L’exposition du musée canadien de la guerre arrive à Lower Canada College

Posted on February 26, 2015 by admin

Le musée canadien de la guerre organise une exposition itinérante d’objets de la Première Guerre mondiale. Ceux-ci ont été exposés à la bibliothèque de LCC. Cette boîte de découverte comprend des objets et des plans d’apprentissage, le tout lié à l’expérience des Canadiens qui ont servis outre-mer durant la Première Guerre mondiale. Elle a été assemblée par les experts du Musée canadien de la guerre, le musée national d’histoire militaire au Canada

Voici quelques commentaires d’élèves de 9e année:
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J’ai trouvé que c’était une excellente expérience qui me permettait d’apprendre encore plus sur la Première Guerre mondiale. The exhibit helped me to imagine life in the trenches and really made me feel closer to the soldiers, nurses, and all the people in the war. – Alethea Ng

C’était une excellente expérience d’être capable de voir tous les différentes armes et outils utilisés pendant la Première Guerre mondiale. I really enjoyed trying on the uniforms and gas mask of the soldiers that participated in the war. – Alyssa Howard

Même si je viens d’essayer plusieurs vêtements, chapeaux et outils de guerre, je ne pourrais jamais savoir comment c’était horrible pour les soldats de vivre une telle expérience. This experience really opened my eyes to how lucky and fortunate we are. – Sophie Rivest

J’ai eu l’opportunité d’apprendre à propos de cette guerre d’une façon créative en essayant des uniformes, des équipements et en lisant de nombreux livres intéressants. Today, in our own school library, I put myself in the shoes of those who lived during World War I. – Abby Shine

Les artefacts qui étaient en vedette, entre autres des uniformes, des cartes et des éclats d’obus étaient fascinants. They truly breathed some life into all the dates and statistics that we’re taught in class. – Adam Vandenbussche

Aujourd’hui, on a vu les difficultés rencontrées lors des combats avec des masques à gaz. Les soldats ne pouvaient pas tirer facilement avec eux, mais, les gaz pouvaient les tuer s’ils ne les mettaient pas. Today, we have seen how the soldiers of the First World War fought with heavy artillery while waiting in the trenches for the opportunity to fight. – Max Topiol

La belle peinture illustrant la Première Guerre mondiale montrait le sacrifice de nombreux soldats canadiens qui ont malheureusement perdu la vie. The artifacts on display demonstrated the struggles and efforts made by the soldiers as well as the women’s role during World War 1. The nurse’s outfit is made out of silk similar to Edith Cavell’s. – Priscilla Johnson

J’ai appris qu’il y a plusieurs peintures magnifiques qui ont été créées pour capturer certains moments de la guerre. I saw many artifacts from WW1 that carry stories of war and represent the struggles and efforts of the armies from over 100 years ago. – Alyssa Cohen

Nous avons appris à propos d’artefacts utilisés pendant la Première Guerre mondiale. We also had the opportunity to try on these very interesting (and somewhat suffocating) relics that many of the Canadian soldiers that served for our country wore. – Ben Rossy

C’était intéressant d’être capable de toucher de vrais artefacts de la Première Guerre mondiale et j’ai découvert l’art de la guerre. I learned a lot from this experience but I know I’ll never know what it feels like to be in their shoes even if I tried on some of their clothes. – Erika Kaperonis

J’ai été capable de voir nettement une partie de la vie des soldats. It was a very interesting look into the First World War once we got to interact with the different objects used during that time. – Andrew Zhang

Nous sommes allés à la bibliothèque pour observer et essayer des objets de la Premiere Guerre mondiale. We went to the library to see some of the artifacts that were used in the First World War. – Adam Mahrouse

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Round Square: To Err on the Side of Compassion

Posted on February 26, 2015 by admin

I walked in someone’s shoes the other day. What I mean to say is that for one night, I voluntarily slept outside. For one night, I was like the homeless who more and more frequently sleep on the doorsteps of stores and churches, right here in my prosperous city. But, in truth, not really. Unlike the men and women who cannot find or who refuse to seek shelter, I was in the warmest sleeping bag my neurotic and overly protective mother could find; I slept in a quinzee which served as a perfectly adequate shelter, surrounded by friends, protected by teachers. Unlike the men and women who sleep outdoors, I haven’t been ignored, eyed malevolently or stared at contemptuously. My night spent outdoors has earned me a lot of (frankly not quite deserved) sympathy. Still, a little glitch in the zipper of my ultra warm sleeping bag meant that I shivered during the night. It was not totally pleasant, and perhaps explains why today, a few days after my winter experience, I stopped before the man seated on a threadbare blanket in the snow. He held a cardboard, with the heartbreaking words, ”hungry and cold”. I just couldn’t do otherwise. I couldn’t bear to ignore him. I gave him all the change in my wallet.

I have read enough on the issue of the homelessness to know all the arguments against giving loose change to the cold and hungry men and women in the street. I have been warned that my poor dollar would be used to buy hard drugs; that most of those who appear to be homeless are not homeless at all; that they contribute to the decline of neighborhoods, that it is best to leave their fate in the capable hands of organizations. This may be true. It is undoubtedly true, at any rate that dropping a few quarters in a cup will not solve, not even temporarily, the issue of homelessness. Except that I have no hard evidence at all the man shivering right before my eyes is a drug addict. I have no real evidence that all men and women on the streets have drug problems. I have no evidence at all the man staring at me, a little incredulously, really has a home to go to. I do not know that organizations have tried to help him. I do know that he is outside in unbearable -30 C weather, and that he is cold. I do know that not a single person, not a single one, has stopped to acknowledge him. Sherbrooke is a busy street, and there have been many pedestrians. Their steps, though, did not even falter as they passed him by. They rushed past him, without a glance, as though he did not exist at all.

I wonder when we have all become so jaded that we do not shudder when confronted with human misery. This is a man sitting before me. He deserves to be, if not helped, at least acknowledged. He deserves to be looked in the eyes. He deserves an “excuse me”, a “hello”, a nod or a smile. I wonder at the level of misery and despair, which moves a man to seek refuge in the frozen streets. My loose change might not have done much good, but it at least served to remind me, and him, that he is a human being, and he matters. If there is the least little doubt, I will choose to err on the side of compassion.

Service to others is a great Round Square ideal, and it takes a dozen different forms. It does not always have to result in accountable service hours. It does, however, every single time, start with humility and humanity. – David Elbaz ’15, Round Square Head

Student Exchange Australia: G’bye Australia

Posted on February 24, 2015 by admin

The last two weeks in Melbourne have been absolutely wonderful. Time flies when you’re having a good time! I still can’t believe I’m heading back to Canada tomorrow. As much as I want to see my friends and family back in Montreal, I don’t want to leave what has become my second home yet. I have developed a lifelong connection with my exchange, Erica, and her family, the Gikovskis. Luckily, I have made many memories here that I will cherish forever.

Contrary to being “Down Under”, as Australia is known, last weekend I went to the Eureka Skydeck, the Southern Hemisphere’s highest viewing tower. It was absolutely stunning looking over the city 300m in the air. An elevator transported us from the ground, to the 88^th floor of the tower within 45 seconds! My ears got blocked so I ended up shouting with my already-very-loud voice at Erica and her dad. (It probably didn’t help that I was already half deaf from going to a One Direction concert the night before. It’s fascinating how loud teenage girls can scream…) I had to yawn about ten times before my ears finally popped! The view was gorgeous: the blue river running through the city, the open green land where kangaroos lived, the mountains in the horizon, and even the tennis courts where I watched the Australian Open a few weeks ago. It’s not something I could see when I’m standing on flat ground. After getting a 360° view of Melbourne and all its landmarks, I went on the Edge. Basically it’s a glass cube that projects three meters out of the building with me standing in it. It actually wasn’t all that scary! It was fun to see miniature people and tiny little cars running around through the glass floor while I was on top of the world!

My last weekend here was full of fun (at least for me!). I had told my family a few weeks ago I wanted to see something historic in Melbourne. Yes, it seems really weird and nerdy and the Gikovskis looked at me like I was from space and not Canada. But I don’t feel like I have really gotten to know a city if I haven’t seen it’s history. This weekend, Erica’s mom, Anna, took me to the Melbourne Museum. Despite Daniel’s (Erica’s little brother) protests, we dragged him along. We saw lots of dinosaur bones, and other animal skeletons. The history part was interesting as well. It’s amazing how much Montreal and Melbourne have in common. I really enjoyed my trip to the museum!

On Sunday, we took another trip to the zoo. This time, we went to Healesville Sanctuary, a zoo featuring Australian animals. My first stop was the koalas, which were absolutely adorable! They pawed at tree branches and took their time chewing the leaves before proceeding to take a nap. Australia has many species of exotic birds (unlike the seagulls and the pigeons that poop everywhere in Montreal…). I got to see these upfront and personal at the Spirits of the Sky Show. One bird swooped so close to my ear, I thought it would clip some of it off! I also saw emus, kangaroos, platypus, dingos and many different types of venomous snakes. I heard someone say to their child, “We are really lucky to live in Australia. We have the top ten most venomous snakes in the world!” I don’t know if she was being sarcastic… My favourite animal I saw at Healesville was the Tasmanian devil. It was like a huge, chubby black mouse that jiggled when it ran. It was really cute! It became less adorable when I saw it eat its dinner: a dead wombat. Is it a coincidence I also saw wombats that were alive at the zoo a few hours before?

I can’t believe I’m leaving Australia tomorrow morning. Six weeks have zipped right by me. I’m very sad to be packing my bags, I will not only miss Melbourne, but I will sincerely miss the Gikovskis who have been truly wonderful to me. I could not have asked for a better family to stay with. From the moment I arrived, they made me feel like part of the family. They have made every experience here fun and unforgettable. I will miss Emilyan’s jokes, Anna’s laugh, Erica’s stories, and Daniel’s craziness. Daniel was the little brother I never had (my brother from another mother) and Erica was the person I could turn to and have a good laugh with.

Today, I did not say “G’day mate!” but “G’bye.” I’ll even miss the times my friends laughed at my imitation of the Australian accent. I knew the day would come where I would have to say goodbye to my friends and my family, but I did not realize it would come so soon.

Words cannot describe how I feel about Australia and the time I have spent here. I can ramble on for hours and it still would not serve the experience justice. I think this exchange has had a big impact on me. I will return home with a different perspective, as a more independent person and most importantly a lifelong friend! – Lucia Huang ’17, Exchange Student at Ivanhoe Grammar School, Australia

Student Exchange Australia: Everyday an Adventure!

Posted on February 18, 2015 by admin

Ever since I was in elementary school, I have always wanted to go to Australia because that’s where Bindi (the crocodile hunter’s daughter) was from and I thought she was the coolest person on the planet. When I heard about student exchanges, and the opportunity of going to Australia for two months, I knew that was exactly what I wanted to do.

After having my exchange, Nicola Cohen, stay at our house for two months and hearing about how beautiful Australia is and all of the amazing things that she does, I was even more excited to embark on this extraordinary journey. On January 20, about 15 minutes after I finished packing my bags, I said goodbye to my beautiful family and hello to Annie Wiseman who was waiting for me at the airport. We checked our bags, got on the plane, and played Sims for the next 22 hours.

Once we arrived at the Sydney airport, we were greeted by Annie, Nicola’s mom, who had just returned from New Zealand. She then brought us to where we would split ways; Annie Wiseman would go to Melbourne, and I would head off to Perth with Nicola’s mom. We said our goodbyes and off we went. After another flight, and a two-hour car drive from Perth, I arrived in the beautiful small town of Busselton, where I immediately ran out of the car and into Nicola’s arms and hugged my Australian sister for 10 minutes! I was so happy to see her again and was shocked to see how different she looked with a tan. That night I had an immediate culture shock, eating a kangaroo burger for dinner. It surprisingly tasted just like a normal hamburger but with a little more flavour and a lot more of an aftertaste.

Anyone who knows anything about me would know that I am not the most athletic person, so waking up the next morning and biking 30 minutes to Nicola’s friend Georgia’s house, and then to the Busselton Jetty. It was definitely quite tiring for me, yet surprisingly so much fun. I got to the Jetty extremely excited to jump into the beautiful, clear, teal-blue water, however, just as I was about to jump I chickened out. I spent the rest of the day swimming in the ocean and trying to get enough courage to jump off of the Jetty, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.

Everyday here has been an adventure and I have done so many amazing things such as going on a camping trip, swimming with stingrays and dolphins, trying almost every Australian food imaginable, and finally jumping off of the Jetty!

I have had the privilege to spend my birthday, and Australia day here and even though I miss my family tremendously, I feel so lucky to be here and I’m having a wonderful time here.

Although I have only been here for three weeks, I genuinely feel like I have been here for much longer than that. I have already made so many memories that I know I’ll never forget and friends that I never want to lose contact with. It’s crazy how such a small amount of time can affect your life so much. – Isabelle Shtern ’17, Exchange Student at Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School

Abby’s Idayari: Canadian-Zulu Girl Bids a Tearful Farewell to South Africa

Posted on February 18, 2015 by admin

This will be my last diary entry before I begin my journey back home to our merciless Montreal arctic weather. I can’t believe how fast the past six weeks have gone by. I have met the most wonderful people and I have experienced so much. Let me tell you about my last few days here in Johannesburg.

Lion Park

On Friday, I went to Lion Park along with LCC’s Adam Vandenbussche ’17. There, I had the opportunity to hold and feed some animals. I started off with a giraffe, whose head, according to a comment I got on Facebook, “was bigger than my entire body.” I then decided to feed the ostriches. Bad idea! Not only did the ostriches attempt to draw blood as they pecked at my hand for the food, but they cornered me and tried to attack when I ran out of food! Finally, before going on a lion-cheetah drive, I got to actually sit next to and pet a baby lion! The baby and its parents were sleeping and I was allowed to pet it and take pictures; I can honestly say that it was one of the most terrifying yet adventurous moments in my life!

LeSedi

Over the weekend, I visited LeSedi, an African cultural center. There, I was given a tour of four cultural groups of Africa: Zulu, Pedi, Xhosa and Sotho. During our visit of each group, we learned more about their village, culture, people as well as their tools. We also discovered more about their way of life such as how to greet them (“Sahobona” in Zulu). Interesting fact: in order to marry a Zulu woman, you must pay her family 11 cows! (Relax dad – this Canadian-Zulu girl is just reporting the facts and has no plan to marry soon!) Finally, after the tour, we witnessed a dancing and singing performance just for us! I had a fantastic time at LeSedi. The village was vibrant with color and designs and there were an abundance of intriguing hand-made artifacts.

Squatter Camp

After our visit at LeSedi, I was taken to one of the biggest squatter camps in the area. Being exposed first hand to such poverty was a moving experience. The camp is filled with small, underdeveloped houses, tents and other forms of shelter. I got to walk around and witness the devastating conditions under which the residents must live.

Surprise!

Finally, on Sunday, I was thrown a goodbye party by Rodina and twenty of my new friends! We had a phenomenal time reminiscing about my past six weeks at Saint Stithians and how much fun we all had together.

Zulu Word of the Week: “Abangane” means a friend

Final Words: What this exchange has meant to me…

Although I am excited to see my friends and family back in Montreal, I will truly miss South Africa. There are no words in the world that can describe how I am feeling. I have only been here for six weeks yet I feel as though it is my home; I credit my friends here for this feeling. They made me feel as though I was welcome the second I walked into the school. They took the time to introduce themselves and help me when I was lost (which was a lot!)

It was not easy for me to leave my home and my family in January. I had never lived by myself, let alone with another family. The Ayayas have made this experience so enjoyable for me. I especially want to thank Rodina’s parents for everything they have done. I am happy to have gained a new family. I have become very close to Rodina and I cannot wait to introduce her to everyone at LCC.

People may never fully understand what a great time I had in South Africa; when asked about my trip, I hope I don’t simply blurt out “it was great!” I hope I can communicate to others how much this experience has meant to me. It’s been a great journey. I am coming home different and independent. Yours truly, Canadian-Zulu girl.

Abby Shine ’17 Exchange Student at St Stithians Girls’ College