I had the pleasure of saying a few words to all of our Elementary and Middle School students yesterday via Zoom–you case it still needs to be clarified–at the end of the last assembly before the break. Benoît and Rachel presented awards and the Climate Change Club created by Chloe, Tyler, Tess, and Victor from 5th Grade made a short presentation. The winners of the poetry recitation contest were also announced and we were delighted to hear Nahel and Tiera recite their poems once more with the same emotion and talent as last Friday. Other winners include 6th Grade for their charity sale of accessories created during their Design Thinking and 3D Printing Seminar and the 2nd Grade classes for their respectful behavior during the fire drill last week.
There was a lot to be proud of and there wasn’t much for me to say to the kids except to let them know that they are an inspiration and they have given me so much to think about ahead of the Spring Break. Sometimes, when winter drags on, when the outlook about the climate is bleak, and when missiles are landing on peaceful populations, we can find ourselves wondering about the state of the world that we are leaving for the next generation. But these kids are made of different stuff, and we are the daily witnesses. We witness their desire to learn, understand, and play an active role. Our mission, as I have said many times before, is to help our students reach their enormous potential. In that regard, with all the projects we have seen in the past few weeks, I think our team also deserves an award.
This week’s letter is a short one because, as is always the case the day before a break, I have to handle the million little things I have put to one side all term. There is a veritable mountain of little things for me to deal with today.
I wanted to wish you a wonderful break and to let some of you know that I am thinking of you in particular. First, a thought for those members of the community who tested positive this week–we hope that you are doing well and that your vacation plans have not been disrupted too dramatically. A thought too for all the families who have been impacted by the positive results–those that we used to call contact cases–and who are testing and retesting, holding their breath and crossing their fingers each time.
I would like to say Au revoir to Aniela who spent her last day of 5th Grade at The École today. Aniela’s dad, Bill, was one of the parents who helped me navigate my first months here. I would like to thank him for his support, advice, and suggested reading. Aniela will come back to The École in September to continue in 6th Grade and we are looking forward to seeing her already!
Finally, a thought for Fawzia and all the members of our community who have been fasting since the start of the week. It is an intense and tiring time and we want you to know we are thinking of you.
Wishing you all an excellent break. Enjoy yourselves and I’ll see you when we all come back (having tested negative!) on Monday, April 25.