Well, it looks like we made it.
Today, of course, marked the first day of school, and as you’re all aware, there’s always something different on the first day. But I could have swore that it felt an awful lot like 7:15 AM when I got to school this morning, which is how it should feel, I guess, when school now starts at 8:10 AM. I must admit to having some doubts as I walked down an empty corridor, running into a solitary Mitchell Strader, occupying his traditional spot on the floor, waiting for somebody, anybody, to come along. And as I came back along that very same hallway ten minutes later, Mitchell remained, still alone, and the thought struck us that, perhaps, all those other people who work at or attend this school may have forgotten about the earlier start.
But then, just like that, it changed. People stumbled in, looking slightly confused, awake, but not yet alert, somewhat bewildered, almost like when the clocks change in the fall and spring. And those were the teachers.
By 7:35 AM, though, it was obvious that it was game-on, and groups of people were now entering the building, and the buses started rolling up, discharging their cargo, and swelling the ranks that milled through the halls. And then, as advertised, at 8:10 AM, it happened.
The bell rang, and staggered bells became a reality for the close to 500 souls that call this place home during the school day.
Special thanks to Miss Milosek and Mr. Searson for welcoming us with a prayer service, as befitting the community we’re part of. As well, a thank you to the choir of students and staff who led us in song, gathering as a community for the first time of the new school year. The hymn, with the defining words Gather Your People, O Lord, was entirely appropriate, and book-ended the remarks of encouragement offered by Mr. Searson.
And so it all begins, the 2010-2011 school year. And if the initial welcoming was any indication, it looks like we’re going to be okay.
Before signing off, I’d like to bring to everyone’s attention the new furniture that’s been placed in the school library on the main floor.
The furniture, from KI Industries in Pembroke, offers an upgrade over what was there before, in both practical use, and in colour scheme, coming, as it does, in a shade of Jaguar garnet that helps enhance the overall “feel” of the school, and helps with our personal identification with school colours. The new tables and chairs were made possible through the wonderful efforts of volunteer members of the School Council, or Parent Advisory Council, as it is sometimes known.
In addition to the furniture upgrade, students will also see a technological upgrade in the form of a complete kit of brand-new desktops, hooked into the school’s network and internet platforms. As well, a large, flat-panel presentation screen has been installed, for a variety of uses as they may arise.
And so, the library, if you will, has been “brought up to speed,” consistent with a school that prides itself on its sense of innovation, and its ability to respond to the needs of its students. Moving forward, the library maintains its rightful spot as a “hub” of learning, a place where all students are guaranteed equal access to the information and tools they need to pursue their academic development.
