Dear Parents and Guardians,
The first ‘100 days’ according to ‘management orthodoxy’, is the time in which first impressions count, foundations are laid, reputations are built, and momentum is generated.
Now that we are almost exactly 100 days into the 2023-24 academic year, the start of the holidays is the perfect time for our students and faculty to reflect on their end of term reports, and assess progress made.
Over the last few weeks as festive cheer has been rising, I have attended multiple events and read dozens of reports, all of which confirm the fact that this has been a busy and successful term for our talented, enthusiastic students, and most certainly for the school as both an institution and community.
Looking back 100 days, so much seems to have happened since we welcomed our record intake of boarding students. The year was given a turbo-charged start with the opening of the magnificent $15M Trottier-Morgan Annex, which has transformed the teaching and learning environment at the Junior School. Much gratitude is due to the generous supporters who turned this dream into reality. We are now daily witnessing the true meaning of ‘the power of participation’.
My mind’s eye also takes me back to a moving and meaningful ceremony choreographed by our Indigenous Elders, to dedicate the Welcome Pole carved by our students under the expert tutelage of Indigenous Scholar, Dylan Thomas.
Since then, academic momentum, achievement by hundreds of athletes, and some memorable concerts by our talented musicians, have served as a demonstration of our commitment to ‘holistic’ education. Everyday leaders emerge and we celebrate ‘ordinary miracles’.
And, but! This year more than most, we are aware that in this season of light there are many dark corners. Singing the words of the famous carol O Little Town of Bethlehem ‘how still we see thee lie’ last weekend, reminded me of my own visit to that beleaguered place; checkpoints, blockades, and the sound of distant gunfire. Despite the many logical reasons not to, I hope in your own way you will all find a moment to hear angels sing, and that the message of Christmas ‘peace and goodwill’ to all, will be felt in a multitude of different ways.
2024 will be an exciting one for the SMUS community, and for Elizabeth and myself for so many reasons. I look forward to sharing our new year’s resolutions with you in January, when I will lay out our strategic objectives for the year.
Happy Christmas and happy holidays.
