Grade 12

Athletic Highlight:

Yesterday was one of the most exciting and memorable athletic days of my life.  We defeated Handsworth (AAA) to win the North Shore Banner for 2012! The reason this was such an incredible feat is because we are a AA team playing a AAA undefeated team.  We went in as the underdog, and came out as champions.  The joy and pride I felt yesterday will be a memory I cherish and carry with me forever.

Academic Highlight:

Presenting Sonnet 29 for my AP Lit class this week was an accomplishment that I will never forget.  I have been overwhelmed with University applications, ACT exam prep, and field hockey. However, I stayed up until 3 AM and worked tirelessly to create a presentation and sonnet break-down that I was extremely proud of.  I was mostly proud of the fact that I didn't give up and I never let my standards slip.  This has given me incredible confidence in what I am capable of.

Academic highlight:

My Academic highlight for my grade 12 year would be getting accepted to Dartmouth. Dartmouth is an Ivy League research university located in Hanover, New Hampshire. It was an extremely uplifting experience to be rewarded for all the hard work I put in throughout my years at Collingwood School.

 

Academic reflection:

Originally, I never thought of looking at Universities on the East coast, but when I opened my mind to the idea my perspective altered immensely. When I went to Dimensions Weekend, which was an opportunity to visit the college with all the accepted freshman,   I was immediately captivated by the sense of community that overflowed. There was not a single person who wasn’t enjoying their time at the university. Since only approximately 1000 people are accepted each year, there are many opportunities for students to get involved in a multitude of varied pursuits at Dartmouth. I am extremely excited to play field hockey at the varsity level as it will be a life changing experience. I will be able to establish a core group of friends with the team, yet still have the flexibility to participate in other clubs of my interest. I hope to write for the “D”- the core newspaper at Dartmouth- as a sports reporter, and I would like to explore the concept of broadcasting. The opportunities seem endless at Dartmouth, and I cannot wait to start there this coming fall!

Athletic highlight:

Winning the BC AA Field Hockey Championship in my senior year was definitely a major highlight for me. The moment the final whistle blew in our game verse Shawinigan Lake School, my team and I knew all our early morning practices and hard work had truly paid off.  We were the champions.

 

 Athletic Reflection:

 My grade 12 athletic career was one of the most memorable years of my life.  When I decided to play field hockey in grade 8, I assumed that all I would be doing was   playing a sport and having fun.  What I failed to realize was that I was about to enter a family that would provide me with one of the most intensely committed and passionate relationships of my life.  My teammates became my sisters, and my coaches became my mentors.  Whenever I doubted myself, they believed in me, and whenever we experienced success, we felt it as one.    When I look back on the incredible friendships I have developed throughout high school, a great deal of them started on the turf.  Through rain, snow, fog and the occasional sunshine, we practiced relentlessly to achieve excellence.  I frequently draw on the strength and resilience that I developed as a forward player, in other areas of my life.   I am an avid believer in hard work, discipline, respect, and dedication, and all  of these qualities were instilled in me through my life with the Collingwood Cavaliers.  The thought  of leaving Collingwood and never playing field hockey with my teammates again breaks my heart.  I will be forever grateful to each and every one of them for helping me discover who I am and for standing by me as a friend, as a teammate, and as a sister.

Service highlight:

 My service highlight for my grade 12 year would be coaching the hornets WV junior field hockey team. I coached practice for an hour and a half every Thursday along with Victoria Konantz. We were able to use our leadership skills combined with our knowledge of field hockey to teach the girls how to play the sport we both love.

 

Service Reflection:

 For the past few years I have been coaching the hornets West Vancouver junior field hockey team. Their season takes place from April to June.  Every week prior to Thursday practice myself and the other junior coach, Victoria Konantz collaborate on drills and specific skills we hope to focus on that week. The team is filled with a variety of skill levels and some girls who are just starting the sport. As a result of how many coaches we have, we are able to pull kids aside who want assistance on particular skillsets. It is extremely rewarding to teach young girls to love the sport that I cherish so much. This volunteer job has taught we to work on a team, with my co-coach Victoria, while being a leader at the same time. It has allowed me to improve my organizational skills through planning activities ahead of time while taking into account the logistics.

Athletic highlight : 

The Terry Fox run was a major highlight in my grade 12 year. We were divided into our houses for the run and as a grade 12, I felt honored to lead the younger kids.. This allowed me to work alongside my Housain teammates to show our spirit, enthusiasm, and commitment. Everyone kept moving and never gave up on running because it was for such an incredible cause.

Service highlight: 

Raising money for our grad fund was an extremely difficult, but worthwhile process. The grad executive along with volunteers from our grad class worked together to organize events such as the AG Hair product sale. Due to our diligent work we managed to raise enough funds to send a girl from Africa to 2 years of University

 Overarching reflection:

I have been a student at Collingwood my entire life and I wouldn’t want in any other way. Collingwood has given me the opportunity to take part in all four strands four strands from arts, to academics, service, and athletics. With Collingwood’s amazing athletic program I have been able to participate in field hockey, basketball, tennis, soccer, track and field, and x-country. The immense amount of sports at Collingwood has shaped me into being the athletic and outdoorsy person I am today. Playing on the Sr. Field hockey team and winning provincials twice were definitely major highlights in my outstanding experience at Collingwood School. Participating in arts at Collingwood, especially choir, pushed me to become a far more confident person that was no longer nervous in front of crowds. Choir even gave me the incredible opportunity to travel to Los Angeles with all my friends and perform at Disney Land. This trip was unforgettable as it was the first trip I took without my parents and allowed me to be independent. Collingwood’s academic life has also given me the opportunity to travel. In the summer following my grade 9 year I toured Portugal and London while studying English 10. This allowed me to take far more English courses in my grade 11 and 12 year, including: AP English Language, and AP English Literature. Throughout my years at Collingwood the amazing faculty has constantly pushed me to challenge myself. For example, by taking Math 8 accelerated which allowed me to complete Math 8 and 9 in one year. This was one of the smartest decisions I made as it allowed me to take AP Calculus in my grade 12 year without being overwhelmed by math 12 as I had already completed the course. Overall, Collingwood has allowed me to make life-long friends, has given me an exceptional education, and has allowed me to pursue amazing extra-curricular activities above and beyond what most schools offer. I wouldn’t change anything about my high school experience at Collingwood School. I only hope that one day I have children who will be able to experience Collingwood and its new campus. I’ve learned incredible study skills, learnt to be tenacious, and that I can achieve what ever I set my mind to. I have no doubt that I will be prepared for University and my future academic adventures due to Collingwood’s rigorous program.