumnae@smls.on.ca  Remember, “once a Millie, always a Millie!”
 
Kind regards,
Sarah REEVES Sims ‘90
President, SMLS Alumnae Executive
There are myriad opportunities in the ranks of our alumnae - friendships, mentoring, job opportunities, and advisors on all aspects of life.  We are an amazing group of women and we need to share this with each other.

Alumnae News

List of 4 news stories.

  • Alumnae Pub Night Enjoyed By All

    Another Alumnae Pub Night took place on February 22nd at Beertown Oakville. We had a great turnout from Millies from 1974 through to 2022. Lots of laughs, great conversation and some yummy food and beverages were enjoyed by all.⁠
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    If you missed this one, mark your calendar for Thursday, May 2nd when we’ll be kicking off SMLS' Celebration Weekend with our next Alumnae Pub Night.⁠

  • Kicking Off Our New "Let's Lunch" Series

    The Inaugural “Let’s Lunch” gathering this past Sunday was a wonderful combination of delicious food and lively conversation. We enjoyed a lovely “High Tea” at the new Cupcake Cafe in Burlington. Conversation ran the gamut from what everyone has been doing since leaving SMLS to reminiscing about favourite teachers.⁠
    ⁠
    Mark your calendars for the next lunch in the series, taking place April 13th in downtown Toronto.⁠

  • SMLS Alumnae: Empowered Women on the Ice Rink

    wo Class of 2020 alumnae have been busy taking action to achieve gender equality in hockey. Savannah Staszkiel ‘20 and Kate Thomson ‘20 have harnessed their love of hockey, determination for equality, and great organizational skills to launch the Women’s Engineering vs. Ivey School of Business annual hockey game. ⁠
    ⁠
    Not only was the event a First-in-Canada for women’s hockey paving the way for future women, thanks to their great marketing they sold out the 1,450-seat arena. The sell-out crowd also meant they raised over $7,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society.⁠
    ⁠
    What’s next for this dynamic duo? Savannah is excited to travel to Queen’s University for their annual hockey tournament with her Ivey teammates. However, the team will be missing Kate who leaves in January 2024 for an exchange semester at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. ⁠
    ⁠
    Congratulations to these amazing Millies for all they’re doing to lead the way for gender equality. Empowered women challenging and transforming the world! Check out the full story from the Western University Gazette. 

  • Young Professionals Week

    A BIG heartfelt thank you to all of our incredible alumnae who supported our second annual Young Professionals Week. It was a great success! 
     
    Throughout the week, we welcomed back many of our alumnae for speed mentoring sessions, “unique pathways” professional panels, professional headshot sessions, and a wonderful virtual panel with our youngest alumnae! It is always so wonderful to see what our alumnae are doing, and it’s a bonus to see our soon-to-be graduates so confidently planning and preparing for their futures. Inspired girls and empowered women, indeed. 
     
    Students in Grade 9 through 12 had the opportunity to ask questions and to learn more about the unique career paths, undergraduate and graduate programs, and life after SMLS from these amazing women. 
     
    A very special thank you to this year’s impressive group of alumnae:
     
    Sarah REEVES Sims ‘90
    Alexandra McCOOMB Hyland ‘01
    Nicole Southey ‘02
    Bisma Bhatti ‘08
    Sophie Laramée ‘12
    Nikki Morrison ‘12
    Holly Burrows ‘13
    Onaiza Kazi ‘13
    Celina Jafree ‘23
    Jenny Liu ‘23
    Emily May ‘23
    Angel Ngo ‘23
    Sena Yenilmez ‘23
     
    Thank you to our University Guidance Counsellor, Nicole Bryant, and to our wonderful alumnae for organizing such a fantastic event. This week offered a fantastic opportunity to showcase the success of our alumnae and to see the passion budding in our future leaders. It was a truly inspiring week for everyone at SMLS.

*NEW* Fall/Winter 2023 Alumnae Wear Collection

Show your Millie Pride! The Alumnae Association is excited to announce the launch of our new Fall/Winter 2023 Alumnae Wear Collection. We have a great lineup of crew neck sweatshirts, cozy hoodies, and long sleeve and short sleeve tees so you can show off your Millie Pride wherever you go!
 
Click Here to view our new designs and find other important information! Preorders are now open! Please email alumnae@smls.on.ca if you have any questions.

Three Ways to Stay Connected

St. Mildred’s-Lightbourn School

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