Grade 11 & 12 Students Honour Ms. Collins’ Life’s Little Instructions at Assembly
At Tuesday’s Middle/Senior School Assembly, 21 Grade 12 and 11 students, many who are CDS Lifers, paid tribute to their late teacher Ms. Steph Collins, a beloved Junior School teacher and originating force behind the CDS Outdoor Ed program. Ms. Collins passed away from Melanoma in 2019 when these students were in Grades 6 and 7.
“On September 9th, 2019, when we were in Grade 7, we lost an amazing teacher, coach, and role model after a courageous battle with cancer,” shared Diya Mangat ’25 and Olivia Budweth ’25.
“Over her 16 years at CDS, Ms. Collins taught so many students the value of the outdoors and showed us the joy nature can bring, developing an outdoor ed program in the Junior School that allowed us to find and discover the beauty of the world around us.
“When Ms. Collins was just 17 years old, she wrote a set of “Life’s Little Instructions” which we want to share with you today. Each of the 21 of us reading today had the privilege of being taught by Ms. Collins during our time in the Junior School, and we’re honoured to pass along her words of wisdom.”
Life’s Little Instructions, according to Steph c. 1995:
- Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every area of your life.
- Be brave. Even if you’re not, pretend to be. No one can tell the difference.
- Always have something beautiful in sight, even if it’s just a daisy in a jelly glass.
- Make it a habit to do something nice for someone who’ll never find out.
- Smile a lot. It costs nothing and it’s beyond price.
- Never deprive someone of hope; it might be all they have.
- Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts.
- Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.
- Loosen up. Relax. Except for rare life-and-death matters, nothing is as important as it first seems.
- When someone hugs you, let them be the first to let go.
- When facing a difficult task, act as though it is impossible to fail.
- Live your life as an exclamation, not an explanation.
- Never waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them.
- Be bold and courageous. When you look back on your life, you’ll regret the things you didn’t do more than the ones you did.
- Don’t accept “good enough” as good enough.
- Remember no one makes it alone. Have a grateful heart and be quick to acknowledge those who help you.
- Don’t miss the magic of the moment by focusing on what’s to come.
- Don’t be called out on strikes, go down swinging.
- Don’t use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved.
- Don’t be afraid to say, “I need help.”
- Become someone’s hero!
Every year, the Junior School remembers Ms. Collins whenever they gather around the Steph Collins’ Talking Circle in the Back 40 or host their annual Strides for Sun Safety event during National Sun Awareness month. It is fitting that this year, one of the last groups of students to have been taught by Ms. Collins in the Junior School, many who will be graduating in three short weeks, wanted to honour her memory and demonstrate what a huge impact she had on the lives of each of her students.
Tomorrow’s Dress Down Day in Middle and Senior School will be to benefit The David Cornfield Melanoma Fund, one of her favourite charities. We ask that students ‘Wear Yellow for Melanoma’ in honour of Ms. Collins. As everyone continues their final weeks of school, we hope you will keep these Little Instructions in mind.
Land Acknowledgment
The Country Day School wishes to recognize and acknowledge the land on which the school operates. Our nearest Indigenous Nations are now the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the Chippewas of Georgina Island. The Dish with One Spoon Wampum covenant is often cited as an example of the shared responsibility for caring for these lands among the Huron-Wendat, Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples who would call these their traditional territories. CDS respects the relationship with these lands and recognizes that our connection to this land can be strengthened by our continued relationship with all First Nations, by acknowledging our shared responsibility to respect and care for the land and waters for future generations.
School Information
Junior, Middle and Senior Schools
13415 Dufferin Street, King, Ontario L7B 1K5
(905) 833-1220
communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca
Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.
13415 Dufferin Street, King, Ontario L7B 1K5
(905) 833-1220
communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca
Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.
