Summer 2018 - Camp Quest

Time Travelling at Medieval Times

Imagine the time of powerful kingdoms, jousting knights, majestic horses, and battles to the death?

Well, technically that era was hundreds of years ago, but this summer Quest students got to go back in time and experience this medieval culture!

At Toronto’s Medieval Times, student watch six honourable knights battle it out in a theatrical performance full of fast horse riding, explosive jousting, and action-packed sword battles.

Based in a castle, the performance is paired with a delicious four-course meal that the students eat with their bare hands… Yup. No cutlery allowed!

After the show, the students meet the knights and shop back in time at the Medieval Times gift shop, which is always a hit.

By sicwpadmin|2018-07-21T19:11:00+00:00July 21st, 2018|Summer 2018|0 Comments

Shopping at Toronto Premium Outlets

Students shopped til’ they dropped today at Toronto’s Premium Outlets, an amazing outdoor mall in Toronto.

Situated in the suburbs of Toronto, this brand new mall features brand names, such as Nike, Coach, Ralph Lauren, Gap, and Polo, for ridiculously cheap prices!

For those who don’t want to shop, the mall also has tons of restaurants and offers students a chance to make some new friends on their own independent time.

We love seeing students exploring on their own and connecting with other students.

By sicwpadmin|2018-07-21T17:29:00+00:00July 21st, 2018|Summer 2018|0 Comments

Quest Dance

Quest students pose for the camera at our annual dance

Put on your dancing shoes, it’s time for the annual Quest summer dance!

This year, we had more than 300 students attend our dance held in downtown Toronto and it was a blast.

Students got dressed up, hit the dance floor, and jumped around to songs from in English, as well some Portuguese, Spanish, and French music (which everyone seemed to love).

It was awesome to see all the students from different countries laughing and having fun together.

My highlight of the night was when one student from Russia came up to the teachers and yelled, “Wow! This is the best night, ever!”

By sicwpadmin|2018-07-20T12:12:00+00:00July 20th, 2018|Summer 2018|0 Comments

Quest Olympics

Quest students competing in a game of “limbo” on Toronto Island

Get ready to compete!

Today was our annual Quest Olympics and all of students did amazingly well at our competitions.

The Quest Olympics occurs every July on the beautiful Toronto Island and offers the chance for students to work with their classes to compete in seven different sports.

These sports test both physical and mental stamina and include old-fashioned games such as: limbo, and wheel-barrow races; as well more physical ones like: dodgeball and tug-of-war.

All of the students of Quest pose for a photo after completing the Quest Olympics on Toronto Island.

This year saw more than 300 students compete with each other, with some classes going undefeated in the event.

The activity is important way for the students to practice their English as each class has to speak English to work together. Not everyone in each team has the same first language, so communication is key to winning!

We want to thank all students for working hard and being patient as we sorted the games out.

We look forward to having an even better Quest Olympics next summer!

Quest students play dodgeball on Toronto Island

By sicwpadmin|2018-07-19T17:43:00+00:00July 19th, 2018|Summer 2018|0 Comments

Exploring the Distillery District

Students pose with the Peace Sign at Toronto’s Distillery District

If you didn’t know it, teenagers love Instagram, and there’s no better place for trendy photos than the Distillery District in Toronto.

Home to cobblestone streets, national historic buildings, hip cafes, and plenty of art galleries, the Distillery District is the heart of both Toronto’s past, future, and present.

The car-free neighbourhood allows students the chance to learn about Toronto’s industrial past while appreciating the city’s newer identity as an artistic hub.

Fun Fact: The Distillery District has the largest collection of Victorian-era industrial architecture in North America.

Quest students laugh while posing for a photo
in Toronto’s historic Distillery District

By sicwpadmin|2018-07-18T19:22:00+00:00July 18th, 2018|Summer 2018|0 Comments

Toronto Subway Adventures

Quest students pose with street performers at Yonge-Dundas Subway Station in Toronto

Every summer Quest students get to explore Toronto’s amazing transportation system.

From subways to streetcars, buses to ferries, commuting in Toronto is full of adventures, nice views, and funny surprises (as pictured above with Spiderman and Ironman).

Many Quest students purchase a monthly transit card that allows them unlimited access to explore Toronto.

It’s great to see how quickly students adapt to using public transportation, since some do not use public transportation in their home cities and towns.

By the end of the month, most of these students know the subway and streetcar lines better than us teachers!

Fun Facts: In Toronto, we call a metro a subway, while we call a tram a streetcar.

By sicwpadmin|2018-07-17T12:03:00+00:00July 17th, 2018|Summer 2018|0 Comments

Finally! A Yellow School Bus!

Quest students happily pose in front of a yellow school bus in Toronto

Each summer, students quickly ask us upon arrival to Canada: when will be see the yellow school buses!?

While it’s something all kids in Canada are accustomed to, some countries do not have big, bright yellow school buses that shuttle children to and from school.

Constantly featured in American movies, the yellow school bus has become a symbol of American life, so you can probably understand why many children are excited to take part in the ride!

Here at Quest, we use the yellow school buses to transport the students to far away attractions, so you can rest assured that you will get to see the famous yellow school buses.

Vroom…Vroom!

Quest students and teachers smile on their yellow school bus in Toronto.

By sicwpadmin|2018-07-16T18:47:00+00:00July 16th, 2018|Summer 2018|0 Comments

Bonjour, French Canada!

Quest students visit Canada’s Parliament Buildings in Ottawa

For those who didn’t know, Canadians don’t just speak English!

Canada is home to a vibrant French-language population, with some areas of Canada only speaking French and having zero knowledge of English.

French Canada, which is predominately in the province of Quebec, but also in the provinces of Ontario, New Brunswick, and Manitoba, houses some of the oldest communities in North America.

French Canada is also home to countless internationally acclaimed musicians, artists, researchers, architects, athletes, and politicians.

Thus, this summer, we were proud to show Quest students the culture and history of this culture.

Students start off in Canada’s capital city, Ottawa, which is an officially bilingual city (English and French) and home to the Parliament Buildings, the Rideau Canal (an UNESCO World Heritage Site), and the tasty Byward Market.

Next, the students head to Montreal, Canada’s second largest city and the fourth largest french speaking city in the world. In Montreal, students get to explore new neighbourhoods, try different food, and practice some conversations in French.

“Bonjour…Comment ça-va?”
Quest students smiling as they explore Montreal, Canada’s second largest city.

Then, on their last day, students embark east to Québec City, one of the oldest cities in North America.

Students love exploring the cobblestone streets and artisanal shops of Québec’s Old City, which offers tons of opportunities for amazing photos full of history.

Fun Fact: Canada’s Québec City was founded in 1608 and is the only city in Canada and North America to be surrounded by ramparts and city walls.

By sicwpadmin|2018-07-15T13:34:00+00:00July 15th, 2018|Summer 2018|0 Comments

Class Trips: Grange Park

A classroom from Quest smiles with their teacher while hanging at Toronto’s Grange Park

After a week of learning grammar and communication in the classroom, students occasionally had the chance to kickback on Fridays at Grange Park.

Situated near Quest’s summer campus, Grange Park occasionally acted as a meeting place for Quest students on Fridays.

It was here that they could interact with other classes, make new friends, and catch up with other students they met earlier in the program.

These class trips gave students the chance to relax in the grass, play soccer in the field, or teach each other games from their own countries. The game “Brother” from Spain appeared to be a big hit among the students.

It was amazing for us teachers to see students from all over the world interact with each other so confidently in English. Many students later stated they enjoyed their time at Grange Park since it allowed them to expand their social circles beyond their own classrooms and countries.

By sicwpadmin|2018-07-14T18:59:00+00:00July 14th, 2018|Summer 2018|0 Comments

Canoeing to Toronto Island

Quest students paddling through Lake Ontario on the coast of Toronto

Is there anything more Canadian than canoeing in a freshwater lake?

Not according to our Quest students!

Today saw our students dip into Lake Ontario, one of the largest lakes in the world, to try canoeing. For most of the students, this was their first time in a canoe and they all did amazingly well.

The students had to work together by speaking English in order to ensure they paddled in unison. It was a great team building activity!

For those who don’t know, a canoe is a type of vessel, similar to a kayak. It was used for centuries by the indigenous peoples of Canada and was instrumental to the development of Canada by European settlers.

Thus, it’s intertwined with Canadian identity and represents a great way for students to interact with Canadian culture…. plus, it’s super fun!

Quest students pose for a photo before hoping into their canoe

The students were able to paddle around Lake Ontario and head over to Toronto Island, which offers spectacular views of the Toronto skyline.

After the day finished, many of the students exclaimed that this was their most enjoyable part of the exchange yet!

Fun Fact: Lake Ontario is one of the 5 Great Lakes, which collectively hold 21% of the world’s surface freshwater!

By sicwpadmin|2018-07-13T17:55:00+00:00July 13th, 2018|Summer 2018|0 Comments