Round Square: Gripping Adventure

Posted on September 27, 2012 by admin

September 25, 2012

Today we had another very early 5 am wake up call, however, the scenery awaiting us was very different. We woke up underneath the bright African stars and witnessed the beautiful sunrise. That night we had all decided to sleep outside, and although it was a little chilly it was all worth it. After eating a packed breakfast in the bus, we headed to the Magoebaskloof Adventure Camp for a day packed with excitement.

We began our day with a canopy tour over the beautiful mountain waterfalls. This consisted of 11 zip lines reaching a maximum height of 50 meters above the ground. I was going to have to face one of my greatest fears to be able to finish the tour. The tour started off with two practice zip lines, only about six meters high to give the zip liner a little confidence but then the third one comes with a shock. The zip line goes from six meters high to about 30 meters! Let’s just say it didn’t take very long for the little tears to roll down my face! After realizing I could get through that zip line I started to calm down and actually enjoy the ride. In the end I was very happy I decided to do the canopy tour and I was very amazed by the beautiful views you could actually see when looking down from 50 meters above!

The second activity was another great experience. We were about to take on a two-hour tubing ride down the river. Being Canadian, I figured when the South Africans said “the water is quite cold,” it wasn’t actually going to be very cold. There was no way it could compare to spring swimming in Lac Brome. My body was shocked when it felt the 12-degree water! Paddling hard was the only way to stay warm. This turned out to be actually very amusing since it didn’t only involve floating in a tube down the river, but actually jumping off cliffs and sliding down rapids. It was a long but very exciting day, and it ended with a nice warm dinner awaiting us at the Mashutti lodge.

So far we have had a wonderful trip and cannot wait for the days ahead! — Melanie Allan ’13

Round Square: Children Welcome LCC Students With Open Arms

Posted on September 27, 2012 by admin

: It didn’t really matter what we did with the kids, all they really wanted was love. Many of these children were orphans or neglected by their parents. It was incredible to see how much they appreciated just a little one on one time with us. We will always remember the children we met and the day spent at the school.

: This is one of the girls from the day care centre. As one of the youngest children there, she hadn’t seen people like us before and was frightened by our new white faces at first. However, as the day went on, she warmed up to us and we learned how much she actually craved attention.

: It was amazing to see how so little could go such a long way with these kids. We were given only two boxes filled with a couple of toys but this was enough to entertain them for an entire day. No matter where we are in the world, face paint seems to be a big attraction to the children. Whether it be the LCC BBQ or the daycare centre in Africa, it brings us closer to children.

: The Marie Daycare Centre has a very limited budget, however they make due with what they have. Their roof was originally a patchwork of materials donated or found. Here is Zach, he was lending a hand to Jack with installing a new stable roof.

: On September 24 the Marie Daycare Centre welcomed us with open arms. As we pulled into their driveway, the kids were waiting for us with eager smiles and waving hands. Our responsibilities for the day were to help clean up the center as well as entertain and care for the underprivileged children.

Round Square: Thrilling Experiences in South Africa

Posted on September 25, 2012 by admin

LCC students have travelled to South Africa to attend the International Round Square Conference. Before activities get underway, the group has taken the time to learn a little about the country. Here are some reflections:

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September 23, 2012

Today we woke up after a few hours of sleep plagued by raging thunder showers, ready to face the chilly 5:00 am air. After a hearty breakfast, we headed to the Ann van Dyke Cheetah Breeding Centre, where we witnessed cheetah’s run at 75 km/hour speeds. This was followed by petting a live cheetah, which, thankfully, we all survived!

The rest of the morning was spent touring the breeding centre; we saw various animals including ostriches, wild dogs, vultures and feisty honey badgers. We even had a grass spitting competition, in which Mrs. Shadley participated by spitting the masticated grass as far as she could…

Upon our return to the expansive game reserve we enjoyed a picnic lunch. After lunch, the group packed into two safari trucks and drove into the gated “predator” section of the park. There were wild dogs, lions and cheetahs roaming the untamed grasses and relaxing in the sun. Our jaws dropped in awe while watching several lions feast on an animal carcass.

As the sun started to set into the scenic African landscape, we gathered for a drumming session. Most of us felt unsure about our drumming talent, but the instructor kindly taught us some really cool beats. Once everyone caught on we played games and even sang and danced!

For our final activity of the evening we were split into groups of five to cook “Potjekii”, a special South African stew. After the meal was prepared, we got together for dinner before heading back to our tents for the night. So far, we’ve been having an amazing time and we can’t wait for the days ahead! — Sarah Salzman ’13

Australia Exchange: Adventure of a Lifetime!

Posted on May 16, 2012 by admin

I’m about halfway through my exchange trip to Ballarat, Australia and it has been great. The family I’m staying with are so nice and welcoming, and it really feels like home now. I’ve been to many cool, beautiful and different places so far. The school, Ballarat Grammar, is also different. The first class only starts at around 9:00 and finishes at 3:25.The campus is very spread out with lots of different buildings.We bring our own lunch to school and eat outside. There are lots of green spaces with indigenous plants of Australia, such as eucalyptus trees, which smell really good. I am taking global studies and ceramics for my two choice subjects and they are both fun classes. I bike to school everyday. The weather has been pretty cold and rainy since I have been here because it’s going into winter since the seasons are opposite.

On my first weekend here, I went with Jack and his father, to Sydney. We took a ferry ride through the harbour and saw the famous Sydney landmarks such as the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. We also went up the Sydney Eye Tower, where we got a great a view of the city, and to Bondi and Bronte Beach. I found that Sydney was like a lot of different cities mixed together.

Wednesday, the 25^th of April was ANZAC day, which is like Remembrance Day for Australia and New Zealand. It has been a tradition for about 15 years now that two rival AFL teams (Australian Rules Football), Collingwood and Essendon, play each other on ANZAC day. It was a public holiday, so we drove down to Melbourne for the game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The stadium was filled to the brim and just under 100, 000 people showed up. The ceremony before it started was really well done and very touching. Jack’s family cheers for Collingwood, so I did the same. It ended being one of the most exciting matches of the year, finishing in a 80-79 Collingwood win.

Jack’s family has a really nice property with an awesome garden with all sorts of stuff in it. They grow celery, peppers, passion fruit, quinces, walnuts and many other fruits and vegetables. I have yet to go surfing but we are probably going this weekend. It has been a great trip so far and I’m excited for what’s to come.–Becket Osterland ’14

Environment Week Sets Stage for Sustainable Practice

Posted on May 10, 2012 by admin

LCC celebrated “Environment Week” in late April. Thanks to all the hard work and dedication by our green team members, the week was very successful. We had a fun cook off, planted tomatoes, had a green café with cupcakes and pastries, and even a trash art display. Thank you to all that participated in the activities and to those who wore green on Wednesday. We hope you all had a great earth week, and that the enthusiasm you all showed will continue throughout the rest of the year.

As mentioned during the assembly, we have created a recycling bin for electronics. There are four bins, such as phones, batteries, ink cartridges etc. If everyone would bring one thing that could fit into one of these categories, it would really make a difference. The recycling company that collects these has agreed to donate the money to MIRA, which works to help disabled individuals lead their lives independently as functioning members of society. They do this by providing dogs bred and trained to respond to their adaptation and rehabilitation needs. They need as much money as possible, considering they provide these services free of charge. Please bring in what you can, and again thank you for such a successful week! —Kelsey Wiseman ’13