Riverbend School for Girls - Vox Fluminis Yearbook (Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada)

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Page Five VOX FLUMINIS Riverbend School, Spring, 1930. My Dear Girls : De Quincey, a noted English author, has said that we never do any- thing consciously for the laslt time without regret. The first time is equally significant and I wonder as I write this first letter to you what are the feelings which it arouses. Anticipation, I think, mingled with a certain amount of nervousness, lest we, who are in our first acxtions establishing the traditions. of Riverbend School, may not be worthy of the trust. As I told you the first morning at prayers it is with you that the future of the school rests. It is you who will form its ideals and make the history from which it will draw its traditions, who will make the name of Riverbend', one of which to be proud because of whaft you do and are. VVhat a number of things we have done for the first time this year! The story of them, as it appears in this, your Hrst school magazine, makes me very proud. Vox Fluminis is itself no small achievement and you are entitled to a real glow of satisfaction thast you have been able to produce in this your first year so worthy a re-cord of your deeds. May Vox Fluminis -the voice of that river which' contributes so much to the beau- tiful surroundings in which we live, and now your voice as Riverbend School-have a long and prosperous career. just before I came in to write to you I was walking outside in our beautiful grounds and I felt then, as I know you all feel and as many visi- tors have told me, how lucky we are to have such a lovely home-for sur- roundings do make a great difference to one's happiness and well-being. Now this brings me to something of the history of the school. Primarily we owe our existence to the vision and generosity of Sir james Aikins, who by his will provided an endowment for the school. The house which he built and in which he lived-called Riverbend -is our main building. Since then very busy men and women, who could only by a sacrifice of themselves spare the time, have worked hard that his ideal of a school might be fulfilled. You can perhaps realize how much effort the school has cost when I tell you that a year ago I was in Ottawa, looking forward to working most of the summer there! In August I arrived to begin seriously to get the school ready for you and those were the days when Mrs. Munroe, Miss Fairbairn and I lived in the Senior house. Grade VIII. room was my office, Grade XI. was Miss Fairbairn's and we had just enough chairs to go around, while even some of those were borrowed.

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VOX FLUMINIS ....-......................................-........... MISS JOAN M. V. FOSTER Principal Page F our ...........-.........-.1-.u--1-nn .-..............--.-...-1.-...nun

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VOX FL UMINIS Page Six There, is one thing more which I do want to say to you and I'm afraid perhaps it may have all too familiar a ring. You know it is often said now that education consists not so much in the acquisition of knowledge but in the building of character. Of course that is trueg for knowledge of itself can be and is only a danger. At .the same time, however, I want you to realize that your main job,' at the moment is your school work and no one ever built up character by neglecting his or her work. Scholarship, for which you are training, can give real joy, and there is nothing greater than the thrill of conquering something really difficult. There only remains for me now to assure you, both individually and as a school, of my mosst affectionate interest. You were first introduced to me as so many names, typed on cards in a card catalogue, and often in those days of August and September, which now seem so far off, I used to try to imagine what you would be like. Une of the most interesting things about you is your infinite variety l But may I sign myself to you all with all sincerity, Yours affectionately, JOAN M. V. FOSTER. Y 1 1 V -J.,,-, Baseball