Thriving Beyond LCS – Sending Our Graduates Out Into the World

By Kirsten Johnston, Associate Director of Guidance, Values Advocate: Education of the Whole Person A Big Year of Transition This past year has been one of exploration and growth for our grads, including both challenges and joyful moments.  They began their senior and final year at The Grove as budding leaders, unsure of how things would unfold. However, each experience, setback and celebration has been instrumental in helping them to prepare for the major life transition that lies ahead of them. The Next Stage is About Possibility Graduating from high school marks one of life’s greatest turning points.  And whether our grads pursue a gap year to work, volunteer and travel, or continue onto post-secondary studies to focus their learning on a specific discipline and passion, the next year will no doubt be one of possibilities and rich experiences. We have every confidence that despite the challenges and uncertainty they will…

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A Very Lakefield Goodbye

By Iain Beaumont, LCS Associate Faculty Member "I can’t pick a single memory. I love Lakefield. Everyone is so kind, and really cares about you here." These are the words from just one of the 20 students who have spent the year at Lakefield, and will not be returning next school year. Tonight, this group of students and a handful of their teachers and residential staff (handpicked by the students themselves) gathered at the Head of School’s house for a goodbye celebration dinner. The room in which we all gathered buzzed with excitement, positive energy and a modicum of sadness, as teachers and students alike reflected on the past year and what was in store for the future. We dined and laughed, told memorable stories, and thanked each other for a great year in everyone’s company. "These students," one teacher reflected, "are some of my favourites, my best. I will miss…

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The Heart of Robin Hood Pulls No Punches

By Rory Gilfillan, LCS Teacher Both Liam Cole, who plays Prince John, and Mikayla Stoodley, who plays Alice (sister of Maid Marion), are straight A students.  They hold doors open for people, ask others how they are doing and then wait patiently for a response. It’s plausible that in the last week they helped an elderly person cross the street. But not on opening night. It can’t be easy to make an audience laugh after cutting out someone’s tongue, as Cole does during the second act or connect with an audience while callously stepping over a corpse as Stoodley’s does.   It takes practice. “To get into character I would have to find ways to make myself angry. Over time it became a lot easier just to jump into character.  I [also] found it helped to fully disconnect from myself in real life and the character I was playing. Understanding…

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