This weekend, I will host my family and loved ones for a Thanksgiving meal. It will be a lively and loving affair, slightly dysfunctional by all normal family standards, and together, we will create another collective and cherished memory. Growing up in the Salvation Army, my introduction to Thanksgiving was as a Christian holiday. I […]

“Love and compassion are necessities not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive” – Dali Lama The white T-shirts are for the supporters – family, friends, colleagues, anyone who feels a desire to help.  The pink T-shirts are for the survivors – those still in treatment, those finished treatment, those whose hope grows with every day […]

The phone rang at 11:30 p.m.  I’m not exactly sure how my daughter, who was nine at the time, snuck out of the cabin, past the supposedly watchful eye of the camp counsellor.  Who knew she had the wherewithal to make a collect call.  But there she was, standing at a payphone, tearful, homesick, and […]

“Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence, and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.” Those words by Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Office of Facebook, incapsulate what it means to be a Prefect at Trafalgar Castle School. It is not about “who’s in charge” or “who gives the orders”, […]

There’s a debate going on in many schools across North America.  Educators, students, and parents are questioning the value of Advanced Placement (AP) courses.   The debate, long taken up by educators, is gaining broader momentum, spurred on by a recent Washington Post article jointly written by the heads of eight, elite Washington-area private schools.  The […]

Dr. Leanne Foster’s Commencement Address to the Class of 2018 on Trafalgar Day: Dear Graduates of 2018, What an exciting time this is, as you prepare to say goodbye.  As you venture forth from these dear old Castle walls, you will take with you many memories – memories of Camp Kilcoo and air bands, of […]

I listened to a political podcast on Saturday morning where the panelists discussed whether or not we had fully entered a post-truth era.  The concept isn’t new.  “Post-truth” was Oxford Dictionary’s international word of the year for 2016, meaning it was the word that most reflected “the passing year in language.”  I’m not sure things […]

Fail big.  Fail hard.  Fail bravely.  Isn’t that what we tell students?  We inspire with quotes from famous athletes, legendary inventors, and successful business leaders whose failures led to eventual success.  We tell our girls to take risks, be daring, step outside their comfort zone.  We encourage them to take a chance in spite of […]

First there was Humboldt.  And when it seemed that the nation’s heart could bear no more grief, Toronto happened.  One a horrible accident, the other a hate-filled act.  Both left the country reeling in disbelief and sadness.  But even while shock still lingered, consecutive waves of support and love rose up and washed across our […]

With dignity, a quiet voice, and shaking hands, Mary Kelly shared her story in Chapel.  It was a story of immeasurable trauma and lasting scars.  It was a story of loss and suffering.  But it was also a story of truth and reconciliation. Mary Kelly is from the Ojibways of Onigaming.  She is a citizen […]