Design and Innovation: Demo Day Outing

Posted on December 10, 2015 by admin

Last week, on Wednesday, December 2, three of us had the opportunity to attend the InnoCité MTL and Founder’s Fuel Demo Day event at the beautiful Olympia Theatre on Ste. Catherine Street.There we watched a dozen or so pitches from local start-ups who were either working toward making Montreal a more “intelligent” city or strengthening the community. The products being presented ranged from ground-breaking earthquake sensors and an app to help you find parking to easy-to-use portals for citizens to communicate with their local governments and a 21st century tutoring over text service. The projects were all fascinating and extremely creative, yet also very well thought-out and thoroughly developed!

Now, you might be wondering what on earth three LCC students could possible gain from an experience such as this! We are all participating in LCC’s Design and Innovation Challenge, which is a co-curricular that students can apply to be part of in the fall. Then, over the course of the school year, the students have to invent something, and design it, build it, develop it–whatever it–to present to a panel at the end of May. This invention could be anything: a product, a service, an app, a proof of concept… the possibilities are endless! The point of the project is to learn about the process of designing something from start to finish, including keeping decent documentation, collaborating with mentors, and working in facilities such as LCC’s new Fab Lab, as well as self-growth and independent learning. To give you an idea, some inventions between the five of us in the group include a mirror that compliments like a human would, an app to take you to the nearest safe location no matter where you are, an interactive 3D surface and a hairbrush that removes static. Quite the variety!

Back to the Demo Day, the three of us got a chance to witness genuine start-ups who had to start from scratch, like we were doing, in order to build a product that would interest the general public. We learned about the kind of risks involved with starting start-ups, as well as some challenges when trying to get your feet off the ground as an organization with extremely limited funding. It takes true passion, dedication and grit to do so, but judging by the excitement in each of the presenters’ voices, it was all well worth it!

For those who are interested, here are the start-ups that participated:
Innocité MTL:
DASBOX – dasbox.io
prkng – prk.ng
Sensequake – sensequake.com
UBIOS – ubios.co
Digitalstate – digitalstate.ca

FounderFuel
OneSet – oneset.co
GradeSlam – gradeslam.org
zora – zora.io
PACTA – pacta.io
SpherePlay – sphereplay.com
periodic – periodic.is
WARDEN – delvelabs.ca

Ultimately, we learned a lot from our experience and were inspired by what the start-ups had to offer. We can’t wait to apply it to our projects in the months to come. Stay tuned!

– Adam Vandenbussche ’17, Abby Shine ’17 and Amy Qin ’16

It’s About the Journey!

Posted on December 9, 2015 by admin

As our high school students prepare for exams we should all be reflecting on the journey that every student has experienced since we first gathered in late August. It’s a journey of learning and personal growth with a notable impact on mind, body and heart.

This morning I asked each Middle and Senior School student to reflect on their own personal journey – asking, what it has looked like and how it has felt?

Since September each student has gained new knowledge in various subjects. They’ve completed projects, in groups or alone, honed special technology skills, become better critical thinkers. They’ve all certainly experienced proud moments of achievement as well as difficult periods of frustration. I hope they are all learning how to handle both ends of the emotional spectrum well.

On this learning journey teachers have pushed and pulled, challenged and often inspired. Every student’s development and growth is complicated. Yet, as one parent recently declared after an evening of parent-teacher meetings, LCC teachers are “caretakers”. She was very thankful that our teachers are so supportive of our students.

Some of our students are quiet by nature, while some like to speak a lot and are still working on becoming better listeners. All have drawn on their capacity for creativity in their courses, but especially in developing what are called “Studio Habits of Mind” in Art, Drama, Music and Digital Media. This is the capacity to create, refine and improve work. In essence, they are developing skills for personal and academic resilience.

Pride is something we talk about a lot here – and it has often been on display in the classroom and in our many co-curricular activities.

For a large percentage of our students, athletics is a key aspect of the journey and involvement at school. With a focus on fitness, skill development and competition, most students have navigated dozens of practices, demanding coaches and high expectations.

Some teams won league banners while others fell short. However, the highs and lows of athletic competition have been an important part of their personal experience, providing many memorable learning moments.

Beyond sports, LCC students have been very engaged in many interesting activities. Dozens were Open House Ambassadors or hosts for “Student for a Day” events. They have stepped up as members of their Houses, iPride in Middle School, Grad Pride in Senior School as well as Student Council.

The journey has included debating competitions, Model UN, participation in the Destiny Quebec organizing team, Green Team, Yearbook, LCC Reads, Amnesty International, Duke of Edinburgh, Round Square, LCC TV, The Wire, Robotics, Movember, and roles as delegates to leadership conferences in Canada and Singapore. And of course they have all participated in a wide array of service initiatives across this city.

Our students prepared diligently for Monday night’s wonderful Holiday Concert and many are preparing the upcoming Middle and Senior School plays slated for the winter.

So yes, students should prepare well for their exams. But let’s remember, much of what they do here that is important has no exam at all, but does certainly test them. Clubs, activities, various inter-school competitions and performance opportunities are an integral part of personal and character development.

Since August each of our students has been on a marvelous journey. They have exerted a lot of effort, discovered some hidden talents, grown and matured. They should take genuine pride in that. No test or exam required!

Happy & safe holidays!
Chris Shannon – Headmaster

Concours de plaidoirie, une expérience riche en apprentisages!

Posted on April 23, 2015 by admin

Je suis vraiment content qu’on a gagné on a travaillé très fort en equipe et ce fut démontré dans la compétition. I think we really improved as lawyers throughout the competition and I certainly learned a lot and I appreciated the experience. – Joshua Mindel ’16

Je voudrais remercier tout le monde qui a rendu tout cela possible, Laurence et Zorah, Mme. Benoit, qui était un mentor incroyable, et à monsieur Maurice qui m’a donné l’opportunité de participer dans cette compétition. This truly was an incredible experience, and I learned an astronomical amount of things, and earned a scholarship to law school which wasn’t half bad I must say. All in all, this really was amazing. – Matthew Tabet ’16

La compétition de samedi 18 avril était excellente. Notre équipe a réussi à ramener la 1ère place dans toute la province! It was a long, tiring day, but in the end it was worth it! All the hard work had finally paid off in the best way possible! – Ryan Hawa ’16

Mon expérience de la journée du 18 avril était très passionante. On était tous un peu stressés mais à la fin, tout notre travail a valu la peine. I would like to thank Maitre Benoit, Zorah, and Laurence for all the hard work and dedication they put toward this court case. – Rebecca Ross ’16

Hier, notre équipe d’avocats a remporté notre concours! Avec des efforts incroyables de tous, spécialement Matthew qui portait l’équipe, Me. Benoit, Laurence, et Zohra, nous avons été en mesure de battre deux écoles francophones. – Christina Papageorgakopoulos ’16

Round Square 2015: Building in Bogotá

Posted on April 8, 2015 by admin

We arrived in Bogotá on a chilly Friday afternoon. Greeted by familiar faces, the staff from Anglo Colombiano, I could not control my excitement about being back in this beautiful city. After a well-needed rest in our hotel, we went to the school to meet our host families and spend the rest of the afternoon with them.

Our second day began with a conference; we got to listen to Pedro Medina speak about the evolution of Colombia, which helped to dispel stereotypical views of the country. Next, we got to know our Barazza groups (basically, our advisory group or “homeroom” for the rest of the week) by playing name games and doing different activities. On the third day, we set off at 7:00 am to La Calera, which is situated just on the other side of a huge mountain. To put things in perspective, Bogotá is 2,640 metres above sea level and we trekked up to about 3,000 metres. Therefore, by the time we got to our destination, we were completely out of breath.

The plan for the day was simple. Change the reality of a family while changing our own perspectives by building a house. One floor, three rooms, for three young boys and their parents. We met and worked with the family throughout the day. They were overjoyed to see us helping to make their dream come true.

Still, building the house was confusing to us. Similar to the theme of the conference – magic realism – it really seemed as though magic was the only thing keeping the concrete blocks stable while we stacked them on top of each another – with no cement or anything that was really setting them in place. We worked from around 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, and then took a break for lunch, which was provided by the family. They made us a traditional Colombian soup, which had chicken, corn, potatoes, and other delicacies. Afterwards, it was back to work until 4:00 pm. Although the roof still had to go up (so we did not completely finish the house), we could see in the eyes of the family members how happy they were, as we kissed and hugged them goodbye. It wouldn’t take much to finish the house and the final walls stood strong.

Throughout the day, I could barely wrap my mind around the idea that our team could help improve the lives of a family all in one day. I was happy because not only was I able to participate in such a fulfilling experience, but I also got to know the family. I spoke to the mother about her life in La Calera and held her little niece while they prepared the soup. This is a day – and more importantly, a family – I will never forget. As I sit on the bus on the way to Guatavita, a lagoon, and yet another beautiful destination within the city, I know that there are many more memorable experiences ahead and I am looking forward to the rest of the week in Bogotá, Colombia, at the 2015 Round Square Conference of the Americas. – Mikaela Ludwick ’16, Round Square Participant

Student Exchange: Memories of Thailand

Posted on April 8, 2015 by admin

Sadly, my time in Thailand has come to an end, after six amazing weeks of being among newly made friends and in an exotic new country. I am writing this on the airplane heading back to Montreal, and as much as I want out (because of boredom), half of me wants to turn the plane around and head back to Thailand. I already miss a lot of the food, fruit, and customs of the country and of my exchange school, Regents International School Pattaya. Of course, life must go on, and I have to come back to Canada and readjust to the time zone and the ways here.

Two weeks ago, my roommate, Osman, left to help look after his grandmother. I can tell you, I was really sad to see him leave, even though I would see him in school the next day. He was the funniest guy I have ever met, and I was never bored with him. But, as I said, he left, and I roomed with another one of my friends, Jeenchai. Though not as funny, he was special and entertaining in his own way.

For two weekends, I was hosted by Osman because he had been staying with his grandmother. In the first week, his parents were visiting from Russia, so we went to see a couple of tourist places. On Friday, we saw a Chinese museum and the Pattaya Buddha Mountain. I also got to eat a coconut and lots of passion fruit. The next day, we went swimming in their pool and just relaxed. On Sunday, we went shopping and then I had to go back to school. The next weekend was a more relaxed weekend. We stayed inside a lot because it was one of the only times it rained while I was there. On Sunday, we went shopping for souvenirs because it was my last week there.

On my last day, and for the first time, I wore my LCC suit to school – all the other days I only needed to wear a shirt, pants, and shoes, because of the heat – and yes, I was sweating most of the day. I had to wear the uniform because I’d made a promise to someone that I’d wear it on the last day. At the end of the school day, after getting our grades for the term, everyone said goodbye to me. They were all upset that I was leaving, and they also said that I should’ve been there for the school Songkran (the Thai New Year) party the next day. I was told it was really fun, but sadly, I wasn’t going to be there. It was a very sad day. I got back to the boarding house and immediately started to pack, because I had to leave in seven hours and I’d barely packed. I took a break for dinner, and I’m glad I went, because it was the school Songkran dinner. It was a feast, and I can easily say that that was my favorite meal there. There were two appetizers, four main courses, an amazing dessert, and then lots of different fruit. I was challenged to eat a whole chili pepper, and I did. The next five minutes of my life was spent eating tons of fruit and breathing out sharply to get rid of the spice. It was a fun last experience in Thailand.

More quickly than I’d expected, my time to leave the school had come, and sadly, I walked down the same corridors I had walked down 100 times before to get around the school, but this time would be the last. As I got on the bus, I took one last look at the school that had become my home for the last six weeks of my life. I would miss it. I said goodbye to all the boarders and the staff who had welcomed me when I’d arrived, and then I left for the airport. After a total of twenty hours in the air, and three hours sitting in the airport, I am back in Montreal, welcomed by the thing that most of the people in Thailand have never seen, and the thing I haven’t seen in six weeks: snow. – Eli Samuel ’17, Exchange Student at Regents International School Pattaya