Create, push, pull, inspire, repeat, repeat, repeat —
Lead, laugh, discover, introduce, complete.
Develop, compare, contrast, critique, follow-up,
Be brutally honest, hone, amaze, focus, analyze,
Grow, advise, envision, coach, tutor, assess, nurture….
… and bid farewell. Job well done!
Thank you LCC Faculty. Congratulations graduates of 2010!
— Chris Shannon, Headmaster
There’s an important and unique event taking place at the end of this week at LCC; our annual Grandparents’ Day. This is a special occasion and it’s fantastic to see the grandparents of our Junior School children on campus. Both our youngest students and their grandparents get a lot out of connecting together at school. The children cannot wait for their grandparents to visit their classrooms so they can show off their work portfolios, and the grandparents can’t wait to be taken by the hand and proudly shown the work that represents effort, progress, creativity and an enthusiastic primary school fascination with learning. In fact, both research and general practice show that having to show off work, or read aloud to grandma or grandpa, is one of the highest incentives that exists for young children.
This Friday afternoon’s Grandparents’ Day includes a classroom visit, a short tea stop with a welcome from me and our Junior School Director, and of course, a performance by the Junior School Choir—all grandparents have a special love for children’s choirs! This is followed a visit to our annual LCC Book Fair in our Memorial Gym.
It’s actually curious that we don’t continue with Grandparents’ Day in Middle or Senior School. Something seems to happen when students become teenagers. It’s no longer as cool, fun or exciting to host grandparents at school. But maybe we’re making a mistake as a school. There’s nothing “uncool” or boring about grandparents. In fact relationships with grandparents are very important and special. These are people who have seen a lot, their wisdom is valuable, and perhaps most important, they are a few degrees removed from students and parents, so they are often less judgmental. It is easier to explore issues or ideas that maybe children wouldn’t with their parents.
In future years maybe we should also bring grandparents into our Middle and Senior Schools. Regardless, if grandparents are close by and live in Montreal, I suggest our students do themselves a favour and book a special date with them. They should ask a few questions they have never asked before….and tell grandparents something about school or their lives that they never really knew. I guarantee you the conversation would be interesting.
I lost all my own grandparents many years ago. But when I was a child and a teenager, they were very positive influences in my life; we were very close. I particularly remember hearing fantastic stories from my maternal grandfather who fought for Canada in WWI. He survived a gas attack at Ypres in Belgium and the Canadian assault on Vimy Ridge in France. Looking back, I probably took those times a little bit for granted, so I wish I could visit with them again.
My advice to today’s students: don’t take your grandparents for granted, they’re the best teachers alive. They should think about that next time they get together. —Christopher Shannon, Headmaster
Independent schools are nurtured and supported by many different groups: current students, parents, alumni, faculty, staff, board members, volunteers and members of the local community. However, one of the most important constituent groups is legacy families whose contribution over several generations is one of the strongest ties that bind us together. Perhaps the most notable legacy family at LCC is the Harper family who were recognized at our school assembly yesterday for decades of support and involvement at LCC.
The patriarch of the Harper family was Ralph Harper. He, graduated from LCC in 1947 and eventually sent all five of his sons to the school. Mr. Harper was a Board member and eventually rose to become Chairman of the Board, overseeing a major capital campaign that built our Junior School. Harper House was named after him with the re-launch of the House system in 2002.
Yesterday, at our school assembly we celebrated the contributions of Ralph’s eldest son, Gary Harper from the class of 1973. Gary picked up where his father left off, and within a decade of graduating from LCC, he was active as an alumnus volunteer. Since the early 1980s, Gary Harper has been a selfless volunteer for our school – a true leader. He worked as a fundraiser on two major capital campaigns, chairing the recent initiative that built the new arena/athletic complex in 2008.
Gary was a member of the Board of Governors for a decade, from 1994-2004 and like his father, Chairman of the Board during his final term. Gary also sent his four children to LCC, with the youngest graduating in 2007. In recognition of his extraordinary contribution, Gary’s photo is being placed beside his father’s in our historic dining hall, so that all will know that Harper House is named after these two dedicated community builders. Also in attendance at the assembly were Gary’s mother, his wife, three of his four brothers and his four children.
Gary Harper and the extended Harper family live and breath LCC’s ethos of Non Nobis Solum – Not for Ourselves Alone. We are fortunate to have in our midst legacy families such as the Harpers for they bring us strength, dedication and continuity.—Chris Shannon, Headmaster
Here are a few very pragmatic suggestions, which will provide support to students preparing for exams. The goal related to these suggestions is to minimize stress and to maximize health.
The atmosphere in a home contributes to the stress level of all family members, so it is possible that a family could try to change the atmosphere in the home during exam time. Obviously most parents provide support by asking how it’s going, etc., and pushing the child to study harder. However, if it falls into the category of “nagging” then it is probably not very beneficial. Assume that exam time is different; therefore the atmosphere of the home might be a bit different, too.
There are three very pragmatic things, which I suggest to students: the appropriate amount of sleep, regular exercise and good food. You could ensure that there is a really large supply of “good” food in the house and not much of a supply of “bad” snack-like food. Snacking on nutritious food (especially teenagers) while studying can help. It improves concentration, makes the studying less boring, and feeds the brain with good nutrients.
Exercise: Perhaps family members can help ensure that the student gets exercise during heavy study days (e.g., go for a run together, do a fitness class, etc.). Similar to the food suggestion, this helps restore the brain and helps ensure better sleep.
Sleep: Well, some people just have a harder time than others to sleep, but staying up late to study is a bad plan. Many students have trouble with this suggestion but one can deal with this by studying well in advance so that last minute studying is not about covering material for the first time the night before an exam.
Finally, while it is good to encourage our children to work hard to do their best, too much of this “encouragement” can inhibit top performance because of the pressure.
I am sure that you realize all of this, but sometimes my suggestions serve as gentle reminders. –John Gordon, School Counsellor
Last Saturday morning a bright light pierced through dark rain clouds that hovered over Royal Avenue. It was the light of creativity and innovation beaming from one of LCC’s “lighthouse programs”—applied digital media. We held our first Digital Media Expo, an event for the general public and our own extended community.
In recent years, LCC has developed a strong integrated approach to information technology. This begins in our primary years and continues with a well-supported laptop program in the Middle and Senior Schools. The focus is not on equipment and hardware, but how these tools can be applied to unlock the creative energy of our students.
I was very impressed by the work of our students on Saturday morning, which included: video production, green screen applications, integration of special effects, and useful musical software for sound production and refinement of instrumental skills. Our students were proud, energetic and completely engaged.
It may have been a dark and dreary day outside. However, there was a powerful and positive buzz inside the Webster Learning Centre on Royal Avenue. It is exciting to know that this energy begins with LCC teachers in our classrooms and is inspiring students to reach new heights using wonderful facilities and modern tools—the advantages of 21st century learning. — Chris Shannon, Headmaster