Sep
29
Written by:
Headmaster
9/29/2011 2:30 PM
“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” - Lao Tsu
The first month of the school has almost come to a close. When I walk down the hallways, it feels like we have been together for much more than only a month.
Orientation Camp is a great way to kick off a new school year. Camp provides all students, faculty and staff with an opportunity to get to know one another in a more casual, informal environment before we have to get down to the business of classes, athletic practices and homework. Clearly it is an effective process, because I can see the bonds that are already forming among students and between students and the faculty/staff.
The school is here because of the vision and hard work of generations of people over the past 154 years. Certainly just looking around the building gives one a sense of the history of the school. Just by being a student here, you and your family have become (or will become) a part of the legacy of this school: a legacy that stretches back to 1857 when the school was founded.
I recently met with a group of alumni who attended Albert College almost 50 years ago. Every September for at least the last 25 years, this group of alumni from the 1960’s have been getting together in Belleville. They enjoy a round of golf and dinner, but mostly they enjoy reminiscing and story telling from their days together at Albert College. The bond that formed 50 years ago still pulls them together from Vancouver, Toronto, Quebec, the U.S. and the surrounding area each year. What brings a group of 70 year olds together from so many places? The answer is, a shared experience that is Albert College. The next question is, what is it about Albert College that can create such a sense of connection? The fundamentals that were here 50 years ago, and 150 years ago, are the same. The lifelong friendships that these alumni created 50 years ago are the same friendships that current students and families will celebrate 50 years from now.