Summer 2016

Today we take a glimpse into a level 7 classroom. One of the activities students having to read a newspaper article and re-writing the story in their own words.

Many of those that didn’t go yesterday, went over to the distillery district today. The cobblestones add to the art scene here, which is accompanied by unique shops, speciality cafes and countless restaurants!

Today was a bittersweet day. As we were boarding the busses in the morning to head to Wasaga, students came running to say goodbye. Many students who have graduated left to go back home today, and so it was a hectic and emotional morning.

Wasaga Beach is located a couple hours north of Toronto, on Georgian Bay. The popularity of the destination was definitely made evident today, as the beach was filled with lounging bodies, volleyball players and people of all ages running in and out of the water. It was a very hot day and most students spent it relaxing.

Meanwhile others stayed in Toronto and explored the distillery district, a historic and now very chic location during all seasons.

As many groups of students celebrated their last evening in town with dinner and a show, others who have only recently arrived canoed on the lake. It was a very hot and sunny day, so by the time we arrived on the island a much deserved rest was in order! After relaxing in the shade and getting re-hydrated, the students took the ferry back all together, taking in the famous Toronto skyline.

There was a bittersweet energy on campus today, with many student graduating from the program. There were many tears after the smiling pictures, which reminded us of the strong bonds that have developed and how just a few short weeks can make such a large impact!

One of the best parts about spending the summer in Toronto is that every week there are countless festivals to attend. Today students took part in one of these summer celebrations by attending the jazz festival. Located throughout the downtown core and spanning a couple of weeks, the festival honours jazz music, with a special emphasis on local talent.

Sir Henry Mill Pellatt’s residence, a gothic styled home, now stands as a museum on Torontonian history and a lovely landmark overlooking the CN tower. Students spent a few hours learning about Toronto’s recent past and walking through the gardens.

As part of the in-class component, students must learn about the various aspects of leadership and preform tasks and activities to put what they learned into practice. Today, the activity entailed leaving the class for a short walk to the nearby square. An open space where many stalls were set up to sell and give away locally grow flowers. As part of today’s lesson, students had to say something nice to a person that didn’t seem happy. This demonstrated the importance of helping others but also the positive effect these simples acts of kindness can have on their own self-esteem. Taking note of how much kind words effect others, the students enjoyed the day and walked away with beautiful flours in hand!

Many groups had the day off to choose the activities that they wanted to do- the beach being a popular option to head to and play sports or relax. Meanwhile ‘Greensystem’ went to see the new Ghost Busters movie in 3D at the IMAX theatre.

Tonight everybody put their dancing shoes back on and enjoyed an evening moving to lively beats and the soothing waves of Lake Ontario. All groups came together, filling up the boat with great energy! The party started as soon as we left shore and continued as we travel around the lake, seeing Toronto’s beautiful skyline as the sun set.