Ties That Bind

Posted on September 26, 2014 by admin

Last weekend was a wonderful display of the strength of community at LCC. We hosted dinner for more than 200 alumni on Friday evening, followed by an upbeat open house Saturday morning for prospective students. Faculty, staff, students and parent volunteers showed off our facilities and programmes throughout the morning. In the afternoon, alumni played soccer and members of the 50^th Reunion class toured new facilities, reminisced and shared lunch on campus. Essentially, all of our key school constituents gathered and collaborated with pride to present our school to visitors.

Every September we host our alumni LIONfest evening with a focus on reunion classes from 10 to 50 years. All alumni were welcome – and we were particularly excited to have two gentlemen here for their 72^nd class reunion. Regardless of age, our graduates affirmed that their LCC experience has provided them with important foundations and friendships that have remained meaningful long after graduation. Each class has a mix of people living in Montreal and elsewhere. However, it is amazing how strong the bonds remain, despite time, distance, and shifting dynamics brought on by marriages, families and careers.

For our older alumni, their school is still at 4090 Royal–the same address as when they attended. However, with our newer facilities, especially those built since 2000, many felt today’s LCC was quite unrecognizable The alumni were very impressed with facility and programme development and openly encouraged us to continue to improve, while holding true to timeless values and high standards.

So if the alumni experience was about reconnecting, reflection and reminiscing, our open houses on Saturday morning, and again on Tuesday, were the opposite. They were about the future, about possibility, potential and the promise of tomorrow.

We hosted hundreds of visitors and the school looked great. My thanks to faculty and staff who were here to describe programmes and answer endless questions. However a special thank you goes to all of our student “Ambassadors”. They were proud hosts who provided a warm welcome to our many guests and prospective LCC families. No matter how much preparation we adults make as teachers, staff and administrators, it is actually the students who leave the greatest impression on visitors. It is evident in their tone, level of enthusiasm, and knowledge of different school programmes and history. It is their sense of humour and keen involvement in a wide variety of school activities that leave a lasting impression. They are the difference-makers in telling the LCC story.

The common element last weekend at all our special events was the importance of people connecting with people. It’s the benefit of a strong community where standards, effort, and involvement matter. Indeed, taking pride makes LCC a very special place. — Chris Shannon, Headmaster

The Importance of Movement

Posted on September 18, 2014 by admin

An interesting message landed in my in-box last week from a national educational list-serve. A headline declared that new research shows that kids should definitely move more. Movement brings more blood flow to the brain, making us more alert, engaged and focused on learning.

To be honest, I was a little stunned. I wondered why this was actually a headline as I considered it simply a statement of the obvious. For generations our school has focused on the old adage that “a healthy body leads to a healthy mind”. In fact, it’s in our school’s mission statement, “…the fullest development of students in mind, body, and heart…” But when I thought about it for a moment, I realized that we don’t always see the obvious. Sometimes we stare right past important information. We all need reminders about how to do better as well as practical tips about how to chip away at diminishing bad habits.

Our teachers received some great reminders along these lines during a workshop the week before school started. We all heard from acclaimed molecular biologist, researcher and brain expert, Dr. John Medina. He has written an influential book emanating from his recent research, called Brain Rules. He offers 12 important brain rules: practices that enhance brainpower and function. According to him, brain rule number one is the importance of exercise. Not only is exercise good for the body, but the current research is irrefutable – physical movement also significantly and directly enhances brain function.

On his website, Dr. Medina states, “exercise zaps harmful stress chemicals, it boosts problem-solving, planning and attention”. Medina reminds us that the brain evolved under conditions of nearly constant motion. We have been designed to function, think and complete tasks more effectively after exercise. The increased oxygen flow to the brain simply leads to better mental sharpness.

This current research has made us ask a lot of questions at LCC. We include PE and athletics in our programmes, but should we also adapt our academic programmes and schedules to include more movement for students? This is a question we will review during the coming school year.

This week I urged our Middle and Senior School students to move more during recess in the morning and after lunch. If they actually want the latter half of their day to go well, it’s a good idea is to go outside regularly and run around during their breaks. For many teens it’s time to rediscover the sheer fun of play and exercise – nothing organized by teachers – just running around for fun. And yes, the likelihood is that this will actually help them do better in class. In the process, many will say goodbye to that awkward post-lunch nap on their classroom desks. Less zoning out and more zoning in! — Chris Shannon, Headmaster

Inside the Skin of Another Lion

Posted on April 16, 2014 by admin

This week, I am away from our campus at a school in Ontario. I am chairing an accreditation team of a dozen educators drawn from across Canada. It is my duty to offer my services as part of the larger family of independent schools in our national association, CAIS (Canadian Accredited Independent Schools). Every seven years member-schools complete an exhaustive self-evaluation, outlining strengths and areas for improvement in all aspects of a school’s operations. The school is then visited by a team of educational specialists. They investigate and validate the school’s claims, by holding them up to national benchmarks and the latest educational best practices. Why do schools go through such a process?

LCC is a member of this national association of close to 100 independent schools. Through a rigorous accreditation process, each independent school is forced to openly evaluate its core strengths and challenges. Internally, faculty, staff and board members evaluate and reflect upon the school’s implementation of a dozen key educational standards, from academics and co-curricular life to finance, governance and administrative leadership.

It has been an interesting and challenging week. Our team has met many dedicated faculty and staff while witnessing the daily routines of school life through the lens of a unique learning community. This includes a different local context, unique routines, approaches and special areas of focus. However, the connection between great teachers and the energy and achievement of students is a constant that is impressive when done well, regardless of school setting. I have seen many memorable learning moments this week in students from kindergarten to grade 12. By being at another school I am refreshed by belief in the magic energy of children and their deep desire to learn, develop and emerge. In helping to shape the next generation, I am also reminded that all teachers possess a great privilege.

Sometimes we need to leave our own backyard for such poignant and motivating reminders to have impact. As it is for our students, meaningful growth comes with meaningful experiences. I am pleased I was able to crawl into the skin of another lion. –Chris Shannon, Headmaster

Exporting Cancer?

Posted on April 2, 2014 by admin

Hearing from your doctor that “you have cancer” is a shocking and scary experience. That happened to me in 1988 just as my wife and I learned that she was pregnant with our first child. For every cancer patient, the journey about how to grapple with the diagnosis means one’s life has been altered forever. It is daunting to wrestle with cancer, as it is the great plague of the 20^th & now the 21^st centuries.

In my case, I was supported by a fantastic medical team and endured minimal intervention and no surgeries. However, it took a full five years before the doctors declared me “cured” and “cancer-free.” Along the way my family endured a great deal emotionally. Because of my illness, I was removed from regular life insurance roles and had to dole out 300% for less insurance coverage for my growing family – after initially being told it would be a 700% increase – a struggle I had to wage on top of adjusting to the ramifications of the serious diagnosis.

Four years earlier I had lost my father to cancer and then lost my mother as well, 12 years later in 1996. Both my parents died from a different form of cancer, but according to their wishes they each died at home and with the dignity. I assure you, the practical elements of delivering the dignity they deserved was very draining on our extended family. I came to know cancer much better than I wanted to, but as it is in many domains, life often does not offer us choices. So now on the doorstep of real spring, I see April as cancer month. For me, it is painted yellow because of the national Canadian Cancer Society Daffodil fundraising campaign, and creative expressions of surging hope that emanate from cancer survivors across Canada. They reflect the importance of our collective efforts to all come together to defeat cancer’s scourge.

In the past several years, we have actually done incredibly well on this front. The Canadian Cancer Society reminds us that the billions of dollars that have been raised in recent decades to fund research and develop new treatments have had a positive impact. Happily, with new drug therapies, most cancers are actually in decline in Canada and across North America – and for some cancers, in rather significant ways. Pamela Fralick, the CEO of the Canadian Cancer Society says we are at “an exciting threshold and there is great optimism for a future where we will no longer have to fear the word cancer.” But note that during the past century, cancer has been a disease, primarily of the wealthy.

In the spirit of our LCC Destiny Quebec (DQ) student leadership conference focused on globalization, allow me to assert that globalization is not just about trade and the proliferation of new digital technologies. It also includes health, and cancer is our primary export. Yes, on the international cancer front, things are changing. Now more than 60% of new cancer cases in the world are occurring in poor and middle-income countries. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), by 2025 the share of global deaths in these poor countries is projected to rise to three-quarters – 75%. The numbers are on the rise in poor countries because diagnosis and care tends to be weak. However, we are also exporting – globalizing our Western lifestyles. This includes more people smoking, overeating, and fewer getting enough exercise. There seems to be a direct correlation with cancers of the lung, bowel and breast. In 2012, 14.1 million new cancer cases were diagnosed and 8.2 million died from the disease, 11% more than in 2008. By 2025 the number of new cases is expected to reach 19.3 million, a notable 37% increase, and mostly in the world’s poorest nations.

So we surely have more to do to steadily defeat cancer in our society. But let’s be aware that we have indeed arrested the growth of many cancers with new medications and expensive treatments. Yet this won’t work in the developing world. The cancer problem there is only beginning to truly surge and shock, and will shortly become the developing world’s deadliest killer. What will we do to address this form of globalization, this deadly export? I know that many of our students will have an impact by committing to successful careers in the health care sector. If that’s too far down the road for some, we can all start by wearing a daffodil pin today to support research and anyone you know who is a survivor or living with cancer today. Then consider “what else can I do?” –Christopher Shannon, Headmaster

Distraction Addiction

Posted on March 26, 2014 by admin

All of us wrestle with a unique 21^st century paradox. We constantly use a host of digital technologies that are designed to enhance our lives and our capacity to communicate more broadly and effectively. However, rather than simply solve problems, these very same tools often contribute to a rising sense of anxiety. Notably, this also applies to our teenage students. Stanford university professor Alex Joo Sum-Kim Pang researches this phenomenon at a special think tank in California. He calls it “distraction addiction” and warns that we should be proactive in handling the emerging challenges that digital connectivity has swept into our lives. He stresses to educators like me that endless multi-tasking by teens has a cognitive cost and can literally impede the proper development of their brains. In the extreme, he calls this a “mindless mindset,” which interferes with building an all-important “positive mindset” that is key to learning and development in all students.

Pang believes that we can interrupt the cycle of the “mindless mindset” that leads to a “distraction addiction.” Here are four concrete suggestions:

Email: Be more purposeful. Don’t check your messages all the time; only check two or three times per day when you actually have a moment to respond if necessary.
Multi-tasking: Pang believes multitasking gets a bad rap and can be done productively, but only with a focus on a single purpose. So Multi-task but don’t switch tasks. For example, in preparing a meal in the kitchen you can be sautéing meat in a frying pan while chopping vegetables, but those different tasks are aimed at a single purpose. For students, when it comes to a research assignment, seek articles on different websites and watch a short video on You Tube related to the same topic. However, they should not mix that up with assignments for three other academic subjects while also chatting with friends on several social media sites.
Social Media: In Pang’s words “Tweet mindfully.” He reminds us to always remember why we are on any particular social media platform and that we should only go online with a single intention. We should remember that there are always real people at the other end – and what one says online can and will have impact. So we should never submit to a first impulse, especially if it’s a sarcastic comment or simply blathering on.
Remember to Breathe: One of the most unique terms Pang has introduced is “email apnea.” His research shows that most people hold their breath when they check their email. Holding our breath, Pang explains, “reflects the anxiety many of us feel as we check for new messages in our inbox, not knowing what new fires we’ll have to put out or what problems we’ll have to solve.” It also shows how our minds, bodies, and computers are very deeply entangled. Like a lot of other problems Pang describes, “email apnea” can be improved by being mindful of one’s breathing and consciously taking breaks from our screens from time to time. Our relationship with digital technology doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing approach, but we can go a lot further in improving daily quality of life by being more intentional in how we use digital tools.

Finally, I will add my own suggestion:

5. Disconnect: Where and when possible, be purposeful and go offline. This will enhance your connections with other people and your capacity for reflection and deep thought which are so essential to both productivity and creativity.

Professor Pang reminds us that “the highest levels of happiness come from people who are absorbed in difficult tasks… digital connection is inevitable, but distraction is a choice.” So don’t succumb to the “distraction addiction,” just try to make good choices. Go ahead and tackle difficult tasks today—one at a time. By managing technology better, we can live better, and not drown in it. —Christopher Shannon, Headmaster