The Harper Legacy @ LCC

Posted on May 19, 2010 by admin

Independent schools are nurtured and supported by many different groups: current students, parents, alumni, faculty, staff, board members, volunteers and members of the local community. However, one of the most important constituent groups is legacy families whose contribution over several generations is one of the strongest ties that bind us together. Perhaps the most notable legacy family at LCC is the Harper family who were recognized at our school assembly yesterday for decades of support and involvement at LCC.

The patriarch of the Harper family was Ralph Harper. He, graduated from LCC in 1947 and eventually sent all five of his sons to the school. Mr. Harper was a Board member and eventually rose to become Chairman of the Board, overseeing a major capital campaign that built our Junior School. Harper House was named after him with the re-launch of the House system in 2002.

Yesterday, at our school assembly we celebrated the contributions of Ralph’s eldest son, Gary Harper from the class of 1973. Gary picked up where his father left off, and within a decade of graduating from LCC, he was active as an alumnus volunteer. Since the early 1980s, Gary Harper has been a selfless volunteer for our school – a true leader. He worked as a fundraiser on two major capital campaigns, chairing the recent initiative that built the new arena/athletic complex in 2008.

Gary was a member of the Board of Governors for a decade, from 1994-2004 and like his father, Chairman of the Board during his final term. Gary also sent his four children to LCC, with the youngest graduating in 2007. In recognition of his extraordinary contribution, Gary’s photo is being placed beside his father’s in our historic dining hall, so that all will know that Harper House is named after these two dedicated community builders. Also in attendance at the assembly were Gary’s mother, his wife, three of his four brothers and his four children.

Gary Harper and the extended Harper family live and breath LCC’s ethos of Non Nobis Solum – Not for Ourselves Alone. We are fortunate to have in our midst legacy families such as the Harpers for they bring us strength, dedication and continuity.—Chris Shannon, Headmaster

Living Non Nobis Solum Post LCC

Posted on April 14, 2010 by admin

In recent years, service learning opportunities have evolved exponentially at LCC. The ethos of “Non Nobis Solum – Not for Ourselves Alone” is a founding principle of our school. In early years, school service was largely seen as an extension of commitment to king and country through participation in mandatory cadets. Indeed, boys from LCC took that training and served their nation in great numbers in both WWI and WWII.

In the 1960s and 70s service at LCC was a club activity for a select group of students who wanted to reach out and connect with the local community. Yet, not all students participated.

Today, every LCC student from K-12 is involved in service at some level. Kindergarten students begin by helping out with special chores at home and in their neighborhoods. Middle School students visit local community agencies in small groups and meet Montreal citizens who are making a difference in our city. Senior School and Pre-U students choose from a broad range of agencies and activities and complete a minimum of 15-20 hours of service during the school year. It’s clear that experience and exposure are great teachers.

Last week I was in New York City to meet with LCC alumni. What impressed me is that several of our former students at this particular event are currently focused on giving back, both to this school and to their local communities. One group of gentlemen from the class of 1982 has initiated a new scholarship at LCC for a needy and worthy Montrealer. Another graduate was recently chosen by a local television station as “New Yorker of the Week,” because of his special work with youth in the “Hockey in Harlem” program that he initiated. Like so many LCC alumni, after graduation he has gone into the world and is making a notable difference in his community. Earlier this week I shared a video clip of his work with LCC staff and students. It’s an impressive reminder that service learning at LCC helps develop important personal priorities. It’s certainly satisfying to know that the learning which occurs here can lead to a lifetime of service with incalculable benefits.

Bravo LCC! –Chris Shannon, Headmaster

Just Fruits!

Posted on February 10, 2010 by admin

LCC has embarked on a new phase of the composting initiative. Although the worms in the vermi-composting bins in our greenhouse have been busy in the last years devouring some of the vegetable food scraps, as an initiative intended for educational purposes, the time has come to do more.

The student green team has launched a “Just Fruits Campaign” to assist everyone, from Junior School to faculty, in easing into this new phase. Bins have been placed in strategic places throughout the school to collect fruit wastes from snacks and lunches. Four bins have been placed near the existing garbage in the dining hall, one larger brown bin outside of the dining hall, and a brown bin in the Junior School area. These bins are emptied into the three wood composters located outside by the old rink. The composters were supplied by “Les ateliers d’Antoine,” a local organization that not only promotes social inclusion through training in cabinetmaking, but also promotes an ecological use of wood that would otherwise be deemed as waste wood.

The decision to use “Just Fruits” as an initial measure was two-fold. First, we wanted to avoid the presence of the “wrong” items making their way into the outdoor composters. Grease present in sauces and salad dressing, for example, can be an unwelcome and open invitation to our furry friends in the area. Second, by keeping it simple, we can all concentrate on making a concerted effort to compost, without any confusion.
The vegetables have not been ignored in all this, however. A second, behind-the-scenes-measure has also begun which involves the vegetable wastes that the kitchen produces in the making of the meals. Every week, vegetable wastes, that fill a 360L container to the brim, are collected by Compost Montréal.

If all goes well and everyone does their share, we will soon be leaving this phase behind and looking forward to new solutions.
—The LCC Student Green Team

Sharing Global Perspectives in India

Posted on October 2, 2009 by admin

How fitting that LCC students arrived in India for the 2009 International Round Square Conference on the occassion of Ghandi’s 140th birthday.

Today is India’s official “Day of Non-Violence.” Wouldn’t it be great if the world celebrated this kind of day EVERYDAY!?

Dawn Levy, Pre-University Director

Field Day Builds Friendships

Posted on October 1, 2009 by admin

FieldDay2009 Field day was an awesome day for the entire Junior School. Everybody got to participate and build friendships with members of their house. The team spirit and sportsmanship was evident, everyone was cheering loudly and enthusiastically for their teammates.

Whether it was jumping on a blow up pirate ship, dribbling a soccer ball while dressed in oversized clothing, balancing a tennis ball on a spoon, passing a giant ball from one teammate to the other or playing Pictionary, it was an enjoyable day and would not have been possible without the support and hard work of our teachers who planned this event.

Leading Woods House to a victory in the competition were Samuel Golberg and Olivia Hecht. Their good team work and effort brought gave them first place with 45 points. A round of applause should also be given to Beveridge and French house for coming in second and third. All participants should be congratulated for their hard work.

Other highlights of the day included the warm sun, the icy cold TCBY and the refreshing water sprayed on all of the students by Mrs. Rother!

–Zachary Shine ’15 (Junior School Head Boy) and Leah Salzman ’15 (Junior School Head Girl)