When rafts of lively students spill out the doors of its charming buildings and spread across its verdant playing fields on Royal Avenue in Montreal, Lower Canada College meets the visual expectations an observer might have of one of Canada’s leading schools. Its reputation for academic success is testified to by more than a century of graduates who have reached every echelon of achievement. In addition to its rigorous academic curriculum, a combination of changing times and new perspectives in psychology is also bringing the importance of the emotional well-being of LCC’s students to the fore.

Children today face an array of stressors that were unknown to their parents: the omnipresence of the online world, sweeping social and cultural changes, COVID and its many disruptions. All have contributed to increases in anxiety and feelings of disconnection. Recognizing the risks that these new pressures entail, LCC has been thoughtfully putting supports in place, systems intended not to remove challenges from their students’ paths, but to help them build techniques and practice coping mechanisms so they can face and overcome the obstacles that life is sure to throw their way.

Teachers and counsellors for the youngest grades have been emphasizing social-emotional learning (SEL) employing a well-regarded program called Zones of Regulation. It makes use of a simple colour-coded system to help students name and recognize their feelings in order to foster greater control of their emotions. Understanding their own feelings also helps them to normalize sometimes confusing or scary emotions and empathize with their classmates, which can reduce friction in class and lead to a better learning environment. In later Junior School grades, a new program called the Umbrella Project has been implemented, building on this emotional work and introducing skills like resilience, realistic optimism and growth mindset. When LCC adopted this leading-edge curriculum last fall, it was the first school in Quebec to do so.

As students make their way through the Middle School years, LCC has adopted a framework outlined by world-renowned psychologist Martin Seligman: the PERMA-V model, which stands for Positive emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment, and Vitality. Intended to improve well-being and help people flourish, PERMA-V has had demonstrated success in education settings and beyond. LCC Outreach and Wellness Coordinator Gillian Shadley also notes the importance of adult mentorship. “Experience has taught us that when students build relationships, not only with each other but with at least one faculty member, it leads them to greater comfort and success.” To this end, a wide array of staff is on hand: teachers, of course, but also three full-time school counsellors, grade coordinators, directors, interns, nurses, and coaches, all working in cooperation. “The more adults you bring in, with a diversity of experiences and interests, the easier it is for kids to make a connection,” says Shadley.

One of LCC’s great strengths is its advisory program, which begins in Middle School and continues throughout Senior School. Groups of 10-15 students meet twice weekly with a teacher who gets to know them and follows their growth over a period of several years. This advisor acts as an advocate and guide, offering advice and monitoring progress. These sessions are a great milieu in which to explore PERMA-V and some of the more complex elements of social well-being that students must deal with. As LCC Director of Student Life, Michele Owen says, “We’re using reframing and mindfulness techniques that offer alternatives to frustration and withdrawal. To a traditional refrain like ‘I just can’t do quadratic equations’ the students are learning to add ‘yet!’ And they’re also learning the value of breaking things down into manageable goals rather than lofty ones. It’s an approach deeply rooted in research, and it’s showing a real effect on both our students’ sense of self and their academic, co-curricular, and social success.”