It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

One of the things I love most about this time of year is seeing the many ways we celebrate the season.  Visit any one of our schools and you’ll see snowflakes and Christmas trees and happy faces all around. If you are lucky, you might even catch sight of Santa and his elves. And it’s not just in schools and classrooms. The Abbotsford School Board Office is a veritable winter wonderland thanks to the goodwill and creative energy of our folks here. 

The other thing that inspires me is the extraordinary kindness and generosity that emerge at this time of year. Across the school district, I see powerful examples: food drives, Christmas hampers, gift wrapping, and donations to support those who could use a little help. I often say that I am proud to have chosen a career path fundamentally focused on people—more specifically, on lifting them up and preparing and inspiring them for a lifetime of success.

I just watched a cool video that included one of our schools, Mountain Elementary, where students collected more than 400 boxes of cereal to donate to the Archway Food Bank. They lined up all the boxes like dominoes in the hallways, and then the entire student body and staff gathered to watch as the first box was tipped, triggering a beautiful, meandering cascade of falling cereal-box dominoes. You can see for yourself here: 

Such joy and delight, and for such a good cause. And there are truly countless examples across the school district. I am proud and honoured to be your Superintendent and want to take this moment to say thank you for all that you do, and for making a difference.  I wish you all the very best of the season and hope you can take time to rest and recharge. 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!