We have less than week
left in the winter term. It has been a strange and eventful one. I am writing
today from LA, where Iain McMullan, Danielle St. John and I are attending an
Appleby event at the home of Peter ’52 & Linda Schlesinger. I hear that the
windchill is -30 back home, while down here it’s been raining steadily,
creating lots of flash flooding in a region that has been crippled by drought.
I don’t remember a
winter that has been as consistently cold as this one, although apparently only
20 years ago the GTA experienced one that was higher (or lower?) on the badness
scale (the AWISS.) It has certainly been invigorating and a test for our
students from warmer climes in Canada for their first year.
Some things remain
consistent from winter-to-winter, regardless of the mean temperature. Without
fail, we get seduced by short bouts of milder weather, one of which came last
week, leading us to believe that winter is done and spring is about to burst
forth. We never learn.
This has been a great
few days for Appleby. It illustrates many the elements of the breadth of
experience for our students. I thought I’d share a few of the highlights:
·
Tomorrow,
the fourth and last of the Grade 10 groups return from the McLaughlin Campus in
Temagami. Every one of the groups has spent time sleeping outside despite the
extraordinary winter. I understand that it has been a great snow year – 3 1/2' in the bush, a
critical asset for insulation from the cold. As this last team completes their
hike from Rabbitnose Island across the ice to the landing, they will signal
another class having entered the special fraternity of Appleby students who
have mastered a Northern Ontarian winter. Congratulations.
·
My second
to last post tells you of the incredible community experience of watching and
celebrating Canada’s Olympic hockey gold medals, including our graduate Brianne
Jenner’s critical goal in the final.
· This week,
my wife Alison and I had the great pleasure of watching opening night of the
school play, Leader of the Pack. It was a delightful romp through the music of
late 1950s and 60s, especially some of the great hits coming from the Brill
Building. While I knew that we had many great musicians and vocalists at the
schools, I was amazed at the number of superb performances. There must have been
more than a dozen students who sang lead. It was an entertaining,
energetic and fun romp for all of us who had the pleasure to attend.
· There are
many teams involved in playoffs. As I
left Appleby yesterday, the Athletic Prefect sent around a note announcing that
yet again Appleby’s swim team had captured the CISAA championship and
qualified 13 swimmers for OFSAA. It’s the most recent example of what has
become on ongoing model for athletic commitment, participation and success.
· And
finally, next week we will sending off 12 trips with almost 200 students and
faculty to various locations around the Globe (Asia, Africa, Central America,
South America, Europe, and for service and intercultural trips. Our global
education program is an area we have great pride. It is a catalyst for both
promoting the ethos of global citizenship and well as preparing our students
for success in a flat world.
Congratulations to all
for a great winter term, and let’s all hope that the warmth of spring will be
here when we return for next term (… there I go again!)
P.S. On Monday morning our Prefects shared a Life in the Day (Day in the Life) of Appleby video shot on Feb 20 (the day of the women's Olympic hockey gold medal game.) It is a compilation of clips invited from all students and shows lots of typical school life, the early, the goofy, the celebratory and the happy. Thanks to Thomas A for putting it together.
