Round Square: Integrating Leadership Into Everyday Life

Posted on February 19, 2014 by admin

Over the week of January 27, five LCC grade 10 students, James Kastner, Zack Shine, Victoria Kalisky, Jennifer Beallor, Arianna Galbraith along with myself, Jessica Lackstein travelled to Haliburton, Ontario. We represented LCC at the Round Square Regional Conference of the Americas hosted by St. Clements School and Bayview Glen School. Students travelled from all corners of the globe in order to attend this conference.

Upon arrival at the hotel our first welcome was from two Colombian students. We exchanged information and instantly became friends. As more and more delegates from their respective countries began introducing themselves to us we came to the realization that although we came from complete different corners of the world, we have much in common.

While riding the three-hour drive up to Camp Wanakita, everyone was beaming with laughter, cheer and pride. I recall sitting on the bus with my friend and saying, “ I can’t believe students travelled all the way from Australia!” Just then, someone from Australia peeked through the crack between our chairs and said, “Australia? I’m sorry but you said Australia! That’s where I’m from!” From all his pride and excitement I knew the people I would meet and the friendships I would make would last forever. From that moment on all my worries and fears had diminished and I was more than ready for what the next four days had to offer.

At the camp we participated in various outdoor activities such as: snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, high ropes course and dogsledding, an obvious favourite. Although it seems as if it was all “fun and games” we incorporated many new leadership skills into each activity. Whether it was helping the driver guide the dogsled through the blistering cold or encouraging your friend to climb the high ropes course, there were leadership skills involved in every process.

The most challenging yet most educational activity was an indoor evening activity. Twenty-three different qualities such as: love for learning, curiosity and open-mindedness were all placed on the floor and we were told to sit at the one that we felt was our strongest. It took a good three minutes for everyone to decide where they felt the strongest connection and even then people still had a very distinct look of uncertainty on their face. Once everyone had decided, we were asked to stand up one by one and explain to a room of about 50 people why we felt this was our strongest quality. To be able to stand up in front of 50 complete strangers and talk about myself was one of the hardest challenges.

After completing the first exercise, we had to then sit by our weakest quality and address the room once more. One by one, we all got up and addressed the room. Not only were we speaking up about our weaknesses and our strengths but we are also becoming more self-aware. As more people spoke, the room got louder and more people voiced their opinion. Everyone seemed far more motivated and determined to succeed and most importantly more aware of their position in the world.

The conference was an experience of a lifetime. To anyone interested in attending a conference, whether it is the junior or the senior Round Square, I highly recommend attending. The bonds created and lessons learned will last forever. Most importantly, we learned what it takes to be a great leader and how to integrate leadership qualities into every thing you do in life. – Jessica Lackstein ’15

Duke of Edinburgh: A Unique Journey

Posted on February 18, 2014 by admin

Last weekend, eighteen Grade 11 students travelled to Northern Ontario with Mr. Weiland and Mrs. Owen to complete the Adventurous Journey component of their Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award. The trip aimed to “Cultivate a spirit of adventure, discovery, self-reliance, and environmental conservation while undertaking a wilderness or adventure experience.” The journey revolved mainly around dog sledding. Students worked closely with Chocpaw, a dog sledding organization that has been planning expeditions for the past 30 years. Most students had never experienced dog sledding before, which made us both eager to set off on the journey and unsure of what to expect.

Upon our arrival at Algonquin Park, we put on our snowshoes and heavy backpacks containing all our material for the entire journey and set off on a hike. We travelled through trails and across a lake covered with only ten inches of ice. The hike proved to be a challenge, as it put many students’ fitness to the test. However, beautiful scenery made the hike very enjoyable. After a tiring five hours, we arrived at a camp not only breathless from the hike, but also from the sheer beauty of nature that surrounded us.

Arriving at the camp meant chores. Tasks were delegated: some students were in charge of felling wood, which would later be used in the stoves to heat the tents. Our guide instructed us how to do so, and we learned which types of wood were useful in which conditions. Others were responsible for collecting water by making a hole through the ice in the lake, which would later be boiled and used for drinking water and to heat our dinner. As for our meal, small grills were present in the tents and a few students were assigned kitchen duty.

These tasks took a fair amount of time to complete. We worked well after sunset, pausing for aerobic sessions to warm up. We ate a warm and rewarding supper, enjoying each other’s presence and bonding as a group. The communal effort provided was gratifying. We settled into our warm, heated tents and slept throughout the night. However, the fluctuation of the temperature inside the tent as the fire died out and was stoked kept some of us awake.

The next day, we gathered all our equipment and hiked back to our original starting point to obtain our team of dogs. Arriving at the kennel was overwhelming: 387 enthusiastic dogs were barking, eager to start running and pulling our sleds. We packed our sleds with our bags, attaching them with tarp and rope. In teams of two, we were assigned to a team of six Alaskan huskies, which are a mix between Siberian huskies and another breed, usually a German shepherd.

At this point, the chaotic process of hooking up the dogs to our sled began. Each student had to retrieve a dog, remembering its name, harness size and position on the dog sled. We learned how to attach the dogs properly and how to keep them calm and tamed. The sleds themselves had to be duly attached to a nearby tree, for the dogs would otherwise run off as soon as they were harnessed. We then set off on our dog sledding adventure, with one student as passenger and another as the driver. The latter was in charge of breaking and calling out the appropriate commands to steer the dogs. Sledding was not a passive experience; on the contrary, we were up and running most of the time, encouraging the dogs to run and pushing the sled uphill.

We sledded all day, stopping at night at camps. The dogs were tied to chains, fed and given straw for the night. The process of chores was repeated over the course of the next three days. We were outside all day, sledding, taking care of the dogs and doing chores. It was quite a change of routine to have to complete chores that were essential to our survival. Also, the trip enabled us to learn how to stay warm in the coldest of conditions.

The trip was truly an exhilarating and unique experience. I never would have had this opportunity if it were not for the Duke of Edinburgh Award programme. Working in such close proximity to the dogs was amazing. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that the trip exceeded all of our expectations. Bonding with both the dogs and our classmates was awesome. I am so grateful I was given the chance to go on this journey.

Tatjana Dimock ’14

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Australia Student Exchange: Whales, Views and Football!

Posted on February 18, 2014 by admin

Over the weekend my exchange partner, Brandon, and I took a trip down to a small community on the beach called Victor Harbour. There we went to eat at a little German restaurant where I had a delicious and traditional German grill breakfast. After we filled our stomachs, we made our way down to the South Australian Whale Centre, where we learned about whale history, whale anatomy and the use of all these different whale parts in our modern society.

Once educated on the wonders of whales, we got in the car and started to make our way back towards the boarding house, only to stop at another small town close by called Port Elliot. There we stopped at the Commodore Reserve with a beautiful view over the incredibly turquoise Horseshoe Bay. After taking in the sights and ripping my shorts on a metal post, we headed back to Adelaide.

Now the second part of our day had begun: Brandon’s parents dropped us off at the Richmond Oval, where I was about to witness my very first AFL game. It was a classic showdown between the two rival teams, the Port Adelaide Power and the Adelaide Crows. Although it was just a pre-season game, the intensity was still pretty high and the violence (as always) was over the top.

Unfortunately, besides the sheer brutality and incredibly fast-pace aspects of the game, it was pretty boring due to it being a huge blowout. By the end of the first half the Crows were up 76-16. Brandon and I ended up leaving during the 3rd quarter because of this and at this point I had been burnt to a crisp! – Charlie Joy ’14 (LCC exchange student at Westminster School in Adelaide, Australia)

Australia Student Exchange: Nothing Less than Extraordinary

Posted on February 17, 2014 by admin

After twenty-two long and strenuous hours, I had finally arrived in Melbourne on Saturday, January 8, 2014, two days after I had departed Montreal. My exchange partner Matthew, and his family live in Ballarat, located an hour out of Melbourne. Ballarat Grammar, the school I will be attending for the next seven weeks is situated in the heart of the city.

The past few days have been nothing less than extraordinary. The first day I arrived the weather was blazing hot! This was a shock to me as I left Montreal at a temperature of approximately -20 Celsius. As I disembarked the plane, I immediately felt a sense of freedom and independence. I was excited to experience a new country and yet, ecstatic to finally be exposed to an independent lifestyle for the first time.

When I arrived at Ballarat Grammar on Monday, I was greeted with hundreds of happy faces and immediately made friends. Matthew and his family have been so welcoming. I am only seven days into my exchange and it already feels like home.

On Tuesday, Matthew’s parents, brother and I attended Matthew’s rowing tournament. I had never watched a rowing regatta before, so this was an entirely new experience for me and I enjoyed it quite a lot. On Wednesday, classes were suspended as the entire school was transported to a large community pool for a swimming sports day full of events ranging from 50 meter backstrokes to water polo.

This weekend we are going to explore the Great Ocean Road, a long 91 km route that circles around the coast of Victoria and is known for its scenic views. All in all, I have had an excellent first week and can’t wait to continue exploring Australia and soaking in all it has to offer. – Ryan Hawa ’16

The Significance of China @ LCC

Posted on February 13, 2014 by admin

There are currently dozens of lovely, colourful, hand-made Chinese lanterns hanging from the ceiling of our Junior School corridor. There is also a 30-foot Chinese Dragon lying in wait on the floor. It was made by students in art class and came to life recently in the children’s enthusiastic Chinese New Year Dragon Dance.

The Chinese New Year began officially on January 31^st, the start of 4,712, the Year of the Horse. Legend has it that in ancient times, Buddha asked all animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve came, and Buddha named a year after each animal. People born in each animal’s year carry some of that animal’s personality. Those born in the year of the horse (also 1990, 1978, 1966, 1954) are reputed to be cheerful, skillful with money, creatively talented, good at building with their hands, perceptive and witty.

At Chinese New Year celebrations people wear red clothing, decorate with poems on red paper, and give children “lucky money” in red envelopes. Red symbolizes fire, which according to belief can drive away bad luck. The fireworks that shower the festivities are rooted in a similar ancient custom. Long ago, people in China lit bamboo stalks, believing that the crackling flames would frighten evil spirits. Chinese lanterns adorn temples, and people carry them in evening parades under the light of the full moon.

The highlight of the lantern festival is usually the dragon dance. The dragon, which may stretch as long as 100 feet, is typically made of silk, paper, and bamboo. The dragon is usually held aloft by young men who dance as they guide the colourful beast through the streets. In Canada, the new year is celebrated enthusiastically by Chinese community groups all across the country. Our Junior School students were particularly eager to discover more through an active learning experience, dancing spiritedly through our halls.

In our students’ individual and collective quest to be global citizens, they should each want to know more about major cultural traditions – and Chinese New Year is a good example. As cultural diversity is a core part of the fabric of Canada, we want our students to be active in wanting to know more about a wide spectrum of cultural traditions. By their teen years, they should not just wait for teachers to update them on key cultural information. We want them to want to know more.

Let’s think a little bit about the Chinese-Canadian community here. One-and-a-half million Canadians are of Chinese heritage, representing almost 5% of the total Canadian population. The numbers of Chinese-Canadians are actually larger in both BC (11%) and Toronto (12%), Canada’s largest city.

Trade between Canada and China has exploded in recent years to a peak of approximately $70 billion last year. Canada imports mostly electrical, mechanical and manufactured merchandise from China while we export a lot of raw materials to fuel China’s massive economy.

I am pleased that 17 LCC high school students will be travelling to China this March Break with Mr. Vlahogiannis, Ms. Leiter, & Mr. Lee. They have been gathering weekly to learn more about Chinese history, language and culture. I look forward to hearing from the group when they return in the spring. I’m sure they will be very keen to teach us more about one of the world’s oldest cultures and most vibrant economies. – Christopher Shannon, Headmaster