„Fröhliche Weihnacht überall!“
Tönet durch die Lüfte froher Schall.
Weihnachtston, Weihnachtsbaum, Weihnachtsduft in jedem Raum!“
Heinrich von Fallersleben

Often when we think of Christmas, we think of gifts and kind gestures. The GIST has already received many gifts at the start of the school year. We started the 2024/25 school year with 110 students, significantly more than ever before and we intend for this to continue. For the first time, we have a high school and can offer our students an IB qualification, which they can use as a door opener at many universities in the world, including of course in Germany and Canada. We are also pleased that we have been able to deepen our relationship with Islington United Church and once a week our children receive a hearty lunch which the students eat in the Scout Hall and enjoy as a community. And we receive a lot of support to extend our reach from the General Consulate through General Consul Ms. Thony. Thank you very much for that.

At this special time of year, marked by celebration and reflection, we come together not only to share joy, but also to talk about the challenges we face as a community.

This year, too, the world has shown its dark side. We have seen images of suffering and destruction, images of hatred and violence. The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine is now entering its third winter. And for over a year now, we have watched in horror at the atrocities and victims of the war in the Middle East. The political changes in the USA and other parts of the world will certainly be a challenge, possibly with far-reaching consequences.

Nevertheless, we should not be intimidated by these threats. For strong cohesion and a strong democracy, we need people who get involved and who work to improve what is not yet good today, who participate and encourage. There are so many people in Germany and Canada who are doing just that, who are putting what we have in common above what divides us.

This year, we Germans are celebrating the 75th anniversary of our democracy. Our consitution is now 75 years old and during this time it has made freedom, peace and democracy possible in Germany. And for 35 years, since the fall of the Berlin Wall, there has been a reunited Germany. Everyone knows that October 3, 1990 is the reunion day, but many still see November 9, 1989, the day the Wall came down, as the actual day the two German states merged. “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall,” Ronald Reagan once said at the Brandenburg Tor. There are still many walls that need to be torn down.

All of this is a reason for us to celebrate. Our constitution is something we can be proud of. It protects and honors every single person, in Germany and in Canada, and that is something great that unites us.

We all long for a more peaceful world.
I long for it too. And I think we must never give up on it!

The Christmas story also tells of this longing. It's good that these quiet days are here now. Christmas also means that we can keep the stressful world away from us for a little while. That we can look at the light and not into the dark.

I look forward to continuing the good cooperation with parents, but also with our board members, who have kept calm even in difficult situations and made well-considered decisions for the school and for the students, and who have always put the well-being of GIST first.

Special thanks go to the parents, who are an important pillar of our school. Their support, commitment and partnership are invaluable. We appreciate the time and energy you invest in your children's education, and we are grateful for the opportunity to work with you.

And lastly, I would like to thank our colleagues, our administration and our cleaning staff for their dedication and professionalism in creating a safe space for learning and growth. This school year, they have done a great deal to improve our quality and reliability.

The coming year will certainly bring further challenges, but together we can overcome them. Let us look to the future with renewed strength.

If this year has had one good thing, it is the experience: together we will get through this time. And that's why my Christmas wish is that we take this confidence with us into the new year.

My wife Tomoe, our two children, Len and Hana, and I wish you a wonderful Christmas season and a peaceful Christmas! A Christmas in which you can take a moment to distance yourself from the things that have unsettled you this year. A Christmas in which you can enjoy encounters, being together with your family and peace and quiet after a stressful year.

With this in mind, I wish you all peaceful and relaxing vacation and a hopeful and healthy start to the new year 2025.

Yours sincerely,
Rouven Hollmann
Principal of the German International School Toronto