It is my honour to have the opportunity to officially welcome you to the 2025-26 school year. My name is Rob Tardif, and I will serve as the new BC Curriculum Principal at Nanmo this year and beyond.
I love Opening Day because it represents a fresh beginning. If I were a painter, the year would represent a blank canvas, waiting for a new picture to be painted. Sure, we have ideas from our past paintings about different shapes and colours that we might want to use again, all representing our past experiences. These can no longer be changed and have become an inventory of life lessons that we can draw on as we consider our current painting. We must remember that our current painting will become our life
lessons next year, so we must consider each stroke carefully.
Gord Downie, a Canadian song writer and poet, reminds us that “there are no dress rehearsals, this is our life”. His meaning is we do not get to practice and perfect living our lives as a singer in a musical or an actor in a play can; instead, we must move forward drawing on life lessons and knowing that mistakes will be made along the way. We must embrace this challenge with confidence and take advantage of the opportunities that our school has presented to us, opportunities such as developing language, meeting new friends, trying a new club, and exploring new passions.
At the same time, we must take time for self-care and watching out for the well-being of everyone around us. Find that friend that you can count on. Find that teacher that you feel comfortable talking to. Ask for help when you need it. Say something when you see anything that goes against the high expectations of our school. Self-regulate so you can focus on what is important.
Along the way we must also continue to network and make connections, and we are fortunate that we have multiple opportunities to do so at our school. We are looking forward to blending the best of East and West as we work hand in hand with Chinese teachers and administrators, and to connecting our BC and A Level programs. These connections will make our school even stronger.
Yes, this school year is your blank canvas. What will you draw?
It all starts today! Enjoy the process, and welcome to the 2025-2026 school year!
Rob Tardif
BC Curriculum Principal