Elmwood School - Samara Yearbook (Ottawa, Ontario Canada)

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SAMARA 3 May 3, 1955 Dear Elmwoodians: My heart is full as I think back on all that has happened at Elmwood this year. At Easter I had to make a big decision: to carry on as Acting-Principal of Elmwood until June 1956. On account of poor health, Mrs. Graham, who, for the past five years has been your beloved Principal, has requested an extended leave of absence. Madame Krupka and I have decided to try to fill her place until she is able to return to us. Our decision was made easier for us because of you: for you had shown to us such loyalty and co-operation during the winter months when iMrs. Graham was in England, that we knew the future would be full of promise. Three years ago, at a time when Miss Dixon, the Vice-Principal, was unable to be with you because of her Mother ' s serious illness, I came to Elmwood, presumably for seven days. I wanted to fill my leisure moments with something constructive and worth-while. Today, I am still very much with you, my leisure moments a thing of the past. These last three years have been very happy ones. Those of you whom I have had in my History and Current Events classes I have come to know very intimately. We have all given a bit of ourselves to classroom discussions, which I feel you have enjoyed as much as I. If we sometimes were carried away with enthusiasm over argumentative topics, we nevertheless have come, in a measure, to estimate and value the worth of things past and present. I feel that this is no small achievement and I hope sincerely that the ability to evaluate the good in life and to see God ' s hand in the shaping of nations will always direct your thoughts in the right path. Some of you I have known only in my capacity as Vice-Principal when discipline problems have sent you to the office. If I have helped you to be strictly truthful and to accept constructive criticism, again I have achieved my purpose. It is strange how those who cause the most trouble are often the ones who are the most loveable. To see you overcome your weaknesses and to determine to make amends has been most inspiring. Whether we realize it or not, each one of us has an influence on the lives of those with whom we come in contact. We may only be ships that pass in the night but if our light, in passing, sheds merely one beam of happiness, we shall not have lived in vain. There is a beautiful example of humanism in Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions written by John Donne some three hundred years ago. No man is an island, entire of itself. Every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less. So any man ' s death diminishes me because I am involved in mankind. And, therefore, never send to know for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for thee. May I leave you with this thought. In the final analysis it matters not what one knows nor what one does but what one is. Affectionately yours.

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DAUGHTERS OF ELMWOOD OLD GIRLS

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4 SAMARA CdiiandcU It ' s hard to believe, but another successful year at Elmwood has drawn to its close. Looking back over the months we see how our Houses with the aid of their hard-working house-heads have done their best to live up to the ideals of Service, Fellowship, and Fairplay which are are House Mottoes. Work, fun and excitement have all been a part of this year which we will often recall in the years to come. As well as the usual enjoyable activities we have been able to take part, for the first time, in an Opera, in a Debating Club, and in the printing of a school newspaper. We feel fortunate to have with us from England Miss Buckmaster, as our capable and understanding House Mistress. This year we also welcomed Miss Boyle, iVIrs. Chater, Miss Schurman, Mme. Bedard, Mrs. Cameron and Mr. Heney. We hope that they have enjoyed being with us. We thank Mrs. Graham, Mrs. Bruce, and all the teachers for making many things possible for us, and in so doing making this year such a happy one. We should like to thank the members of the Magazine Committee for their hard work and their enthusiastic co-operation, and Miss MacCallum who gave us a great deal of her time and energy as staff adviser. We should also like to thank our innumerable friends who generously gave their support to this magazine through their advertisements and Miss Colquhoun whose help as a canvasser was greatly appreciated. Here at Elmwood, besides receiving a good education, we are given the opportunity to learn self-control, independence, reliability, kindness, and toler- ance. We should, therefore, take advantage of all that is made available to us, because what we learn here will become our instruments of the future. Each member of this year ' s graduating class will have her duty to fulfill which will be made possible if we live up to the ideals expressed in our school and house mottoes, and in the school prayer: Teach us, good Lord, to serve Thee as Thou deservest, To give, and not to count the cost. To fight, and not to heed the wounds. To toil and not to seek for rest. To labour and not to ask for any reward, Save that of knowing that we do Thy will. It is with regret that I announce the passing of A4iss K. A. Neal on December 18th, 1954. She was at Elmwood for eighteen years and all who knew her will remember her patience and understanding. How often we recall her voice saying, Who owns these shoes? as she would emerge from the pound cupboard or, How many permits do you need? . There were times while waiting she would give us oral Arithmetic and then point at one of us and say, Answer , invariably calling the wrong name. Miss Neal spent the war years in England and returned to us for a short time, but went back to make her home with a nephew in Surrey. We all miss her, and to her family, we extend our sincere sympathy.