Thank you, Home-Stay Families

What a beautiful Thanksgiving break it was in Nova Scotia this year. After experiencing the wrath of Hurricane Fiona only weeks ago, the sunshine, gentle breezes and vibrant colours provided pause and enjoyment. Nature was on full display all around us, and I hope everyone had an opportunity to get outside and enjoy it! Most importantly, whether spending time with friends or family, we had an opportunity to gather and celebrate good times together, something that we no longer take for granted.

Some of our Nova Scotian families made the Thanksgiving break memorable for our international boarders living far away from home. These host families graciously opened their homes and provided a warm Canadian Thanksgiving experience. Their efforts were appreciated. In particular, I couldn’t help but think what wonderful memories the Smith family created for not one, but four of our international boarders! Addy Smith ‘27 and her brother Kaden Smith ‘25 were wonderful hosts for Lidya Mercan ‘29, Carmen Villanueva Morales '26, Junsu Kwak ‘25 and Andy Cho ‘24. 

Frasers Mountain, just outside of New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, welcomed these students from Turkey, Mexico and Korea, and what fun they had! They found a multitude of ways to celebrate the harvest including visiting a local farm, picking pumpkins from a pumpkin patch, touring a Halloween fear farm, carving and decorating pumpkins, playing board games, golfing, celebrating Kaden’s and Addy’s birthdays, and learning how to make delicious biscuits to take to a family Thanksgiving dinner for 30 people! What a wonderful multicultural feast! In response to my words of thanks, mom Rebecca replied, “All the kids were so well behaved, helpful, and polite. It was a pleasure to host them. KES should be proud of the young adults they are shaping.”

We are grateful for the generosity of our parent community and the Highlander spirit that is spreading around the globe. Our boarding students will have Thanksgiving memories that will last a lifetime.