Dear Parents,

I would like you to take a moment to think back to where you were a year ago. For my family, we were getting ready for a Christmas vacation adventure to Florida and more specifically, Disney World. We took for granted that we would be spending time as a family and socializing with others. The thought of 2020 seemed excited, as we embarked on a new decade.

Little did we know that 2020 would be such a radical change from the ordinary that was filled with many challenges. In ways though, 2020 was the year that we needed. The phrase 20/20 vision has long been associated with perfect eyesight and the concept of “Hindsight is 20/20” is defined by Merriam-Webster as “the full knowledge and complete understanding that one has about an event only after it has happened”. In other words, it refers to a sense of clarity that comes after the fact or that brings things into focus.

In many ways, the year 2020 has done just that: brought into focus where we really are as a society and uncovered many of our fears and vulnerabilities. Here are a few examples: It showed us that we are often so busy with activities and schedules that our family does not get the attention it ought to. It revealed our dependence on entertainment, whether it be sports, concerts, or movies. Most of these were temporarily shut down causing us to question their role. It demonstrated how dependent our society is on empty fillers like alcohol, drugs, and others. It revealed how lost our world is and how much we are controlled by negative messages leading to a sense of fear and despair. However, 2020 also revealed: The importance of our family, as it caused us to slow down and spend more time with them. Our need to spend time in God’s Word and pray, instead of the distractions of entertainment. How dependent we are on God and how much we need Him each day. How much we need community and other people in our lives to encourage us to persevere and do the right things. As we take time to reflect on 2020 and look ahead to 2021, we will undoubtedly remember some of the difficult moments we faced, and yearn for some of the lost opportunities we had to celebrate and connect with others. I hope that we can juxtapose this with some of the clarity that God has given us about our complete dependence on Him. 

In this season, God also offers us the gift of Hope, as we anticipate new beginnings with happier times. He extends us Peace to overcome our fears. He fills our hearts with Joy to mitigate the effects of sadness. He offers us light to drive out the darkness. All of this gift is wrapped up in one person: Jesus.

This Christmas, may the gift of Jesus’ coming and the promise of His soon coming return fill your hearts afresh with hope, peace and joy.

Sincerely,
J-D Lussier, Principal