Allard House 2016

Another year full of laughter, tears (happy and sad), and good memories has rushed by. From meeting all of the new mermaids in September to passing the torch to our future Grade 12s in June, we, as a house, have grown and have achieved more together than we ever could have apart. From Fun and Games Night to the Allard Polar Plunge, this year has been filled with incredible experiences that couldn’t have occurred without our houseparents and duty staff. Fougdog, keeps us in line; Renren enjoys our “news” at Gwynn Groups; Ms Martens gives us the gift of her help; briancarr62 cares more about us than he does his rowers, and the incredible trio of our Mama C, Granola Mom, and Ms D bless us with their love and concern.  Allard is more than a boarding house - by this point in the year we have become a family. Through Gwynn Groups, big-little sisters and late nights with roommates, we have shared experiences that cannot be replaced. It is rare to have an environment which is as much supportive and nurturing as it is challenging and rewarding.  Each girl in Allard contributes her own scale to the fishtail: the 9s with their fondue parties; the 10s with their shenanigans; the 11s with their  homework-and-activity overload, and finally, our dedicated 12s who run the show. The Allard experience differs at every stage but we reach a common ground when we finally return home at day’s end.  Next year, we are sad to say, we will be losing three integral parts of our mermaid family. Ms. Martens, we will miss your smiles and commitment to ensuring we all pass the sciences. Ms. D, this year has been pretty chill—we wish you the best in all of your pursuits. Mrs. O, words cannot express the love and appreciation we have for you and your family: we cannot thank you enough for everything you have given to this House. All three of you will always hold a special place in our hearts. Finally, a huge thank you to Mrs. Carr who endlessly strives to ensure that every mermaid has a real, caring and loving home away from home.  Dear Mermaids, some final words of wisdom: never forget to “lean” on each other when times get tough; treasure your time here, and always remember: just keep swimming.  Nessa Corrao-Bal, Paige Ledingham and Neha Tadepalli, Allard ‘16, Captain and Co-Captains