Principal’s Message December 2024

Angels have walked beside me throughout my whole life, and they still do.  

When my Dad passed away two months before my twelfth birthday, my Mom was left with very little to provide for the holiday season. She warned me that this would be a tough Christmas and not to expect too much. As much as any twelve-year-old could understand, I got it. My Dad had been sick for a full year before he passed. Too sick to work it took its toll on the family coffers, which were already very modest. I wasn’t sure what Christmas would look like that year. No Dad and no money. It worried me, to say the least.  

On December 23rd two surprises arrived at our front door. One was a festively wrapped gift that simply said “12-year-old girl” on the front and the other was a huge order of groceries with a fresh turkey and all the trimmings for a traditional Christmas feast. With tears in her eyes my Mom told me that a gentleman from our Church community had made sure we would have a Christmas by submitting my name to the Toronto Star Santa Claus Fund and also arranged for a Christmas hamper to be delivered from our local grocer. She said “Marie, Mr. Devins is our Angel this year”. I knew Mr. Devins, and he didn’t really resemble what I thought an Angel should look like, but I trusted my mom that indeed he was our Angel and from that day on I always looked for Angels in my life.  

Over the years it really hasn’t been very hard to find them. They come in all shapes and sizes and nowhere are they more present to me than at CGS. As I listened to our guest, Deborah McCracken, founder of The Olive Branch for Children, speak to the students at our last Principal’s Club meeting of the term, I couldn’t help but think what an Angel she has been to so many. She left a life of privilege here in Toronto, as a newly graduated young woman, to move to Tanzania to help those who needed it most and has built an amazing legacy of hope and kindness on the other side of the world. Our Principal’s Club Angelsnever cease to amaze me with their commitment to the projects we take on to make a difference in the world. Our Angel parents support our initiatives over and over and never let us down by purchasing whatever it is the group decides to sell to support our Tanzanian friends.  

Last week our Angel teachers gave up their Friday evening and displayed good sport and cheer to ensure the success of our Annual Holiday Outreach. Many at risk youth will now have a chance for a happier holiday season, thanks to all your generous donations and support.  

Angels are not just around during the Holiday Season, but for some reason their actions somehow seem even more important and meaningful at this time of year. ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’, Frank Capra’s 1946 film, which has become a Christmas movie staple, is an uplifting story of family, love, hope and redemption, and yes it has an important role for an angel in it. But it is really the community that ultimately saves the central character George in the film, leaving us with an important message of the positive impact that simple acts of kindness can have. 

Each gift we give, each contribution we make and every act of kindness we extend, contributes to a collective effort that embodies the true spirit of the season: compassion, empathy and the desire to make a difference in the lives of others. As we embrace the festivities of the holiday season, let’s remember that giving back not only helps those in need but also enriches our own lives, reminding us of the value of kindness and the joy that comes from selfless giving.  

Thinking back to my first encounter with an Angel all those Christmases ago I also remember my Mom (who is now my number one Angel watching over me from above), teaching me to not only look for and appreciate Angels, but to do my best to be one whenever I can. I hope you will too.  

My very best wishes to all of you for a Happy Holiday, a Merry Christmas and a New Year full of walking with Angels.

Onward,

Marie Bates
Principal