Inside King's-Edgehill School
Dear KES Family:
Fortunately, I am not a victim of friggatriskaedekaphobia or paraskavedekatriaphobia, both of which refer to an irrational fear of Friday the 13th. Today is indeed Friday the 13th and it promises to be a glorious celebration of life at KES. Not since 2019 have we been able to have our Church Parade and Annual Cadet Review. As I write this, the sun is shining and the campus is lusciously green and fresh. In other words – a perfect day for all of us to be outside.
Every day like today feels like a COVID-19 recovery milestone. It is almost with disbelief that we confirm our return to normal. I keep waiting for someone to pull the rug from under us, to change protocols and public health mandates, but none are coming. In less than a month, we will have a proper Closing Day and Graduation under the big marquee tent. In the next month we will have a spring fling concert, a cultural fair, an athletic awards ceremony, a Grade 9 banquet and Duke of Edinburgh adventurous journey, a full slate of regional and provincial sporting competitions, our final examinations, and a prom!
I must confess that I feel a bit like a Toronto Maple Leaf fan right now. Although there is no exact term for a fear of disappointment, atychiphobia probably best describes my niggling fear of uncertainty, of failure. Fortunately, as each day passes, the tension eases between my hopes that everything will go as planned, and my fears that things won’t. For Maple Leaf fans facing game seven against Tampa Bay, they will be put out of their misery one way or another by midnight tomorrow.
One of the casualties of COVID-19 has been stability. There is comfort in knowing life is relatively predictable and normal. For the last two years we have all struggled with uncertainty: of not knowing if we could see friends and family, attend weddings and funerals, meet in person or by Zoom. As we gather indoors at Christ Church and outdoors on the Tanna Turf, today is hugely significant for the School. For us it is a return to normal, and a return to normal together.
Sincerely,
Joe Seagram