Classe Nature: J’adore mon chalet!

Posted on June 10, 2013 by dlevy

J’ai toujours voulu aller dans un camp où on dort. Maintenant, j’ai une idée de comment ça se passe dans un de ces camps. J’adore mon chalet! J’aime avoir toutes mes amies avec moi et j’aime comment tout est organisé. J’aime être dans la même chambre que mes amies les plus proches parce qu’elles m’aident avec mon journal et parce que j’ai beaucoup de plaisir avec elles. J’aime comment ma chambre est organisée car j’aime les lits superposés et les étagères.

En conclusion, j’aime mon chalet et je n’en demanderais jamais un autre! MERCI LES PROFS!!! – Alexandra Bromberg ’18

Classe Nature: J’ai escaladé jusqu’au sommet du rocher!

Posted on June 10, 2013 by dlevy

Notre première activité aujourd’hui était l’escalade. Cette activité était très amusante, mais j’étais un peu nerveux car les rochers naturels qu’on devait escalader était très hauts. De plus, je ne suis pas si bon en escalade. Cependant, quand j’escaladais le mur, j’avais de plus en plus confiance en moi-même. Étonnamment, j’ai escaladé jusqu’au sommet du rocher! Saviez-vous que c’était la première fois que j’escaladais un rocher jusqu’au sommet? L’escalade est définitivement un sport intéressant et j’aimerais continuer à en faire. J’ai vraiment eu beaucoup de plaisir aujourd’hui! – Terry Xiao ’18

Fighting Shoreline Debris

Posted on June 2, 2013 by dlevy

On June 1st, I participated in a shoreline cleanup hosted by the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup organization, the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Centre and WWF Canada. The activity consisted of picking up everything from cigarette butts to plastic bottles by the Lachine Canal. We did this to prevent any garbage getting into the water and out into the ocean.

Toutes les années, plusieurs animaux meurent en s’étouffant avec des déchets jetés par les humains. Pendant deux heures, nous les avons ramassés sur les deux cotés du canal Lachine, proche du marché Atwater. A la fin de l’activité, on avait deux sacs de vidange pleins. Même si c’était une expérience fatigante, elle a été amusante! –Noah Wou ’16

Time to Declutter

Posted on May 31, 2013 by dlevy

Last Friday’s Grandparents’ Day was truly a special celebration. Hundreds of grandparents came to LCC for an opportunity to connect with children in a manner that is both meaningful and inspiring to see.

The presence of so many happy elderly people made me think of my wise old aunt Kathleen who had a full life. She lived well into her 90’s—healthy, active, engaged, and upbeat to the end. In her 90’s Kathleen took a lot of courses for personal interest and self-development. One course led to her doing housework in the nude, which was supposedly very therapeutic. She loved it; people just knew to avoid her place in the mornings!

My favourite course that Kathleen took was called “decluttering.” To “declutter” is to rid yourself of the piles that build up around you over time—the mess that gets in the way and can prevent productivity, efficiency, even happiness.

In my aunt’s case, the decluttering course focused less on reducing the useless “stuff” in her life as it did on getting rid of people who were dragging her down—the complainers, the whiners, the negative forces who could make any 90 year-old miserable. So during the last few years of her life, aunt Kathleen actively decluttered —literally consciously dropping friends who were mostly negative energy and who brought her down.

So let’s think about “decluttering” in your life. I’m not suggesting you start “dropping” friends left and right. But this is the time of year when we all benefit from evaluating our circumstances and clearing a path to daylight, to efficiency, to a more positive attitude, or positive mindset.

How does your personal space look—your desk at home, your documents on your computer? It’s time for more than spring-cleaning; it’s time to “declutter” and eliminate the mess that stands in your way as you prepare to wrap up your school year.

So how about friends? Are the people you spend most of your time with uplifting and supportive? Or have you somehow fallen into a circle of whiners & complainers? Ultimately, the people you surround yourself with help to define you and what you will become.

So value true friendship and be wary of those who are “takers” or false friends. Let’s all take the necessary steps to “declutter” this week—whether its things or people—and thanks to the life wisdom auntie Kathleen for the reminder that it is simple steps and decisions that help us to define our priorities and ultimately our destiny. — Chris Shannon, Headmaster

Heartfelt Gratitude

Posted on May 22, 2013 by dlevy

I witnessed one of our best LCC school traditions on Tuesday morning—one that parents never see. It was an impressive series of heartfelt “Thank Yous” and words of appreciation from Middle and Senior School students to departing faculty.

So what is the impact of a good teacher? Incalculable. They work long hours shoulder to shoulder with students of potential. Young people need practice, refinement and opportunities to try and then try again. That’s how deep learning happens. Teachers’ work is more of a craft or art than a science. Teachers are in the people-building business. No single recipe for success works with any two students. It’s complicated and important work.

Several words come to mind when I think about a good teacher: intelligent, patient, insightful, concerned, connected, intuitive, committed, inspired, inspiring, invaluable, fair, industrious. The list goes on.

Today our students proudly took time to be genuine in their public thanks. It was clear from the students’ words that each teacher had really made a difference. Each one has touched students profoundly and in different ways. My thanks to all departing faculty for their commitment to learning and living by our LCC ethos of “Students First.” —Chris Shannon, Headmaster