A Welcome Return to Normalcy

Students, staff and parents returned to campus this fall with a sense of normalcy that hadn’t been felt in three years. Smiles on faces were evident, not obscured by masks. Students warmly greeted each other without distancing or cohorting concerns. In a message to families, Headmaster Fellin said, "The boys look sharp in their newly pressed or purchased uniforms, smiles abound as they reconnect with old friends and meet new ones, and the hallways are a cacophony of greetings and summer stories.”

Parents also took advantage of easing restrictions to return to campus. The CPA’s Coffee in the Courtyard attracted a record number of parents keen to reconnect and meet new friends as we kicked off the new year. 

Several measures enacted by Crescent throughout the pandemic have contributed to the optimistic outlook for the 2022–23 school year. We continue to benefit from the considerable investments made during the pandemic to keep our campus safe. Most significant were air circulation and air purification improvements to reduce particulate matter, bacteria, and viruses. In the past two years, Crescent added Plasma Air purification to all school rooftop units, HEPA air filters were added to every classroom and the airflow in the school was increased fivefold to turn over more than ten times per hour. The health of the Crescent community is also fortified by the School’s 2022–2023 Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policy.

The start of the school year saw the reintroduction of many beloved Crescent traditions and the introduction of new ones. During the September 6 Grade 3 orientation, the Prefects taught their youngest brothers how to tie their uniform ties while sharing favourite Crescent stories and advice. New this year were Grade 7 and 9 orientation retreats to Camp Muskoka. The week culminated with an all-school House assembly held on Innes Field. The returning Grade 7 and 9 students were wildly greeted as they emerged from the camp buses, travelling through a human tunnel to join their House brothers and display their spirit.