Expeditions to the
top of Mount Kilimanjaro and morning trips to Tim Hortons — in canoes — are just two of the many unique
elements of a Lakefield College School education says Richard Johnston, director of communications.
Located in rural Ontario, just 90 minutes from Toronto, on the shore of Lake Katchewanooka, the campus is
situated on more than 315 acres. Founded in 1879, LCS offers a co-ed boarding and day school for 365 high
school students from Grade 7 to 12. With two-thirds of the student population made up of boarding students,
the need to create a home-like experience is a high priority for the school, Johnston says.
“I like to think we’re a family-away-from-home for our boarding students,” says Johnston. “Students
room together, learn together, play together and grow up together. Many lifelong friendships start here.”
But the significance of travelling and serving others abroad is also recognized at LCS, through the school’s
extensive involvement with community service projects and expeditions. Students can apply to go to locations
such as Africa (including a visit to Mount Kilimanjaro), India, Ecuador, Thailand, China, Peru and regions of
northern Canada. Usually, there is a service or leadership component involved. Three-month academic exchanges
abroad are also popular with the students.
Johnston calls these international opportunities one of Lakefield’s differ-entiating features. He names two
others as “inclusiveness” and “rigorous, but fun.”
Inclusiveness comes from the need to make sure everyone is engaged and supported, he says. In addition to the
small classes and home-like residences, the school offers a daily recreation program of sports, fun and
outdoor activity (hence, canoeing to the local Tim Hortons). Academically, there is the learning commons,
which includes the library, guidance offices, study areas and meeting rooms. This all-encompassing space is
often referred to as the one-stop-learning location, where students may receive additional academic coaching,
university guidance or a quiet zone to study. The library itself is also enriched with a collection of more
than 21,000 print and video resources, as well as state-of-the-art online resources and technology aids,
including access to hundreds of external databases.
Students may also apply for advanced placement courses, which can be used towards university credits.
“Although the LCS curriculum is rigorous,” Johnston adds, “we feel that there’s more to the overall high
school experience.” This approach to learning is reflected in the school’s motto: A sound mind in a
sound body. “We believe in a holistic approach to education, and we offer an array of sports, activities and
programs outside of the classroom, where the students can enjoy our beautiful campus setting,” says
Johnston.
LCS was also the first Canadian school to join Round Square International, a worldwide association of more
than 60 like-minded schools who support internationalism, democracy, environment, adventure, leadership and
service. Membership allows students to travel between schools for study and conferences, and to enhance
global understanding among youth.
Having such an integrated curriculum has produced stellar results. Although more than two-thirds of Lakefield
students graduated with an average of 80% or higher this year, what Johnston considers to be most poignant is
listening to the graduating students give “chapel talks,” where they share stories of the significant impact
their years at LCS have had on their personal growth. The talks, Johnston notes, have been a tradition since
the 1970s. “It’s quite powerful and emotional,” he says. “Families are invited to attend, they speak openly
for 20 minutes, they thank their teachers and friends, and they get to demonstrate their creativity in
incorporating slideshows and music into their individual presentations.
“The students here are amazing,” Johnston concludes. “They’re mature, interesting and polite — but for me, it
hits home when they graduate and realize the positive changes their time here has made in them and how they
will take that out into the world.” •
