Ms. Kate Lane
With the recent news of lessons returning to in-class learning on Monday, many of our boarders are thrilled to soon be back in front of their teachers and alongside their day-student friends. Our recent arrivals, in particular, are keen to connect in person with their classmates with whom they have already formed strong friendships online since September. It’s incredible to know how effectively our new distance-boarders were still able to connect with their peers in Canada over the past six months. Kudos to our fantastic teachers for no-doubt facilitating this.
The past weekend supported a host of outdoor activities, thanks to the fresh snow and generous leadership of Mr. Storosko who took four of our Gillinites off campus for a cross-country skiing excursion. The girls came back so happy and proud of their accomplishment! Mr. S reported that the girls were “real troopers” and braved some very chilly winds, yet enjoyed the experience thoroughly.
Others braved these cold temperatures to take advantage of our new on-campus, outdoor skating rink, while some preferred to stay inside to participate in a banana-bread bake off or puzzle-making. In fact, a few students enjoyed all the activities! With all the restrictions surrounding us right now, it’s been so gratifying to see our boarders having fun, building friendships, and supporting one another through these more challenging times.
We also brought back “Wing Meetings” (virtual) this week, providing an opportunity for our recent boarders to get to know their wing, and wing leaders. Each girl shared a few “fun facts” about themselves — with many similarities noted — followed by some general reminders about how we live and work well as a community, and ending with a mini-meditation. This Sunday our Gillin Boarding Council, with the support of our other Grade 12 students, will host a mini “course information evening” to support this past week’s presentations and upcoming course selections. Hearing first-hand experience of their senior peers is undoubtedly one of the best ways to help your daughter be informed about their future courses and program choices. As the academic counsellor for Grades 10 and 11, I am also here to provide guidance in this process and look forward to supporting all my boarders through this process.
