Relationships and Working Together
LCS students are provided with a vast array of opportunities to pursue their individual passions and interests to meet our mission: To challenge and enable students to meet their individual potential in mind, body, and spirit.
With the opportunity to provide experiential learning on special intersession days, students are able to work together in ways that would not otherwise be possible and we are able to foster deeper learning around topics and concepts that are key to our students’ growth and leadership development.
With the opportunity to provide experiential learning on special intersession days, students are able to work together in ways that would not otherwise be possible and we are able to foster deeper learning around topics and concepts that are key to our students’ growth and leadership development.
On Tuesday, December 5, LCS had its third intersession day of the year themed: Relationships and Working Together. Students, school wide, engaged in unique programming alongside staff, working and learning together while strengthening our community.
Grade 9
Incorporating the principles of the THRIVE well-being initiative in our work with students is a vital part of our program. The Grade 9 students spent the morning with Dr. Greg Wells, learning the science that informs how our mental health and well-being, and our ability to learn, improves when we eat smarter, sleep better, move more (particularly in nature) and think clearly, using meditation, relaxation and movement techniques.
In the afternoon, the grade 9 students participated in a talk with Dr. Dave Patton from the Trent University “Trent Talks” program on Exoplanets. This tied in well with the Space Unit being studied in science. They also had an opportunity to learn about the grade 10 exchange program and wrote a reflection outlining their current sleep - eat - move habits and the changes they could make right now that could lead to optimizing their mental and physical health and well-being.
Grade 10
Building on our pillar of Stewardship our Gr. 10 students were encouraged to think about how they can take care of others while spending the day in the Peterborough and Lakefield communities immersed in their Grove Philanthropy Project (GPP) groups. Students connected directly with their organizations of choice and participated in a Design Thinking exercise intentionally crafted to explore how they might best use their passions and strengths to contribute to that organization.
The Grove Philanthropy Project (GPP) encourages our students to become thoughtful, constructive and contributing members of society. Built on the ideals of the Youth Philanthropy Initiative (YPI) with a focus on social justice, the GPP encourages our students to examine “how and why” they give back, and how they might incorporate an ethos of giving back and stewardship into their life at LCS and beyond.
GPP groups are small, with no more than 8 students, created based on students’ common values and built on experiences shared during our November Intersession Day. At that time, students identified social issues they were interested in exploring and learning more about, and connected with a local organization working to address this issue. This Tuesday, students had the opportunity to get to know more about their organizations by conducting interviews in person with people working directly with their organization.
As a means of changing perspectives and inspiring creativity, small group workshops facilitated by staff took place in local cafes before and after these interviews. The opportunity to learn and collaborate outside of the school block was a meaningful and worthwhile experience. Not only did a change of scenery and a warm beverage on a grey day offer the chance for us to connect as a school community, it also provided our students with another window into our local communities. As one staff commented, “I appreciate the opportunity to see students in this light outside of the classroom.”
Students empathized with the issues they were addressing as highlighted in the following student comments:
“Kawartha Food Share needs consistent donations year round because hunger is not seasonal.”
“YES (Youth Emergency Shelter) needs more housing for people to stay in because giving people a strong foundation to work with will help them fix their lives.”
Grade 11
Working together as a Grade and community has been a common theme throughout the fall intersession days to encourage development of teamwork skills and to contribute to the school community. Our Grade 11 students spent the morning designing and scripting the skits for the Holiday Party that they will be running prior to December Break. This is a tradition at LCS, and one of the largest organized student events at the school. Together, our students will create a fun evening event to celebrate the holidays. In the afternoon, with a focus on well-being and balance as we look towards the busy weeks ahead, students were provided the opportunity to meet with teachers for extra support in their classes and to catch-up on school work.
Grade 12
Interesting feedback from our Grade 12 students in their AWE (Assessment of Well-Being in Education) survey, was that they were not fully satisfied with their level of physical activity or their sleep patterns. Intersession day for this group focused on moving more and thinking clearly. The grads themselves scheduled a “jam packed” morning of activities to choose from ranging from self-defense, shinny hockey, fitness work-out time, yoga, quiet time, cookie baking, music jam sessions, and more! It was a fun-filled and highly appreciated morning for the students.
Invigorated from the morning events, our students were focused and ready for the afternoon where they took full advantage of extra help sessions being offered by teachers, and used time to get caught up on work they identified as a priority for themselves. Our Grade 12 students took full advantage of this protected time - a testament to their personal responsibility and work ethic. Our hope is that they got to bed early and slept soundly, thanks to this opportunity.
Thank you to our student steering committee, who organized and facilitated the morning portion of the day for grads: Clara Seitz, Reyna Krocker, Ximena Castro, Madison Taveres, Alek Boisjoly, and Jen Cardona. These students spent three weeks planning and preparing. Another thank you to all of the teachers who provided extra help all afternoon. Our students were so grateful.
School Information
4391 County Road 29, Lakefield Ontario K0L 2H0 705.652.3324 admissions@lcs.on.ca
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Lakefield College School is a private, coeducational boarding and day school for students in grades 9 through 12, located in Lakefield, Ontario, Canada.
We respectfully acknowledge that Lakefield College School is located on the Treaty 20 Michi Saagiig territory and in the traditional territory of the Michi Saagiig and Chippewa Nations, collectively known as the Williams Treaties First Nations, which include: Curve Lake, Hiawatha, Alderville, Scugog Island, Rama, Beausoleil, and Georgina Island First Nations. Lakefield College School respectfully acknowledges that the Williams Treaties First Nations are the stewards and caretakers of these lands and waters in perpetuity and that they continue to maintain this responsibility to ensure their health and integrity for generations to come.
We respectfully acknowledge that Lakefield College School is located on the Treaty 20 Michi Saagiig territory and in the traditional territory of the Michi Saagiig and Chippewa Nations, collectively known as the Williams Treaties First Nations, which include: Curve Lake, Hiawatha, Alderville, Scugog Island, Rama, Beausoleil, and Georgina Island First Nations. Lakefield College School respectfully acknowledges that the Williams Treaties First Nations are the stewards and caretakers of these lands and waters in perpetuity and that they continue to maintain this responsibility to ensure their health and integrity for generations to come.
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