Sam Maclennan

Rundle College Valedictorian Address

Grade 12 Graduation

Hello everyone! Students, faculty, family members, parents - Hi Mom and Dad! Friends, honoured guests, and of course, my fellow graduates-- it is my distinct privilege to be representing the Rundle College graduating class of 2015 as your Valedictorian.

Just a quick disclaimer: I have a minor concussion so if this speech starts to flop I’m probably going to fake falling into a coma-- that way I avoid making a fool of myself, and I get to fulfill one of my lifelong goals-- make a scene at an important event!

First off, I would just like to congratulate my fellow classmates for making it to graduation! I hope you are enjoying the festivities and the thought of all the classes we will be missing this week!

Now, I notice that every year, this year being no exception, Dr. Evans always takes several unrelated, seemingly random things and relates them to abstract concepts surrounding grad! I am always so impressed with his creativity and ingenuity that I thought I might try it myself. So graduates, today I will be talking about a Sandra Bullock movie, questionable rubber footwear, and an epic vampire-romance tween fiction novel.

Now, lets get started! I want everyone to stop and picture this. And I really want you to concentrate on this ok?! Grade 4’s tune in (snaps). You are the noble, beautiful, courageous Sandra Bullock, floating through space alone in a shuttle. Every 90 minutes you are assaulted by a storm of deadly space junk orbiting the Earth. As you are confronted with obstacle after obstacle in your attempt to return to Earth safely, you begin to give up, and your oxygen tank has been at critical levels for an obscene amount of time. However, a hallucination of the handsome George Clooney convinces you with his trademark boyish charm to keep trying. Finally, you manage to make it home safe to Earth. I’m sure you’re all thinking “Sam I hate you please stop for the love of god stop talking! Others may be thinking “what does this long, boring, reference to the award-winning movie Gravity have to do with the Rundle College graduating class of 2015?!”

Well I have absolutely no idea! But I’m going to take a wild guess here! The graduates sitting before me are the radiant and glowing Sandra Bullocks, constantly faced with challenges on your path to achieve your goals. The space junk is the frustrating, recurring obstacles in our lives, particularly diplomas that keep coming back every semester! Heartthrob George Clooney is your family, friends, teachers, and administration, that keep you motivated and on track despite an overwhelming and constant sense of imminent doom! And finally, space is really representative of our lives, because it is empty and dark and devoid of any meaning!!

I’m just kidding! I know we’re all getting a little exhausted, perhaps cynical, and frustrated as the school year comes to a close, with all the deadlines and exams and the stress of grad events. For example, sometimes in the oppressive silence heard during a calculus test, you can hear Jackson Coles begin to whisper softly at first, but then with increasing volume and passion-until you realize he is voicing the thoughts of our entire class by muttering colourful profanities! Sometimes, there are moments like these where we all feel this frustration at some point. School has been a marathon--it’s very rewarding to complete and there are moments along the way where you really feel proud of yourself, but it also is a gruelling test of endurance that pushes you to your absolute physical limits. I speak for most of the graduating class I think when I say that long-distance running is not our forte maybe with the exception of Noah, Cal, and Carina.

Despite our occasional frustrations, school at Rundle has been an absolute pleasure and an unforgettable experience. We are so privileged to go to a school where the staff care so much about the students and making sure we have every possible opportunity to be successful in our studies, as well as extracurriculars. It is so comforting to walk down the halls everyday and see friendly and familiar faces. Throughout the years, we have had the opportunity to attend graduation and see our friends in grade 12 graduate. I have attended Rundle since preschool, and it seems surreal today that I am graduating today with my classmates.

It is significant times like these, graduations namely, where we are expected to reflect on how much things change. As our Rundle family grows up together, like any other family, there are moments of tension, love, drama, reconciliation, and sometimes no reconciliation! Some aspects of our changing identity are more superficial-- fashion choices, haircuts- particularly the Justin Bieber hair fad of 2008 that I unfortunately fell victim to. Other things that change are more significant-- friendships, values, beliefs, and our perspective. Some of these changes are conscious, for example, when you get viciously shamed for publicly wearing crocs, the questionable rubber shoes, you choose to give them up-- except for you Meg! Way to be yourself no matter the horrible social implications! So many other students in the graduating class are a little quirky too-- Elise has a shy chinchilla named Cornelius, Kathryn can fly an airplane, and Robyn is the undisputed master of Chess and the disputed master of the Rubix Cube. But more often than not, we are unaware of the minute changes in our identity that occur constantly as we experience new things. Today, I challenge you to find yourself, become aware of your changing identity and be honest about who you are.

This concept of being true to yourself is disgustingly cliched and prevalent in pop culture so much so that talking about it makes me vaguely nauseous. But it’s not enough to stop me!

First, to be true to yourself, you have to know who you are! What are your core values and beliefs! Who are you, who do you like, what do you think is important, and what is right and wrong. This can be the hardest part about being true to yourself-- finding yourself. Sometimes one might have an identity crisis even much later in life. Did you notice all the flashy cars in the parking lot... can someone say mid-life crisis? But you know, some people do find themselves later in life. My twin sister Ellie has only recently rediscovered her passion for the Twilight Saga books, in which the heroine is constantly torn between choosing two equally beautiful and moody men, one a werewolf, the other a vampire. It’s just a timeless epic love story with so many parallels to our lives!

So first you have to figure out who you are. Next, you have to be willing to stand up for your identity, even if you face societal pressure to change, just like Meg and her crocs, or Ellie and her interesting choice in literature! People may not agree with or particularly like you for it, but eventually you will find a group of people with common interests and beliefs. The world is a big ol’ place, there are plenty of fish in the sea to befriend!

Finally, I just want to point out that “being yourself” is not an excuse to be rude or cruel or lazy. We should not allow ourselves to use our inherent inabilities as a reason to give up or stop trying. We should strive to be better, be kind and be non-judgmental to other people!

In every generation, there are trailblazers who push the limits of what is acceptable when choosing to carve out their path authentically. I think of artists such as Picasso, Elvis Presley, and the Beatles, and the backlash they faced for their individual expression. More recently, I think of Caitlyn Jenner as another example of a bold individual choosing to live their life the way that makes them happy. I hope the graduating class finds what makes them happy, and fights for their right to express themselves authentically.

And now, for some other thank you’s. I would like to thank the teachers and administration for your tireless work all year to ensure we succeed and have some fun at school; thank you to parents, family, and friends for your support, your time, and for loving us despite our many flaws. Thank you to my parents who have kept me grounded-- my mom has been crying continuously throughout every significant event in my life, and today is no exception. Thanks for being my rock, Mum! I’d like to thank Ms. Kim for ensuring some of the more “edgy” jokes were removed from this speech and for maintaining a calm facade as grad approached rapidly and I had not finished. Finally, I’d also like to thank Ellie, my twin, for helping me write this, for putting up with my general irritability and crankiness, and for correcting me in that vampires are beautiful, not hot. I wouldn’t want to embarrass myself in front of everyone like that.

It has been an absolute honour to get to know every graduate sitting in front of me. I wish you all the best, and I hope we find the courage to be ourselves! Congratulations again, and thank you.

Tyler Turnbull

Guest Speaker

Rundle College Graduation 2015

Good afternoon everyone.

I’d like to begin by saying thank you to the Rundle Alumni Committee for inviting me to speak with you. It is a true honour to be here with you all today.

To say that I was surprised to have been asked to speak would be a gross understatement.

In fact, my first reaction was that my close friend and fellow Rundle graduate Dave Wares – was simply playing a prank on me.

But no – it was in fact for real and I’m so excited to be here.  

I’d also say thank you all for taking the time to listen and, being from Generation Z, please feel free to Snapshat, Text, Instagram and digitally talk amongst yourselves. I won’t take it personally.

Over the next few minutes, I’m going to tell you about my own journey and some of the things that helped shape me into who I am today – you can decide later whether that’s a good thing or not.

Finding Rundle

When I was finishing elementary school here in Calgary, it had been a pretty rough journey – mostly for my parents.  

I’d been very close to failing Grade 2.

How do you fail grade 2, you ask? I don’t really know either – maybe that was the problem.

Beyond Grade 2, the challenges continued - My grades weren’t good, I was struggling and instead of focusing on my academics and performance, I prioritized other things like watching TV, hanging out with friends and doing everything I could do to avoid mentally-challenging work.

My parents went to great pains to find out exactly what was wrong with me. I took IQ tests, met with councillors and specialists, had my health assessed and more.

At the conclusion of this intensive evaluation period, the team across all disciplines shared the same diagnosis – Tyler is lazy.

And so, I was quickly enrolled in a new school called Rundle College.

FIRST DAYS

I remember my first day on campus – mostly the uniform. Grey ties and maroon blazers. My public school friends loved my newfound attire. I wasn’t so sure.

I also remember suddenly having nowhere to hide – 12 kids in a class.

In my old school the sheer volume of 30-40 kids per class made it really easy to be forgotten and to do whatever I wanted.

No such luck at Rundle.

I was in the open – the questions would come flying at me and if I wasn’t paying attention, look out.

But as time started to pass, things got better in really unexpected ways.

I started to enjoy going to school. I met new friends who became core to who I am today. Teachers started to look out for me, they challenged me and made me think differently. And I started to get involved in extra curricular activities like sports.

The years passed and I found myself wanting to do more – get more involved, try different things, meet new people and challenge myself.

And when I look back on my time at Rundle and combine it with the 14 years since I graduated, there are a few key lessons that I wanted to share with you today.

LESSON 1 – Don’t Hide

It’s hard to hide at Rundle. But it’s easy to hide in the world.

Many of you will be going to College and University and will experience what it’s like to be on campus with thousands, not hundreds, of other people.

And it will be really tempting to stick with what makes you comfortable – same friends, same routine, same patterns.

Don’t.

When I went to University in Ontario, I really only knew one person – my best friend from Rundle. Together, we knew about 2 other people and while daunting, it was amazing looking back because it forced us to get out there – to try things and experiences that we wouldn’t have done normally.

And we are all the better for it.

So if you find yourself saying, ‘I’m going to stay in or skip that activity. Don’t.’

LESSON 2 – Be Relentless

I can’t understate how hard things can be out there.

But what differentiates people is their drive to achieve their goals – sounds cliché but it really isn’t.

My wife, Jennifer, is the polar opposite of me. For her entire life, she knew exactly what she wanted to do – be a family doctor.

She got great grades at High School, got great grades at University, got great marks on the MCAT and did everything she was supposed to do to become a doctor.

But when she tried to get into med school, she wasn’t accepted.

So she took another degree and spent a year trying to get better for the next round of applications. She got better marks, better MCAT scores, better everything. And applied again. But the same thing happened – she wasn’t excepted into any Canadian schools.

Most people at this point would have given up and tried something else. That would have been the easy thing to do.

But she didn’t. She kept going. And decided that if she couldn’t get trained in Canada, she’d move to England and train there.

And so she moved. And it was hard –5 years in a foreign country. But she persevered despite it all. And in a few months will be completing her residency in Toronto. It took 12 years and she made it.

The point is – you are going to get thrown curveballs. Things will not go as planned. But don’t let that stop you.

LESSON 3 – Treat Everyone Well

I’ve had the privilege of working around the world. And it’s hard to describe how connected everything is.

All the time, I meet people from Canada, from Calgary, from everywhere. Everyone knows everyone. Everyone talks and everyone remembers.

I can’t understate how much it matters to treat everyone with respect  - at our agency, how you greet our receptionist is substantially more important than what you’ve written on your resume.

Be polite. Say thank you – you can start with your family. Then your teachers. Then your friends.

And try to help as many people as you can – they won’t forget and they will help you back – sometimes in the most wonderful and unexpected ways.

LESSON 4 – Start something

When I was in 11^th grade, two of our teachers – Mr. Buchannan and Mr. Foreman – had a wild idea. Start a Rugby team.

It’s hard to imagine – starting a team from scratch that requires 15 people on the field. We needed almost everyone in our class to participate and most of us had never even seen a rugby game, let alone played one.

But we started the team, And trained. Those first practices were pretty intense and so were the first games. But the experience was amazing and it led to something bigger.

The years passed, the team got better and now the program is what it is today.

But it had to start somewhere. The point is, you never know what starting something could lead to so don’t be afraid to make something if it doesn’t exist yet.

FINAL LESSON

I’d like to close with one final thought.

When I had the privilege of standing on this stage 14 years ago, I told a story from that year that still sticks with me today.

The graduating class had been on a trip to Costa Rica and my close friend, Peter Newman, and I were sitting in a hot spring with the rest of our group.

We were about half-way through our trip, reflecting on the great experiences we’d had and getting excited about the remainder of the visit.

It was a perfect evening and, as we caught up, I said – “Wow, I really don’t want this to end. Sucks that we have to head back in a few days.”

Peter said something to me then that has stuck with me ever since. He said simply – “Ty, Don’t wish it away”.

“Don’t wish it away”.

"Design Your Dream School"
2051 Project - Student Panel

March 5, 2015

Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend a 'think tank' session with two of our student leaders.  Our students joined the Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS) Board of Directors to discuss a new initiative: The 2051 Project.

The 2051 Project is the brainchild of CAIS's Executive Director, Anne-Marie Kee.  The name of the project is derived from George Orwell's masterpiece 1984.  

What people do not know about this book is that it was written in 1948 and Orwell opted to switch the last two numbers to come up with the futuristic time for the plot to develop.  Ms. Kee's project, which is starting in 2015 and is titled 2051 not only follows the same naming convention but has every bit of potential it would need to become it's own masterpiece.

In the coming months the students, teachers, leaders and the CAIS Board are attempting to answer the question, what should schools look like in 2051.  Yesterday was an opportunity for 8 students from Calgary (two from Rundle College & Academy) to answer this very question.

Ms. Key and the CAIS Board of Directors posed a few questions to the students and had them answer in an open forum.  The questions included items on technology, on learning and on design.  To me, the most fascinating prompt was: 

"If you could design your 'dream school' - what would it look like?"

As an adult and administrator, I know there are a lot of things that go into a school.  There is the culture, the community, the vision, the values and the physical plant, to name a few.  However, I wrongly assumed that if students were asked this question they would respond with answers like a great media lab, a big fitness facility, a playing field or a performing arts center.  

Needless to say, I was shocked, surprised and inspired by the answers of the students on the panel.  

They answered:

• small class sizes
• personalized relationships with my teachers
• experiential learning
• opportunity to ask and answer questions of the best teachers
• applied learning opportunities
• brain friendly approaches to learning
• a culture of excellence

Wow!  Not a single answer about a physical building.  Every answer was about relationship, character, community and learning.  I was amazed and inspired.  After all, is this not where our CAIS schools really excel and differentiate themselves?

Wherever education ends up in 2051, I believe the next generation is in great hands as these student leaders step into a more prominent role in our society.

All the best,

Jason B. Rogers

"Heads Up -  Headmaster Update:  The Rundle Experience" March 3, 2015 Dear parents, February was an incredible month in our Rundle Schools. I hope this update can capture some of the experience! Coming Up: Rundle College is Hosting the Senior Varsity Girls Basketball Provincials This event is coming up quick.  If you have a moment, have a look at the excellent webpage that has been set up to highlight the event. If you have any questions about the event, please contact Laurel Adolphe at adolphe@rundle.ab.ca. Spring Break Travel Before this month is over, Rundle College & Academy students will set foot on 4 different continents, will have explored dozens of cities, and will have offered hundreds of hours in volunteer work.  We hope they all 'take pictures, leave footprints and make memories' while they are away! TEDx Event Our very own TED certified teacher, Karen Goepen-Wee, applied to host a TEDx event and her application has been accepted.  The date of the event is June 6th, it will be held at Rundle Academy, and the theme is Diversity=Us.  Stay posted for more details on the event! Uniform Store Goes Online We are still on track to have our online uniform store up and running for April 6th!  If you have any questions about the upcoming uniform store sale or the launch of the online store, please contact Mrs. Lisa Hansen (hansen@rundle.ab.ca). Gone By: In the coming months, I will frame this section with the key components of the 'Rundle Experience': Character, Arts, Athletics & Academics' Character Family Skate - A big thank you goes out to all Primary staff, parents, and students who took part in our family skate.  It was inspiring to see students having such a great time with one another on and off of the ice.  Another shout out goes to Rundle Academy's Kids Helping Kids who were sharing the experience with our youngest Rundle students!

Arts Mardi Gras 2015 - talk about a once in a lifetime experience!  This past month our Senior High Marching Band performed in New Orleans during Mardi Gras!  A highlight of the trip had to be marching in the Mardi Gras parade!  Congratulations goes out to all the staff who assisted in this spectacular event.

Athletics Summit Series - Teachers vs. Students - The annual event was held at the Westside Rec rink and did not disappoint.   It was great to see the student support from the stands and to see the comradery between the students and the staff on the ice.  This year's game ended in a lopsided victory: 17-5.  (I have intentionally left out who lost to save a little face.)

On a slightly indulgent note, I would like to send a big congratulations to the Rundle Academy 6/7/8 Boys Basketball Team who won their first banner last week.  I had the honour of coaching many of these boys two years ago and all I'll say is that they have come a long way together under the direction of their coach, Sheldon Locking.  Congratulations team, we are all very proud of your accomplishment.

Academics Diploma Exams, Science Fair, Reach for the Top & Women of Engineering - As you can see, I have struggled to keep this section to just one event.  We have had a spectacular month of academic achievement. Congratulations goes out to all our Academy and College teachers who helped our students prepare for their diploma exams.  As the results trickle in, we are left with the assurance that our academic program remains at the top of its game.

Beyond these standardized exams, we have had several authentic learning opportunities in our community - Science Fair, Reach for the Top and Women of Engineering to name a few.  I think the picture below says it all.  This is a shot of a student's notes upon the completion of a Reach for the Top tournament in High River.

Heads Up - Experience Rundle ​This past month I had two transformative learning experiences.  I was able to read Paul Tough's book, "How Children Succeed"  and I traveled to Boston and saw Sarah Lewis and Sunni Brown speak.  You will see an example of a 'doodle' note that was taken at the conference I attended this week.

I am not going to belabor either topic in this post because I suspect you will be hearing elements of both in upcoming speeches and blog posts. If  you want to learn a little more about the book, I do have two copies to give away.  I will put the copies in the mail to the first two parents who respond via e-mail. I'm looking forward to another great month of 'Rundle Experiences.' Sincerely, Jason B. Rogers

"Heads Up -
 Headmaster Update: 
What is success"
Experience Rundle

February 1, 2015

Dear parents,

Coming Up:

Uniform Store Goes Online!

Below you will find a letter detailing our upcoming change to the uniform store. In the spring, with the support of Top Marks Canada, we will have everything moved to an online store which will allow you to purchase your items online and have them delivered to your door within 3 working days. We will be closing our physical store in early spring. Watch your e-mail for a more detailed timeline of upcoming events. If you have any questions about this upcoming move, please contact Lisa Hansen at hansen@rundle.ab.ca.

We are Hosting the Senior Varsity Girls Basketball Provincials!

We are excited to be hosting teams from across the province this coming March. More information via e-mail will follow about this epic event.  

Many parents and community members have stepped up with generous donations to support this event, and for their efforts, I'd like to extend a big thank you to all who have provided their time and financial resources to make this a first-class Rundle experience for our student athletes.  

If you have any questions about the event, please contact Laurel Adolphe at
adolphe@rundle.ab.ca.

Early Out!

Please be advised that as of February 1st, all Rundle College Society schools will be having an early dismissal on Fridays. This dismissal will vary slightly depending on the campus and the grade. For more information, please contact your school's local administration. 

Gone By:

Parents, Parents, Parents - Thank You!

There are so many heart warming instances of parent collaborations and I wish I could share them all. Our parent body is constantly supporting with their ideas, time and resources - without this, the 'Rundle Experience' would not be what it is today! In particular, I would like to draw attention to two collaborations of note:

Primary Library Crew - this group of dedicated parents has literally logged 100's of hours to transform our modest, and somewhat disheveled space, into a space of grandeur, beauty and function. Thank you!

Medieval Moms - and I mean this in the nicest, most thankful way possible.  This group of dedicated parents supported our Grade 5 Medieval Feast. This event was an absolute highlight for our students, staff, and parents. Thank you!

Tea Time

Earlier this month we hosted a Grade 3 parent tea and talk. The aim of the event was to orient our current Grade 3 parents to our Rundle Elementary program. Never having been a part of a parent tea before, I came into the event with a healthy curiosity about what would transpire. In short, the event was a spectacular display of all things Rundle!  

I could spend this entire update sharing the wonderful inspiration that came from the conversations and presentations. However, in the interest of not belaboring a point via e-mail, I'll summarize by borrowing the words of one of the parents in attendance: 

"We love Rundle and Rundle clearly loves our kids. It's the care your teachers take to individualize the experience for my child that makes this place so special."

Over the past month I have had the opportunity to attend similar events at all our campuses, and without exception, this sentiment is alive and well everywhere.  

Exams

In many of our grades students are writing midterm exams or even the dreaded diploma exams. It has been inspiring to see students dedicating themselves to their studies. It has also been great to see teachers and parents working together to create a support network, setting our students up for success. I have observed parents attending speaker series and our schools providing events and offering strategies, including weekend study sessions, yoga, meditation and dodge ball, in an attempt to reduce the onset of exam stress. As a community, I believe we can feel as though we have done everything we can to set our students up for success on these exams.

Heads Up - Experience Rundle

​Earlier this month I was invited in to speak to our current Grade 9 Rundle College students on any topic I chose. What an opportunity! (to be fair, the administration asked me to talk about high school, but I have to admit I took some liberties). After some soul searching, I decided on the topic:

"What is your definition of success?"

The presentation was a bit presentation, a bit conversation and a bit entertainment. In essence, we took a little time to explore our futures and what a successful 'you' will look like in 1, 3, 10 and 30 years. To assist in the presentation, I leveraged a couple of resources that I think many parents might enjoy.

First we accepted Kid President 2015 challenge, and agreed to "Let's Make 2015 Awesome!"

From there, we delved into some of Thomas Friedman's thinking around the future of jobs and necessary skills for success.

Finally, we challenged ourselves to define what 'success' looks like to us.

As an unattended side effect of the presentation, in the days since I have received two videos from people:  

• The first one was shared by a Grade 9 student who went home and asked his parents what it means to be successful. Here was a video they found in response.  
   
• Lastly, a colleague shared this TED Video that I think sums the topic up nicely. (stay tuned - there may even be a TED event coming to Rundle this year...)

I wish you and your family all the success in 2015.

Sincerely,

Jason Rogers
Headmaster, Rundle College Society

"Attention to Excellence"

"Heads Up: Monthly Headmaster Update"

December 2014

Dear parents,

Our goal when we opened this year was to be, "Kinder Than Is Necessary" and I am happy to report that in the first 4 months of the school year, we have succeeded. Our parent, faculty, alumni and student communities have all found their unique ways to demonstrate kindness.

Primary (@RundlePrimary)- Our Primary and Elementary parents led the charge on our 2014 Rundle Social. As a group, they literally gave hundreds of hours to make this event a possibility. The 2014 Rundle Social did a spectacular job of supporting our upcoming school building project. Thank you for giving of your time and energy to make this project a reality.

Elementary (@RCElementary) - Just last week the administration demonstrated kindness by delivering cards and chocolates to our community neighbours. This unsuspecting act of kindness left many strangers with a better understanding of who we are at Rundle.

Junior High (@RundleJrSr) - Our students have completed hundreds of hours volunteering in our community! Beyond volunteering, the students and faculty have embraced the STAR initiative and we have seen real growth in the character of our students.

Senior High (@RundleJrSr) - Just yesterday, the CAUSE group reached out and delivered beautiful hand written cards to all our staff. This recognition really went a long way to acknowledging the hard work our staff members put in each and every day.

Academy (@RundleAcademy) - Earlier this week, some of our teachers and students from the Kids Helping Kids group delivered our 'Adopt a Family' presents. These small actions have forever changed the lives of these families. Notably, one young recipient was left with a renewed belief in Santa and the kindness of strangers.

​Alumni (@RundleAcAlumni) and (@RundleAlumni) - We have seen some amazing acts of kindness within our alumni community. We are proud to highlight two of our alumni who started the 'Sandwich for a Story' movement. Sam Sawchuk and Evan Beck's story can be found on this website; it's really worth a visit!

​For further inspiration, follow our schools and society (@RundleCollege) on Twitter. Each school can be found at the Twitter handles listed above. There have been literally 1000's of success stories shared already this year! 

Lastly, here is a thought provoking video that really speaks to making connections. The artist, Candy Chang, has really changed the emotional relationships between her close friends and complete strangers. Her work is very inspirational and epitomizes connection and kindness!

We would like to wish our entire community a holiday season that is filled with friends, family, fun and kindness.

My best,

Jason B. Rogers (@jasonbrogers)

"From the Car Seat to the Drivers Seat"
The road trip of a lifetime

December 3, 2014

Yesterday I received an e-mail from the CAIS Executive Director, Anne-Marie Kee and is simply stated:

Subject: Sometimes I forget you are a new head

"How are you?  Just wanted to check in..."

It was an exquisitely brief and kind communication.  These eight words really started me thinking, how were things going?

Instead of slowing down and reflecting too much, I opted to write whatever first came to mind - here is the response:

I am really well - Rundle is a spectacular place to be!  In fact, here's what happened just yesterday. 

After doing my weekly classroom visits in our Primary School, I was exiting through the boot room.  At this very moment, the kindergarten group were on their way in from recess.  One boy showed me his new snow pants, another girl showed me her pink touque with a huge pom pom and a third asked me if she could tell me something.  I responded, "Of course," and she quickly shot back, "I love you."  

From there I worked with administration, staff and students in all grades and divisions.  Nearly 10 hours later, as the day came to a close, I attended our Christmas Gala and had the opportunity to watch our students display their talents.  Their were acts of incredible singing, expressive acting, and several comedic interludes. One of the many highlights was a dance by one of Canada's young and high achieving ballerinas. 

As I drove from the Gala, I thought to myself and smiled, "Where else in the world do you have the opportunity to enjoy this range of experiences in just one day?"   

I'm not sure Anne-Marie was expecting the monologue she received.  However, I am happy she asked the question!  It gave me the opportunity to sit back and reflect on the many gifts that are given to us each and every day.  So I extend the same opportunity to you as I ask - "How are you - just wanted to check in...."

As we enter December and think about the blessings in our lives, I think it's worthwhile to reflect on our shared journey.  The opportunity to experience this trip from the car seat to the drivers seat with our students is one that we should not take for granted.  

Best of wishes in the coming days and I look forward to seeing many of you at the upcoming events that will celebrate the Rundle culture and the holiday season!

All the best,

Jason B. Rogers