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School Future Planned until 2021 By Paul Redelmeier “We have a unique opportunity here as we move forward,” said Dr. Tom Mathews, describing the new strategic plan in which his high hopes and dreams for St. George’s are anchored. “As a headmaster,” he continued, “you have to keep your school’s history in your heart, its present in your mind, and its future in your sights.” The strategic plan, a timeline that documents the school’s path for the next decade, is layed out in four priorities, each of which includes an action plan for this year that identifies “specific actions, who’s responsible for them … and if there are any costs associated with those actions,” as well as one for the next decade that Mathews says will be findtuned and updated yearly. He stressed, however, that the strategic plan, which has been in the works since 2008, is a look
ahead “five, 10, and 20 years,” rather than something that will have a wide ranging impact on
grade 12 isn’t necessarily going to see.” Rather, the strategic plan is “[an opportunity] to be proactive,
the 2011-12 school year. “Ultimately the fruition of the plan is something that a boy in
[to say] these are our priorities. These are where we’re focusing. This is where we’re moving.”
Repping Canada
Mathews announced the new plan on September 29, in front of an audience of parents, faculty, and students. The plan will provide several, immediate, tangible changes of which Mathews is particularly proud. The first, a new position in the administration that Mathews is tentatively referring to as “the new Senior Director of Learning,” is something that he identified as “a real gap in the administrative structure.” “It’s interesting,” he continued, “you probably wouldn’t find another independent school of this size without that position …
and so my hope is that what we’ll have is more support for teachers and greater emphasis on the sharing of ideas.” The position, he added, will be a key part in “a shift towards an approach that’s more deliberate and more intentional” in “really how we teach boys … manifesting [what the administration has learned] in the classroom … and doing it in a more methodical way.” What’s more, the Senior Director of Learning would be “responsible, really for what happens in the classroom, the integration of technology … how students are assessed or evaluated — it’s one of those areas where we really have all these fingers in the pot, but no one person overseeing it all.” The next priority, “reinforcing character education as a cornerstone of a St. George’s education,” is one that will have a much more immediate effect, with one
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Student runs at the Commonwealth Youth Games
By Roy Yang Grade 12 student Christian Gravel has placed sixth in the 1500m race at the 2011 Isle of Man Commonwealth Youth Games. The intensely competitive race included runners from as far away as Kenya, Sierra Leone, and Cyprus. Gravel finished the 1500m run in 3 minutes and 58.81 seconds. The event was held on the Isle of Man, Great Britain, from September 7 to 13. Though not his personal best, Gravel felt satisfied with his effort. “Considering the harsh conditions, I felt like I performed quite well. I was hoping to com e away from this event with a new personal best, but in the end it just wasn’t my day.” As Gravel said, the strategy for the race was to “go all out, like the BCHS’s, where the fastest person won the race.” The senior athlete finished only ten seconds behind the Gold medalist’s time of 3 minutes and 48.38 seconds. “I will remember this event as one of the highlights of my high school years. It was a first for me competing on an international stage, and the fact that it was a multi-sport event made it all the better. During my spare time, I’d go watch our national badminton team or boxers duke it out.” To qualify for the Commonwealth games, Gravel had to rank top four in Canada before the end of June. The senior athlete was very close to qualifying for the prestigious Track and Field World Youth Championships. However, he fell short by two places. After his performance in the 1500m, the 17-year old found running techniques to improve on, such as leaning slightly forward, which decreases the power in the knee drive. He also plans to train more days in the week. “Last year I got away with only actually running four days a week. I cross-trained two days with one day rest. [This year] I am amping up my mileage.” Gravel believes in practice and hard competition when it comes to racing. “I hate to lose and I hate my competitors. There’s no room for being soft. You got to practice like [it’s] your last race. If you’re not going hard in practice, you aren’t going to get magically faster in a race. I always look towards Steve Prefontaine, a distance legend, ‘to give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift’.”
Day of Motivation By Paul Redelmeier Vancouver’s third iteration of We Day was held on October 13, when 18,000 students, 27 from St. George’s, crowded into Rogers Arena, to, according to the events website, “inspire and celebrate the youth movement for global change.” The event, which was attended by former Soviet President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Mikhail Gorbachev and activistactress Mia Farrow, among others, has become a mainstay on the St. George’s calendar, with a field trip of selected students attending annually, something that won’t change soon. “We go every year because it’s a great opportunity for our students to get involved and get motivated about some of the most important social justice issues in society,” said Sarah McLean, the school’s service and charity coordinator, explaining why the school had
committed to the event. Organized by Free the Children, a multinational charity founded by brothers Craig and Mark Kielburger to “empower youth everywhere to make a difference,” We Day is held annually to do just that, motivating and inspiring youth to strive and to fight for equality and justice. Katrina O’Connor, one of the school’s chaperones for the event, agreed that the event was successful in this regard. “[The speakers] were really inspiring … and I think that they were able to engage the students on a really great level. “It’s only one event,” she acknowledged, “but it’s certainly a starting point and I think that from my perspective, as an adult being there, the whole arena was full of positive energy and action and that sort of thing — it’s definitely a worthwhile endeavor.” And with a speakers list as diverse as the former president to
current British Columbian leaders like Premier Christy Clark and Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, the event was full of impactful speakers, making it a unique event. “As far as I know, there are not many other events of this kind in Vancouver,” McLean continued. Gorbachev himself compared the global problems of climate change and poverty to his own childhood’s fight against Nazism, while Clark brought up Terry Fox when talking of the ability of one person to create change. At St. George’s, where the event remains a hot draw, there are no plans to stop the admission process that all students must undergo. “Enabling as many students as possible to get motivated and involved in something we support,” argued McLean. However, given that the number of students who wish to go far exceeds the number of tickets, the application is as necessary as it is useful.
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Guerra performs solo in Brazil By Roy Yang Saints student and opera singer Yuri Guerra has successfully performed his solo concert “Dolce Lirico: Yuri Guerra em Casa”, and has earned himself a studio recording for a possible future CD album. The concert, sponsored by the Fundacao Torino International School and Method DeRose, was held in Belo Horizonte on August 28, 2011. Guerra opened the concert with “Ave Maria” by Schubert, followed by two Italian arias “Amarilli mia bella” by Giulio Caccini and “O del mio dolce ardor” by Gluck. The singer then sang world-renowned composer Heitor
Villa Lobos’ “Melodia Sentimental” and “Hallelujah” by Lenoard Cohen in “homage to Canada”. The Brazilian singer closed his
concert with “Amigos para Siempre” by Webber and “The Prayer” by Clurking. He encored with “Oh Sole Mio”.
Making a difference Senior St. George’s students make a trip to Peru
By Faeez Ahmed In July, 13 grade 11 and 12 students went to Peru to build a school in the isolated village of Miskiuno. The students worked with a local non-governmental organization called Peru’s Challenge. These students fundraised all year to reach their goal of $10, 500. The group’s efforts allowed them to greatly exceed their original target. Grade 12 student ZachMaurer affirms, “At the end of the year we ended up raising $32,000 and that’s three times our goal.” The official Peru trip website stated, “Any funds that exceed our target amount of $10, 500 will be used to purchase various supplies for the village.” Maurer recalled, “We came into the village on the first day and literally the entire village came out and they were so happy, they were beside themselves that these people from Canada had come all the way across to build the school.” The students also witnessed
some of the difficulties that the people in the village were going through.
Maurer reflects, “We learned about how difficult their lives were.” He continued, “One of the elder
women we visited was a widow and living largely on the scraps of food that her daughter gave her from her own family’s supply. Because, her daughter’s family was short on food as it is, this creates a huge amount of tension in the family.” While the students were in Peru, they also had an opportunity to see many historical sites. “One of the highlights of the trip was bound to be our experience in Machu Picchu an ancient Incan city. It was certainly one of the things that I was most looking forward to,” posted Anthony Hui on the trip’s blog.
The Saints singer also performed duets with two soprano singers. “This concert was a dream that I always had—to perform in my country, officially for the first time and in my hometown. To be on stage with great musicians accompanying me, and to do my own concert and making little kids happy was the best part of it.” The concert, which required donations of kids’ toys as entrance tickets, was a non-profit event. The collected toys will be later donated to poor children in day cares during Brazil’s Kids’ Week holiday. Guerra, who began singing opera at the age of 12, has learned
greatly from this concert experience. “I learnt how to put up a concert in no time with high quality and high level of professionalism. Also, I’ve learnt that you have to have different people taking care of things for you, because it is a singer’s job to be worried with his voice and give the maximum during the performance and not be dealing with technical things. The amount of stress to put up a concert and the thousand mini details that you have to care for can be really tiring.” Currently, Guerra has plans to stage another concert during the winter back in Brazil.
school needs “to operate in a way that reflects [its] belief that environmental stewardship is important … so that when opportunities [that allow the school to reduce its environmental footprint] arise, we take them.” Mathews was also proud of the green audit that the school would undergo later this year, in which the school would seek ways to improve its “less than stellar record” in regards to energy consumption. “There’s so many ways in which the physical operation of the school gets in the way of what we want our image to look like.” Naming things like recycling and composting, Mathews stated that the green audit was a perfect way
for the school to assess itself critically and better itself from there. The second part of the priority, global mindedness, will seek to strengthen the relationships that the school had made both internationally in countries like Guatemala as well as closer to home with organizations like Covenant House. “The service part you’ll see happening more quickly,” he concluded. The final priority of the plan — and perhaps the most ambitious —is one that would establish St. George’s as a world school. Like the other facets of the plan, Mathews stated that it would happen on several different fronts. Diversity in the school’s popula-
Female coach brings propects to the rowing season
By Leon Shen St. George’s School, Vancouver – Shannon Van Baalen was hired as the newest member to the Senior School’s Rowing Program over the summer of 2011. Van Baalen brings with her an accomplished rowing background to Saints as the current Rowing Coordinator. She is excited to be part of the community. Van Baalen hails from Wellanport, Ont. and has extensive expe-
As a native of Ontario, Van Baalen is just starting to settle down in British Columbia. “It is definitely hard being from a small town in Ontario and moving to a big city like Vancouver where I do not know anyone. Being so far away from my family and friends is what I do not like the most...” Van Baalen hopes to take back from Saints “lasting friendships, acceptance from this wonderful community and valuable life ex-
Successes of MUN
By Kevin Lee Throughout the month of September, two students have been working to involve more juniors in the Model UN Program. Kevin Lee in grade 10 and Kelvin Zhu in grade 9, want to encourage more people to give Model UN a shot. They began with drafting an agenda on an online Google Documents file and began adding more members and feedback during the starting week of school. The documents laid out plans to “sync in” with the current International Relations program, headed by Mr. Becott and to introduce basic rules to new people. The International Relations program currently participates in the National High School MUN and the Regional High School MUN, as well as organising the Vancouver MUN. The Beginner’s MUN club offers further opportunities to enrich participation, extending delegation attendance to ConnectMUN, Canadian High School MUN, Vancouver Youth MUN, and various other conferences. “We hope to involve more grade eights and nines and to persuade more people to come out and learn new things in these MUNs, and I hope this is worth the trouble of organising delegations for the conferences,” said Zhu as he was heading towards the meeting room for the weekly club meeting. The turnout for the club surpassed expectations and 35 grade eights to 10s filled Becott’s room to listen in on Zhu and Quinton Huang explain future conference dates. The next day, a similar number of people congregated to sign up for the ConnectMUN, with the school’s head delegate, Lee, who is working to collect all the cheques and organize committees offered to delegates in the school. “As the school year goes on, we’re hoping to turn this club into a supplementary club to the International Relations program by offering miniature, mock conferences to students within the school,” Lee said. “I’m really happy with the numbers at the moment and I look forward to getting to know each delegate better!”
Continued from Page 1 for, be it respect or humility.” In this, Mathews said that students can expect to be extremely involved, much like last year’s student survey, saying that the school would undertake the venture with “heavy input from students on what values are important to them.” It would be, he stated, an endeavor that each facet of the St. George’s community would have a part in, directly or indirectly. Unlike this second priority, the third, developing and implementing a comprehensive program on global mindedness and environmental stewardship, would be undertaken by the school at varying paces. Mathews stressed that the
New coach, more medals
tion, long an important part of the school’s mission, would be built upon, not “necessarily in racial or cultural terms, but also in terms of social economic terms, that deserving boys … who have something to contribute to this school should be able to come … even if their parents can’t necessarily pay the fees. You would never want this to be just a school for rich boys,” he said, finishing. This of course, played into his theme of “St. George’s School being an international school for boys.” “What I mean by that,” Mathews continued, is, “a school of international significance … that if people look around the world and
they say ‘Where’s an example of a school that does a superb job of educating young men,’ then that St. George’s would be at the top of their list.” The plan, he added, was an important part of this ultimate ambition. The school, Mathews concluded, needed to have “increasingly a global outlook,” preparing its students in a changing world where their “work, their job, their education might take them to a dozen different countries … We really have to do a better job so that if a student’s job takes them to Paris, London, or Shanghai then they can flourish.”
Improving Saints By: Harmanjot Uppal With the portables gone from the field, more space is made within the senior school, and some other rooms are updated. For the past six years, the school had a construction permit that expired at the end of the last academic year, therefore, everything from the portables, such as the spin bikes, the ergs, junior school fair materials, and other equipment had to be moved to inside the senior school. Also, many rooms within the school have opened up to provide space to more classes, for example, a new seminar room next to the north entrance to the large gym, which was previously the IT room, had been newly updated. With approximately 90 seats, multiple power outlets, a new projector and a large screen, the room serves a better purpose as a lecture room than a small and crowed IT room. Furthermore, the spin bikes from the portables have been moved
into a bright and open room in front of the pool entrance. It provides quick and easy access to students within the school, and allows for an extra workout space. The physiotherapy room moved to a cozy and clean room next to the pool after its portable was moved in June. Another great improvement to the school was the creation of a school store located at the senior school campus. Many students agree that the new store was one of the best additions, as it allows all students quick access to the store, instead of always going down to the junior school. Alongside selling sports equipment and school apparel, the store sells pencils, notebooks and other stationary, much to the approval of the student body. Since Garcia Field has opened up, the field will be newly refurbished, and it will once again be a whole rectangle. Being a full field, it will provide a full rectangle space that was only previ-
ously available on the Nigel Toy Field. As many students, teachers and parents have already noticed, the floors from both Maclean Hall and the front entrance have undergone changes from fullcarpeted flooring to clean, cream tiles. Although many students say the change is “eye-catching” and gives a fresh sense to the school, many others are saying that the floor from the front entrance creates a risk of slipping, when it is raining hard outside. Even though no one has been seen being injured or slipping on the floor, and the floor does seem to have some texture to it, the floor is taking some criticism, especially since the floor easily gets dirty. However, in Maclean Hall, the floor is being greeted with open arms, particularity by the janitors. The floors, which often gets dirty by the occasional full cup of liquid or the full plate of food, are much easier to clean, according to the janitorial staff.
Soccer: 3rd in CAIS St. George’s 1st XI soccer team ranks third overall in a 20-team tournament
rience both as a rower and coach. Throughout her years as a former Brock University rower, Van Baalen has racked up numerous achievements including two Canadian University Rowing Championship Medals (08 - Silver, 09 - Bronze), Female Rower of the Year, among other various scholarships and awards. After retiring as an athlete, Van Baalen continued to pursue her rowing career as a coach. Having coached for 15 years, the native Ontarian brings her experience to Saints as assistant coach of the JV and Varsity rowing teams. When asked to define her job, Van Baalen remarked, “In a nut shell I could be called ‘Captain’ de Leeuw's (head coach of the rowing program) right hand woman.” Recalling her first impression of Saints, Van Baalen exclaims, “As I drove down West 29th Avenue after a five-day road trip across Canada, I was thrilled to see such a great facility that offers programs and courses that embrace all aspects of the lives of their (Saints) students.” Van Baalen emphasizes that the school’s identity as a community is what really makes Saints great. “It is a community where the students are engaged, the parents are involved and the teachers are enthusiastic, everyone seems to work together to make the school the best it possibly can be.”
perience.” As one of her goals, Van Baalen aims to make new friends in her new environment. “I have no doubt that this is possible as everyone here is very supportive in helping me settle into my new surroundings.” When asked if being at Saints has changed her as an individual, Van Baalen knows one thing is certain, “I am who I am. My small town roots, morals and values will always stay the same, but as I am in an entirely new environment I hope to learn and grow, becoming a better person through my experiences and the people that I meet.” On expectations for the rowing team, Van Baalen states that though she is not stressing, she expects no less than a couple of medals from the St. George’s crew this year. “No pressure team, but I am female so naturally I like shiny things, so I hope to see a lot of them.” For the team to be successful, Van Baalen believes in teamwork and effort. “I want them (rowing team) to have that hunger to compete and the desire to leave nothing on the table because they were pulling for the crew...if the boys on the St. George’s rowing team are committed everyday to make themselves strong as a team, I have no doubt that they will achieve greatness.”
By Roy Yang The St. George’s 1st XI Soccer team has finished third in the gold division of the 2011 Canadian Accredited Independent Schools Soccer Tournament. The tournament consisted of five round robin pools—A, B, C, D, and E—of four teams. The best team from each pool advanced to the gold division championships, and the rest qualified in the silver and bronze divisions. St. George’s, from Pool C, advanced into the quarterfinals by winning 3-0 versus Crescent School, 2-0 versus Royal St. George’s College, and tying 0-0 versus Bishop’s College School. In the quarterfinals, Saints easily defeated Lower Canada College 4-2. The strategy of the varsity team was to play “disciplined soccer”, said Coach Shaun Lawrence. The team, emphasizing smart soccer and controlled possession games, worked efficiently on the field. “Our plan was simple: stick to the game plan. We wanted to be fierce warriors on the field in the defending and winning of ball possessions. We tried to play the best soccer we were capable of playing,” said Lawrence. The semi-finals brought a tough matchup against the best-ranked team, St. Andrew’s College, for the Saints 1st XI. According to Lawrence, coach of the Saints’ soccer team, the team had “masterful control of the first half [of the game].”
“We had never played the first half of any game that well. We had better scoring opportunities and passed the ball well, and had more ball possessions. We later tired and had unlucky bounces against us.” In the dying minutes, the opposing team scored a penalty shot, earning them the winning goal. The final score was 2-1 for St. Andrew’s College. Bryan Fong, captain of the
each other, played for each other, and worked hard on and off the ball. I am extremely proud to be the captain of our team and proud of the way we played at CAIS, despite our unfortunate loss in the semi finals.” With upcoming games for the provincials and ISA’s, Fong believes the team can improve on certain aspects. “I think our team could improve on our endurance and finishing.
Saints’ team, had a slow start in the tournament but later performed exceptionally well in the quarter and semi-final games. Though Saints didn’t win the gold, Fong believes the team found a “new identity.” “I think as a team we really came together. In that St. Andrew’s College game, I would say we looked like Barcelona! We passed the ball well, moved for
In the last game against St. Andrew’s College, we started off really strong but started to get tired as the second half came around. Additionally, we had so many chances to score in the first give minutes of the game but missed many opportunities that could have taken us to the finals.” The 1st XI is currently competing in the Vancouver Richmond Zone tournament.
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It’s never too late for triathalon
By: Roy Yang Senior teacher Jeremy Sayers has placed 16th in the World Triathlon Championships in the 4549 age group. Sayers participated in the Olympic distance event, which consists of a 1.5 km swim, 40 km bike ride, and 10 km run. He finished the race in 2 hours 20 minutes and 10 seconds. According to Sayers, it was “an amazing experience.” “I thought of it as a once in a lifetime experience. I was lucky enough to run on the complete 2008 Olympic course. [It] was beautiful and I had the opportunity to meet athletes from across Canada and from around the world. I even met [2000 Olympic gold medalist and 2008 silver medalist] Simon Whitfield.” Sayers qualified for the World Championships because he had performed well in the 2010 Ca-
nadian National Triathlon Championships in Kelowna B.C. He completed the Olympic distance race in 2:11:25 to finish sixth in his age group. To prepare for the subsequent World Championships, the teacher-triathlete trained intensively before and during the summer-partly in Beijing but primarily in Canada. Sayers credits his success to his consistent training. He advises any aspiring student or teacher athlete to always “be consistent.” “The important thing is consistency. The hardest part of my training was getting out there on the field, day in, day out by myself, and pushing myself through challenges. To all, be consistent. Get out there and set a goal for yourself. Do whatever you have to do and do it everyday.” The 48-year old first started triathlon because it did not require
expertise in one particular sport. The senior teacher still trains regularly to stay fit.
“I like to stay fit. I like the fact that at 48 years old, I can still do the things I did when I was 18, or even better.” Sayers finds many things about competing as a triathlete rewarding. But perhaps one of the biggest rewards is finishing a tough race. “There’s nothing like crossing the finish line after you’ve really pushed yourself to the limit. It’s a special feeling.” Sayers is currently invited to partake in the Olympic distance event of the 2012 World Triathlon Championships held in Auckland, New Zealand. However, the senior teacher has declined, due to his teacher commitments for the 2012-2013 school year.
BBQ success The Saint’s multiculturalism Saints parents host a school-wide family barbeque on the fields
By Paul Redelmeier The new school year got off to a quick start, when on September 8, barely a day into it, the Parent’s Association hosted the first annual Family Barbecue on the senior school’s main field. Unlike in years past, where the Parents Association has hosted an annual reception at the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, the board decided to host an event, which, while serving many of the same purposes — the conveners for the 2012 Saints Fair were announced — was also easy and accessible for the community. “We wanted an event that was casual and that was intrinsic to the school and to the St. George’s community,” said Tricia Edmonds, one of the three chairs on the hosting committee. “[Something] that would be social for everybody … and that would bring the students and staff into the mix.” Up to 1,500 people visited the event, a number that Edmonds said the organizers had expected. The online sign-up process in the days leading up to the barbecue, “gave [the organizers] a good look at how many people would end up coming, and [they] were able to handle that from there.” The event, however, was not without its surprises. “We were absolutely astounded that people lingered, that people really stayed,” she continued. “People were only really leaving because they had other engagements, be-
cause it was getting dark out … I was very happy about that.” The barbecue promises to become an annual event, as its posters advertised. Said Edmonds, “We’re definitely planning on having one next year, and then, as we [members of the parents association] review it, year-by-year. We’ll see from there.” The barbecue was also warmly received by the student body. Connor Dyson, a new student to St. George’s agreed that he felt that it integrated him into the school community. Integration, added Edmonds, was a focus of barbecue, both for the new students as well as their parents, who are now members of the Parents Association. “This was the first event that was to really welcome everyone to the Parents Association.” Though the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club reception had fulfilled this purpose before, Edmonds stated that the barbecue provided a far more friendly and less imposing atmosphere. The recruiting that took place there in the past would now take place in the form of an introductory luncheon at the senior school this October. Changes, she admitted, though possible, were unlikely to be drastic. After all, why change something that was, from the point of view of both the Parent’s Association as well as the student body, “a tremendous success on several fronts.”
By Leon Shen St. George’s School, Vancouver - A number of foreign students have landed at Saints this year to experience St. George’s and discover Canada and its distinct culture. Through various exchange programs offered at the school, international students from around the world have arrived at St. George's doorsteps. In grade 10 alone, there are at least five exchange students; some coming from distant countries such as Germany and France while others from much closer nations like Mexico. As their time at Saints is temporary, some students are only able to stay for one term while others will be here until the end of the school year. In a recent interview with an exchange student, Victor Marlin (Gr. 10), shares some of his thoughts on the Saint’s community and points out various differences between France and Canada. Victor is currently 16 years old, and is from Burgundy, France. He has three brothers, one of which is his twin and states that his favourite courses are P.E. and math. What was you first impression of St. George’s? “When I arrived at St. Georges, I said to myself: ‘This school is so big and so beautiful!’ I also thought this school is like the ‘perfect school’ because everybody is in uniform and so dressed well! Inside the school, it is perfect: clean, with a lot of ‘school decor’ and outside, the grass is perfect! I see this school as the typical Canadian's school!” What are some of the major changes in the education system between what is taught here at Saints and the school where you come from? “In France, we never eat or laugh with the teachers, some of them (teachers) are very strict with us. In Canada, the teachers are very cool, relaxed and not very strict. There is also the thing about computers; in France, we can't have our laptop during the class but in Canada, you can!” “...In my school, there isn't any uniform; we can wear whatever we want...but in St. George’s, we have to wear the uniform for going to school. I like to wear the uniform, I find this funny!” “In France, we have not the system ‘sport after school’, in St. George’s, there is this system. I find it is a good system because we can practice sports free “...and the last thing is about the timetable, in France, we have a timetable for one week but in St. George’s, there is a timetable just for 2 days.” What do you like most about Saints? “I like St. George’s because I find it is a competitive school. For example, in sports, there are many challenges and the teachers are with the students so they are like a community between all the students and teachers.” What are your thoughts on the single-sex education implemented here? “Personally, if I have the choice, I prefer to go to a school with girls and boys because I find it is more funny....” Has your time at Saints changed you? What do you hope to gain from this exchange? “...because I just stay two months at St. George’s, I think my time at here has not changed me, but during this time, I have met a lot of different people; I have discovered the culture of Canada.” To exchange students like Martin, St. George’s serves as a representation of the Canadian culture. Our community embodies the Canadian spirit for multiculturalism and has welcomed every foreign student over the past years with open arms. Through this short exchange program, Victor has achieved his goal for traveling abroad and brings back to France a firm grasp of the Canadian essence and culture. Here at Saints, we have achieved our goal as well, establishing St. George’s as a home away from home for Victor and all other foreign students.