p9 in the mission statement is the
be a better person for having
The great thing about Lakefield is
belief that students are capable,
failed the first time, and tried
that by doing all the things you
and they will benefit greatly from
again. Being challenged means
love to do you get attention and
experiences that push them to
that it requires real effort and will
support. At a regular high school
both fail and succeed as they
to succeed, the mission state-
you would probably be beaten up
pursue a wide range of experi-
ment says, "to challenge and
for doing the same things."
ences.
enable", the Lakefield environ-
Interestingly, every student who
ment becomes a safe and
has given a chapel speech this
supportive landing to enable
year has expressed their thanks
students to keep trying to meet
to their parents and the school
their goals.
for creating the opportunity to
Failing and Succeeding… Lakefield is a great place to fail, to fall flat on your face, to get up again and try until you get it
experience a world where
right, and eventually succeed and
If we are to look carefully to
excel. New students who come to
determine whether or not we are
Lakefield are often surprised by a
students are always asked to do the best they can do in a warm and caring environment.
quality we call "Groveiness". Groveiness means that you want
Graduating students giving
to be able to wear your
chapel speeches consistently
Bierkenstocks as classroom dress
offered one piece of advice to
through the winter because you
younger students about how to
are hanging onto the season…the
organize their time at school.
summer season that is.
They said: "Get involved! The
Groveiness means that a new
more you get involved in sports,
student in grade 9 might find
arts, drama, and groups the more
themselves reading poetry out
on the right track we could look
you will get out of school." One
loud at a campfire down by the
at what students say in front of
student says, "There is a direct
waterfront to senior students
their peers when they are asked
relationship between how happy
cheering you on and patting you
to articulate their experience at
you will feel and how involved
on the back when you are done.
Lakefield. Chapel speeches can
you are in school activities. Force
be a great way of finding out
yourself to try everything, jump
what students think when they
in, you won't regret it."
Groveiness means that you are not supposed to be perfect, that it is okay to embarrass yourself, ask for help, or do something stupid. Groveiness promotes being honest and genuine about who you are, and realizing that we learn best from making mistakes. Because we are human, we tend to understand ourselves better only when we have failed at something.
are forced to be reflective about their time at school. Robbie Hazell said, "…This year I decided that I was going to really try to achieve…really listen and work hard. I realized when I made this kind of effort I got so much out of all my classes. I found my classes interesting and I learned something important from each of my teachers."
Groveiness (at its best) provides
Graham Bocking said, "To be cool
the willing hand, the caring
at Lakefield you should be in the
environment, to help each
band, choir and perform on stage
student understand that they will
during the One Act Play Festival.
Serving a population of 362 teenagers is always a challenging process, and staying on track means that there must be guiding principles that create stability, consistency, and meaning. When I first came to an interview for a teaching job at Lakefield twelve years ago, Richard Life said to me that the guiding principle at Lakefield College was that everyone was required to teach through relationships. Little did he realize how powerful that continued on p34