I have been living Boca Raton, Florida, for over a week. During my stay, I have experienced many new things. In some ways, it is similar to Montreal and in other ways it is quite different.
When I landed at the Florida airport, I was kind of nervous but once I saw my host family, I wasn’t as scared. I had already been communicating with them for at least a month and that certainly helped. One of the first things that struck me was the heat. I was way too hot in sweatpants, long sleeves and furry boots!
The first week at a new school can be nerve-racking for anyone. My exchange helped me feel at home and comfortable. I noticed a number of ways that Saint Andrew’s is different from LCC. Practically everywhere you go, you’re outside. All the classes are indoors but when you leave each classroom, you’re outside in the beautiful hot Florida weather.
Saint Andrew’s also has 6 periods, not including lunch, and each class is 55 minutes. The girls wear short-sleeve polo shirts (like the ones worn in kindergarten at LCC) and skorts. The boys wear similar shirts and shorts. No ties! They are allowed to wear any kind of shoes they want. I must confess, after the second day I did the same and wore my running shoes.
On the weekend, I went to Delray Beach and it was incredible! The waves and water were beautiful! The only downside was that I forgot to wear sunscreen and got sunburned! There was also a fair on the main street right next to the beach. We shopped and wandered around looking at all the artists and their artworks and crafts. There is so much more colour here compared to Montreal.
I’ve made lots of new friends and I hope to be in contact with them for a long time. I’m having a great time in Florida!
– Gigi Gelgor ’19, Exchange Student at Saint Andrew’s School
Exactly five years ago, our Senior Band visited Boston, and completed a music workshop at Harvard University with Thomas Everett, Director of Harvard University Bands. Following the musical session, Mr. Everett took the time to write me a personal letter that was very complimentary of our young musicians and teachers. Here’s what he said:
Last week, we all heard the terrible news about the tragic death of a grade 9 student at one of Montreal’s independent schools. On behalf of our entire LCC school community, I immediately sent condolences to the head of school and expressed our collective sadness and sense of solidarity.
Unfortunately, my amazing stay in Australia is coming to an end. During the past two weeks, Tom’s family and I visited several places. First off, we went to the Eureka Tower, one of the tallest buildings in Melbourne where we went on a glass elevator called the edge, which moved horizontally out of the tower. It was a thrilling experience and it allowed me to see the city from a very different perspective.
On March 12, I was taken to the Rhino and Lion Reserve where I had a once in a lifetime experience. About an hour into our drive, I saw the big sign with two lion statues next to it. We drove in and I immediately saw animals. I saw ostriches and a giraffe. While driving around, we saw all sorts of bucks, like the blesbuck, rooihartebeest, sable and springbok, which is South Africa’s national animal. We also saw a warthog with her two babies. We then drove up to the predator camp, which is where the more dangerous animals are, and we were just in time for the feedings. We watched wild dogs, cheetahs and lions being fed. It was so cool because we were right next to all of them in our car watching them eat.
