Ms. Kate Lane

The February long weekend provided some much-needed down (and study) time for our Gillinites. With the news of March break being postponed (and IB exams not), our girls definitely deserved this opportunity to enjoy some rest and relaxing activities. Some highlights were: a “Galantines” Friday evening with rom-com movies and a celebration of friendships; Stella and Pud’s unique IB CAS project, where they taught other boarding students the art of crocheting and creating adorable whales that will be donated to a children’s centre in need; Lunar New Year celebrations; another paint night; and a special Valentine’s dinner on Sunday evening.

This week has been a nice mix of in-class and at-home learning for our girls. While we know being in front of our fabulous teachers is the best learning experience, many do appreciate the quiet mornings and ability to learn from the comforts of their dorm room. We always encourage our girls to have their cameras on in order to be fully engaged in the lessons and ensure they have opportunities to learn from common spaces together when appropriate, even doing workouts for physical education classes in the gym or lounge.

With some easing of restrictions in the Ottawa area, we’re excited to be able to offer our first Sports Night this evening, hosted by our wonderful Ms. Hickson, in the Benloulou gym. Many boarders have signed up already and we hope this will become a popular and enjoyable outlet for our students. Knowing how important activity — and play — is for our students’ wellbeing, please encourage your daughters to participate in these activities. We’re also looking forward to co-curriculars re-starting next week and hope to have everyone outside and enjoying various winter sports.