The Covid-Year Chronicle

Rising to the Challenges with Flexibility & Innovation

Virtual School: Shifting to a New Reality

Well before the government mandated school closures in spring 2020, the LCC administration was actively preparing for what it foresaw as inevitable. Anticipating the need to be able to function online, the school was ready to shift to a virtual environment by the end of March break, which is what it did for the balance of the year. All classes were moved online and a Virtual School web portal was created to facilitate the transition.

Student Mentor Program: Click & Connect

To facilitate connections between new grade 8–11 students and their LCC student mentors in a safe way, we hosted small group Meet & Greets on Zoom in May 2020 and May 2021. In June 2021, we also added another Zoom gathering, called Names & Games, to give new students and mentors in the same grade additional opportunities to get to know each other. Given the success of these events, we will continue hosting virtual meetings between mentors and new students each year, even once COVID is behind us.

Students who needed remote access to learning participated through an iPad camera

Hybrid & Remote Learning: Teachers Adapt and Persevere

Although the campus reopened in fall 2020, high school students divided their time between on-campus learning and virtual school, as required by ministry regulations. Some students needed to access remote learning if they were unable to come to school for health-related reasons. As well, students who experienced temporary delays with their study permits were able to attend class. As usual, LCC teachers stepped up to the plate, managing the challenge of teaching live classes while some students were online.

Staggered Schedule for Student Safety

In fall 2020, as students, faculty and staff returned to campus, physical distancing requirements meant that arrival and departure times had to be staggered. While implemented out of necessity, we soon discovered that this modification to the schedule provided many benefits—better use of our athletic facilities, more sleep time for older students, and more fluid drop-off and pickup—to name a few. Although this change was not necessarily ideal for all, a parent survey indicated that most preferred maintaining the new schedule, which is ultimately what we decided for 2021–2022.

Moving On Out

As outdoor spaces were thought to be safe havens from the spreading virus, many classes headed onto the fields. Tents were installed to provide shelter, and when nature cooperated, it was not unusual for students to spend part of their days learning in the fresh air. In the spring of 2021, the north-end parking lot was closed to cars and often served as a makeshift open-air music room or quiet study area. With the school’s emphasis on well-being, outdoor play was encouraged at all grade levels.

No Bubbles Burst

When students returned to campus in the fall of 2020, the daily routine had to be completely restructured. To limit the potential for transmission of the virus, bubbles or cohorts were formed with students remaining in the same classroom for the entire day. They had all their classes together, ate together and, when possible, participated in co-curricular activities together. Teachers travelled from class to class. Though students may have missed interacting with others in their grade, strong bonds were formed, as often happens when navigating a challenging experience.

A Haunted House Raises Spirits (and Hair!)

Nothing was going to stand in the way of an LCC Halloween celebration, different as it may have been. Grad Pride students converted the Middle School locker area into a haunted house, which was adapted to the age of the students. Everyone had the opportunity to visit by cohort. It was spooktacular!

Staff quickly pivoted, creating virtual school tours to replace in-person open houses

Admin Teams Step Up

As faculty and students came back to campus, the administrative teams were asked to continue working remotely, to the extent possible, to reduce the number of people at school. While they had adapted to the virtual world, running a school from a distance came with a host of challenges and obstacles. From the business office to advancement, human resources, admissions and communications, all our operations ran smoothly. The facilities team also did their part ensuring that the building was safe and clean, and worked to further beautify the campus.

LCC Families Hit the Ice

When possible, the Chamandy Arena was made available to LCC families to enjoy. Strict health and safety guidelines were implemented and a booking system was developed, so that all families could partake. All was free of charge and the opportunity to take advantage of some much-needed recreational activities was greatly appreciated.

Despite restrictions, students still had access to athletic activities in cohorts and participation rates were exceptionally high.

Grade 7 Girls: On the Edge of their Comfort Zone

With in-person co-curricular activities significantly restricted, students flocked to those where they could see their friends in 3D! For a group of grade 7 girls, this meant heading over to the arena even though some of them were beginner skaters. Demonstrating courage, determination, and taking an admirable risk, they found their skating legs, learned how to skate forwards and backwards, and took part in hockey drills, getting an introduction to edge work, puck handling and shooting.

Co-host Mark Pascal ’92 and family

LCC Fam Jam Entertains

On April 29, 2021, the entire LCC community was invited to come home to Royal Avenue…virtually. Hosted by Mark Pascal ’92 and Megan Clarke ’07, the LCC Fam Jam brought alumni, parents, students, faculty and staff together for an evening of entertainment. Masked singers had participants guessing their identities, comedians gave them a few chuckles, door prizes were won, and guests got to socialize at the after-party. Thanks to the ingenuity of the Fam Jam committee and the generosity of sponsors, this first-ever virtual friendraiser was one to remember.

Shourawe: A Friendly “Cohort” War

Middle and Senior School students were excited to take to the field once again, having missed the much-loved annual house war competition last year. This time, students competed in their cohorts and, while respecting all health and safety regulations in place and clad in their assigned colour T-shirts, they participated in a series of games: The Baillie Run, Hula-Melon Race, Tied Up, Frisbee Crossfire, and Buckets.

Swinging from the Trees

Junior School students zip-lined from treetop to treetop during the first and only trip of the school year. With all trips cancelled in the latter half of the 2019–2020 school year and through much of 2020–2021, students could not have been happier to head to La Forêt des Aventures Arbraska in Mont Saint-Grégoire for an outdoor French immersion activity. There, surrounded by nature, they harnessed up for a series of aerial adventure activities.

“Honouring Memories, Planting Dreams”

As the devastating news of hundreds of unmarked graves at former Canadian Residential Schools came to light, grade 6 students felt compelled to honour the Indigenous children lost and those that survived. A classroom activity focused on the role of reconciliation, and each student created a heart for an LCC garden that was planted in front of the school. Messages of love and sympathy peppered the front lawn. While this was a one-time activity, the process of education and awareness is ongoing.

The Arts Warm Hearts

The pandemic has had a devastating impact on the cultural industry, with theatres, concert halls and museums shuttered for a year or longer. At the same time, the need for the arts during a time of crisis became more pronounced, with their undeniable contribution to well-being. Fortunately, despite the restrictions on gathering, the LCC arts program thrived last year, with shifts to virtual platforms to celebrate music, art and theatre. Productions included:

+ Junior School Holiday Concert

+ Junior School Celebration of the Arts

+ Junior School Broadway Revue

+ Middle and Senior School Holiday Concert

+ Middle School Play Hoodie

+ Middle and Senior School Spring Concert

+ Senior School Play Distortion

+ Where We Live Art Exhibition

Kindness in Action

LCC’s commitment to Non Nobis Solum did not wane during the pandemic year. On the contrary, as the need in local and global communities grew, so did efforts to lend support. Students participated in the Bread & Beyond initiative, making thousands of sandwiches for organizations serving homeless individuals. They collected 93 boxes of non-perishable items for Share the Warmth and 20 boxes of toys for the Montreal Diet Dispensary. Monthly casual dress days served as fundraising activities for a host of organizations, including Make-A-Wish Foundation, Water First, Cedars Cancer Centre, Old Brewery Mission, Jungle Keepers, Operation Veteran, Alterhéros, Stephen Lewis Foundation, Terry Fox Foundation, Girls for the Cure, and Movember. Internationally, contributions were made to COVID relief in India through the Canadian Red Cross, and to the Chinese National Council for Social Justice. These were proud moments for the students who, despite the obstacles, found ways to give back.

University Tours Around the World

With travel grinding to a halt and cancellation of all in-person CEGEP and university fairs, post-secondary institutions had to find creative ways to reach prospective students. Thanks to the robust LCC academic advising program, students were presented with a wide array of online opportunities to connect with university and CEGEP representatives and attend a variety of workshops. The volume and breadth of the events meant that students were exposed to a larger number of schools across the globe. An added benefit: reduction of our collective carbon footprint due to the elimination of air travel.

A welcome package delivered by Parent Ambassadors

Parent Engagement Reimagined

In a year that prevented parents from coming onto campus, keeping them engaged was both a challenge and a priority. We got creative, and so was born the popular Connect & Create cooking series for all parents and the Ask Me Anything sessions for new and international families. In the fall, volunteers distributed admission decision letters to grade 7 and kindergarten students. In the spring, parent ambassadors delivered welcome packages to local new families. These new initiatives, inspired by necessity, will likely be with us beyond the pandemic.

Connect & Create cooking series

Virtual Connections with Parents

On a positive note, battling traffic, jockeying for parking and arriving harried for an in-school event were not things parents had to contend with last year. They were kept informed through virtual curriculum evenings, online parent-teacher conferences and other information sessions. While some expressed a preference for a return to in-person activities when possible, a majority appreciated the convenience and, in a survey conducted with parents, indicated a desire for maintaining this new structure for some of these events.

Asking an Alum Inspires

Hundreds of alumni from all over the world, as well as parents, faculty and staff, attended one or several of the Ask An Alum online presentations, a new initiative launched in 2020. The series featured interactive sessions with LCC alumni representing diverse industries, geographic locations and backgrounds who shared their journeys, experiences and achievements. Eight sessions were held during 2020–2021 and an impressive roster of alumni for this academic year has been assembled.

Students Were “Up for Debate”

Students participated in the debating co-curricular activity in great numbers, with as many as 30 students regularly attending the meetings. Due to the increased popularity, two alumni who are accomplished debaters logged on to share their knowledge and expertise, teach the students the skills of debate and help them prepare for the provincial and national championships. LCC debaters had impressive showings at the tournaments in which they competed.

One of LCC's global education online partners

Lessons in Leadership

As student conferences moved online, they became more accessible. Our students participated in events featuring keynote speakers and group discussions on issues related to social justice, environmental concerns and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Led by our partners at Envoys, high school students took part in the SDG Summit, designing, testing and coming up with solutions to some of the world’s most intractable problems. The GEBG (Global Education Benchmark Group) dialogues had students involved in discussions with their peers from around the world, addressing global perspectives on justice and youth activism for change. Grade 8 students were able to participate in the annual Ontario Student Leadership Conference, a virtual event whose primary focus was to encourage students to overcome adversity, find their passion and lead despite difficulties.

The pandemic and the restrictions it imposed in no way prevented our students from remaining engaged in the leadership activities that have come to define the LCC experience.

International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme for Creative, Critical and Reflective Learners

It has been one full year since LCC became an International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IB MYP) Authorized World School. In that time, teachers continued to develop and refine their approaches to teaching within the MYP framework. Of note was the Personal Project completed by grade 10 students, each of whom created a product based on personal interest and research. Although an in-person showcase was not possible, videos of their work documenting their reflective process were compiled and shared with parents. The students’ creativity and breadth of interests were impressive.

Made @ LCC

Creativity and imagination were not quashed during the pandemic year. Despite constraints to access the LCC Fab Lab, students were able to build, create and innovate. The result was the Made @ LCC display at the end of the year, which featured projects from grades 7 through 11: programmable light boxes, furniture, programmable lamps, art projects, tiny home designs and hockey sticks, just to name a few.

Technology Expands in the Junior School Classroom

Up until the COVID pandemic made us rethink everything we were doing, Junior School students participated in a 1 to 2 iPad program, wherein devices were shared between the two classes of a given grade (in kindergarten there was one device for every two students). In order to create a safe environment and reduce the amount of shared materials, the IT department turned on a dime and immediately provided one iPad to each student. This offered students more opportunities for uninterrupted periods of creativity in the classroom. They had greater access to differentiated activities, since devices could be accessed at any time, and they benefited from more independence as they could go at their own pace.

A Focus on Well-being for Faculty and Staff

With stress levels increasing, mental

and physical wellness became a concern not only for students, but also for faculty and staff, as they made extra efforts to support their students while managing their personal lives. Whether it was through yoga classes, live virtual fitness sessions, the LCC Strava Group — where faculty and staff could motivate one another to get outside and walk, jog or run — or workshops on lowering stress and anxiety through art, mutual support was never stronger.