Tag Archives: private school

Student Exchange: The Sights of Bogota

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I have been in Bogota, Colombia for one month now and I’m having the time of my life. I have made really close friendships and many memories. I have gotten used to the different style of life and also how different the school is. I have been catching up with schoolwork from LCC even though it’s hard sometimes and I’ve also been doing schoolwork for the school here. I have classes that I don’t have at LCC, like physics. I have learnt a lot and I feel more independent when it comes to doing schoolwork.

Every weekend I go somewhere with my host family. I’m so lucky that they know so much about Colombia and are willing to take me to places and do things I have never done before. I went to Villa de Leyva on my second weekend and we went zip lining, riding in the desert and explored the town. I have taken so many photos and videos and have bought many typical Colombian things to bring back home to my family. I have also gone on many hikes and climbed all the way up to an altitude of 3,600m. I have learnt about Colombian culture and, as I am from South America, I think it is really good to know. I talk Spanish almost at all times, which I’m really happy about, and I’m now starting to use Colombian words.

Andrea has arrived and I’m so happy to be back with her. She has been a great host and has basically become like a sister to me. I have met many of her friends from her grade and they are all so welcoming.

This whole experience is better than I could have imagined. I know that I will never forget this and I’m going to keep my friends forever. All that I have experienced is making me a better person. I’m so excited to spend my birthday in Cartagena during my last week here. I’m going to enjoy my last weeks and make the most out of them. – Sofia Araya Meier ’19, Student Exchange at Colegio Anglo Colombiano

Student Exchange: Multicultural Sydney

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Ella_WaxmanThe past two weeks in Sydney have been amazing. I’ve already gotten to see so much, make new friends and experience new cultures. Because of Sydney’s history of immigration, it is a very multicultural city, with tons of different cuisines. I’ve already tried a lot of Aussie foods like Milo and Vegemite, as well as international foods. One night we went to a Korean BBQ restaurant where we got to cook the meat on a grill at our table. We went to an authentic milk bar after school where we got chips (fries) with chicken salt, which is not what it sounds like.

This past Sunday, after we went to the Museum of Contemporary Art, we took the train to Chinatown with Sarah, my exchange, and her friend Grace. While we were there we walked around and saw the street cars, went for yum cha (dim sum), where they bring around food in wooden baskets on carts, and then we went for gelato at a place called Gelatissimo. It was really nice getting to go for yum cha on a Sunday because that’s actually a tradition I have with my dad every week back in Montreal.

Since Methodist Ladies College started off as a Methodist school but is now a Uniting Church school, I’ve been learning a lot about the different denominations of Christianity, which I find very interesting as a Jew. It’s been really nice being able to immerse myself and to learn about a different culture. On Fridays, Sarah goes to church for a youth group. I went with her last week and it was my first time ever going to church. I talked to a lot of different people and even met someone who was a Star Wars fan like me. This was a very funny moment for me because when I saw that she was wearing a Darth Vader shirt and I said that her shirt was nice and that Star Wars is the best, her answer was one that I didn’t expect. She said, “Thanks! Yeah, Star Wars is pretty great, but Jesus is better.” Even though it was more of a social group, I learned a lot about Sarah’s religion and my first time at church was a good experience.

At school, they have two assemblies a week. One of them is a devotion assembly and then they have a regular one, similar to what we have at LCC. This week, since it was International Women’s Day, there was a special assembly on Wednesday where they talked about important issues women still face. Going to an all-girls school is very different from coed for multiple reasons, and at this assembly I found out more about the differences between the two types which was cool.

Overall, Sydney is very different from Montreal, but it’s a good type of different. The flora and fauna here are amazing. The other day during class, it sounded like a baby was crying outside but it was only a very strange looking bird. There are many gum trees, interesting flowers, and a lot of greenery here. I can see why people call Australia Oz. With all the green, it does sort of look like the Emerald City.

So far, this experience has been great, and I’m looking forward to the next four weeks of exploring the city and surrounding areas and learning more about Australia. – Ella Waxman ’19, Student Exchange at Methodist Ladies’ College

Student Exchange: Tending to Sheep, Pigs and Cows in England

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Vanessa_Ross1On Sunday, February 19, after a long train ride, I finally arrived at Abbotsholme, a school just outside of a small town called Uttoxeter. I was greeted by my house parent, Mrs Simpson, who showed me around the house. She introduced me to my roommates Claire, from Germany, and Millie who lives about an hour away from school. 

The past two weeks have passed by really fast. I went on the farm and helped feed the cows, pigs and sheep. I went riding and played a new sport called Netball, which is similar to basketball but you can’t dribble. I am also here during lambing season, so I saw some lambs. 

On the weekend, a lot of the locals leave, so it gives me the opportunity to get closer with people from countries all around the world, such as Germany, Japan and China. Last weekend, some of my new friends and I went to Liverpool, the town where the Beatles grew up. We had a really good time shopping and walking along the water.

This weekend I am on lambing duty, which means I need to go to the farm a few times to check on the pregnant sheep, bottle feed some of the lambs and feed the pigs and cows. There haven’t been any new lambs today, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed!

I am thrilled to be here, meeting so many new people from all around the world. This is an experience I will never forget and I am extremely fortunate to be on this trip. – Vanessa Ross ’19, Exchange Student at Abbotsholme School

Student Exchange: Learning Something New Every Day in Colombia

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I have been living in Bogota, Colombia for a week and half and it has felt like the longest 11 days of my life. I feel like I’ve lived here my whole life and that is because my host family and friends in school have made me feel so welcome and at home.

The journey here was very emotional. This was the first time I had ever been away from home for more than a week. After having an emotional farewell with my best friends and family, I flew to Toronto with my dad and stayed the night. On February 17, I said goodbye to him and that’s when the journey truly begun. I was all alone and all the responsibility was on me. I made it through security, got to the gate and then took a six-hour flight to Bogota, Colombia. The flight was great and before I knew it, I was already with my host family on the way to the house. I have never met such caring people in my life. I am so grateful to have been placed with my host family.

As my journey began I was introduced to many new foods, which I loved, and A LOT of Colombian music that I can’t stop listening to. On my second day, I went up this mountain and saw an amazing view of Colombia. The city is so beautiful and the best thing about it is that it reminds me of my home country.

I started school feeling very nervous but everyone was so nice. By the end of the first day, I had talked to almost everyone in the grade. As I spend more days in school, I’m becoming closer to everyone. Believe it or not it has been a bit hard to communicate with everyone. Even though my first language is Spanish, in Colombia they have a different vocabulary and A LOT of slang which I’m starting to get the hang of. School is very different from LCC but in a very good way. Classes are easier and I spend a lot of time outdoors, which I enjoy.

Every day I learn something new about the culture here and that’s what I love about the school and my host family. I’ve done things I thought I would never have the courage to do and I’m having the time of my life. I have taken many videos and pictures, which I’m excited to share with my friends and family when I get back home.

I have become a very independent and social person, which is what I wanted to get out of this experience. When first coming here, I thought that not being in Colombia at the same time as my exchange Andrea would be difficult, but it really hasn’t been that hard. I get along very well with her sister Camila who is in the grade below and we have so many things in common.

My trip is just beginning and I’m very excited about the rest of the adventures and the people I will meet.

I don’t think anything can prepare you for something like this but it has been the best decision I have ever made and I’m so grateful for everything. I know that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity I will never forget. – Sofia Araya Meier ’19, Student Exchange at Colegio Anglo Colombiano

Head’s Blog: May We Live in Interesting Times

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More information on the Quebec City shooter’s motivation will likely emerge soon. Was he a lone wolf? Was he radicalized online? We don’t know. But as Premier Couillard stated on Monday, “Every society has to live with its demons. Our society is not perfect. No society is.”

I think it is also appropriate to consider Premier Couillard’s message of solidarity with our Quebec Muslim community:

“Nous sommes avec vous. Vous êtes chez vous. Vous êtes bienvenus chez vous. Nous sommes tous des Québécois. Il faut qu’ensemble on continue à batir une société ouverte, accueillante et pacifique” … “We are with you. You are at home here and you are welcome at home. We are all Quebecers. Together we have to continue building a society that is open, welcoming and peaceful.”

This horrendous incident came on the heels of a difficult weekend in the United States following last Friday’s signing of an Executive Order by the new US President barring entry to the US by citizens of seven Muslim nations. That order resulted in chaos last weekend at the US border, especially in airports, where many peace-loving Muslims with legitimate visas or work papers in the States were detained at the border or barred from entry.

On Saturday evening, a US court overruled the presidential order as unconstitutional. Since then, there have been many protests, seen by many as overly zealous and extreme violations of some people’s fundamental rights.

In his first week in office, the US President also ordered a directive for the construction of a wall with Mexico and the renegotiation of NAFTA, which defines free trade between Mexico, the US and Canada. He’s a man in a rush and the world is considering how to respond.

Our Prime Minister is walking a tightrope with the Trump administration. Rather than openly declare that Mr. Trump is wrong and misdirected, Prime Minister Trudeau took to Twitter himself on the weekend stating: “To those fleeing persecution, terror and war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength.”

On the trade front, Mr. Trudeau recently conducted a retreat with his colleagues to consider next steps in dealing with the Trump administration. Again, the Canadian strategy seems to be avoidance of overt declarations that Trump and his officials are misdirected or wrong on policy. Rather, the strategy is to provide them with reminders that Canada is the principal trade partner for some 35 US states, with an estimated nine million American jobs tied into that trade relationship.

So the closing of American borders and the overt shift in the mindset of American leadership is having a serious impact on America’s traditional role since 1945 as the beacon of democracy on a global scale. The shift we are witnessing is complicated, so it requires our attention and ongoing discussion to best understand the short and long term impact on Canada. Our students need to be informed and take a position on these evolving issues. That’s the responsibility of citizenship and civic involvement. I urge them and their families to talk, discuss and analyze. Canadian values are on the line. Let’s make sure we defend them.

Yesterday, Premier Couillard urged politicians and the public to “think twice” about the “words we write, the words we utter.” He stated, “Words can be knives,” and urged all citizens in Quebec to “cool the rhetoric” and be more measured and balanced in our public discourse. Good advice! – Chris Shannon, Headmaster