Trafalgar School - Echoes Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

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sorrow that it has never felt before, and also, I think its greatest loss. Miss Gumming said that she will be very sorry to leave us but that she will be glad to live her own life. We agree with her wholeheartedly and we wish her the best of luck and happiness in the years that are before her. B. S. From a Father and a Grandfather As a father and grandfather of her pupils it has been my privilege to know Miss Gumming, first through her connection with Miss Knox at Havergal School in Toronto where my daughter was under her tuition. Here I had my first insight into the mind and character of this great teacher. I say great because in these days, un- fortunately, so few teachers are able to combine in themselves fine scholarship and ability to impart knowledge, with that strong brave spirit of service and justice which every teacher must have to be considered great . Arnold had it and Thring and many others of their period. I consider Miss Gumming as one of the few who have caught their torch and handed it on to the benefit of so many hundreds of girls who at Havergal and Trafalgar came under the influence of this fine woman. As a parent I was by no means unconscious of the deep spirituality underlying the mere teacher in Miss Gumming, and not only I and her mother, but our daughter herself has been very grateful for all the inspiration she has received from her. And now for some years my granddaughter has been under Miss Gumming as Principal of Trafalgar. I have followed the teaching and mental and spiritual growth of this child very closely, having had leisure to do so, and I have been amazed at the intimate knowledge that the principal of this big school has had at all times, not only of the progress of the one child in whom I have been interested, but in each and every girl in the school. When I say progress I mean perhaps least of all book-and-examination progress, although we all know of the School ' s fine record under Miss Gumming. What has pleased me beyond words has been the quiet, unobstrusive watching at all times for the spiritual needs and growth of the child, that growth which can be made or marred in a big school by a head-mistress who is working for examination results more than char- acter development and one who is content often to play more to material requirements of Boards or Parents rather than to make the girls ' spiritual future her chief aim. I am sure I am voicing the thanks of hundreds of parents in what I have here written, and feel that this is but a small tribute we can pay to Miss Gumming for all she has done for our girls. May she have many years in which to enjoy the relaxation she has so thoroughly deserved. F. W. [19]

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Her retirement will mean a great loss to the educational life of the whole Dominion and an irreparable loss to the school. Our love and good wishes go out to her for many years of happiness to enjoy her well-earned leisure. We realize, with a sense of deep thanksgiving, what a privilege it has been to work with her through these happy years, and know that, because of what her life has meant to us, we ourselves will walk more worthily all our days. M. B. J. From the Head Girl of the House IF anyone were to ask, What has Miss Gumming done for Trafalgar School? I do not think the answer would be much short of Everything! It is difficult for us who are now in school to know what she has done outside, but what we do know is that she has made the name of Trafalgar School stand out among those of the other schools in Canada. Everyone knows of its high standards in scholarship and discipline. Many of the things that Miss Gumming does for us are taken very much for granted. It is she who plans out the daily routine for each form; she who keeps the school in order by her rules, and sees to it that they are kept; she who fulfils the nasty duty of seeing to everyone ' s bad marks, for I am sure she does not like punishing or scolding us any more than we like to be punished or scolded, and dealing with them accordingly ; and it is she who takes a keen and understanding interest in all we do and gives advice, praise and criticism all with the same good will and sincerity. There does not seem to be anything that Miss Gumming cannot do. My greatest admiration goes to her for her wide knowledge of French, German and Latin, and her tremendous powers of making us understand them. Whenever any of the mistresses are sick or away for any reason, she takes their place, if she cannot get anyone else, which is very often, and continues with the lesson as though nothing had happened. Miss Gumming ' s own subject that she teaches day by day is Scripture. Her knowl- edge of the Bible is to be wondered at. She seems to see in those pages many things that none of us would ever see, and to understand their hidden meanings. Besides knowing the Bible herself, she makes us understand it and takes us with her to visit the characters of the Old and New Testaments and to be with Jesus and love and understand His teach- ings. I have learnt more from Miss Gumming than I ever learnt or ever expect to learn from an one else. There have been a great many girls here since 1917 and Miss Gumming knows and remembers them all. She knows the ins and outs of every girl who is now in school and always shows an interest in home affairs. When there are Old Girls ' teas here in school many girls come who left school recently and many ladies who left a long time ago. Miss Gumming has not forgotten them. She meets them all with her radiant smile and makes them feel, old and young, that they have never left school, for once we get out of school we wish we were back in it again! When Miss Gumming steps for the last time on the familiar gravel of Trafalgar, this school will be saying farewell to its dearest inhabitant Trafalgar will be fe eling a [18]

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UitnrUl ALL of us at Trafalgar are keenly aware of the great loss the school will sustain in the retirement of Miss Janet L. Gumming. At the same time we wish her every happiness in the future. For twenty-three years Miss Gumming has devoted herself to Trafalgar teachers and pupils, and with untiring energy has sought to help each one. Her sympathy, encourage- ment, and understanding have been felt by all the girls who have ever come under her care, and none will forget the interest she has taken in them. The pupils of Trafalgar will continue to be influenced by her high ideals and attempt to live up to the standards she set, for the school will never cease to remember her capable but kindly hand. With the commencement of war in September few thought that Trafalgar would register its vibrations in the form of personal, perilous experiences. Unfortunately the torpedoed Athenia carried three of our mistresses. Miss Rushton, Miss Donkersley and Miss Roper. For a few days we waited anxiously for news and were greatly relieved when we heard of their safety, although we regretted to learn that Miss Donkersley and Miss Roper would not be returning to School. We were also disappointed that Miss Turner did not come back. These teachers had in many ways won the respect, admira- tion and love of Trafalgar and we were indeed sorry to lose them. In their places we have welcomed Mrs. Basset, Miss Harvie, an Old Girl who had been studying at Oxford, Miss Jackson and Miss Box who although delayed in crossing from England because of the war, soon took things in hand and was able to present the usual Gym Demonstration. Apart from this war experience School has continued much as usual. Miss Alice Johannsen, an Old Girl, spoke to us on Early Races in Ganada and gave us a new realiza- tion of the interest than can be found in studying the treasures which belonged to Ganada ' s early history and which now lie in museums. The ideals of the Oxford Group movement were brought to us in a moving picture and Bishop Fleming told us of the fine work and present need of the Eskimos in the Arctic. Dr. Donald and Archdeacon [20]