Message from the Headmaster & Chair of the Board of Governors

Without doubt, the 2019–2020 school year will forever be remembered as the year of the pandemic. The spread of the coronavirus went global near the end of our annual March break, and home isolation became the norm for all. Despite the uncertainty that beset many school authorities across North America, we adapted immediately to the situation and created an effective online LCC Virtual School for all students from kindergarten through grade 12.

In June we were very proud to be certified by the International Baccalaureate Organization for the Middle Years Programme (MYP) — a curriculum framework that will be integrated into our grade 7–10 offerings. We are now the only English high school in Quebec to offer both the IB MYP and Diploma Programme (grades 11 and 12). Based on current research, IB is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading educational approaches and is focused on the development of solid global competencies. We believe this significantly enriches the Quebec curriculum and, more notably, augments the student experience. This year, our enrolment was strong at all levels and we saw continued stability in our relationship with the Quebec ministry of education. Our finances also remained strong, and prudent management over several previous years provided us with useful financial levers as we navigated the uncertainty generated by the pandemic. We completed the fourth year of our Strategic Plan, Vision 20/20: Global Pathways. Its three pillars, Diversity & Accessibility, Sustainable Future, and Teaching and Learning in a New Paradigm, have kept us focused on strengthening our school in key areas and adapting to forces of change in ways that will guide us well into the future. In the early fall of 2019, many of our students proudly participated in Montreal’s Global Climate March, initiated by the young Swedish climate activist, Greta Thunberg. Her actions inspired our Green Team to run a host of interesting student activities throughout the year around the theme of climate health and environmental sustainability. This club of high school leaders was appreciated for its creative assembly presentations and student activities, which continued virtually during the pandemic. LCC was also one of five founding schools of the new national CAIS Green Schools initiative. In addition to a vibrant and rigorous academic program, LCC has always been noted for its rich co-curricular offerings. This continued in all domains this year: arts, service, athletics, leadership, clubs and activities. We are proud that our wide range of offerings appealed

to the diverse interests of all students. Our robust athletics program offered students the opportunity to learn “life sports” or develop skills and sportsmanship as members of a range of competitive school teams. We brought home several championship banners before the shutdown of competitive athletics in late March. Despite our closed campus in the spring, many of the clubs and activities remained intact throughout the extended period of social isolation. Students competed in debating, Model UN and robotics. A host of unique virtual activities and competitions were also offered, such as cooking and online fitness. Until the campus closure, we maintained our strong focus on global education through unique active learning opportunities. In the fall, Senior School delegates participated in the Round Square International Conference at The Emerald Heights International School in Indore, India. Several students also went abroad on exchange and hosted visiting international students in their homes in Montreal. A number of graduating students completed their qualifications for the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh award, which included an international leadership, adventure and service trip to Morocco. A group of committed graduating students also qualified for the LCC Certificate of Sustainable Global Leadership. Indeed, the pandemic itself was a significant global phenomenon which reinforced the need for all of our students to develop a strong degree of global awareness and a practical set of skills and competencies. With the campus closure and social distancing in the spring, we were unable to proceed with many activities that traditionally mark the end of the school year. Yet, through some creative thinking, we were able to shift art and drama productions, musical concerts and even some graduation ceremonies to virtual formats. However, Founder’s Day 2020 was postponed to a time when we can gather in person during the 2020 – 2021 academic year. It is important to recognize that this period of social isolation was particularly challenging for our graduating students, who longed to be on campus together for the final months of school. We did, however, find innovative and appropriate ways to safely celebrate them and their families on our campus in June. LCC faculty and staff were particularly influential and supportive of our students during the pandemic. They quickly adapted programs to online learning and developed interesting ways to engage and connect with students and support their well-being. Despite these unusual circumstances, we did not miss a day of learning and active professional development sessions reflected our teachers’ solid commitment to constantly refine their craft, whether in person or remotely. In the fall and winter of this past year, we moved forward with our $10M Power of Possibilities Bursary Campaign. With approximately $8M raised to date, we hope to meet and surpass our goal within the coming year. We are grateful to our many generous donors. As the school year closed, we said farewell to several gifted teachers who have impacted a vast number of students at LCC. Notably, special thanks go to five retirees: Mr. Lee (34 years – phys. ed. teacher and department head), Mr. Sigouin (29 years – French teacher), Ms. Seton (15 years – English teacher), Ms. Scattolin (14 years – math teacher) and Ms. Loeb (eight years – art teacher). We also bid farewell to Mr. LLano (17 years – head of hockey and alumni ambassador). Special thanks to each of these influential educators for their notable dedication and commitment to student welfare and growth over so many years. This year our Board provided significant support to LCC’s senior leadership team as we continued to strive for excellence in all that we do. Their spirit of engagement speaks volumes about our collective commitment to the school and deep belief in the value of community. We extend sincere appreciation to two retiring Board members this year: Rob Velan ’88 (Leadership Development, Strategic Planning, Advancement and Finance committees) and Diana Ferrara Scalia (Leadership Development, Strategic Planning and Advancement committees). As we wrapped up the academic year with several virtual graduation ceremonies and alumni events, we were reminded of how we value our community and the meaningful and enduring personal relationships at school and beyond. We thank all of our faculty, staff and volunteers who actively contributed to nurturing these relationships that sustained LCC during challenging times.

CHRISTOPHER SHANNON (Pre-U ’76) Headmaster

DOUG LEWIN ’87 Chair, Board of Governors

Welcome David Schwartz ’87

GOVERNANCE UPDATE

Thank You Doug Lewin ’87

2019 – 2020 was the final year in the tenure of Mr. Doug Lewin ’87 as chair of the Board of Governors. As an alumnus, parent and trustee, Mr. Lewin has demonstrated exceptional dedication to the school. He offered a very impressive 11 years of service to the Board, four of them as chair. Under his leadership our school has continued to grow, evolve and flourish. A sincere thank you to Mr. Lewin.

Welcome David Schwartz ’87

The LCC Board of Governors and school administration are pleased to welcome David Schwartz ’87 as the new chair of the Board. An active board member for the last six years, Mr. Schwartz has made significant contributions to the school as the chair of the Finance committee and a member of the Governance and Leadership Development committees.

THE LCC BOARD OF GOVERNORS 2019–2020

Chair

Doug Lewin ’87

Members

Kristina Ashqar ’02 Thomas Assimes ’84 Geneviève Biron Suzanne Costom Diana Ferrara Scalia Louis Gendron Harley Greenspoon ’90 Isabelle Poirier Costa Ragas ’01 Caitlin Rose ’99 David Schwartz ’87 Tina Serrao Mike Shatilla ’88 Lisa Steinberg Rob Velan ’88 Priscilla Whitehead