Classe Rouge: Mes premières impressions de Jouvence

Lorsque je suis arrivée à Jouvence, ma première impression était de surprise, car cette place est magnifique! Je me suis dit qu’on allait surement beaucoup s’amuser!

Les couleurs de ma chambre sont le jaune, le blanc, le vert et le turquoise foncé. C’est une très belle chambre qui est grande. Il y a des lits à deux étages et je dors sur celui du haut. Dans ma chambre, il y a mes bonnes amies. C’est un bon début! – Sonia Yip ’20 (Classe de français accéléré)

More photos

 

 

Classe Nature: J’adore mon chalet!

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J’ai toujours voulu aller dans un camp où on dort. Maintenant, j’ai une idée de comment ça se passe dans un de ces camps. J’adore mon chalet! J’aime avoir toutes mes amies avec moi et j’aime comment tout est organisé. J’aime être dans la même chambre que mes amies les plus proches parce qu’elles m’aident avec mon journal et parce que j’ai beaucoup de plaisir avec elles. J’aime comment ma chambre est organisée car j’aime les lits superposés et les étagères.

En conclusion, j’aime mon chalet et je n’en demanderais jamais un autre! MERCI LES PROFS!!! – Alexandra Bromberg ’18

Classe Nature: J’ai escaladé jusqu’au sommet du rocher!

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Notre première activité aujourd’hui était l’escalade. Cette activité était très amusante, mais j’étais un peu nerveux car les rochers naturels qu’on devait escalader était très hauts. De plus, je ne suis pas si bon en escalade. Cependant, quand j’escaladais le mur, j’avais de plus en plus confiance en moi-même. Étonnamment, j’ai escaladé jusqu’au sommet du rocher! Saviez-vous que c’était la première fois que j’escaladais un rocher jusqu’au sommet? L’escalade est définitivement un sport intéressant et j’aimerais continuer à en faire. J’ai vraiment eu beaucoup de plaisir aujourd’hui! – Terry Xiao ’18

Grade 6: Reflections on the Holocaust

LCC grade 6 students touch upon the causes of the Second World War and the atrocities of the Holocaust. Here is a sampling of reflections from some of our students about their recent visit to the Montreal Holocaust Center and their visit with Mrs. Ann Levy, a Holocaust survivor. Some students also sketched an artifact that they saw at the museum.

Explain a new thing that you learned during your visit to the Holocaust Center.

I learned that in labor camps inmates were not allowed to have pencil and paper. If someone was caught with these items they would be confiscated and the person would be severely punished. In spite of these rules the inmates still made a remembrance book for another inmate’s birthday. – Thomas N. ’18

I learned a little bit more about book burning. I thought Nazis only burned books written by Jews. They burned books written by handicapped people. There were tons of books burned that were from Helen Keller who was blind. I also learned they burned the books at a university. – Matthew L. ’18

During the visit I learned a lot of other things but there was one that really interested me. It was letters shaped in a heart. They were for birthday letters to send. When they did this they took a lot of risks doing this and the risks were probably deadly. – Victoria L. ’18

I also learned about the kinder transport, it brought many refugee Jewish children from Germany to Great Britain between 1938 and 1940. – Carolyn S. ’18

One of the things that I learned during my visit to the Holocaust Center was that there were many survivors who came to Canada. Most of these immigrants donated artifacts from the Holocaust to the museum. For example, a girl named Fatima donated a small book that had an “F” embroidered on it that she got for her birthday. In the book her friends from the concentration camp that she was sent to, wrote a message for her. – Anthony ’18

What do you think you’ll remember most about Mrs. Levy’s presentation?

I remember that she had to leave her parents and never saw them again. I think this will stay in my mind because I could [not] imagine never seeing my parents again. I will also remember this because it happened to a lot of children and I can just imagine their horrified faces. – Sophia A. ’18

I think that what I will remember the most is that at such a young age her parents were taken away from her and no child should go through that. And she did not have a permanent home. – George ’18

Sketches

Stefania D. ’18: Hearts of Auschwitz – A book made by friends of Stefania on the occasion of her 20th birthday while at Auschwitz

George S. ’18: Man’s jacket worn in the concentration camp

Catherine R. ’18: Urn of ashes

Courage

Blog_Courage_17Jan2012“What makes a king out of a slave? Courage! What makes the flag on the mast to wave? Courage! What makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist, or the dusky dusk? What makes the muskrat guard his musk? Courage! What makes the sphinx the seventh wonder? Courage! What makes the dawn come up like thunder? Courage! What makes the Hottentot so hot? What puts the “ape” in apricot? What have they got that I ain’t got?—Courage”

These are the words of the Cowardly Lion from the famous film & play, The Wizard of Oz.

Another memorable quote from the Cowardly Lion goes like this:

“All right, I’ll go in there for Dorothy. Wicked Witch or no Wicked Witch, guards or no guards, I’ll tear them apart. I may not come out alive, but I’m going in there. There’s only one thing I want you fellows to do.”

“What’s that?” ask both the Tin Man and the Scarecrow.

“Talk me out of it!,” begged the Cowardly Lion.

The Wizard of Oz was produced in 1939, but the film’s core messages remain timeless. In the end, all the major characters got what they wanted:  Dorothy returned safely home. The Scarecrow got a brain, the Tinman received a heart – and the Lion was given the gift of courage.

Like the TInman with his heart and the Scarecrow with his brain, the Lion discovered that he already possessed courage. He simply needed to focus on it more and develop it, just like each of our students.

Courage is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as “the ability to do something that frightens – a form of bravery.” It’s a fantastic quality, something we all need and something we all possess in varying degrees. In fact, each of us needs to draw on courage sometime every day. But too often we can confuse courage with being tough or being able to fight, as if it’s solely a military attribute. But it’s actually much more important in the context of maturity of character and our capacity to overcome personal fears and obstacles that hold us back in life.

For students, courage includes so much: speaking up in class, reaching out and making friends, trying a new activity or developing a new skill. My personal favourite is developing the capacity to stand up for what you believe in, even when it might mean standing out from the crowd. This is tough for anyone, but particularly difficult for teenagers; they need the time and opportunity to practice.

Are you courageous? Do you surprise yourself or others with your ability to reach out? Is your sense of courage aligned with a well-developed sense of moral fibre and other solid character traits?  Think about it. How might you learn and mature by taking a few more personal risks and employing a little more courage?  Realistically, it begins with baby steps. Every step is just a decision. Slowly but surely, you can help yourself move forward, develop yourself and feel a sense of genuine pride.

In our student assembly this week, I saw courage in action. Grade 11 student Claire Greenbaum ’13 spoke to all Middle and Senior School students. She addressed the tragic loss of her mom to cancer and the positive energy she and her whole family have been able to create through establishing a new foundation that raises money for cancer research. I commend her on openly and courageously addressing this important but difficult personal topic in a way that was very motivating to all. Great job, Claire!  —Chris Shannon, Headmaster