A couple of years ago I read an article about how time seems to move faster as we get older. There is actually a scientific basis for this. As you get older, a year represents a smaller and smaller percentage of your total life. For example, when you are 10, a year represents a full 10% of your life, when you reach my age. that number drops to only 2.4% (I'll let you do the math). I think that, even without science, we can all attest to time speeding up. That has been especially true for me in the PC (post-COVID) era.

This year has flown by, we are already in term 4 (the home stretch). For our grade 12s, there will be more lasts; their last first day of term 4, their last Greenwater day, and many more. I want to dedicate this Bear Blast to the class of 2022. It has been a somewhat normal year, comparatively, and hopefully a grad that looks like what we remember. That being said, like all of our students, the class of 2022 has been an exceptional group of young men and women who have and continue to show incredible leadership in our school. They were incredibly understanding and cooperative throughout the COVID craziness, aside from a few double canister gas masks and grumpily conceding to some of our requirements. We look to our grade 12s to set the tone in the high school wing and this group has done a fantastic job of showing all of our students how PPCS is a family, fully equipped with occasionally frustrating younger siblings. I have spent almost my entire career in K-12 schools and cannot speak highly enough about the multiple benefits of this type of setup for all students. Although we could not do all of the activities (particularly the buddy activities) that we normally do, this year's senior class has set a great example of hard work (mostly) and dedication to excellence in all that they do, both in and out of school. We were approached by a community member a couple of weeks ago about the possibility of some grade 12s who would be looking for work. They said they needed someone who was not afraid of hard work, a quick learner and was dependable. I can tell you that the list was not short. In fact, for many of our seniors, those are the words that I would use to describe them. That is not to say that they are super human and without their shortcomings, but as the saying goes, "let he is who free of sin cast the first stone"; none of us are without flaws.

I will save my advice and more accolades for the commencement address at grad, but to the class of 2022 I say this, you will be missed, you have made a difference, and you have been a builder of our school. Thank you.

This week's male athlete is Vinnie Kiehn. Vinnie plays basketball and badminton as well as on the PARK Posse U18 hockey team. By his own admission, Vinnie carries Angelo on the badminton court (lol). Vinnie is a dedicated athlete who gives 100% every day. He is quiet, but when he talks it's worth listening to.

Thank you to both athletes for their contribution to our school community.