Thank You!
NTCI RETIRING STAFF
2025
MS. MEKHAEL
Excerpt from Graffiti Issue 4, June 2025 – By Andrei Dan
When you think of the staple teachers at North Toronto C.I., Mrs. Mekhael is one of the first who comes to mind. Whether it was in Grade 9 or 10 math, most students at NT have crossed paths with her in one way or another. Beyond the classroom, Mrs. Mekhael has also made a lasting impact through her involvement with PALs as a staff advisor, helping transition Grade 9s and multilingual learners (MLLs) into the NT community. After over two decades of dedicated teaching services and support, Mrs. Mekhael is retiring and ready to start a new chapter in life.
Teaching was never a profession Mrs. Mekhael considered growing up. “I graduated during the 1991 recession,” she mentioned, “I wasn’t planning to become a teacher. I was initially working as a secretary at Ryerson University when the professors realized I was bored.” Mrs. Mekhael’s Bachelor of Science helped her obtain a tutoring position at the university, aiding “mature students-those who had been out of school and needed help catching up before re-entering university.” After that, she never looked back. As she quickly gained experience in the education field, Mrs. Mekhael became a Chemistry Teaching Assistant. She spent 7 years at Ryerson before applying to teachers’ college. After a brief semester teaching at Eastern Commerce, she found her true home at North Toronto, where she would dedicate the next 26 years of her career.
Congratulations on your award and retirement from all of us!
MS. ARAGONA
Excerpt from Graffiti Issue 4, June 2025 – By Ivan Anand
Ms. Aragona-Belmonte is an integral part of the NTCI community. She is highly dedicated and passionate about teaching, cultivating a genuine love of learning and motivating students to be lifelong learners. She initially began her teaching career in 1988, at the Dufferin-Peel District School Board as a business and French teacher and guidance counsellor. In 2000, she worked part-time in a TDSB Model School elementary program and taught literacy and French. In 2009, Ms. Aragona-Belmonte began her teaching journey at NT moving from a part-time to a full-time business and French teacher. In her time as a teacher, she’s gone above and beyond to provide genuine connections and support for each and every one of her students. At NT, she was involved in the French, Debating, and Business (DECA) school clubs.
At the heart of her teaching is a “can-do” attitude helping students be the best version of themselves and achieve their potential in an encouraging and supportive environment. The well-rounded nature of her practice at NT has been rooted in cultivating a genuine love for learning and curiosity in both herself and the students, considering the individual needs and talents of each learner.
Being of Italian descent, Ms. Aragona-Belmonte spoke both English and Italian at home. Learning two languages at a very early age improves communication skills, memory, problem-solving skills and creativity fostering cultural awareness and empathy. She studied literature, history, art and architecture in Florence, Rome and Assisi, Italy focusing on the Medieval, Humanist and Renaissance periods. The study of Renaissance Humanism had a deep impact on Ms. Aragona-Belmonte because it emphasized education, civic engagement, and human potential. In university, she also focused on French grammar, explored the differences and similarities between English and French and specialized in French phonetics.
Ms. Aragona-Belmonte loves sharing her love of the French language and business with her students. She has found that the NT students have a strong desire to learn and explore, as well as a dedication to their studies and interests. Language acquisition takes interaction, participation, consistent commitment, and meaningful feedback. She believes that Ontario has an excellent education system and it offers a well rounded education. Smaller classes would be beneficial for student learning and in fostering engagement in order to provide more individualized support to meet the needs of students and address achievement gaps.
As Ms. Aragona-Belmonte reflects on her incredible journey of teaching, she is filled with immense gratitude and the sincerest thanks to the students and staff. She says NT has been an unforgettable experience that she will treasure forever.
Learning and teaching will always be a part of Ms. Aragona-Belmonte’s life. She looks forward to seeing what the future holds and retirement is an excellent time to explore curiosities. She hopes to continue to develop her love for gardening, languages, history, design and travel. She places a high importance on family and friends and is anticipating more quality time together.
The heart of teaching not only involves imparting knowledge but also nurturing the students’ social and emotional growth, and so teaching will always be near to her heart. Ms. Aragona-Belmonte sends her best wishes to the students on their continuous journey of learning and growth.
MS. ELLIOTT
Excerpt from Graffiti Issue 4, June 2025 – By Sophie Ratner
As a child, Ms. Elliott had always wanted to become an elementary school teacher. Some of her earliest memories were of her playing school with her sister. “I would be a the teacher and I’d make her be the student and we’d have our little classroom set up in our bedroom,” she said. Up until Grade 11, she was certain that she would pursue education. However, a discussion with her guidance counselor led her away from that path, as there was an oversaturation of teachers in the industry. Instead, Ms. Elliott went into the medical field as an X-ray technician. “It was very interesting, but it wasn’t a good fit,” she said. “Our romantic idea of hospitals from Gray’s Anatomy isn’t the reality. I was sad most of the time because I knew a lot of these patients would not survive and I didn’t know how to deal with my emotions.” She was later offered other positions, and she was able to do medical research, but she didn’t find that it was her passion. Later on, one of her patients suggested that she try being a flight attendant. “My idea was that I would travel the world,” she said. “instead I saw a lot of airports, and when I did stay, it wasn’t for very long. I didn’t like that either because I was just a glorified waitress at that point.”
All throughout this journey, Ms. Elliott decided that she always wanted to learn Spanish, so she took a course at the University of Toronto and later on declared her major in Spanish. She continued on to pursue her master’s in Spanish, and worked as a teaching assistant. “When I did the TA-ship, I thought, ‘this is what I need to be doing; I need to be teaching’,” she said. She initially considered pursuing her PhD, but decided to take a Bachelor of Education. Ms. Elliott began working at North Toronto in 2000 and has taught here since then. “I never expected to love it so much, but I have,” she said. “It was the best mistake ever.”
MS. HARVEY
Excerpt from Graffiti Issue 4, June 2025 – By Elsa Scurfield
Ms. Harvey began her teaching career in 1995 at Sir Winston Churchill CI. She has been a beloved role model at North Toronto for 19 years, and as she turns the page and enters retirement, she will be greatly missed.
Ms. Harvey chose teaching as a career because it was familiar to her as she grew up around family members who were teachers, and spent time as a child in her father’s classroom. In addition, she herself had some teachers who “sparked [her] interest in a subject, or sparked [her] desire to learn, and [she] wanted to help other people experience that same feeling.”
MR. LYNE
Excerpt from Graffiti Issue 4, June 2025 – By Sophie Ratner
It might be hard to believe that our passionate and dedicated Grade 11 English teacher, Mr. Lyne, initially became a teacher because it was the most practical decision for him. “The honest truth is that I wanted to be a filmmaker,” he said, “but I thought it would be more reasonable for me to be a teacher… and I don’t have any regrets.” Mr. Lyne first started teaching at Georges Vanier Secondary School in 1998 as a computer science teacher, and he described the interview process and his initial feelings towards starting this new career as “a bit intimidating and strange, like I wasn’t sure what I was getting into.” Despite this, he was able to find his footing and make connections with students by acting as the staff advisor for the Tamil Club and starting up a drama club for the school.