By Kate Knight, Assistant Head of School, Student Life

The return from March Break this week brought with it more than just the usual epic tales from travels abroad, sunburns, and stories shared with friends; this year, our scheduled return to classes also included an unexpected power outage which lasted for several days and extended across the Muskoka region, impacting more than 500,000 people and homes.

In true RLC fashion, we found opportunity in this obstacle! We welcomed more than a dozen boarding students back to campus on Monday, and more over the next few days, with hot food, comfy beds, and activities to help pass the time, all fueled by our campus generators and a keen sense of adventure. It was great to see students sharing slow and meaningful conversations in the dining hall and opening themselves up to activities they might otherwise eschew in favour of screen time. The boarders and house parents remained in good spirits over the three days the area was without power, demonstrating the kind of resilience and good humour which are hallmarks of the RLC community.

It’s in these unanticipated challenges we most often see what matters most; human connection will always take priority over digital connection. There is something special when, by choice or by circumstance, we set our screens aside and focus on relationships with each other and with our environment. We have already seen improved student engagement in classes with our new technology guidelines in place this year and will continue to encourage students to choose face-to-face interactions whenever possible. While we are not keeping our fingers crossed for another power outage, we are hoping to maintain the positive momentum this past week provided as we head into the final 10 weeks of the school year.