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Lakefield College School promotes the best practices and habits associated with well-being and aspects of positive psychology alongside academic excellence
Lakefield College School (LCS), an independent, coeducational boarding and day school for students in grades 9 through 12, located in Lakefield, Ontario, Canada, provides a strong, caring community and warm, supportive, well-rounded student experience.
Foundational to its program is the THRIVE well-being initiative, based on three pillars: physical well-being, positive psychology and lifelong habits. “We promote the best practices and habits associated with well-being and aspects of positive psychology alongside academic excellence,” states Kirsten Johnston, Associate Director of Guidance; and Heather Avery, Associate Head - Strategy, at Lakefield College School. “This results in students that are more resilient, able to take on challenges with great confidence and can take care of themselves and each other. Here they are trained to look for meaning and purpose in what they are doing, mentally, physically and socially.”
Staying and studying in Lakefield is special. With 12 boarding houses and two-day houses, the school is known for its village-like atmosphere and caring community. Strong relationships exist between students and staff members providing a truly family-like environment for students. The beautiful waterfront campus at LCS is special and students take full advantage of it during the spring and fall terms when they engage in sailing, kayaking, canoeing, paddle-boating, swimming, and a multitude of other recreational and social activities, including witnessing great sunsets. In winter, LCS students make good use of the 155-acre campus through activities such as ice skating on the outdoor ice rink, Nordic skiing and snow shoeing in forested trails.
“Many young people today are too far removed from nature. With growing recognition of studies showing the positive links between direct experiences in nature and children’s mental, emotional and physical well-being; we recognize that regular, direct access to nature can increase self-esteem, resilience against stress and adversity, and improve concentration, learning, creativity, cognitive development and cooperation, “says Avery.
“Lakefield has a holistic approach to educating students and their getting into top universities is the result of understanding their unique passion as individuals and the excellent academic preparation they have here in addition to having the opportunity to embrace a myriad of learning opportunities in the arts, athletics and a broad range of other activities,” explains Johnston.
There is a great breadth of co-curricular activities for students to choose from ranging from culinary arts to large musical theatre productions, debating, competitive sports and leadership opportunities, all contributing to a well-rounded experience. Students, who hail from 40 countries, also benefit from the diversity of perspectives represented within the community; contributing their voice to the Canadian experience.
“Our students are also able take advantage of the many international learning opportunities available to them through our network of Round Square Schools and other global learning initiatives. It is an added benefit which, in addition to everything else, prepares them for life. Ultimately, instilling students with a foundation of positive education and well-being practices alongside opportunities to challenge themselves and explore their passions, helps them achieve better results, academically and socially. We see the result of that on campus, when they are here, and later in their lives after they graduate and become successful and still stay strongly connected to us at LCS,” affirms Avery.
LCS leads Canadian independent schools in terms of alumni donations and 38% of alumni made a donation last year. The next closest school had a donation rate of 14%. This statistic alone speaks volumes about the transformative experience Lakefield offers its students.
