Last spring break, I had the pleasure of going with Collingwood on the school trip to Iceland. The Iceland trip was my first trip abroad without my parents, so I was very nervous. My worries soon went away as I realized that I had terrific teachers coming along with us and a fantastic group of students coming along as well. The trip was a week long, and the itinerary was designed to focus on energy studies, climate change and geology. We participated in various activities on this trip, which ranged from exploring museums to climbing glaciers! We visited the Hellsheidi Geothermal Powerplant to experience how eco-friendly, sustainable energy was produced. We toured national parks and waterfalls to experience the natural and authentic beauty of Iceland. We even hiked the Skaftafell Glacier to see a rewarding view of Iceland below us. One of my most memorable nights was experiencing the Northern Lights alongside my friends. Being able to see this natural phenomenon in person has always been a dream of mine, and I will always be grateful for this experience. Although the activities we did were thrilling and exciting, the community was what truly made the trip such a heartfelt experience. As the days went on, and we grew closer with our peers, everyone formed meaningful and long-lasting connections. I will always remember the Iceland trip, and I hope to go on another school trip soon! 

The week before school started, I felt nervous and excited to be going to a new school. I felt sad to be leaving my old school and not be able to see some of my friends in the hallways anymore. At the same time, I couldn’t wait to meet new people. Although I already knew a handful of students due to sports, my previous elementary school, and my sibling going to Collingwood, everything still felt like it would be utterly new and different from my last school community. The day before school started, Collingwood hosted a new student day. On that day, I got to meet student leaders of the six houses: Geer, Grouse, Senft, Byrd, Mackenzie, and Houssain, as well as the leaders of some clubs, teachers and faculty, and most importantly, other students that were going to be new to the school just like myself. That day I also got sorted into my house, and since I had a sibling, I already knew that I was joining the Geer house. What helped me the most was the student tour for new students, as it helped me to know where my classes would be. This made me feel more comfortable on the first day of school as I knew where I would be going. 

On the first day of school, I was really nervous when I stepped into the front entrance, where everyone was wearing the same uniform, and the grade 12 students were on the sidewalk with posters and welcoming smiles. Integrating into the Collingwood School community was easy and challenging at the same time. It was easy because the community as a whole was very welcoming, and it was easy to join clubs, teams, and extracurricular activities, but it was challenging to put in the time and effort and definitely put my memory skills up to the test to memorize all the new names. It was overwhelming to see so many new faces, and the AB block was a blessing and a hindrance. The AB block was a blessing as I was able to meet and interact with about 40 kids, but it was also a hindrance as I felt like I still hadn’t met the majority of the students in my grade. Although I still felt overwhelmed with the new school, the AB block helped me feel more comfortable; therefore, I started to feel like I was making some genuine relationships with other students. During the AB block, I learned how grade 8 and 9 students had EXL, which is a program that allows students to have a break from classes on Fridays and participate in planned activities within their house group. In EXL, I had a lot of fun and had the opportunity to get to know the other grade 9 students in my house while kayaking, golfing, rock climbing, hiking, and more. From participating in EXL, I learned how at Collingwood, there are many communities within one community. For example, the school is a big community and has 6 communities of houses, and then you can break down these 6 communities even further for 5 communities of grades for each house, and you can keep on going for sports teams, clubs, classes, and more. I feel that the community system that Collingwood has put in place is what makes the environment feel so special and unique to this school. 

One thing that I quickly learned at Collingwood is that everyone is very big on school spirit whether you're a teacher or a student, everyone supports each other’s achievements as a community, uplifting one another. Watching and cheering for Collingwood sports teams has been a very fun experience that the whole school participates in, and I really enjoy being a part of these festivities. I learned that a big part of being a Collingwood student is being a die-hard fan of all Collingwood sports teams. What helped me integrate into the school community the most was joining clubs and sports teams, as I found that I met more people that I did not share classes with, as well as kids in other grades. The change from AB to CG was something that definitely put me out of my comfort zone, as I felt almost like it was the first day of school all over again. Although I was nervous about having 5 classes with people I had never met before, I was excited to get to know more students in my grade. The nervous feeling of entering my new classes quickly disappeared as I got to know the students and teachers. I quickly felt familiar with the environment and like I was a part of the school. Now, being close to completing my first year at Collingwood, I no longer feel like a new student but a part of the Collingwood community.