Community Service Reflection in Lima, Peru – Duke of Edinburgh Gold Trip 2011

Posted on March 23, 2011 by admin

Ever since I was first introduced to the concept of community service in grade 7, I have attempted to draw a closer connection to why students were asked to allocate 15 hours minimum every year to help their community. With so many community service opportunities available to students, as well as such a busy extra-curricular life, it seemed to me that students often felt unattached to the reasons behind their efforts. When I was told that as part of my Duke of Edinburgh Gold trip I would have to complete four days of grueling community service in a small community named Las Palmas, I had no way of predicting that this experience would mark me and radically force me to rethink my preconceived notion of what it meant to help another.

The day after our arrival in Peru, we met students from Markham College, in Lima, who had volunteered their time to help us perform our community service, building a set of stairs upon a steep hill, which would allow the members of said community to reach their houses and get around with ease. It all seemed like a valiant effort on our parts. The arrival of the Canadians would improve the lives of the people in need. Little did we know that the next fours days would probably have a larger effect on our lives than of those people in Las Palmas. Upon our arrival at the work sight, we debriefed, talked about the needs of the community and what we expected to gain from our experience and, very soon after, we commenced what I’m sure was the most grueling work any of us had ever undertaken.

Our stay in Las Palmas challenged us to reconsider our reasoning behind why we chose to take part in this project. Working alongside the locals who took pride in the work that we were to accomplish in the next few days, we gathered sand and stone, carried enormous bags of cement up steep, sandy hills, made concrete and poured it into molds that we had previously created for the stair, prepared the platform for the stairs, etc. I can honestly say that this was the most demanding work that we had ever undertaken and although many of us questioned why we had accepted to perform such exhausting work, there was a single moment that for many of us, made it all worthwhile. After the first series of steps were built and dried, the students from the nearby school, all under the age of 10 years, joined us to relish in our accomplishments. Amazed by our work they began to run up and down the stairs with a look of sheer joy plastered on their faces.

I am sure that all of the students lucky enough to go on this trip will never forget their experience and how much they were affected by the chance to help a community in need. The work was not pretty nor was it prestigious, but never have I taken part in something so gratifying. It was so evident to us how much the community had appreciated our work and although our time was limited, how much our relationships with the people we encountered will sculpt our upcoming years.

Looking upon those steps on the last days, I could not help but feel a sense of pride, not only in our work, but in our attempt to learn about a new culture, to unquestioningly be prepared to undertake any of the work that needed to be completed, but most importantly, I was proud in our readiness to leave all comfort zones aside in the effort to create something so much bigger that a few flights of stairs in a small community in Peru. –Noah Schouela ’11

Service Learning

Posted on February 24, 2011 by admin

It was a great opportunity to spend some time with students last week at the NDG Food Depot. It is a short distance from LCC in the heart of NDG. We have worked in partnership with the food bank for several years, raising funds and sending student volunteers. This past December our senior students impressively brought food here for the food bank in large quantities: more than 100 large boxes, compared to only 35 only two years ago. This is an impressive outreach for families in need prior to the onset of winter.

In the past couple of years demand at the food depot has increased. So who are the individuals and families in need? Along with a group of Middle School students from the Round Square Conference we hosted, I learned that we are often misguided by our assumptions/biases about those who are in need. The homeless who sometimes beg on our street corners are not the primary customers of our local food bank. The regular clientele is actually somewhat surprising. There are a host of categories: recent immigrants who are having a tough time adapting to Quebec culture and language requirements, refugees from all over the world who have desperately fled countries that are politically dangerous, the elderly on small incomes, the disabled, unemployed, and the working poor.

In fact, before the students helped to sort and pack food into single baskets, the people at the food bank had our students complete a very effective exercise to learn more about the food bank’s regular clientele. In teams, the students reviewed the small incomes of various categories of clients and were asked to make choices about how they would budget their money if they were to find themselves in the same circumstances. This meant looking at a chart of costs for essentials: apartment rental, food, heating, basic transport and other expenses. The students attempted to budget, and interestingly, not one group was able to get by on the small monthly incomes that reflect the real incomes for many people in our community, but not the visible homeless who struggle on our streets. Most striking perhaps for all of the students was the realization that if you have a full time job at minimum wage in Montreal ($ 9.50/hr.), your total income per month after tax and other deductions is below $1,400/month—which is considered to be below the poverty line. In doing their calculations, students realized that even those working people are trapped in a cycle of poverty where they cannot afford nutritious food—and what we might consider as basics. Phone, Internet, computer, and TV were not part of their budgets as they are unaffordable.

Why are so many people become dependent on handouts twice a month from the NDG Food Depot. They are the old, the lonely, the disabled and minimum income earners with children who cannot get by on what they earn, even though they do their best and have full-time employment

We cannot live in a bubble here at LCC. Within in our local community there are many needs, and we have the energy, disposition and capacity to help assist in many ways. Also, as students there is much to be gained by being exposed to the difficult challenges faced by so many in our city. What can our students learn from the resilience of others? What are the social challenges of hunger, housing shortages, youth disconnected at school? These are the realities you see when you are at the NDG Food Depot or one of the other 40 agencies our students are currently involved with through active service learning. There is much to be gained from this curriculum of life and extending a welcoming hand in service of others. “Non Nobis Solum” —it was the founding ethos of our school. I believe we need to recommit to it today as an essential educational principle to help students develop as aware, capable and involved citizens.

Service learning is surely about opening eyes, and it is perhaps one of the most important pillars of our curriculum at LCC. I hope our extended school community will fully embrace the opportunities that service learning offers. —Chris Shannon, Headmaster

France: La deuxième semaine

Posted on January 31, 2011 by admin

Cette semaine s’est encore bien passée. Mercredi, j’ai visité le Musée de la Vènerie, à Senlis. J’ai beaucoup appris sur la chasse à courre et je vais peut-être en faire une pendant mon séjour.

Hier, nous sommes allés à Paris où nous avons passé la journée. Le matin, nous avons fait un peu de shopping et on a déjeuné dans un petit café. L’après-midi, nous avons vu la place de la Concorde où il y a la grande roue et l’Obélisque. Ensuite nous avons marché un peu sur les Champs-Élysées, jusqu’à la tour Eiffel. Le haut de la tour était malheureusement fermé, mais la vue du deuxième étage était quand même magnifique! Il faisait très froid et ventait beaucoup, alors nous avons pris un chocolat chaud dans un café. Notre troisième visite à Paris était formidable!

Ce matin j’ai eu mon premier cours d’économie, qui était fort intéressant et aussi mon cours de théâtre. Nous avons dû faire de l’improvisation. Le thème: les bulletins… Je me suis bien amusée! Nous avons finalement eu du soleil aujourd’hui alors Capucine, son amie Camille et moi avons déjeuné dehors. Il faisait froid, mais quand même moins qu’à Montréal. –Hélène Osterman ’12

The Tragic Loss of Jason Peagram ’05

Posted on January 18, 2011 by admin

Monday in the USA was, Martin Luther King Day, a national holiday. It was a day for reflection and an opportunity to celebrate the great black Civil rights leader who did so much on behalf of all African Americans. In fact, Reverend Martin Luther King Junior dedicated his life to building bridges between peoples of all different backgrounds in the great American melting pot. So essentially, the national holiday was a day to celebrate diversity, racial equity, peace and compassion. It was well timed on the heels of the traumatic shooting only days ago in Tucson Arizona that killed or injured more than a dozen people, including a member of the House of Representatives who has miraculously survived a bullet to the brain.

So as America reflected and searched for avenues toward a more peaceful society, here at LCC we are also reminded of the callous impact of violence. Sadly, Jason Peagram, 22-years old and an LCC graduate from the Class of 2005, was killed late last week in a shooting here in our fair city – Montreal’s first homicide for 2011.

Monday, as America celebrated Doctor King’s important message of peace, I joined colleagues from LCC and attended Jason Peagram’s funeral. It is always tragic and somewhat unnatural to watch a mother bury her son. The fact that he was a victim of such a violent act only made it more difficult.

As the presiding priest shared with the congregation, this untimely and violent death of a 22 year-old with his future before him, reminds us that there is indeed evil in the world. That the grace and sanctity of life was taken from Jason in the street in a violent manner was shocking and brutal. We were advised to be cautious of violence that is creeping onto Canadian streets and into our households. Indeed, we should all be alarmed. We were also asked to consider what we have done for others recently. You see, Jason was a regular volunteer. A love of service was an attribute he picked up while at LCC–most recently as a volunteer with kids involved in basketball programs at the Trevor Williams Kids Foundation. The priest at the funeral also asserted that we should all be wary of selfishness, narcissism, and a tendency for all of us to be too self-absorbed. So how can we counter reckless, illogical violence? It is only through love, sharing and community outreach that we will defeat brash violence. Together we have to smother it. It begins in our daily lives at school and in our homes.

A young LCC brother was buried on Monday. He was a victim of a willful act of violence and we should all feel a sort of inner personal outrage. However, we cannot allow violence to triumph. Stop and reflect how you can respond through a personal gesture or act of compassion or empathy. However small or large, let’s each dedicate an individual private act of kindness to the memory of Jason Peagram, Class of ’05.

Jason’s Irish roots were evident at his funeral and the final words of the following traditional Irish prayer provided a fitting farewell.

Jason: “May the road rise to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face. May the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, May the Lord hold you in the palm of His hand.”
—Chris Shannon, Headmaster

10 Things I Learned in Thailand

Posted on October 13, 2010 by admin

1. Smiles need no translation
2. Less is more
3. The appreciation of a toilet seat
4. How to make concrete & cement
5. How count to 100 in Thai
6. Commuting to school in the morning can get a lot more difficult
7. It ain’t easy being a teacher
8. It’s possible to eat rice every meal of the day
9. Bridging the gap between cultures and language barriers
10. More than I could ever describe…

After 36 hours of flying to the other side of the world and a night spent arguing with the local marketers in Chiang Mai, we awoke bright and early to begin our trek through the Thai mountains. Expectations varied from person to person; everyone had their own ideas about what the school would look like, how the people would act, and whether or not they had enough Nature Valley bars to last them the trip. Unexpectedly, we were all wrong. No one could have predicted the life-changing experience before us.

The five-hour trip through the mountains was eventful to say the least. From muddy roads to evasive spare tires, we began to settle into our surroundings and got to know the 30 other students who had come together from around the world to rural village of Ban Maelid.

Upon arrival, the principal and the 150 students who had readied their traditional hand-woven bracelets for each of us greeted us with incredible hospitality and generosity. We proceeded to set up our beds (though Hutch and I couldn’t figure out the mosquito net until Day 3) and all took notice of the unprecedented guy to girl ratio (7 boys and 27 girls). Over the remainder of the day, our bodies began to adjust to the unfamiliar Thai cuisine (rice and pineapple replace pizza and fries), and our hearts began to warm to the omnipresent feeling of community and togetherness that was immediately vibrant and welcoming to all.

We awoke to the familiar meal of Corn Flakes and white bread, followed by the daily morning assembly in the courtyard/soccer field. We stood quietly while the members of the school recited the national anthem and their morning prayer. Needless to say, we understood nothing of the principal’s welcoming speech, but the Regent’s School (the host school) teacher, Kun Mina, translated for us.

We then broke off into two separate groups: those who would do construction work in the morning and teach in the afternoon, and vice-versa. We learned a lot about building and cement and concrete, and it was a pretty solid workout to say the least. It was awesome how everyone was working together and helping each other to reach one common goal. Though the language barrier made it really hard to communicate with the Thai people, we were able to work around it because of everyone’s willingness and patience.

In the afternoon (or morning for others), we went to go teach the kids in groups of 2 or 3. I ended up with a girl named Leah from Victoria, BC, and a guy named Bian from Indonesia (he goes to Regent’s now). The lesson plan varied from class to class (depending on their age), but it mostly consisted of teaching them some English (whether it be counting, shapes, animals, weather, etc.) and then playing some games when we felt they’d learned enough for one day. I am forever grateful to Ms. Hart, without whom I would have never learned the awesome drama games that everyone loved and made class exciting and fun. I must admit that it wasn’t easy teaching class after class. Keeping students busy and engaged while having fun is hard work. It definitely elevated my respect and appreciation for all teachers who do this on a daily basis.

Service ended each day at 4 pm (with two snack breaks and lunch in between), at which point most of the kids would walk back home to their villages while some stayed behind to play some soccer following the end of the day assembly. For the first two days, this would be the time when we “chilled” or played soccer with the kids. Either way, a cold bucket shower was unavoidable before our 6:30 pm dinner. After dinner was all done, we’d watch a slideshow of the day’s photos and relaxed until bedtime at 9:30 pm. During that time, we got to learn how to make bracelets and weave baskets from the kids who boarded at the school. It was great to experience their culture like that, and it was relaxing and lots of fun.

Speaking of showers, the bathrooms were not quite what we were used to. There was only one North American-style toilet at the school, while the others were located on the floor and were flushed by pouring buckets of water into them until it was clean. These stalls also doubled as the showers, which consisted of a bowl and a water tap. It was a tough transition to get over for everyone, but by the 3rd or 4th day it wasn’t too bad.

After service was done on the 3rd day, we had the privilege of walking back with the kids to their village. Each one of us partnered up with someone and took on the task of walking them home. To say it was the most genuine and powerful thing I’d ever experienced would be an understatement. Past the language barrier and the massive cultural contrast, we were all simply human beings connecting on the most basic of levels. They took us to their village and welcomed us into their homes and treated us with a respect and politeness lie I had never before experienced before. To really see how these people lived and how different our lives are from their own was a huge shock, and it really instilled a profound appreciation in me for all that we have and take for granted. At the same time though, it felt so unfair that we have so much and they have so little. Then I realized just why we were there: to be together as human beings, no matter where we were from. We were there to help and to learn how easy is was to live with and love each other. Round Square 2010: We Walk Together.

On the last day, we went for an hour-long hike up the mountain (the regular commute to school everyday for some of the kids), and went to see another village. The people were incredibly friendly and welcoming as always, and it was amazing to once again see how they lived and to be truly immersed in their everyday lives. The kids guided us up the slippery trail and were so excited to show us around. I was really lucky to go hang out with my new friend Kasen’s grandparents and really see what it was like for them to live in their home. They were very kind and eager to show me their home and they loved taking pictures with us.

In the afternoon, we all came up with games to play with the whole school, and everyone was having a great time (“What time is it Mr. Wolf,” “Indian Chief,” “Monkey in the Middle,” etc.). At night, we had a big celebration of the last few days and finished it off with a disco party, which was amazing. Everyone was dancing and happy and it was really a celebration of the world coming together as one. It was an appropriate end to an unforgettable experience that really changed my life.

If you’ve read this far, you have probably inferred what I’m about to say, but I think it’s really important to reiterate this. The people of Ban Maelid were the kindest and most polite individuals I have met in my life. They treated us all with immeasurable respect and hospitality that exceeds anything I’ve ever seen. They fed us and sheltered us like kings compared to how they have to live. For example, they eat meat only about once a week due to limited availability, while we had it almost every meal because they felt it would make us more comfortable. Every time you would walk by someone down the hall they bow and say hello (“Sawadeekap” for guys, “Sawadeeka” for girls) and make you feel so welcome in a land most of us had never seen. Their love, respect and all of their gestures motivated us to reciprocate in the same way, which in turn created the atmosphere at this pre-conference that we have all come to love and deeply miss.

As I sit on the bus from Bangkok to the real conference in Pattaya writing this, I can’t help but feel sad that the past week is behind me. However, I am thankful for the privilege to partake in something as powerful as the experience I had in Ban Maelid and for the opportunity of meeting their wonderful people. I’m VERY excited for the next week to come. —Greg Sigler ’11