Somehow it has only been a week since our first boys started arriving back onto campus after 6 long months away! It feels as though so much has happened in the last week that it seems impossible that it has only been 7 days.
It has been a busy week with the arrival of several new boys to SMUS and of course the big move as the 3 boarding houses were reorganized into cohorts by grade. It has been such a pleasure to get to know the boys from Barnacle and Harvey House better. While we we have had them in classes and on teams, living together in the same house allows us all to connect in a way that is much more meaningful. The boys have done a fantastic job of getting to know each other and many new friendships have already been created.
We also had a chance to celebrate Richard’s birthday and show off our impressive singing talents on our first night as a group! Perhaps something to work on this year?
In addition to classes starting on Thursday, boys have been busy getting to know each other through activities in the house and out on the field. It is great to see everyone being so active already as sports are going to start up this week with lots of options for all levels and interests. Eric has taken things to a new level with his own workout station in his room!
The weekend was also very busy despite the smoke from the wild fires south of the border that filled the sky with a gray mist. Mr. Kim took a small group downtown to stroll around the inner harbour and get a delicious ice cream…
… some other hardy sould braved the smoke to summit Mt. Doug where they were rewarded with a spectacular view of…. well nothing actually. Just lots of smoke…
…but the descent was fun! (It is more entertaining if you watch it a double speed!)
Richard, Kevin and Diego enjoyed some delicious bread and soup at Pagliacci’s restaurant downtown…
… and on Sunday morning, another group baked over 100 delicious chocolate chip cookies for the rest of the building!
Since there are so many new things happening this year, we thought we would also try something new on Saturday night. Students were invited to watch a movie on a giant outdoor screen set up in the quad and were treated to a delicious dessert of cotton candy, popcorn and mini donuts! Boarders also had a chance to donate or purchase a t-shirt in support of the annual Terry Fox Run which is celebrating 40 years since he began his incredible journey across Canada.
We are looking forward to settling into the routines of our first full week starting tomorrow and know that the boys will rise to the challenges of their academic courses while building life-long friendships. Check back next week for more highlights!