Dear Members of the CPC Community:
The last five weeks have been as close to pre-pandemic times as one can imagine. Our classrooms are full of excited and enthusiastic students. The teachers have been virtual magicians in the last year and a half. Their continued ingenuity, creativity and care makes the entire school experience what it was meant to be, Covid or not.
Our co-curricular program and activities have never been better attended and numerous than they are now. The gym, field, rink, study hall and classrooms are full of kids looking for some fun and enrichment after school. I have often said there would be two photographs that I would produce if I was ever asked about my educational philosophy and preference. One would be of a student leaning over a book at his/her desk with the teacher pointing at some content in the book. The other would be kids at play, virtually anywhere and anytime, organized or not.
The ability for most kids to leave the building at lunch has always been disconcerting to me. The apprehension is natural for school administrators, but we are obliged to accentuate the positives here too. It leaves a lot more room for kids to socialize, in and out of the building, and allows for a good time out from school and school responsibilities. Today I was told that the Tim Horton’s management has been so impressed with our students that it wants to take some promotion photographs and arrange for product gifts and bonuses for them. Yes. There are other reasons for this than might initially meet our ears and eyes, but I never look down upon a compliment from any outside sources. I am relieved and proud.
The best decision I have made in 27 years of administration ( I taught History and Math for another 20 years ) was the one made on behalf of mandatory vaccination.We still have some kids on line because of travel difficulties and other vaccination delays. This list grows smaller each day. The really good news is that we have over five hundred people in the building now, every day, and we have not missed a beat. I am, unfortunately, a superstitious man and will leave it at that.
I want to end by thanking all the teachers for their hard work, the students for their character and focus, and the parents for their undying, invaluable support .
Be well,
Vince Pagano
