Students attending Stanstead College have very personal experience due to the school’s size. With approximately 250 students, class sizes are small and every student takes part in all aspects of school life including academics, athletics and clubs. The international makeup of the student body exposes all students to a remarkable array of languages, cultures and celebrations. The students all share the goal of preparing for university and this encourages excelling academically. The majority of the students live at the school as boarders and develop lifelong friendships. Recently, the school has built a new residence dedicated to grade 12 students enabling the school to develop a life curriculum dedicated to preparing students for life at university.
The student body at Stanstead is truly phenomenal. In the writing prompt, I am asked to describe a “typical student” at Stanstead but there truly is no such thing. The student body is extremely diverse, every student has something unique to offer. In addition, with most of the students in residence, tight knit sports teams, and small classes; the students are very close at Stanstead, no one is left out. Finally, the students are known for being extremely welcoming. When I entered Stanstead in Grade 8, I was alone and shy, however, within a few minutes, I had made new friends and felt like I belonged. If there is one characteristic that a “typical student” has, it’s that they are excited to learn from each other and share their knowledge with others.
The student body is definitely small. When I attended we averaged around 200 students, though I believe that has increased. Personally, I feel that this small size is beneficial in the sense of community it allows. Once you've been there a few months you will know everyone's name--no one will be a total stranger. The student body is also very diverse, with students coming from many backgrounds and countries. This diversity can be very beneficial to exposing students to new ways of thinking and preparing them to live and succeed in a global world.