Observations from students and alumni indicate that Lakefield’s extracurricular programming is designed to nurture a wide array of talents, ensuring students feel valued beyond their academic achievements.
A lot of what Lakefield has to offer is balance. It’s learning how to balance your time, knowing when to get your work done so that you can go to that Spirit Event on Friday night, or they’re playing dodgeball, or they’re playing Katchewanooka Rod in the field, which is a favourite. All these different activities. So they’re learning to get their work done so they have time to have that free time as well.
I feel that something that really differentiates Lakefield is all the opportunities you get and how much the school cares about you as a person, but not just your academic activities. So when I went to Lakefield, I was like, ‘Okay, I'm going to improve math and English,’ all of those experiences that I was really afraid of. But when I got to Lakefield, they were like, ‘Okay, we really care about your academics, but we really care for your passions, your extracurricular activities.’ So they give the same importance to your extracurricular activities and your passions.
Now that they’re at Lakefield, the biggest impact that I'm seeing is our sons’ understanding of themselves, who they are, what their values are, understanding what their strengths are, what their weaknesses are, and then how to take that and use that to turn it into an opportunity to grow and move forward in their learning. That's the impact that I'm seeing. And that's across all aspects of their education. They're academics, they're social, they're emotional, and they're physical. Whether it's playing hockey or being a part of the band or taking an AP class, I see that time and time again in both boys.
At Lakefield, it felt like there was something for everyone, and that’s both because there’s a range of talents, but there’s opportunities for those talents to be nurtured and appreciated so that each kid feels like they have something to contribute.
Lakefield allows the kids to get curious about themselves on all components, academically, co-curriculars, and every other part. The teachers are curious about the students, wanting to know them better, getting connected with them on that level. And the school is curious with the parents. You're curious about what we think, how it affects us.
We are a school that is about so much more than academics. We really invest in art and athletics. We’ve identified a few signature programs recently: nordic skiing, because we have these amazing trails; sailing, because of the lake; and musical theater. So there’s a lot of talent at the school, and we really celebrate that school is about more than just academics.
Our daughter has grown immensely both academically, athletically, and socially. In one short year, she has become independent, determined, and mature. This has been a truly well-rounded education. The staff at LCS are a cohesive, supportive, caring team. The real bonus is the campus! She has loved enjoying Lake Katchewanooka sunsets and bonfires at the waterfront. LCS offers everything you'd get at a high-quality camp, combined with a rigorous academic curriculum. We couldn't be happier with the education our daughter is receiving at Lakefield College School!
—Stacey Ambler, parent (beginning 1992) (see
full review)
Excellent teachers who care about the students and give them their all. They have teachers in all subjects who really know their material and want to share love of their topic. In biology the course did not cover dissections, yet many of the students were interested. Therefore the teacher arranged a time all the students interested were available and set up a few dissections for them to explore and understand more about their world. The staff have specific times for office hours, however, my son was welcome to ask questions anytime. There was no limit to the assistance they gave and all the staff were highly knowledgable in their fields. The staff not only worked hard in class but were instrumental in the effectiveness of the sports, arts and extracurricular activities.
My son loved going to school at LCS. He enjoyed the wide range of classes and extracurricular activities. He enjoyed the boarding experience and he gained independence and so many friends. The living away from home was a great way for my son to build independence, however, there is great support through the housing staff to help with settling in, academic support and meeting new people. They have a student body from the graduating class that all have leadership roles which also help with the younger students to become more comfortable and find their niche in the school body.
Structured within the school day are required times for school clubs, teams and wellness activities. This means that students are not making the choice IF and WHEN they participate, but HOW. The variety of activities are truly outstanding. Within one year it would easily be possible to fit in a range of land and waterfront activities such as beach volleyball, dance showcase, outdoor hockey, business club, sailing and cooking. In addition to the after school extracurriculars, once a week the school pauses for an extended lunch break for wellness activities that help you stay well-rounded, focused and present.
—Paula Mbonda, parent (beginning 2019) (see
full review)
The relationships between students and staff is truly like no other. Lakefield is a place where you do not only have to be great at one thing but to become good at many things. Pushing yourself to limits you may never have thought of before. The community environment and the facilities Lakefield has is what sets it apart from other schools. Being able to attend AP Biology classes 10 feet away from where you get to paddle and camp out with another class is an experience you cannot get anywhere else. The overall academics push your brain, the outdoor experience pushes your strength, the athletics push your physicality, and the arts test your creativity. These aspects create a Lakefield student that is ready to take on the world and future challenges that they may be faced with.
I personally feel like I did the most growing during my time at Lakefield. I attended grades 9-12 and felt that each year came with its own challenges. In my first year and a half I was much more to myself but still stayed involved in school life and activities. If you ask the majority of the alumni population, many would say that Lakefield was the perfect fit for them. They grew the most there, found their identity, and strived to be the best version of themselves. Like any high school, it would not be surprising if there were many that did not feel this way. Due to the competitive nature of the academics, the mandatory involvement in sports and arts, those who lack organization skills or motivation to be up and moving for eight hours of the day may not get the most out of their experience and find it too challenging. Overall, Lakefield creates great leaders, people who are passionate about doing great things, and who want to help others.
Our son attended Lakefield College School (LCS) for Grade 9 and now he is a Grade 11 international boarding student. LCS is truly the home away from home, a caring community that allows our son to develop himself into a young man knowing and respecting people around him, making a lot of good friends, and growing himself into a more responsible community contributor and a future leader; LCS is also a continuous learning environment that is keeping push our son to challenge himself to reach next higher level and discover his potentials both on academic studies and competitive sports activities, and nurture him to find out his real interests he would like to pursue in future. LCS is really a fun place full of joys, happiness and kindness. Our son’s great experiences in LCS have our family decide to bring another boy to the school for Grade 9 study in 2021.
LCS is famous for its outstanding OE classes. Rich nature resources the school enjoys make every choice possible for students to develop their own interests. Our son starts on the junior-level basketball team, and gradually developed himself into today as a key senior competitive basketball player. He takes an advanced athletic class in Grade 11. Our son has also tried windsurfing, snowboarding and now he is taking on his track and field activities. Other than sports, there are a variety of clubs that help students develop their individual interests and skill sets in areas like art, music, drama, theatre, etc. The school often brings in professionals and subject expertise to help students to learn and develop in their interested area. The school really does a great job to provide students with the opportunities to be well-rounded students.
LCS has a talented student group. We are very impressed by the level of high quality of students’ artworks, theatre performance music and dancing, and beautiful poems. LCS has a diversified student group with students representing more than 40 countries. LCS brings all these culture and history diversities together and creates a caring, supportive and respectful student community, where everyone, no matter where she or he comes from, feels in one family. We were greeted by students with genuine smiles and joy when we did a campus tour back in 2018, and at that moment, we thought this is the school we would like our son to enter, and these are the students we would like them to be our son’s school mates and lifelong friends, and this is the community we definitely want to be part of it.
LCS offers plenty of extracurricular options, both sports-related but also multiple clubs. Our kids have explored different sports, group and individual, and had enjoyed their involvement in several clubs (math, computing, photography, cooking). In particular, we appreciate the opportunity our son has had to continue to compete in math challenges while enjoying other experiences in a more relaxed environment to discover himself. Every time we get them back at home we can appreciate their increased maturity and their broader set of interests in life.
—Elena Millon, parent (beginning 2020) (see
full review)
The school offered a lot of extracurricular opportunities in many areas for the student, such as cooking, climbing, riding and yoga which my daughter is a favourite. The student could enjoy the fun during the competition. The school is providing the right context to develop well-rounded students, the student could approach lots of areas in life outside the academic program and learn more skills for future life.
By valuing and actively participating, our child continues to position himself very well for a rewarding and fulfilling university and social life. I recommend to new students to take outdoor education, leadership and an arts-based course each school year, irrespective of the child’s future career path. While I acknowledge that my child may ultimately go into Math, Science or Business in university, it is important to take courses that contribute to well-being, spirit and community building. As an alumnus, I can say that these are the moments I remember the most.
—Paula Mbonda, parent (beginning 2019) (see
full review)
