At this week’s house-meeting I was very clear with the boys: our time together is limited and if there is anything they still wish to accomplish this year at SMUS, they had better take immediate steps to do so. These months are so full that time will fly and we will soon all find ourselves saying goodbye. For some, they may wish to up their grades. For others, there may be a fellow student that they would like to become better friends with. Others still may have a dream of making a lasting impact on the community by implementing a change for the better.

Of course this is particularly on my mind and Jenn and I move into our last term of boarding life since I started in 1998. We are setting our own goals of things we hope to accomplish in this time but it is nice to know that since we have had this plan for the past four years we have been able to put a good deal of plans into action in past years. During that house-meeting the conviviality of the boys and overall kindness and support was so evident. I really do feel like we are leaving Bolton at a high point with an amazing group of boys.

With that being said – we still want to win house-games! >:) The boys took advantage of a lovely afternoon this Saturday and broke out into some serious training routines. Will lead the trivia team in on-line trivia practice – their brains are primed! Mr. Danskin trained the soccer-baseball team on the finer points of this unique hybrid sport. We invited back houseparent-emeritus Mr. Guzek to drill the boys on the technique and art of Ultimate Frisbee.

There have also been celebrations already. Here are some photos of Josh’s birthday cake. Adam had a similar celebration shorty after. Cakes can be ordered for your son via the Parents’ Auxiliary and are delivered on their birthday.

We also had some memorable visits from Bolton Alumni this week! Timmy journeyed back from Cornell to walk down memory lane and the halls of Bolton. He was a boarding lifer and Head of House in his day and spoke very fondly of his time here. Although only a couple boys would have remembered him it was great to see him and catch up, for them and for the houseparents. A more recent departure from the school was Diego from last year who came back to visit us during his Spring Break from Mexico. There were lots of hugs and reminiscences with the boys. Below, he is posing with Stanley, who welcomed him back.

On that note, the Bolton House Alumni Toast is happening again this year! On May 5th at 1:30, past Bolton students and houseparents, will join the current community to talk about the house, toast our founder, reconnected and network. Last year we had 26 alumni join us and this year we hope to have even more. This event is an example of some of the legacy pieces I have tried to implement over the years before leaving. The house motto, as well as the accompanying awards of Brotherhood, Honour and Strength are two other examples. Really, each year, the greatest accomplishment is helping these great young men have another successful year – so please brace yourself for a flurry of activity communicated in these blog posts as we try to document all that goes on in their lives.