Headmaster's Weekly Newsletter -- Week 6

It shouldn’t surprise me, but it does. Every time. 

There is nothing like returning from a holiday at KES and asking students how their break was. Typically, there is an enthusiastic reply, but then they always ask how mine was in return – and they mean it!  It is not just a matter of politeness, but a genuine interest in what I did and how my Thanksgiving was.  Whether it has been with Grade 9 student Sasha Hodgson or Sarah Bell , Grade 12, there has been a surprising reciprocity in the conversations I have had this week.  It is lovely.  I know it shouldn’t take me by surprise when a student shows interest in my life, but it does.  At a time when in-person conversation seems to be a lost art and so many teenagers in the world find it difficult to make eye contact with adults, I cannot help but be impressed.  If our students are expressing interest in the lives of their schoolmates, it speaks highly of the authenticity and depth of their relationships with each other.

 

There is no doubt that we are all carrying unfamiliar emotional burdens and stress these days. The pandemic has added elements of uncertainty and instability into our lives and has restricted us in ways we could not have imagined a year ago. Keeping our happy thoughts is a challenge for all of us. Last spring and over the summer I kept hearing how much everyone was missing their friends. This last weekend, my mother (who lives alone in Toronto) told me how much she misses being hugged. When I look around campus, I see students with their friends. They may be masked most of the time, but I am also seeing hugs and friendly touches, laughter and play, and deep conversations. If students are expressing interest in each other’s lives these conversations will be healthy and deeply supportive.

 

I carry my camera with me almost everywhere I go. Many of my weekly photos are of action or friends coming together to “mug” for the camera. However, a fair number are candid. Photos may capture moments in time, but they also capture moments of truth. More than ever this year, I have been searching for reassurance that our students are doing okay. I think they are.  Perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised. They are with their friends, old and new, talking up a storm, and physically close.