Courage

Posted on January 17, 2013 by admin

“What makes a king out of a slave? Courage! What makes the flag on the mast to wave? Courage! What makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist, or the dusky dusk? What makes the muskrat guard his musk? Courage! What makes the sphinx the seventh wonder? Courage! What makes the dawn come up like thunder? Courage! What makes the Hottentot so hot? What puts the “ape” in apricot? What have they got that I ain’t got?—Courage”

These are the words of the Cowardly Lion from the famous film & play, The Wizard of Oz.

Another memorable quote from the Cowardly Lion goes like this:

“All right, I’ll go in there for Dorothy. Wicked Witch or no Wicked Witch, guards or no guards, I’ll tear them apart. I may not come out alive, but I’m going in there. There’s only one thing I want you fellows to do.”

“What’s that?” ask both the Tin Man and the Scarecrow.

“Talk me out of it!,” begged the Cowardly Lion.

The Wizard of Oz was produced in 1939, but the film’s core messages remain timeless. In the end, all the major characters got what they wanted: Dorothy returned safely home. The Scarecrow got a brain, the Tinman received a heart – and the Lion was given the gift of courage.

Like the TInman with his heart and the Scarecrow with his brain, the Lion discovered that he already possessed courage. He simply needed to focus on it more and develop it, just like each of our students.

Courage is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as “the ability to do something that frightens – a form of bravery.” It’s a fantastic quality, something we all need and something we all possess in varying degrees. In fact, each of us needs to draw on courage sometime every day. But too often we can confuse courage with being tough or being able to fight, as if it’s solely a military attribute. But it’s actually much more important in the context of maturity of character and our capacity to overcome personal fears and obstacles that hold us back in life.

For students, courage includes so much: speaking up in class, reaching out and making friends, trying a new activity or developing a new skill. My personal favourite is developing the capacity to stand up for what you believe in, even when it might mean standing out from the crowd. This is tough for anyone, but particularly difficult for teenagers; they need the time and opportunity to practice.

Are you courageous? Do you surprise yourself or others with your ability to reach out? Is your sense of courage aligned with a well-developed sense of moral fibre and other solid character traits? Think about it. How might you learn and mature by taking a few more personal risks and employing a little more courage? Realistically, it begins with baby steps. Every step is just a decision. Slowly but surely, you can help yourself move forward, develop yourself and feel a sense of genuine pride.

In our student assembly this week, I saw courage in action. Grade 11 student Claire Greenbaum ’13 spoke to all Middle and Senior School students. She addressed the tragic loss of her mom to cancer and the positive energy she and her whole family have been able to create through establishing a new foundation that raises money for cancer research. I commend her on openly and courageously addressing this important but difficult personal topic in a way that was very motivating to all. Great job, Claire! —Chris Shannon, Headmaster

Happiness Quotient

Posted on January 10, 2013 by admin

Happy New Year – and welcome to 2013!

Despite endless media tales of corruption and doomsday scenarios, I believe that we are very fortunate as Montrealers and Canadian citizens. There are also many benefits from being part of our caring and supportive LCC school community.

On our last day of school in December I was struck by a report in the Globe & Mail of a notable good news story reporting that 80% of Canadians have a great day most days. This comes from an international poll of people in 148 countries. They were asked if they had been treated with respect the day before, whether they had done a lot of laughing and smiling, whether they had experienced positive feelings and had enjoyed their day. Eighty per cent (80%) of Canadians felt positive about most of these elements of their lives – which tied for 11^th out of 148 countries worldwide, tying us with Colombia, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Ireland. We were ahead of countries like the UK, the United States, Australia and France (all in the mid to low 70’s).

Notably, all of the countries with the highest rate of positive responses – the top 10 – are all in so-called “developing nations,” and eight of those are in Latin America, led by Panama, Paraguay, Venezuela, and followed by Trinidad and Costa Rica.

So on this scale – what I will call a “Happiness Quotient” – it appears that above a certain level, the old adage is correct: “money does not buy happiness.” Singapore, the 5^th wealthiest nation on earth, earned the lowest score at 46%, while Panama which only ranks 90^th in income per person tied for 1^st.

The pollster, Gallup, cited the research of two Nobel laureate economists (Daniel Kahneman & Angus Deaton) of Princeton University who concluded that earnings only have a positive impact on emotions up until $75,000. Beyond that, additional income does not appear to make any difference at all – an important message for all of us in our money-obsessed culture.

So why do Latin Americans stand out at the top of the pack? It appears that a significant emphasis in Latino culture on the value of family & friends contributes to a particularly positive outlook on life. This was affirmed in my very unscientific straw poll of one person. I recently spoke with LCC Spanish teacher Señora Navarette , who is originally from Chile. She knew nothing about the poll, but she was not surprised when she heard the results for Latin America. She affirmed immediately that general happiness in Latin America is closely associated to family, friends and community as most important in life.

So why is Canada among the happiest of the world’s wealthiest countries? Well, we enjoy a great deal of personal freedom, our crime rates are low and we have government policies and programs that reduce social inequality compared to other peer countries. It is also believed that immigration is likely an important factor. At 250,000 people per year, on a per-capita basis, Canada has more people arrive on its shores than any other developed country in the world.

So diversity and a genuine comfort with multiculturalism as a norm, likely have a positive impact on the way we see the world and feel about our daily lives in Canada. As the Globe & Mail article on this poll stated in December, perhaps we should not over-analyze the data, but instead, focus on some of the feelings we all no doubt felt over the holidays when we looked back at 2012. We are lucky to live in a beautiful country with a diverse and generally upbeat population.

In many ways Canada is a beacon to the world – civil, prosperous and safe. I hope you count yourself among the contented. I also hope that for the rest of this year you will appreciate your many blessings and do your best to celebrate family, friends and our school community – for therein lies our greatest riches and relationships that are the seeds of true happiness. —Chris Shannon, Headmaster

Procès simulé au Palais de justice de Montréal

Posted on January 8, 2013 by admin

Le 20 décembre 2012, la classe de droit a eu l’opportunité de réaliser un procès simulé au Palais de justice de Montréal. Celui-ci était présidé par l’Honorable Juge Perreault, juge en chef adjoint du Québec. Pendant plus d’une heure, les élèves ont fait preuve de professionnalisme et ont démontré leur savoir-faire devant une audience (famille et amis réunis) très attentive au sort de l’accusé.

Voici quelques extraits de leurs réflexions :

Je trouve que le procès simulé m’a vraiment aidé à comprendre comment se déroule un procès, parce que nous pouvons étudier autant que nous voulons, nous ne saurons jamais comment être avocat sauf si nous essayons. – Brian Brotto ’14

J’ai été très surpris et content qu’on puisse faire le cas devant un vrai juge! Il nous a expliqué que si nous avions une objection, on doit parler au juge et non à la personne avec qui on s’oppose. – Matthew Filgiano ’14

J’ai été très nerveuse de témoigner devant les parents et tous les autres gens qui étaient au procès. C’était ma première fois devant un juge et au Palais de Justice. C’était vraiment un honneur pour moi de présenter ce dossier au chef adjoint de la Cour du Québec. Je suis tellement honorée qu’il a pris le temps pour nous aider. – Jennifer Ben-Menashe ’14

Aujourd’hui j’ai réalisé que faire une carrière dans ce domaine est une option. Malgré le fait qu’on ait perdu, ce qui est le plus utile dans mon cas, c’est la leçon que le juge nous a donnée en nous expliquant comment améliorer nos questions et nos objections. – Thomas Boucher-Charest ’14

J’ai appris plein de choses. Premièrement, c’était une expérience mémorable. C’est quelque chose que beaucoup de personnes rêvent de faire pendant leur vie, et le fait que j’ai eu la chance d’y aller aujourd’hui est absolument fantastique. Depuis les premiers pas dans l’édifice, jusqu’au départ, l’expérience était absolument inoubliable. – Luca Saputo ’14

Aujourd’hui, j’ai beaucoup appris. Le plus important, c’est qu’un procès n’est pas aussi formel que je le pensais. C’était plutôt très pratique et très raisonnable. Ce n’est pas du tout comme à la télévision. J’ai trouvé que le juge a fait un travail spectaculaire. Il nous a enseigné qu’il y a une certaine façon de poser des questions ou de s’adresser à un autre avocat. – Nicholas Dumoulin ’14

Aujourd’hui, j’ai vécu une expérience que je ne vais pas oublier. Depuis longtemps je regarde des émissions à la télévision comme «Law & «Order», mais je n’ai jamais participé à un procès. Ce n’est pas du tout comme à la télévision! J’ai appris ce qui se passe vraiment au Palais de Justice. J’ai aussi appris comment ben faire des objections, car je ne savais pas comment les faire avant. – Jeremy Wiener ’14

Le procès m’a fait découvrir le fonctionnement du système judiciaire. J’ai appris que c’était interdit pour un avocat de mettre des mots dans la bouche de son client. La bonne manière est de poser des questions pour que l’accusé puisse présenter sa propre version. Comme l’Honorable Juge Perrault a dit : « Les juges ne veulent pas entendre ce que les avocats pensent, mais ce que les accusés pensent. » – David Rosenberg ’14

J’espère que nous allons faire un autre procès simulé dans le futur, mais, la prochaine fois, je veux essayer d’être une avocate, juste pour être capable d’avoir la chance d’avoir une expérience avec cette profession. L’objectif de faire tout cela est de nous montrer la réalité du travail dans le domaine du droit. – Arielle Supino ’14

À l’entrée, j’étais un peu surpris par l’édifice. Je ne pensais pas qu’il serait si grand. J’étais très impressionné quand j’ai appris que le palais de justice du Québec est le deuxième plus grand au monde. En entrant dans la salle, j’étais un peu nerveux, mais quand le procès a commencé, j’étais correct. J’ai trouvé que Juge Perreault a fait un très bon travail en nous expliquant ce qui était acceptable ou pas avec les questions et les plaidoiries. – Nicolas Tabet ’14

Au cours de la journée, j’ai eu la chance d’être entourée de gens importants. Passer la journée au Palais de Justice m’a donné l’opportunité de réaliser combien j’apprécie le droit. La première chose que j’ai apprise, c’est l’importance de la formulation d’une question appropriée et la possibilité pour les avocats de les réfuter. – Arianna Silla ’14

Une visite au Musée

Posted on December 20, 2012 by admin

Vendredi passé, la classe de PREP 11^e année a visité le Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal. Plus particulièrement, nous avons vu l’exposition sur l’impressionnisme. Ceci était la collection de Sterling Clark, un collectionneur d’art passionné. Nous avons eu le privilège de participer à un tour guidé pendant une heure. Notre guide nous a expliqué tout ce que nous devions savoir sur l’art de cette époque. Nous étions très impressionnés par les artistes qui étaient regroupés dans cette collection. On a regardé des œuvres provenant de peintres comme Renoir, Manet et Monet.

Notre visite au musée était non seulement intéressante, mais aussi éducative. Les impressionnistes ont créé des peintures avec des arrières plans abstraits. C’était intéressant de réaliser que chaque artiste avait un style différent des autres. Par exemple, il y avait certains artistes qui utilisaient des motifs complexes et beaucoup de couleurs vibrantes. Cependant, d’autres utilisaient des couleurs très sombres et simples. Cela nous permet de voir les styles différents des artistes de ce temps. De plus, c’était commun pour les artistes de peindre au même endroit pendant plusieurs jours. Ceci leur a donné la chance d’interpréter le sujet selon plusieurs points de vue, couleurs et attitudes. L’époque impressionniste a aussi introduit le style de pointillisme, qui consiste à faire de l’art en utilisant seulement de petits points.

Nous comprenons maintenant mieux la différence entre l’impressionnisme, le symbolisme et le réalisme. Après la visite au musée, nous sommes allés dîner dans un restaurant et nous avons mangé beaucoup de pizza! Pendant ce repas, nous nous sommes détendus et nous avons partagé nos réflexions sur l’exposition. – la classe de PREP 11e année

The Value of Co-Curriculars

Posted on December 19, 2012 by admin

In the online edition of the Globe & Mail last week an interesting article appeared with the headline, “Extra-Curriculars Increasingly Seen as Essential to Student Success.”

This article came on the heels of an eight-year study of close to a half-a-million Canadian students, showing a strong positive correlation between student participation in clubs and teams and overall academic success in school.

The article also referred to a study in the USA in 2009 that followed 8,000 students for a decade after completion of high school. It found that students who participated in clubs and sports went further in university and earned better salaries in their respective chosen professions.

These findings are not surprising. As a school we have deliberately integrated a host of activities into our daily school experience for decades, knowing that merging these so-called “extra” activities into your educational experience is actually essential to a well-rounded education, character development, leadership and the ability to team effectively with others.

Not mentioned in the Globe article is the largest study ever conducted with adolescents: the US National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health – data and opinions from 85,000 American students in 1995 and in follow-up research waves until 2008. The study focused on factors that prevent negative outcomes for young people: violence, drug use, early pregnancies, and school dropouts. Only two factors emerged as having a notable impact on diminishing these negative factors: solid family relationships and/or a strong sense of connection to school.

Note that philosophically, a number of years ago at LCC we changed the designation of “extra-curriculars” to “co-curriculars.” It might seem insignificant, but we see an important difference. Rather than see activities outside the classroom as “extra,” we see them as complimentary to the academic program and with enormous benefits on academic achievement, character development, self-confidence and improved overall mental health.

All of this is a reminder that teachers are not just professional academics and subject specialists. They care the full development of students. That’s why they offer support to clubs & activities, coach, advise, and guide our students.

In the same issue of the Globe & Mail was news about Ontario teachers’ current “work-to-rule” status. Due to a contract debate with the government, public school teachers across Ontario are currently refusing to coach, supervise clubs and activities. They are even refusing to write letters of recommendation for universities. It’s a real pity and frustration for tens of thousands of students.

As Headmaster, I take great pleasure seeing student involvement in co-curriculars. Whether it is arts, athletics, clubs, service or international leadership opportunities, it is often these activities which challenge students most, develop new skills and strengths, and forge important memories from the school experience.

This week’s holiday concerts were great examples of student achievement. Congratulations to all musicians for making beautiful music: fantastic performances and great teamwork.

And what better example of excellence and creativity in co-curriculars than the LCC Players recent performance of the “Laramie Project.” Consider the words of your teachers in follow up emails:

“A marriage between art and social commentary that will cause pause for reflection for all students.”—Mr. Ted Shaw

“A Powerful and courageous piece of theatre.”—Mr. Brian Moore

Our LCC Players could have chosen a light comedy and all their friends would have laughed and moved on. But the students took the road “less travelled.” They were courageous and as a school community, we have all reflected on Matthew Sheppard and every other student we know who is different from the mainstream. We have been reminded that we need to invite not exclude – be more open not closed-minded. Thanks for the important reminders and for moving our hearts and souls.

Happy holidays to all! —Chris Shannon, Headmaster