Issue link: https://publications.tfs.ca/i/1461534
Our entrance scholars have lived through a remarkable time in history—a global pandemic that disrupted everything from our education, health care and economic systems to our daily lives. Despite these challenges, our TFS Entrance Scholarship recipients remarked about the many ways they adjusted and found ways to thrive academically and as a community last year: "I love all my teachers and I am very thankful to all, but Mme. Tujague helped me a lot and made my school year easier. In fact, without her nice way of teaching French and her help, I wouldn't have been able to understand or communicate with anyone, nor understand any other lessons since they all are in French! A new thing I did this year was present my art project in French. It seemed difficult, but I practised a lot. My parents and teachers encouraged me a lot. When it was time to present, I was really scared and shy to speak, thinking that I would be made fun of because of my accent. But when I finished presenting, everybody clapped and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be." – Grade 7 scholarship recipient "This year I particularly enjoyed math, science, French, English and technology. I enjoyed solving math problems with my friends and I profoundly enjoyed learning how the world around us works through science. I have improved and grown my capabilities in literature and enjoyed reading great literature like Shakespeare and Guy de Maupassant. One class I enjoyed greatly was technology. I was introduced to it this year and fell in love with it because I love programming and finding solutions to humankind's problems." – Level I scholarship recipient "Not being on campus was challenging. Although online learning allowed me to skip commuting, I realized that attending school in person is a better way of learning. Having the teachers present in the classroom makes me more engaged. I truly missed interacting face-to-face with my friends and teachers. But I still developed a passion for different scientific topics that intrigued me, like the anatomy of a plant, how bacteria and viruses infect the human body, how different chemicals interact with each other and how gravity influences movement." — Level II scholarship recipient "I'm very social and love to be around people, so not being able to interact as much as I am accustomed to affected me a lot during these times. The cheers and support of others motivates me, but I had to learn to adapt and do things more on my own. I realized I needed to fix my attitude and start putting in more effort. I began to prioritize, and separate things according to importance. A memorable day would have to be the first day of school, because it was my first time around a large group of people in about six months. I could feel the positive atmosphere. Everyone was happy and excited to be there. It felt like I was living a brand new life." — Level III scholarship recipient "I am proud of my ability to stay engaged in school life and extracurricular activities despite not being on campus. Aside from a club that I co-led with a friend, I was also a part of two other in-school clubs, and a member of les députés du lycée. I have signed up to be a part of the Dance Show crew this year, and hope to do more athletically as COVID restrictions lessen over time. A memorable day for me from last year was a day when my friends and I ate lunch together in the art room after spending time working hard on our schoolwork. In little moments like those I felt supported, motivated and closer to those around me." — Level IV scholarship recipient Our entrance scholars in their own words Looking back on 2020-21 3 Impact Report: TFS Entrance Scholarship Program | February 2022