Looking Back On An Incredible Year

Back in September, I told you all that this year would go by quickly, and it was in this idea that our motto, Now is the Time, was rooted; with such limited time at this school, we challenged you to make the most of the opportunities you have around you here, and truly make this year count. So, while this year went by quickly for our Upper School, it was certainly not without accomplishment.

For example, we had our first-ever pride week in October, we won 30 medals and ribbons at the DECA Nor-Eastern & Private Regional Competition, we beat De La Salle at soccer Friday Night Lights, we took home a silver medal at OFSAA cross country, the Junior Soccer team won silver in CISAA, the Junior Volleyball team were the CISAA champions, the Senior Volleyball team qualified for OFSAA provincials, we raised over $19,000 for Movember, and we won six individual awards for Model UN with Crescent being recognized as the second-best delegation at the conference.

 

In the winter, we had three students finishing in the top three teams at the Ivey case competition, Crescent’s Upper School drama production, If Not for Love, was an incredible success, 11 out of Crescent’s 40 competitors received awards at the DECA provincial competition, we beat UCC at basketball Friday Night Lights, the Junior D1 Basketball team won the UCC tournament and the Kawartha tournament, and were Ridley Tournament Finalists, the Senior D1 Basketball team won the Crescent invitational and small schools tournament and qualified for OFSAA ranked #2 in the province, the Upper School swim team had four members at OFSAA provincials, the Junior Hockey team won the York University Early Bird Tournament, and the Saint Peter Classic Tournament and the Senior D2 basketball team were CISAA champions.

 

In the spring, Crescent earned the best small delegation award at the Ontario Model UN conference, as well as several individual awards, five Upper School business team members travelled to Atlanta for the DECA international career development conference, and all had strong performances with two Crescent students placing first in the world in their category, the Junior Rugby team, Junior Badminton team and Senior Ultimate Frisbee team were all CISAA champions, an athlete on the track and field team brought home his second OFSAA medal of the year, and the Senior Rugby team were Northern Early Bird Tournament finalists, Rothesay-Netherwood RugbyFest Champions and bronze medal recipients at OFSAA.

These many successes tell us a lot about our determination to seize each day throughout this year. However, we can tell just as much about ourselves by looking at our failures as well.

 

For example, the third Friday Night Lights event of the year, that I have yet to mention, was one such failure. For the Senior Rugby team, the guys knew this game against the infamous St. Andrew’s College team was going to be our toughest of the season. The boys jokingly talked about moving FNL to any other game so we wouldn’t have such a tough time at such an important game for all of us, with many of our friends and family in the crowd. Going into this game, we know it was going to be farthest thing from easy. And we were right. Throughout it, our players sustained a variety of injuries, and the score was decidedly not in our favour. But with everything stacked against us, we kept fighting. Through all 70 brutal minutes of this game, the boys never gave up and played hard until the last second, even scoring a try near the end of the game, and the fans in the crowd never stopped cheering.

 

Even though this wasn’t the story of a glorious last-minute victory on Innes Field in front of the whole school, it was certainly a humbling experience and it’s still something that I’m very proud of, and what I believe to be a true testament to our character here at Crescent. No matter how difficult a challenge is, we never give up. We fight until the last minute, and afterwards, we reflect on how we gave everything we had for our school. And just as the cheering from the crowd never died out at Friday Night Lights, we support our brothers through anything, no matter whether we win or lose.

 

And throughout this year, I’ve seen countless examples of this type of brotherhood and unity in the Upper School. We’ve been extremely proactive about helping out one another, and making sure that none of our brothers are ever alone. At the end of such a successful and enjoyable year, I think it's only right to say a few thank-you’s to the people who made it happen.

 

Firstly, a group of people whom we don't recognize nearly enough for all that they do, our parents. Your endless love and support at every turn let us truly thrive here at Crescent. I think I speak for all the students in this room when I say that there’s no one in our lives whom we can count on more than you, and on behalf of all your sons, thank you so much for making our incredible time here possible.

 

Next, a group of people who pour so much time and effort into giving us the best possible experience at Crescent, which is the Upper School Staff and Faculty. You are the reason our school looks so clean every morning when we arrive here; the reason we can always look forward to a fantastic lunch each day; the reason for our love of athletics, robotics, the arts, community service, business, and so much more; the reason we are able to be so successful in university, with an outstanding high school education under our belts; and most importantly, the reason we are able to graduate as Men of Character.

 

And of course, where would we be without the unbelievable student body here in the Upper School. Among the boys in this room, there is so much talent, passion and spirit. Crescent would not be what it is without all of you, and each of your individual positive contributions to the school since September have collectively allowed us to have such a successful year. Now you’re free to use these next couple months to rest and relax, after such a strong finish to the school year. After all, you’ve certainly all earned it.

 

And finally, an enormous and sincere thank you to a group of people who are extremely close to my heart, and have made my time at Crescent so great, my fellow Grads. It saddens me to think about not being all together next year, but thankfully we’ve made the most of our time together as a Grad class. The sense of brotherhood and school pride that we, as Grads, have brought to Crescent has helped so much in making this year as great as it was, and I think we’ve definitely created quite the legacy for ourselves in the process. You all helped make the 2017-2018 school year the perfect finale to my time at Crescent, and I frankly can’t begin to imagine life without you guys in it. Thank you so much to the 84 most amazing young men I could have ever gone to school with. I love each and every one of you boys, and I wish you all the best in your endeavors next year.

 

For everyone in the Upper School, this has been a truly incredible year, and although it’s a very bittersweet moment for all the guys up here in blue blazers, I don’t think we could be happier about being able to graduate at this point in Crescent history. Even though I won’t be able to see all of it with my own eyes, I’m excited for all the success that I’m sure will be experienced in the Upper School next year, with fantastic staff and faculty, a dedicated Prefect team, and an amazing student body.

 

Thank you all so much for an unbelievable year at Crescent, this has truly been the greatest experience of my life, and I will be forever grateful for my time here. I wish everyone the best for next year, but for right now, I hope everyone enjoys a great summer. It has been a true privilege and an honour. Thank you.