Headmaster's Weekly Newsletter -- Week 15

It is starting to feel a lot like Christmas!  The campus is covered in snow, all the residences are decorated with lights and festive trappings, classes are over, and the holidays have officially begun.  There are just over 60 boarding students on campus for the holiday and perhaps for the only time of their lives, they have been given a two-week pocket of time when nobody will ask anything of them.  They may sleep in every day until 11:00am.  There are special brunches and meals ahead, and they don’t have to wash their dishes. There are daily activities which they may or may not do.  There is no rushing from place to place. When we take them to the theatre, their popcorn is already waiting for them, and they get the entire theatre all to themselves (yes!  The whole theatre…how good is that!). Being a boarding bubble, they may hang out with their friends in safety and comfort on campus, sledding on front hill, going to the gym, making tea or hot chocolate, enjoying the simple pleasures of life.

 

The adult world at any time is very different, but in this time of COVID-19 the opportunity for our students to relax, recharge, and refresh, is truly unique. I gather Santa is making a return visit from the North Pole too.

 

Santa, Mrs. Claus, and a host of elves paid a visit to campus this week. How awesome it was to see Righo Etou and Sarah Bell (Class of 2021) spreading Christmas cheer and candy canes to the classes on Wednesday. Every day was a dress-up day, and it seemed that as the week progressed spirits soared. The ominous reports in the news seemed not to find us this week.

It may seem a very tiny thing, but the symbolism is big.  One day, as I walked through the School, I saw a bunny rabbit hopping around one of the classes. Brin Lloyd (Grade 6) had brought his bunny to School. I don’t know if it is a French or Holland Lop, but it is the cutest and softest rabbit ever. While it gathered a lot of attention and cuddles, what amazed me was that class was still going on while he was busying himself exploring the room. Earlier on in the day, I had noticed that Santa’s elves were happily accompanied by Mr. Kennedy’s Border Collie, Kay. All of this seemed very normal, which is both normal (for us) and abnormal for the rest of the world (I think).

 

It is a huge compliment when a student can bring his bunny to school and know it will be safe and welcome. Likewise, that a teacher can trust students with his pets. Perhaps even more importantly, the animals feel loved and comfortable too.

 

Hoping that everyone in the KES family feels loved and comfortable this holiday.  A Merry Christmas to all.