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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Starting fires – passion and experiential learning

A passion for learning is a hard thing to teach. It’s something that’s ignited. As parents, we see this potential in our kids. As educators, we see it in our students. We continually search for a key; something that creates a spark and turns it into a fire. It’s a fine line. A yin and yang between hoping young adults find this passion of their own accord, and trying to facilitate it within educational structures. The desire to learn, apply knowledge, and ultimately, move it forward, is essential. Not only because it embodies what we want the next generation to be, but also because it’s critical for success on any level. Today’s competitive advantage isn’t in having knowledge, but rather, understanding how to use knowledge. Preparing students in this regard is straightforward. You simply create this kind of environment. There’s no trick to it. You make passion, inquiry and creativity…

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The LCS THRIVE / Jack Chapter Club: Warriors for well-being

It's 5:15 on a Monday night in November. About 30 teenagers sprawl on couches, armchairs and the floor, propped against cushions and each other. They're wearing sweats and jeans and look like a close group of friends hanging out in someone's rec room. But in fact, they're in the School Life Centre at Lakefield College School. And although it's likely they'll become friends, they're LCS boarders and day students, all from different grades, houses, backgrounds and countries. What they have in common, what brings them together on this frigid winter night, is their mutual desire to increase the happiness and well-being of every person in the school. Many names come to mind to describe this keen, compassionate group: Sensitive Superheroes; Warriors for Well-being; Champions of Cheer. But the actual name is more prosaic. These students have joined an LCS club called THRIVE/Jack Chapter, which aims to promote the values of…

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