Inside King's-Edgehill School
Dear KES Family:
It seems the School year just started, and yet, this coming Wednesday night we will gather as a giant family for our annual Headmaster’s Thanksgiving Supper. Grandparents’ Day and the Thanksgiving long weekend follow on Thursday.
More than ever, we need to pause, count our many blessings, and give thanks. In countless ways, we are very fortunate. When we can run, walk, cycle, and skateboard in Terry Fox’s name and raise over $17,000 for cancer research, it is clear that we enjoy not only our own physical health, but we are a community that truly cares about the needs of others. This last week, I also had the pleasure of canoeing and camping overnight with a vibrant group of Grade 9 boys in Kejimkujik National Park. Kyle, Will, Jason, Aden, and Freek were impressive in their positive and helpful attitude. What I was most grateful for, however, was how much they appreciated the beauty of the park. Whether it was the full moon, the massive trees, the still waters and the morning mist, each young man expressed wonder at the beauty of our environment.
Teenagers need natural beauty in their lives. We all do, of course, but these are precious and transformative years for teenagers. Moments that are tranquil and which promote reflection and wonder are rare and precious. Teens need to know and to feel that they are not alone on this planet, that they must care for it and steward it. Only through experiencing the outdoors can any of us really understand why we must protect nature. We must protect it not just for our enjoyment, or for the deer in the forest or the loons who have their nesting grounds in the park, but for future generations as well. That is why I was so grateful for the boys’ attitude. There was no complaining. They immersed themselves in nature and enjoyed drinking water from the lake, hiking a dry river bed by moonlight after supper, and paddling through the chilly morning mist.
Sincerely,
Joe Seagram
This week in photos
