LCS Blog

the Voice of LCS

Danny McCubbin ’82 | A Force For Change (Alumni in Food Businesses)

Posted on Categories LCS Learns

Danny McCubbin ’82 describes himself as a food campaigner, and he occupies a unique intersection of the culinary sector where art, business, media, social change and gastronomy meet. You may wonder what that means but it all makes sense when you look at the path he has taken. Start with his long-held belief that food can transform lives—starting with his own. It’s a fascinating journey that has seen him play a central role in building the restaurant, publishing, television and social media empire of one of the original and most renowned celebrity chefs, Jamie Oliver. At the same time, he has helped develop community and remedial social programs in the UK and Italy that have given hope and improved the lives of countless people, young and old. Born and raised near Brisbane on Australia’s Gold Coast, Danny came from a food-oriented family. “My mom was a great cook,” he says.…

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Choosing the More Challenging Path | The Advanced Placement Program at Lakefield College School

Posted on Categories Uncategorized

“There are no real shortcuts to finishing high school at Lakefield. Contributing to Harkness discussions, experiencing Grove Time, joining teams and clubs, taking risks by performing in a musical, going to spirit events with your House—going to Lakefield has always been a choice about trying to get more from each day.” There are many reasons why a family would want a Lakefield experience for their children. One of the most important reasons would be the opportunity to have an academic experience that is enriched and rooted in relationships between students and teachers. When families choose Lakefield, they are in many ways, choosing more. In the classrooms, a significant way we offer enriched opportunities for students is through our Advanced Placement (AP) program. For more than a decade, Lakefield has been offering AP courses to students. And, for most of that time, the growth of the AP program has been modest…

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Jess (Arsenault) Thoem ’00 | A Sense of Community (Alumni in Food Businesses)

Posted on Categories LCS Learns

Running a bakery is a demanding life. The day starts early and it requires precision and attention to detail. It’s a science where measurements, temperature, food chemistry and biology matter. But it’s also an art, where creativity, colour, flavours and presentation perform psychological magic. So it may be an unexpected career for Jess (Arsenault) Thoem ’00, who studied fine arts as an undergrad, holds a Masters in art therapy and counselling from Concordia University and worked several years as a counsellor for the BC government in the northern BC town of Smithers. But it’s also a perfect fit. “The creativity is no different than in the fine arts,” says Jess. “It’s just a different medium. And people eat with their eyes.” Jess and her husband Graham Thoem started the Hard Winter Bakery in Peterborough, ON, in 2014. They met in art school in 2002 and then travelled together through Australia…

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