Headmaster's Weekly Newsletter -- Week 21

Happy Chinese New Year!  Welcome to the Year of the Ox and farewell to the Year of the Rat. How much fun it is to have a triple celebration on campus: Winter Carnival, Valentine’s Day, and Chinese New Year! A year ago, the pandemic’s grip on Asia was very strong and most traditional celebrations and gatherings were cancelled. Many family members were unable to see each other. I hope that all of our Chinese families are able to celebrate safely and meaningfully this week.  For all of us, I trust that the Year of the Ox will indeed be lucky, and that like the Ox, everyone’s hard work and persistence is rewarded.

 

Sophocles, the Greek playwright, is credited with writing: “Without labour, nothing prospers.”  This is fitting for the Year of the Ox.  There is no doubt that all of us have been in harness, digging in and pulling with all our might, since the pandemic began. The result is that Nova Scotia continues to be one of the safest places to live on the planet.  I admire our KES staff’s stamina, as everyone continues to do everything they can to stay safe while creating healthy and meaningful opportunities for our students. It takes effort to have debaters in a national tournament as we did last week. It takes commitment and imagination to run a Winter Carnival, complete with magician and hypnotist and Valentine’s dance (thank you Ethan Hiscott and the Dance Committee!).  Somehow, we find a way to work within the guidelines we have been given to make sure that this academic year is the very best possible.

 

It is reassuring to see our students value the true meaning of creative play. Be it tobogganing on front hill, making a hilarious video for assembly (with appreciation and congratulations to Noah Szymanis and the Senior Day Boys!), adding wood and keeping the bonfire going, or taking requests and singing fun love songs as Valentine’s-grams to students and staff (well done Sarah, Maya, Hannah, Gabbi, Meghan, and Lucy – you sounded great and made our day!), our students are finding healthy and memorable ways of being with their friends.  It is the extra bit of effort that makes all the difference too. It is the Day Boys pulling out the marching drums to cheer on their friends, or the kitchen staff going all out with hot chicken wings and snacks for the Super Bowl (or homemade heart cookies for lunch today!), that lift everyone’s spirits. Doing something extra because one wants to, rather than because one has to, is at the heart of love.

 

Wishing everyone great happiness and prosperity, and a Valentine’s Day full of love and warmth.