Mackay Centre Students Inspire

Posted on May 13, 2014 by admin

At the beginning of the year, Klara, Zoe, Alessandro, Vikki, Franky, Logan, Lyndsay and I went to Camp Massawippi for three days with Ms. Leiter to work with students from the Mackay Centre. We spent our time taking walks, watching movies and doing arts and crafts with them. We had an amazing time and formed bonds that will never be broken. By the time we came back to school, we already missed the kids so much that we decided to plan one last visit.

Last Wednesday, we finally went back to the Mackay Centre. We painted flowers with the students and made cards for Mother’s Day. We had a lot of fun with the kids and it was really great to see them again.

The Mackay students were so inspiring. They taught me to try and make the best of every situation. All of them had disabilities, yet they were some of the happiest children I’ve ever met. This whole experience has been amazing and I will never forget it. – Olivia Black ’13

Le Grand Nettoyage Des Rivages Canadiens

Posted on April 29, 2014 by admin

Dans le cadre du Le Grand Nettoyage des élèves de LCC se sont unis pour rendre une beauté aux rivages du Canal Lachine.

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Chaque année, des milliers de Canadiens s’unissent pour lutter contre les déchets riverains, qui menacent gravement nos voies d’eau navigables, et prennent part au Grand nettoyage des rivages canadiens. Il s’agit d’une initiative de conservation de l’Aquarium de Vancouver et le WWF et du plus important programme de conservation par l’action directe au Canada.

À ce jour, le Grand nettoyage des rivages a mobilisé plus de 500 000 Canadiens des quatre coins du pays pour contribuer à garder nos rivières, lacs et océans en santé pour les collectivités et les espèces sauvages qui en dépendent.

Un groupe d’élèves du Middle School de Lower Canada College a prêté main-forte à la lutte contre les déchets riverains en procédant au nettoyage du Canal Lachine entre Wellington et Charlevoix, le samedi 26 avril 2014 de 10h00 à 12h00.

Voici les impressions des participants :

C’était génial de pouvoir aider notre environnement de cette façon! The amount of trash accumulated on the shorelines of the canal was crazy! – Paul Virally ’17

J’ai trouvé que cette expérience était vraiment intéressante et enrichissante. I have Learned that we can have a big impact on our environment, positive or negative starting with what we decide to through into the garbage our into our environment. – Michael Fedele ’17

J’étais contente d’être capable d’aider l’environnement et c’était amusant de le faire avec mes amis. Once I got to the Lachine Canal, it was surprising to see how much garbage was scattered along the shoreline. – Alyssa Howard ’17

The Great Canadian Shoreline cleanup was a chance for me and 8 others to take care of the Lachine Canal’s waters and shores in the morning. C’était une bonne expérience, où nous étions conscient des effets de ces déchets sur les océans du monde. – Andrew Zhang ’17

Le grand nettoyage était une expérience différente qui m’a beaucoup surpris. This trip was full of surprises but the thing that surprised me the most was the large quantity of litter, I expected much less. – Erika Kaperonis ’17

I was very surprised about how much garbage was being thrown on the ground especially when the trash can was just a few feet away. Je suis vraiment fière d’avoir aidé l’environnement en ramassant ces déchets. Même s’il pleuvait, c’était très amusant particulièrement parce que j’étais avec mes amis. – Lucia Huang ’17

J’étais dégouté par tous les mégots de cigarette, de plastique et les nombreux autres déchets qui polluent la Terre. I thought that people cared more about our Earth, and I hope that now, people can see how much we really pollute. – Eli Samuel ’17

Ma participation au Grand Nettoyage fut une expérience étonnante. I didn’t realize just how polluted our waters were and how much work needs to be done in order to resolve the crisis that is global warming. – Adam Vandenbussche ’17

It is shocking to realize how eight students were able to fill over four bags of garbage in less than two hours. L’expérience fut si agréable que je compte recommencer l’année prochaine. – Abigail Shine ’17

PHOTOS

La jolie France – Semaine 6: Nice, Èze Village, Menton, et Monaco !

Posted on April 29, 2014 by admin

Pour ma dernière semaine en France, Marie et sa mère m’ont amenée à Nice, comme c’était les vacances de Pâques. On est arrivées à l’aéroport de Nice très tard, vendredi soir. Nous sommes restées à Èze pendant cinq jours. Pendant notre première journée de vacances, la sœur d’Emmanuelle et son fils sont venus à l’appartement pour que nous puissions visiter tous ensemble la petite ville de Menton, qui est juste à côté de la frontière d’Italie. On a marché autour des petits magasins pendant quelques heures, et à la fin de notre journée, on est allé manger des crêpes devant l’océan.

On a célébré les fêtes de Pâques le dimanche avec sa tante, et on a mangé de l’agneau et beaucoup de chocolat. Après le repas, on est allé à Monaco. À Monaco, on a pris un petit train pour visiter plusieurs lieux intéressants comme Le Port de Monaco, le Circuit F1, le Casino de Monte-Carlo, L’Hôtel de Paris, le Palais Princier, et le Musée Océanographique. Après notre magnifique tour à Monaco, nous avons marché jusqu’au Palais Princier pour voir la relève de la garde. Monaco est une principauté, avec beaucoup d’élégance.

Pendant la troisième journée de vacances, nous sommes restées à Èze pour visiter le village, et l’usine de la parfumerie Fragonard. On a appris comment se fabrique les parfums, les savons, et les cosmétiques de cette marque qui n’est pas commercialisée ailleurs. Après notre visite et notre magasinage dans leur boutique, on est allé voir le jardin exotique qui se trouve tout en haut d’Èze Village. La vue était extraordinaire.

Les deux dernières journées des vacances étaient très relaxantes et je suis très contente que j’aie l’opportunité d’y aller avec eux à la côte d’Azur. On a retourné chez eux à la fin de mon séjour. Cette expérience en France était géniale et inoubliable. J’ai profité de tout en France et j’ai appris beaucoup des choses qui vont me suivre pendant des années. J’encourage tout le monde d’aller en échange, car cette expérience a changé ma vie et ma perspective sur le monde entier. – Ilana Singer ’16

LCC Parent Volunteers: Gratitude is the Best Attitude!

Posted on April 25, 2014 by admin

LCCPA Chair Priscilla Whitehead thanked parent volunteers at today’s Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast. Here’s what she had to say:
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Non Nobis Solum/Not For Ourselves Alone

Once again I think it is important to begin with our school motto, which each of you embodies by being a parent volunteer.

“Gratitude is the Best Attitude” the JS theme for this year, provides inspiration everyday at LCC and certainly for today’s event, in appreciation of all of you, our Parent Volunteers.

We, as parents, certainly have much to be grateful for here at LCC. But today is LCC and the LCCPA’s turn to express gratitude to all of you, the parents who step up and take time out of your busy schedules to lend a hand at your children’s school, LCC.

“Gratitude is the Best Attitude”… a very good theme indeed. So who is grateful for parent volunteers?

LCC’s administration is grateful to see you here at LCC…

…Grateful for your welcoming assistance as a Mentor to new families;

…Grateful to the moms and dads who work countless hours on LCC’s Board of Governors’ and its committees, providing guidance on facilities, finance, governance and long-range planning;

…Grateful for all the help you give to raise funds to build these really amazing facilities, like our new beautiful math and science classrooms and our Assaly Arts Centre and Saputo Auditorium;

… Grateful for your help at the Book Fair, the LCC Family BBQ, Grandparents’ Day and other events;

Who else is grateful for your help? …

The LCC teachers and staff are grateful to see you here at LCC…

…Grateful for your help covering books in the Library, or when you drive students to community service activities;

…Grateful when you help as a judge at the Science Fair, or for a Debating Tournament;

…Grateful for your generosity as you bake or serve them food at the Staff Appreciation event or help students prepare the beautiful thank you cards and artwork;

…Grateful to those of you who volunteer to comb through hair and reassure young students as part of the JS “Lice Squad”…and certainly ALL parents should be very grateful to you as well for that one!

Who else is grateful for your help? …

LCC’s students are grateful to see you here at LCC…

…Grateful when you come into class to read them a book in kindergarten, or teach them about a family tradition in grade 6, or guide them on Career Day in the Senior School;

…Grateful when you sew or organize costumes for their theatre productions or tie their skates in the younger grades, so they can have fun at the LCC rink;

…Grateful to so many of you who volunteer your time at the LCC Store, helping them find supplies and that last minute gym shirt, but most especially grateful, because by volunteering your time – you make it possible for the LCC Store to donate its profits (a substantial amount!) to the Bursary Fund, for which many LCC students are extremely grateful, as your help is what allows them to attend LCC.

Non Nobis Solum/Not for Ourselves Alone

LCC administrators, staff, teachers and students are grateful that you have embraced and embodied the LCC motto by being a Parent Volunteer. Non Nobis Solum/Not For Ourselves Alone, which each of you models for your children and for ALL of LCC’s children by giving your time to help others, both here and in the wider community.

And so, since as we all know, “Gratitude is the Best Attitude”, LCC and the LCCPA would like to let you know how grateful they are by saying…

Thank You!!!!! – Priscilla Whitehead, LCCPA Chair

More Photos

Eight Wonderful Weeks in Australia

Posted on April 22, 2014 by admin

My time in Australia has flown by. After spending eight wonderful weeks here it is finally time for me to return home. I would like to thank Georgia and my exchange family for making my time here so amazing.

While I was over, I had the chance to go on the Outward Bound camp, a ten-day trek across the Australian outback. Over the course of our trip, my camp group travelled over 70 km on foot while each carrying over 50 pounds on our backs. We slept under a tarp strung between two trees, known as a bivvy, and cooked all our own meals. Hiking was very tough because most of the time there were no paths, so we had to make our own and this was called “bush-bashing” because the people in the front were literally breaking branches and bushes so that we could all get through.

We spent a lot of time on our hikes taking long detours to avoid gullies because supposedly a bunch of bulls had escaped from a farm nearby and now they were wild and liked to stay in the gullies where it was cooler. No one laughed when our instructor told us on the last night of camp how there were actually no bulls in the gully and it was all just a joke like gully-bull, gullible. Another time we spent about an hour making stick pyramid traps for the elusive hoop snake, an Australian snake that rolls like a wheel instead of slithering (it didn’t exist either). Throughout the trip, our camp group really bonded. We would sing songs together while we were hiking to pass the time and play fun games like Camouflage (extreme hide-and-seek) after lunch.

The purpose of the trip was to challenge us, take us out of our comfort zones, and also to make us better leaders. The instructors encouraged us to do everything by ourselves. They helped us out on the first few days, but by Day 4, we were on our own. They only intervened if we were in danger, like if we were heading too close to a blister bush. They didn’t even tell us if we were walking in the wrong direction, which we were, because at one point we navigated to the edge of a cliff instead of our campsite. Oops.

One of the days we went to these beautiful rocky cliffs overlooking the ocean. Our instructors took away our watches and split us up for solo time. We each got a different spot to sit overlooking the ocean and spent approximately three hours sitting there in silence. They didn’t give us our watches back until the following night so for the whole next day we had the opportunity to experience life without time. Though Outward Bound was very challenging, it was definitely worth it. This experience made me so much more confident in my abilities and I also feel that I am a much stronger leader because of it. It also made me appreciate the little things more like running water, clean clothes, non-powdered milk, and showers.

As for going on exchange, it is without a doubt one of the best choices I have made. I really encourage other students to give it a try next year. I’ve learned so much and had so many new experiences. I’ve made some great friends who I hope to see again sometime. I’m certain that the memories I’ve made here will stay with me forever.-Alexandra Gardilcic ’16