LCS Chapel Talks: Sharing Life’s Defining Moments

By Lorraine Brown, Director of Spiritual Wellness and Diversity This is my second year in the newly created role of Director of Spiritual Wellness and Diversity. If you were to ask our students who I am you might hear, “She’s the Chapel Lady,” or “She teaches AP Lit,” or “She says good morning to us in Chapel.” All of those statements are true. I am in Chapel each morning and I greet our community as they enter and exit the Chapel. I coordinate the programming of chapel and I also teach English courses as well as Spanish. I love our chapel, I have since I started working at LCS in 2003. It is a sacred space. You can feel how different it is from the other spaces in our community. And it’s not just the architecture that sets it apart (although it is a beautifully constructed space), it is the…

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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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Crisis Management Simulation—Learning Important Life Skills

By Peter O'Grady, LCS Teacher The Crisis Management Simulation has been an integral part of the Grade 12 Outdoor Education experience at Lakefield College School for almost 20 years—teaching teamwork and the building of communication and collaboration skills. Combining amazingly realistic make-up, a story that involves multiple injured persons, an amazing outdoor wooded campus and an often wet and cool late November day, the stage is set for an impactful and meaningful experience. Students are asked, in advance of the simulation, to consider and identify their unique strengths and how they align with the type of leader they are. For this particular activity, students are assigned to roles that align with their particular strengths and areas they feel confident with. While wilderness first aid, in general, is part of the experience, in this context, introducing students to this skill area - of identifying and working to personal strengths - is the key. We build on first aid training…

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