Five Questions for our Exchange Students

Lakefield College School’s membership in Round Square affords our students access to over 150 other RS Schools with whom to consider partnering on exchange.  With applications from current LCS Grade 9 students - who are interested in next year’s Grade 10 Exchange Program - due on February 26, we thought it was an appropriate time to ask our visiting exchange students to share their thoughts on the exchange experience.  At present, there are four exchange visitors attending Lakefield College School in Grades 10 and 11.

 

Agustina Estrada is with us from St. George’s College in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Cameron Mackenzie is from Gordonstoun in Moray, Scotland, Paula Arrús is from Markham College in Lima, Peru, and Yvana Ramos is visiting from St. Cyprian’s College in Cape Town, South Africa.  As with other visiting exchangers in the past, Agustina (or “Tina” as she has come to be known by LCS friends), Cameron, Paula, and Yvana have greatly enriched the fabric and culture of our already close-knit, Lakefield College School community.

 

In addition, four of our own Grade 10 students are currently abroad on exchange for the winter term.  Representing LCS are: Allie Avard and Patrick Hannivan at St. Andrew’s College in Christchurch, New Zealand, Brock Brundle at Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School in Bunbury, Western Australia, and Jeff McCaw who is visiting Ballarat Grammar School in Wendouree, Victoria, Australia. 

 

In total this year, 12 LCS students will participate in either a full-term - typically 8 to 10 week - Grade 10 Exchange or in the three-week, March Break Language Exchange Program, the latter to either France or Spain.  In return, 21 visiting students – most from other Round Square schools will attend LCS in return.  We hope to share some of our own students’ stories as they settle into their host schools around the world, but in the meantime, we asked five questions of the four visiting exchange students who are currently attending LCS.  Three of them responded in time for inclusion with this week’s eNews, as follows:

Agustina Estrada - I attend St George’s College in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The school is located half an hour from Buenos Aires, in a city called Quilmes. It is a co-ed boarding school, almost the only boarding school in the entire country. However, most of the students (85%) are day students.  St. George’s was founded in 1898 and so has a long tradition, related to the British community. It includes the IGCSE and IB programs, as well as the Argentine national program. We are currently 845 students from kindergarten to college; this means between the ages of 3 and 18. The school campus has 27 hectares, different departments for each subject, two swimming pools, rugby and hockey fields and more. There are currently 17 international teachers and 37 international families. The teacher to student ratio is 1 teacher per 22 students, which makes classes much more enriching and easy to follow.

 

Paula Arrús  - Markham College is located in Lima, Peru. The Upper School has a very big campus, with 4 basketball courts, a gymnasium, a dance studio, a swimming pool, a synthetic football (soccer) field, 2 natural football fields, a cafeteria, the Baker Hall and the 4-storey science building. The school was founded in 1946 and has been co-ed since 1992. At present, there are 2,100 students attending Markham from the ages of 4 to 18, approximately 160 per grade. Because of the large number of students, the school is divided into two sections, the Lower School and Upper School. The latter is where LCS students will be attending if they decide to go on exchange to Peru. Markham is a day school so the students who come here will be staying with a host family.

Yvana Ramos – St. Cyprian’s School is located in Cape Town, South Africa and was founded in 1871 by Bishop Gray.  The school moved premises in 1919 to the Nooitgedacht site on the edge of the city of Cape Town. Table Mountain provides the backdrop to beautiful buildings, fields and gardens, and the Atlantic Ocean can be seen through the fringes of the ancient oak trees that frame the campus boundaries. St. Cyprian’s is an all-girls’ school with students attending from Grades 000 – 12.

Agustina - I have really enjoyed my time as an LCS student, it is a very good school, filled with very nice and welcoming people. I think that the biggest differences with my school are the number of periods we have each day and how long they last.  I am used to having eight class periods of 50 minutes each, instead of four 70 minute periods. Also different is the higher number of boarders here, as well as the meal times.  What I have enjoyed the most is meeting new people and making new friends. Everyone has been very nice to me since the first day. I also really enjoyed taking classes I don’t usually take at my school and experiencing being a boarder, since I am a day student in Argentina.

 

Paula - LCS is very different in many ways because it is a boarding school, meaning that you never go back home after classes, which is something I have done ever since I was 4 years old. The way of learning is also different, as well as the curriculum, because we take British examinations at the end of S4 and IB. In Peru it is also really warm and nothing like here in Canada (in winter the minimum temperature is 16ºC).  So far, I’ve enjoyed meeting new people and being able to go to Toronto for a day with two amazing friends that three weeks ago I didn’t even know. I had always wondered how education differs around the world so being able to compare two dissimilar schools in different countries is really cool as well.

Yvana - Even though I have only been here for a short period of time, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Lakefield College School, thus far. LCS is a lot different from St. Cyprian’s, with the most obvious difference being that my school is all girls.  At St. Cyprian’s we do not have classes on Saturdays and we start school at 7:45 a.m. and end the school day at 2:40 p.m. I have enjoyed the diversity at LCS so far, the way it is different from my own school, as well as being able to take subjects that aren’t offered back home, such as Introductory Anthropology, Psychology and Sociology. I have also enjoyed the difference in climate, as in South Africa it does not snow, so it is lovely to experience sports such as skiing and snowboarding.

Agustina - I don’t think I’ve faced any big challenge, although there were some that I got used to very quickly. For example, it has definitely been an adjustment getting used to the weather, as in Argentina the temperature never drops below zero, or finding my classes the first week without getting lost. I believe that challenges are needed when doing an exchange since those new things are the ones that make you change and grow.

 

Paula - Over the course of my exchange, I have found that making friends is a skill you learn and develop through the years.  Being in a new environment with complete strangers was definitely a difficult, but very worthwhile experience. Things in life don’t come easy to us so you have to take the initiative to talk to someone and get out there. It has helped me a lot because I intend to study abroad.  Living with 14 other girls has really helped me become more independent and responsible for myself. In addition, being able to share bathrooms and a dorm room with another girl has taught me a lot about living away from my family and the culture I am used to.

Yvana - The biggest challenge I have faced so far on exchange is getting to know people.  Participating in an exchange is a lot different from attending a Round Square Conference, due to the fact that everyone around you did not come to have fun, and this experience is normal for them – even though it may seem new and exciting for you. Deciding how I fit in and getting to meet new people – even though I am an outgoing person – has been a little different.  As time goes by, things have gotten easier.  I now feel much more comfortable at LCS and I hope to make friends here that I will keep for a lifetime.

Agustina - I think this experience has helped me to grow as a person. I now feel more independent since I had to do everything by myself and take care of my things at all times. It made me be more open with people and to see life in a different way. Also, I have definitely improved my English skills, even though in my own school I have most of my classes in English.  Speaking my second language almost all the time for a whole month has helped me a lot.

 

Paula - Being on exchange has helped me learn a lot about travelling and also how to take care of myself.  Arriving at a completely different and new country on my own wasn’t an easy thing to do; I’ve always travelled with someone else in the past.  Trying to settle into a new school was initially challenging but has been well worth the effort.  Also, it has caused me to think about my personal values, how I need to take responsibility for myself, and not depend upon my parents or on friends back at home.

 

Yvana - I have not been on exchange for very long but I do see differences. I am able to go into a completely new environment, country and school where I don’t know anyone, introduce myself to new people, and completely get involved in classes without holding back. I am definitely going to be a different person when I get home.  I feel I will be more independent and able to do things on my own. I will have a greater appreciation for life and for the people around me, as I will have formed close bonds with the people here, and realized how quickly people can affect my life and the person I am.  As I still have another six weeks to go in my exchange visit to LCS, I am sure that I will change in many other ways I wouldn’t have expected.

 

Agustina - I would definitively recommend that other students apply for an exchange, as it’s been an amazing and unique experience for me. I am really glad that I chose to take this opportunity.  My month here at LCS has been incredible!

 

Paula - I would definitely recommend that other students apply to go on exchange, especially if you want to go across the world to Australia or an exotic place like India. Language barriers are something to consider, but really it is the experience that counts.  You need to really want to make new friends and not be afraid to try new things. Keeping an open mind about the exchange possibilities will bring you more benefits than harm, I can assure you.  LCS students are really lucky to be given this opportunity, as like my own school (Markham College) Lakefield College School is part of the Round Square. Take advantage of it and get out of your comfort zone!  Exchange has really helped me get to know myself better, and given me confidence that I can handle problems while being alone and away from home.

Yvana - I would most definitely recommend an exchange to other students! Exchange is such a lovely experience and you will not regret it. However, do not go on exchange if you plan on only doing the work from your own school and not participating in your exchange school’s work. Completely submerge yourself in this experience, as it is very unlikely that you will get this unique opportunity again!