Torch - Spring 2018

The Sturdees witness an arribada (a large-scale nesting phenomenon of sea turtles) in Costa Rica.

communicating what was expected of us in order to stay on top of our learning,” says Natasha. When the girls had tests or assignments, Eve would administer them and submit the work to their Havergal teachers. The school’s faculty would then grade the assignments and tests and send the girls feedback electronically. In the afternoons, the family would spend time together surfing, learning Spanish, hiking, volunteering at a local French primary school and generally exploring the different habitats and landscapes of Costa Rica. Once a month, the Sturdees would join the locals in a beach cleanup day. “We felt like it was our beach, too, so it was great to help out and keep it clean for visitors,” says Natasha. A particularly memorable experience for the family was an excursion to witness an arribada, a large-scale nesting phenomenon where tens of thousands of sea turtles climb a beach to lay their eggs. The family will also never forget travelling to the far southwest reaches of Costa Rica, to the Osa Peninsula, which Natasha explains is “one of the most biodiverse places on the planet.” There they saw a variety of monkeys, crocodiles, unusual frogs and insects and even a tapir. Kendra surprised her family by eating a live termite, which the guide explained was full of healthy protein. What was most special for the Sturdees was being able to recharge and reconnect as a family by sharing new experiences and immersing themselves in a different culture. “We learned a lot while living abroad,” says Kendra. “We stepped out of our busy routines to enjoy our surroundings and discover new interests.” For the girls, living in a different culture and having unique experiences gave them new perspectives. Some life lessons you can’t learn in the classroom.

A family adventure to Costa Rica Meet the Sturdees: David, Natasha, Kendra and Cathy, an adventurous family with enthusiasm for travel. In 2017, they decided to spend September to January living in a different culture to experience something new. For the Sturdees, the idea of relocating for four months to another part of the world was exciting. Cathy and David began researching locations such as Ecuador, Panama and Costa Rica. The family wanted to relocate to a Spanish-speaking place with an entirely different environment from Toronto, but one that was safe and had clean water, good health care and friendly locals. Through their research, they found the village of Samara, Costa Rica, on the north Pacific coast of the country. The next step was contacting members of Havergal’s administration to help make their dream become a reality. The girls were excited but did not want to fall behind on their studies as a result of this experiential learning opportunity (Natasha was starting Grade 7 and Kendra was going into Grade 10). With the help of Junior School Math teacher Brittany Coleman, the family found a wonderful teacher from Waterloo, Ont., with a background in math and science, to travel with the family. “It worked out perfectly,” explains Kendra, “Our teacher Eve was knowledgeable, patient and fun. We could not have done it without her.” Every morning, the girls and Eve would log into Veracross (the school’s information system and classroom platform) to discover what they had to study that day. “Our teachers were really great at

TABLE OF CONTENTS | SPRING 2018 • TORCH 31