Many kids don’t know what appeals to them until they try
something for the very first time. High school offers the
perfect opportunity to develop passions and interests that will
encourage improved enjoyment and balance throughout a
person’s life.
“It’s important that we don’t put too much focus on
academic success that students lose the opportunity to
achieve well-rounded development in other areas,” says
Patricia Donnelly, Headmistress of Nova Scotia’s Sacred
Heart School of Halifax.
Whenever they join the environmental club, the debating
team, the choir, student council or the film society, Sacred
Heart students are awarded silver and gold pins for their
extracurricular involvement.
“Being able to bring a mix of skills to whatever project
you’re working on is a huge asset. It is said that people who
will make the biggest difference in the world will have a varied
CV [Curriculum Vitae], with strengths all over the place and the
vision to bring them all together.”
A well-rounded education at University of Toronto Schools
means finding a balance between classroom studies,
advanced placement opportunities, sports teams, music
and arts programs, school government, event planning and
social activism.
“We spend a lot of time here trying to figure out how to help
our students achieve a healthy life balance,” says Michaele
Robertson, principal of University of Toronto Schools. “So many
of these kids are driven to do so much—both academic and
extracurricular—but what’s most important is that they learn to
take on only what they can handle.”
Somewhere in between, students also need to find time to
hang out with their friends.
“The most important life lesson they’ll gain from all of this
is learning to make a commitment and stick to it, and learning
when they have to say no,” says Robertson.
