From the moment Leo Laszlo Tait stepped through the doors on his first day at SJS last month, he has experienced the welcoming spirit of the school.
Transitioning to a new school can be daunting, but at SJS we strive to ensure every new student feels at home from day one. Our community-orientated values, coupled with dedicated support systems, create an environment where students can thrive and feel they belong.
Grade 8 Leo is one of the 90 new students who joined SJS in September. Here he shares his experience of how SJS students and teachers have supported him as he finds his place within the school, and what he’s looking forward to in his first year at SJS.
A Buddy from the Beginning
The buddy system, formalized this year to ensure new students have dedicated support, played a crucial role in Leo’s transition. “Having a buddy assigned to me was really helpful,” he says. “Especially in the first few days, it was nice to have someone designated to go to when I had questions, like how to find things or navigate around the school, and to show me where everything is. He was really great, but all of my classmates have been super welcoming, offering to show me to the next lesson and walk with them as I’m finding my way around.”
I would describe the overall atmosphere at SJS as energetic! Even if I’m feeling tired in the morning, or in the evening after school, while I’m here I feel energized.
Classmate Connections
Making friends was a seamless process for Leo, “I have definitely found it easy to make friends here, everyone is so welcoming. In the beginning, I mostly hung around with the other new kids, who were all really friendly,” he shares. “but I found that once I started conversations with others, you can always find something in common.
“Probably what I’m most happy about is how great my advisory class is, they’re such an awesome group. They encouraged me to apply to be our Class Rep for the year and were super supportive and voted for me. Now I get to represent my awesome class and give back to them!”
Leo being voted to represent his class for the year in his first few weeks at SJS is a real testament to the supportive and inclusive culture of our student body and he’s excited to take on this leadership position. “We’re working towards Halloween at the moment, which I’m looking forward to, and there’s a lot of cool stuff we’re hoping to do this year!”
Friends Who Jam Together
Although initially hesitant about joining the Jazz Band, encouragement from his classmates Caden and Charles helped Leo take the leap. “They were so supportive and said they could help me out,” he recalls. “When they told me all about Jazz Band I doubted if I would be good enough to join but they encouraged me. Initially I felt like I was holding everyone back and I wasn’t sure whether to carry on but they reassured me that they could help, and their support, along with Mr. Dean’s, has made a big difference.
“Now I’m really enjoying being a part of it and cannot wait to be involved in the musical this year as part of the band. Me and Caden practice together a couple of times a week outside of the band practice and it’s been great.”
Getting Immersed In the IB
Joining SJS marks Leo’s first experience of the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme and he has found the support from his teachers and classmates reassuring in setting him up for success as he gets immersed in the MYP programme. “The way the teachers explain the assessments and what to expect has been really helpful, it never feels like anything sneaks up on you, which makes it less stressful.”
He appreciates how the curriculum is designed to prepare students for a global world, while fostering critical thinking and personal growth. He also values the emphasis on developing skills that extend beyond traditional academics. “We’re learning about ATL, executive functioning and other skills that really help you manage your workload,” Leo adds. “There’s all these new systems to familiarize myself with, but I feel supported while getting into the swing of them, and my teachers help me feel more assured that I know what I’m doing when it comes to my assignments and workload.”
To the Future with Hope
Leo’s story exemplifies how a supportive community such as ours can turn a potentially daunting move to a new school, into a positive experience and open the doors to opportunities for friendship and personal development.
His advice for future new students is simple, yet impactful: “Be friendly, learn everybody’s name and start conversations, even when you don’t know what to talk about, and good things will happen!”
