Welcome back to Sentinel, everybody! The first month back is always a surreal experienceーthe transition from beaches to desks, ice cream to cafeteria sandwiches, sunlight to LED lights. The Sentinel Sun would like to welcome our new grade 8s, the class of 2024, as well as all new students! Here is your ultimate guide to Sentinel.
What should I do at Sentinel?
Perhaps what makes Sentinel such a great place to be is our wide range of non-academic activities, whether that’s a club, a sports team, or theatre company.
1. Clubs- please see our article on clubs here.
2. Making a difference in the community- if you are itching to do something both fun and meaningful in the community, Sentinel has great opportunities such as…
a. Annual Pajama Drive at Admiral Seymour- collecting pajamas to donate to less affluent students at Admiral Seymour Elementary, our sister school. Sentinel students will have the chance to give these gifts in person around Christmas time.
b. Cinderella Project- this is a group that helps less affluent high school students receive graduation dresses, whether through donation, raising money, or creating opportunities to borrow a dress or jewelry.
c. Harvest Project Initiative- this group collects donations (usually non-perishable food) in the fall for people on the North Shore challenged by poverty.
d. Cops for Cancer- a fundraising initiative to raise money to donate to the Canadian Cancer Society through Cops for Cancer, to fund cancer research.
e. Annual Dominican Republic trip in May, where Sentinel students help build a house for a family, is also a very popular and enriching experience.
Stefanie says: “Honestly one of the best experiences. It really wasn’t anything I imagined… I think one of the best parts was seeing a whole different point of view of their culture and how they live compared to us in Canada: what we have and what they don’t have since we’re so fortunate. Best part was definitely seeing their faces when we handed the keys to the house and how helpful they were during the building process!”
3. Sports teams + Theatre company- Sentinel athletics and theatre company are both great places to make friends with common interests- you truly gain a 2nd family and sense of inclusiveness with your team/ cast members. If you are interested, Sentinel’s fall sports include field hockey, grade 8 rugby, boys soccer, volleyball, and swimming.
4. GUARDS Competitions
a. Creative Writing- in October, all Sentinel students can submit a piece of writing that exemplifies one of our GUARDS values; winning pieces will then be posted on the school website and on the Sentinel Sun. To see the interview and writing from last year’s winners, please see here and here.
b. Art- in the Spring, Sentinel hosts a competition to design artwork for school agendas. Yes, that’s right, the beautiful artwork on your agenda are done by Sentinel’s very own talents!
Ask the Grads
The Sentinel Sun spoke to some grade 12s about things they wish they knew earlier about experiencing high school at Sentinel…
“Teachers get nicer as you get older!” - Fiona
“Use grade 8, 9 and 10 to learn how to study; find out what works for you. In grades 11 and 12 is when you should apply the skills you’ve learnt. Don’t get too caught up with grades before you’ve gotten to grade 11.”- Victor
“Don’t be afraid to ask questions or to go to teachers after/before class if you need help.”
- Hannah
“Making friends with your teachers will prove to be an invaluable resource…the relationship between you and your teachers will ultimately determine your ability to get away with stuff :). Being friends with them (not sucking up to them) also gives you access to these opportunities that have the potential to change the course of your future.” - David
“Get yourself involved! Try something new every year, don’t have a boring school life. Join clubs, join a sports team!”- Maddy
Take it from the grads, Sentinel has so much to offer us students. Let’s show some trademark Spartan understanding and action and give back to our community. The best part is, we gain from contribution as well!
The opportunities are endless…
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