Thursday, October 10th saw an effervescent gathering together of Grades 5-12 students and their mothers as they celebrated Hawthorn’s Annual Mother/Daughter Evening. The schedule of activities began with animated discussions of relevant issues. Grade 5s and their moms attended a talk led by a health nurse on The Beauty of Developing into a Woman; the Grades 6s and 7s had a practical discussion about etiquette as they prepare to greet and serve at Grandparents Day and Seniors Muffin Mondays; and the US students with all but the Gr. 5 moms attended a talk on mental health and cellphone use prepared by Dr. Anna-Maria Poplawska, a family doctor with a private practice in Toronto.
As a physician, Dr. Poplawska has seen immense suffering and has developed a great passion for mental health. She shared with us some of what she has learned in order to help alleviate distress, show us that we’re not alone, and open our eyes to a brighter future. Her talk included split Q&A sessions tailored for mothers and for daughters.
Following the talks, we all gathered in the Hawthorn Atrium to share a delicious dinner together, and then – fun and games! We played for prizes in a ‘How Well Do You Know Your Mother/Daughter?‘ game (‘Mom!! I thought you knew me better than that!’:)) Daughters, would you know whether your mom would prefer to travel in a hot air balloon or by helicopter? Moms, which do you think your daughter would rather eat, doughnuts or doughnut holes? Hmmm… You might be surprised!
We feel so blessed to share family events such as these on our campus as we learn and grow together. Thank you, Hawthorn!