Team School

Each year, our grade 5-8 students (and various high school students as well) have the opportunity to enjoy a four-day visit to our Outdoor Education Centre. Located on 135 acres of land near Gravenhurst, the property hosts a variety of habitats, including lakefront, field, stream, marshland, old growth forest and Canadian Shield. The cost of the trip is included in the annual tuition. Our hands-on approach allows learning through education and recreation. Educational activities include vegetation identification, animal habitat study, geology/soil study and meteorological graphing, while recreational opportunities include cross-country skiing, orienteering, canoeing, native games, winter survival, campfires and night hikes. A 5000 square foot cabin hosts up to 40 students, and is staffed by two full-time outdoor education teachers and a chef.

Mentor/TEAM students and staff spent part of their morning listening to a lecture by science broadcaster and environmental activist, David Suzuki. Parents and guests were also in attendance as Dr. Suzuki outlined - with great passion - his view that we must curb our over-consumption or else face tremendous environmental catastrophe.

Clearly, students felt empowered when Dr. Suzuki told them they had "every right to question the decisions of current policy-makers" even though many of them are not yet of voting age. He stressed their right to do so because today's young people are the greatest stake-holders in the future impact of today's environmental policies.

Dr. Suzuki did leave off on a hopeful note as he offered two signs of a paradigm shift that we must embrace and help to create in hope for a better future. First was the example of the nation of Bhutan and its policy of "Gross National Happiness" as opposed to Gross National Product as a measure of quality of life in more holistic terms. Secondly, Dr. Suzuki told the audience about how environmental and business leaders in Japan are working together to seriously rethink the country's views on energy in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster.

The annual Mentor College Fashion Show took place on April 16. Having raised funds for various hospitals and charities for the past 15 years, this year's executive committee decided on the SickKids Foundation and the Credit Valley Hospital Foundation as beneficiaries of the $60,000 raised. This year's show, "Tour de Couture", took the audience on a tour of 4 major fashion centres around the world: New York City, London, Tokyo, and Paris. "Tour de Couture" is the result of 7 months of hard work and commitment on the part of a very dedicated team of students, staff, and parents! Congratulations to student organizers, Katrina Kairys, Gillian Barker, and Sofia Corbo, who, along with chief staff sponsor Ms. Maynard and the Moms' Committee, put on a truly memorable show! The show has raised nearly $300,000 to date for local hospitals.