About
Weekly Reflections
There has been a definite buzz in the office of my Executive Assistant, Cheryl Miranda, all week. Staff members have been coming and going and I sense a growing excitement as this Saturday’s dinner for the Grade 12s approaches.
Looking back on the week gone by, there have been three moments that have caught my attention this week:
1. I have slipped into the Wilkinson Theatre a few times for a sneak preview of the musical, Mamma Mia. The students and directors were amused that my first appearance coincided with their rehearsal of one of the racier numbers: “Does your mother know?!” We are all so excited to watch their open air performance in Kaye’s Gardens next week.
2. Wednesday was extremely memorable as staff and students chose to wear a specially designed T-shirt in honour of Brydon Boyce, woodwork teacher extraordinaire, who retires at the end of this term. It was lovely to see the staff and students rise in unison at the end of lunch to give him a standing ovation.
3. Yesterday morning, as I dropped Poppy off at the bus stop by the Crew House, I spotted some of our male and female students heading out for a row. They had been invited to join Rowing Canada’s development squad for a session. We are hugely fortunate to have partnerships with Rowing Canada and Rugby Canada and here was an example of the inspiration available to our students here at Shawnigan. Colleen Miller, who won silver and three golds at the Rowing World Championships in the 1990s, coached and gave a presentation.
Across the campus this week, there will have been many moments that matter.
We have two weeks to go. The end is tantalizingly close but we have so much to pack into the final days.
A disciplined approach had led us to this point. As our Director of Medical Services said in a meeting at the beginning of this week, “It is not luck and it is no accident” that we have protected the bubble so successfully this academic year. It is down to detailed preparation, rigorous delivery, collective sacrifice and combined effort. We have achieved far more than we dared to dream at the start of the year.
Have a lovely weekend.
Richard D A Lamont
Headmaster
1. I have slipped into the Wilkinson Theatre a few times for a sneak preview of the musical, Mamma Mia. The students and directors were amused that my first appearance coincided with their rehearsal of one of the racier numbers: “Does your mother know?!” We are all so excited to watch their open air performance in Kaye’s Gardens next week.
2. Wednesday was extremely memorable as staff and students chose to wear a specially designed T-shirt in honour of Brydon Boyce, woodwork teacher extraordinaire, who retires at the end of this term. It was lovely to see the staff and students rise in unison at the end of lunch to give him a standing ovation.
3. Yesterday morning, as I dropped Poppy off at the bus stop by the Crew House, I spotted some of our male and female students heading out for a row. They had been invited to join Rowing Canada’s development squad for a session. We are hugely fortunate to have partnerships with Rowing Canada and Rugby Canada and here was an example of the inspiration available to our students here at Shawnigan. Colleen Miller, who won silver and three golds at the Rowing World Championships in the 1990s, coached and gave a presentation.
Across the campus this week, there will have been many moments that matter.
We have two weeks to go. The end is tantalizingly close but we have so much to pack into the final days.
A disciplined approach had led us to this point. As our Director of Medical Services said in a meeting at the beginning of this week, “It is not luck and it is no accident” that we have protected the bubble so successfully this academic year. It is down to detailed preparation, rigorous delivery, collective sacrifice and combined effort. We have achieved far more than we dared to dream at the start of the year.
Have a lovely weekend.
Richard D A Lamont
Headmaster
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful West Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
