Student Exchange: Experiences at a New School

Clara_Hamilton_002My exchange has been amazing so far and it just keeps getting better and better. As soon as I reunited with my exchange partner at the airport, I instantly felt a part of the family. Since I arrived on a Saturday, Renata (my exchange partner), planned for us to go out on Sunday to get to know the city a bit and meet some of her friends. They were so welcoming and tried their best to include me in every conversation even though they weren’t very comfortable speaking English.

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I have to admit, I was really nervous for my first day of school. As Renata lives in walking distance of the school, I get more time to sleep which is great. The moment I walked into school, I could immediately feel everyone’s eyes on me. I panicked a bit, but as soon as I started feeling these emotions, a group of girls ran up to me and hugged me and welcomed me to the school. I later found out that these girls were in Renata’s class and were so excited to meet me. Eventually, I walked into class and everyone was so sweet and welcoming, I immediately felt a part of their class. It felt so natural.

The difference between LCC and Belgrano Day School was evident as soon as I walked in. First, the classes range from about 22-25 students per class. Periods only last 40 minutes, but they have eight in a day. School starts at 8:15 am and finishes at 4:10 pm. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, senior students have gym, but as the school is located in the middle of the city, they have to take a bus to a separate campus, called a talar, where they play sports. Girls have the option between field hockey and volleyball, and boys have the option between rugby and volleyball.

Another difference is lunch. Students are allowed to leave school to get lunch in the area, as long as they don’t have sports that day. Otherwise, they can bring their own lunch or get food from the cafeteria. I’ve already been to two quinceañeras (celebration of a girl’s 15th birthday), met so many amazing people and experienced so much of the Argentinian culture. I can’t wait to see what happens during the rest of my stay, but I’m already having the time of my life and it couldn’t be going any better. – Clara Hamilton ’21, Exchange Student at Belgrano Day School

Student Exchange: Journey to South Africa

Margo_Baltzan_2018_2019_001As soon as my plane hit the ground in Cape Town, South Africa at 12:06 am, I knew the six weeks to follow would be some of the most incredible weeks of my life. I was greeted by my host family which included my exchange, Rosie, and her wonderful parents, sister, and three dogs. Over these past two weeks, the once foreign city of Cape Town has quickly become my home away from home and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the differences as well as similarities this part of the world shares with my own home.

First of all, I have to admit that the weather here is in every way better than in Montreal: in the past week, it has been nothing but sunny and 35 degrees, a definite improvement to the temperature back at home. In terms of the country itself, my host family lives in a small estate called Pear Valley, which is surrounded by tall mountains and lush vineyards. The drive to school is, in one word, breathtaking.

The schools here are very different compared to LCC. First off, instead of walking through a hallway, you walk through gardens or across grassy fields to get to your next class, which I enjoy. Additionally, students in grade 10 are given more freedom when choosing their elective classes. I am currently taking a course in business studies as well as another one in Afrikaans, a language spoken by many South Africans. The sports are also quite different. Netball and water polo are very popular, as well as “social tennis” which, summed up, is tennis for people who are not very good at tennis.

South Africa is currently experiencing a drought as well as electricity shortages, which lead to something called “load shutting”. Every day, for two to six hours, all electricity is cut off, which is something I am not used to, having lived in Montreal all my life. Although it is hardly an inconvenience for people like Rosie’s family who have a generator, many families and most schools are affected by it. That being said, not everything here is different in terms of day to day life and school; the classes are structured more or less the same as LCC and the people here, although from a different hemisphere, are still just as warm and welcoming as my friends back at home.

When I am not attending school, my exchange and I are either meeting up with friends at one of the neighbouring towns of Paarl or Franschhoek, or just relaxing outside in our friend Eva’s pool. Last weekend, I had the chance to visit Cape Town, known as the “cultural capital’ of South Africa. We had lunch on the waterfront, a lively part of the city filled with music, food and tourists. After that, we embarked on a five-hour tour of Robben Island, the infamous island where Nelson Mandela and many other political prisoners were detained between 1964 and 1991, during the apartheid era of South Africa. Many of the tour guides had been prisoners themselves, and it was incredible to hear their stories. To top off the weekend, we visited a cheetah sanctuary and encountered cheetahs, and Rosie and I fell in love with a meerkat named Sebastian.

All in all, it seems impossible to have done so many incredible things in such a short period of time, and yet I can’t believe two week have already gone by. I look forward to my next four weeks here and I can’t wait for whatever this wonderful country has in store for me next! – Margo Baltzan ’20, Exchange Student at Bridge House

Student Exchange: Welcome to Australia!

2018_2019_Alexandra_Payne_004I arrived on a Friday and, that weekend, we had a lot of fun. On Saturday night we went to Brighton Beach, where there are famous beach boxes. It was beautiful and a good way to see what Australia was like, though I was a little jet-lagged. We swam in the ocean and hung out with a couple of my exchange’s friends. That week, I went to Carey Baptist Grammar School and met all of her friends, who were very welcoming! It was really fun and I was excited to meet so many new people.

On the weekend, we went up to Bundalong to the Murray River where we waterskied and kneeboarded. It was so exciting and a great way to get to know my exchange. It was really hot – almost 32 degrees – which is the opposite of home. All in all, it has been a great experience so far and I’m looking forward to the rest of my time here! – Alexandra Payne ’21, Exchange Student at Carey Baptist Grammar School

“Adapt & Embrace the Change”: Two Students Reflect on their Student Exchange Experience

Elizabeth_AssimesElizabeth Assimes: Last year, I went on exchange for four weeks to Melbourne, Australia, and attended Carey Grammar School. I was very nervous to meet my exchange and had all the typical ‘what if’ thoughts: what if we didn’t get along, what if I didn’t enjoy school or what if I didn’t like the family I was about to live with? Mainly, I was scared to spend a month on the other side of the world and not enjoy it.

Today, I can happily say that my exchange has become one of my best friends. Australian schools are really cool, and I now have a second family on the other side of the globe. The most important thing I learnt on exchange is to have an open mind and to stay positive. Remembering that you’re travelling to another continent to experience and embrace the differences of other places is the key to enjoying an exchange, because it’s really amazing to live in a culture unlike our own.

Exchange was one of the best experiences of my life and I will hopefully will return to Australia this upcoming summer!

Isabelle_WhittallIsabelle Whittall: Last year, I went to Buenos Aires, Argentina. I had already met my exchange, since she came here first, so I wasn’t as nervous. Because I chose to go to Argentina, I experienced culture shock. I had to speak Spanish with my exchange’s family and friends, which was hard at first, but I ended up improving my Spanish a lot and the people I spent time with improved their English as well. I went to a music festival, a lot of quinceaneras (a girl’s fifteenth birthday celebration), ate empanadas, and learned how to play field hockey. Essentially, I experienced life as an Argentinian teenager for five weeks. I became best friends with my exchange, and I talk to her all the time. In fact, I spent a week with her and some of her friends in New York this summer, which was amazing. Becoming best friends with an Argentinian girl ended up being one of my favourite parts of the experience.

Elizabeth: Isabelle and I both had great times on our exchanges and loved the experience. But I’m not going to lie: even as someone who has lived in three places and two continents, I was scared. It’s scary to go to another continent and possibly not have a good experience, but you shouldn’t let yourself miss this amazing opportunity LCC offers based on ‘what ifs’. Exchange is all about adapting and embracing the change and it’s something I highly recommend.

-Elizabeth Assimes ’20 & Isabelle Whittall ’20

 

 

Head’s Blog: Gratitude Following the Round Square International Conference

RSIC2018_Conference_Photo 1.02.15 PMWhen some of our Senior School students were in Junior School, our annual theme was Gratitude is the Best Attitude. As head of LCC, I am currently feeling very grateful for the excellent Round Square International Conference that we hosted on our campus last week – the largest event we’ve ever held at LCC, with 400 delegates representing 55 schools from 20+ countries. It was the week that the world came to LCC.

I’m grateful to our outstanding LCC student leaders. A year ago they chose Bring Your Difference as the conference theme, collaborated and planned for months with two other Canadian host schools, demonstrated a welcoming attitude toward visitors, hosted students in their homes, acted as seminar (Baraza) leaders, performers, and event volunteers. Their warmth, energy and excellence were front and centre.

I am grateful to our dedicated faculty, staff and board members, especially Mr. Mark Salkeld, Ms. Gillian Shadley and Ms. Michele Owen. They all provided outstanding leadership.

I am grateful to LCC kitchen staff for feeding and watering our delegates with grace and for providing lots of food options for all palates and cultural backgrounds.

I am grateful to a maintenance team that supported and cleaned up following multiple special events during the week-long conference.

I am grateful to LCC parents who generously hosted 260 students in their homes, as well as parent volunteers who organized a memorable “Montreal Eats” dinner for the adult delegates.

I am grateful for the unique experiential learning opportunity held here on our campus, as well as in Old Montreal and at camp in the Eastern Townships, with a diverse group of students.

I am grateful for the four high quality keynote speakers who taught, inspired and reminded us about the complexity of difference, and offered important insights and ideas for building more inclusive communities well into the future.

Round Square was founded over 50 years ago to provide a unique framework for students to grow, develop and learn how to lead. Students interact with peers from all continents with different cultures and languages; they are challenged, grow and mature through meaningful experience. I am grateful that our students were hands-on leaders in a truly global forum. In the words of Kurt Hahn, “There is more in you than you think – Il ya a plus en vous.”

Round Square experiences aim to develop special talents in our students. The cumulative impact of hosting such an event will be felt in our school well into the future. Our staff and students are constantly developing important global competencies as teachers and learners. We should all be very grateful for these special opportunities. – Christopher Shannon (Pre-U ’76), Headmaster

View the conference photos