The Homestretch

The rowers departed for St. Catharines on last Tuesday morning, Mrs. Widenmaier is organizing the Concert for a Summer’s Eve, rugby and tennis teams have returned from provincial tournaments, and our track, boys rugby 7s, and girls soccer athletes are competing in their provincials this week. All of these events signal that the end of the 2015-2016 school year is quickly approaching. On Friday, June 24th, we will hold our Closing Day Ceremonies on Campbell Common. It is a day punctuated by a wide range of emotions. The Grade 8s, 9s and 10s feel excitement that the long summer holiday has finally arrived. For the Grade 11s, there is the realization that their final year at Brentwood looms. For the Graduates, there is a mixture of joy, pride, and the realization that their Brentwood careers have come to an end. The overwhelming emotion, however, entwined with the happiness of the day, is the sadness students feel in saying goodbye to their friends. For the students returning in September, this is short lived. For the students who are graduating, the reality is that, for many, June 24th will be a final goodbye. Brentwood students come from all over the world. Once they graduate, regardless of promises to keep in touch, to visit, and to remain connected, many of the grads will take the leap into their lives and may not see some of their classmates again. I speak from experience. When I graduated from Brentwood in 1977, our class fully intended to stay connected. With the best will in the world, our intentions were not fully realized, because as Brentwood grads, we charged into the world, all around the world, to make our marks. The point I want to make to the students and especially the graduates is this - cherish every moment that you have remaining. Your Brentwood experiences will soon be behind you, and while those experiences will bind you and your friends forever, these last few weeks will be your last opportunities to be together as a class. Thanks, Marius Felix Assistant Head of School