You get there and your feel as though it was always meant
to be.
You feel like there is no question that you have made the
right choice
The colors, the smells, the people and the activities
The status, the recognition, the aspirations and the
choices
The determination, the motivation and the potential to succeed
Passion, persistence and peace
Some people’s favorite place might be the beach, the
mountains, a quiet corner or Japan.
Mine happens to be going to the open house of the high
school we chose for our two sons and where we hope our daughter will go in 2
yrs time.
It’s so magical.
Caution:
Beware some major bragging below. Move over 71 Toes Blog..here I come!!!. Get
ready to think I am over the top on this one.
And it not like I am an academic or even an intellectual by
any means. Schools in general don’t impressive me. I don’t really care about
this stuff much. Or at least I never thought I did anyway.
But something about this school tugs on my heartstrings
like nothing else.
It is widely impressive and draws literally thousands and
thousands of applications to get in.
If you get a spot (which is a big, big if) it honestly
feels as though you have won the lottery. And in many ways you literally have.
I think given the choice if I knew all three of my kids would get in, into
specialized programs like sports and dance, given the choice between that and a
million dollars I would likely choose that. And so would my husband.
That is how important this is to us.
I won’t name the school as don’t like posting personal stuff
about my kids and their information.
Around her in Quebec it is on the top of its class. We
have a unique situation her in Quebec because some go to French school and some
to English. English private high schools are very very costly so the majority go
to public. French private schools almost everyone opts for because they are
half the price of English and subsidized by the government to encourage French
education. The majority of French Quebec’s want their kids to get these spots,
even if still very costly, most won’t need to take out a second mortgage as
they would for English private system.
In my opinion they are worth every single hard earned
penny.
We got the bill for the two boys this year and had slight
panic attacks, but quickly recovered when we reminded ourselves that the main
things we are buying is 5 yrs. of pure peace (or so we have been told anyways
and what we have experienced so far). We have decided that it is worth it to
make room in our budgets for this.
So today was my daughter’s day. We visited exactly 1 year
before she writes the exam so that she can be inspired and boy does this work.
She came out of there and was asked by the principal on her way out to sum up
in one word what she felt from the tour.
Who would not be?
Honestly I think the open house today was better than any
vacation day at Club Med or Beaches. I am not even joking.
The intellectual stimulation in this school is over the top.
About 25 international humanitarian trips per year organized for students are
available. A complete distance learning curriculum available for when they are
away at sports events, traveling across the world etc. I pads and laptops everywhere you look,
creativity rooms set up in each wing. The library looks like something the president
of USA would use. The ceilings and old cathedral completely renovated and like
the most beautiful churches I have seen in Europe. On a lake, all sports are
done in the purest of beauty. Ballerinas on bars by the lake stretching.
The weight room at the gym by far surpasses any Nautilus
I have entered. The food is like a 5 star hotel, the sports facilities are unparalled.
Rock climbing walls the size of mountains, indoor full Olympic size pool, 3 gyms
and full massive gymnastics plalestre. There are over 100 extra curricular
activities offered and anything possible that you can every think of to do in this
school.
The kids cannot leave the school premise before Grade 11
for lunch and, high, high supervision and teachers that are so involved it’s
almost impossible to imagine where they find the energy.
And I have not even mentioned the academics or the
expectations. I have never seen anything like this or have been able to imagine
it. I could literally go on and on and on and on about this school.
It is magical.
The boys got accepted to sports programs so sports are
engrained in heir academic curriculum daily and weekly. They touch 68 sports
over 5 years (think scuba diving, parasailing, skiing, acrobatics, juggling and
every sport you can think of it is one there)
They have to volunteer 100 hours, and participate in
close to 15 marathons over the course of the program. Climbing part of Everest is
an option as is skiing trips to Utah. There is nothing they cannot do in this program.
My daughter will apply to dance program and we watched
the show today of the current students. OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Last year this school’s dance troop performed at Disney
they are that good.They told my daughter today she has the body and the
posture of a dancer. She is a dancer..this made her widly proud.
I just cannot comprehend that we can get this for a reasonable
price in Quebec. I feel so so blessed that our kids are French speaking and
that we live here.The problem is of course getting in. They take the very
best and top of the class. One of my kids is that, the other was not and the
future one TBD. BUT…….we studied hard…they studied hard…preparation began 1 yr.
before and the amount of hours devoted to studying, preparing etc…was not
countable.
We had laser focus as
a family when it comes to each of them getting into this school. The kids
themselves want it like nothing else. They fully understand what this
represents. They get it and so does every single friend they have. Think
positive peer pressure if there is such a thing.
Some may disagree and see this as over the top. We don’t.
We see this school as giving our children the very best opportunities in life
and if nothing else great role models and inspirations of passion. I don’t care
what jobs they end up getting as long as they are happy. I care about what type of human beings they become.
This place for me is what a religious affiliation and institutions may be to others. I rely on
this school to teach my kids values, and right from wrong, provide beautiful
inspirations and interactions.
And so far they have delivered on every level. Going
there each day is an experience especially because of the specialized programs.
I have never seen a school so full of young, enthusiastic, passionate and savvy
teens. Plain old good kids.
My friend and I looked at each other the other day and
agreed that each time we enter that building our heart beat pick in a pace and
we worry “Can our kids actually belong here? Achieve this? Make it here?”
But they did. And they do. And that is the biggest pride
ever.
And I may be naïve and have another story in a couple of
years, but from where I can see from now all the teen crap that normally
happens in high school is fairly non-existent so far anyways and we are have
one already half way through (and yes yes maybe later in the year he will be
drunk, and sneaking beer into a party, or sneaking his cell phone into his room
and connecting with villains)
But for now…knock on wood…….there is zero. And likewise for
all the parents I have spoken too. The workload is so high, as is the volunteer
and parts commitments the kids seem to have no time to get into any trouble.
Most are home on weekends with their families really just being big kids (so
far). The goal this school has is to
fend this stuff off for as long as possible until they are older and wiser to
be able to handle so many of these complex decisions. From what I have heard
most of the teens stuff happens in Grade 11 as opposed to Grade 7. It is widely
not encouraged and really frowned upon, and there are high high consequences
(aka you lose your spot in the school if for even once you write a rude remark
on Facebook). The rules are clear and followed for the kids to whom it matters.
Losing your spot at this school is not something any kid
want. It is as important to most of them as it is to most of their parents.
Lots of pressure but loads of pleasure. Work hard-play
hard. Perfect for our values and our goals.
So as my daughter prepares for the long journey ahead of
her over the next two years, to write the exam, audition for the grueling dance
audition and actually get accepted (which is uncertain for sure). I mirror her
feelings of “excitant”.
She came home today and unveiled her chosen song “Great
Time” Owl City and Carly Ray. We as tradition has it, all jacked up the sounds as loud as possible
and danced as a family along to the beat. To her song. Together. For her. For
her future.
They each have a song that motivates them to get into
this school and it is played before studying and preparations for the exam,
right before the exam, right before the dance and sports audition and again
when they receive the AMAZING news that they just got accepted to what we
consider……:
Heaven…. really.
It’s most certainly where I would like to spend my time
if ever I was given a second chance.
