Garden Valley Collegiate celebrated 50 years of educating the next generation this weekend.
To mark the milestone, the Winkler high school held the GVC Homecoming Banquet, followed by a concert featuring a line-up of GVC alumnus and current staff and students.
Organizer Scott Bell explained the event was intended to bring people together, the largest GVC reunion ever hosted. Three influential teachers were also honoured for their contributions to the musical culture of GVC with the Music Builder Award.
The night was also one filled with reminiscing. One of the attendees, Rick Wiebe, was part of the first grade nine class to attend GVC. He said their first impression was the sheer size of the building.
"Walking up those big staircases to a second level... the gym was so big, the ceilings were so high... that was really impressive," he said, adding the full automotive shop was also a highlight.
Wiebe was part of the first graduating class in 1971 with 73 graduates. In total there were 500 students at the collegiate.
Looking back he said Garden Valley Collegiate had a reputation for being organized and disciplined.
"There were no fooling around," he said. "We had a lot of respect for our teachers, there was no messing around and wasting time in our classes."
Wiebe noted he keeps up with many of his former high school teachers including Rev. Ben Wiebe, Lloyd Rietze and George Hildebrand along with Principal Henry Neufeld.
"Wonderful man, he had such a challenge in the late 60's being a wild a crazy time," he said of Neufeld.
"Pierre Elliot Trudeau was our Prime Minister and Henry Neufeld was our Principal, and there were similarities, they were both charismatic gentlemen."
He said his time at GVC also prepared him his work as a Funeral Director.
"They were always concerned for my well-being," he said. "I picked up the respect for others and compassion that I needed in my profession through all my great teachers at GVC in those years."
Meanwhile, over the last number of months, pages and pages of old year books were poured through to put 50 years of history into a commemorative book for Garden Valley Collegiate. The book is one of several ways the Winkler high school is celebrating, including Saturday night's alumni banquet and concert.
Teacher Loretta Thorleifson acted as copy editor for the book, while the school's Desktop Publishing class, under the guidance of Teacher Darren Crane, did the layout work, design, and formatting.
"It was a wonderfully, huge task," said Thorleifson, when describing the many hours going through the last 5 decades of yearbooks. She went on to say, "a big shout out to the Desktop Publishing class for all of their work on it."
Thorleifson said the yearbooks were her main resource when collecting pictures and information for the book. She noted over the last 50 years, students and staff did a great job chronicling the events of the year, which was a huge benefit.
The book, which is divided into units of decades, is put together chronologically, and in the end comes together to tell a story. "It's sort of like an 80 page photo essay," said Thorleifson.
Thorleifson said something that emerged for her during the process, was realizing the number of former graduates who came back to to coach or teach at the school, or who went on to teach at one of the other schools in Garden Valley School Division.
"It was really neat seeing that. Teachers, myself included, we're teaching with former students, and now we're colleagues, and we're building the future together."
A short deadline was also a factor in the book project. Thorleifson and the Desktop Publishing class had only three months to get the book off to the publisher.
Grade 12 student, Brooklyn Stein was involved with the layout of the book and said, "it was really cool to see how fast it could come together. Once we really got focused, that obviously helped a lot... we just started zooming through the book, and all of a sudden we from page 20 to page 70."
The project was a huge commitment of time outside of class as well. Desktop Publishing student Frank Klassen said for weeks, they spend many after school ensuring to project got done.
Stein said it was really cool to be apart of making the project, especially it being their grade 12 year, "To have it being the 50th year, and a big year for my graduating year is already exciting. Let alone getting to work on, and be such a big part of the history book."
She said when she finally gets go hold the book, it's going to be so satisfactory to look through it and see stuff she's done, and the things her friends worked on.
"It's been such a great team to go through this process. So being able to be apart of that team, and then getting to see the end result together is going to be really exciting."
The book can be purchased at the school's main office. As well, administration also hopes to have it available to buy online soon.
Sat, Apr 20, 1:00 PM
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