Loughborough PS gears up for 100th anniversary celebrations on May 1

Apr 30, 2015

Students at staff and Loughborough Public School in Sydenham have been busy gearing up to celebrate their school's 100th anniversary. The celebrations will take place on Friday, May 1 from 4-8 p.m. with events taking place at Loughborough P.S., Sydenham High School and the Grace Centre.

A number of displays of students' work will be set up in the foyer at LPS and the school's Spirit Store will also be on site offering up a selection of LPS logo and crest-bearing spirit gear, including lanyards, t-shirts, scarves, school supplies, bracelets and more. The LPS school mascot, Leo the Lion, will also be making a special appearance. For those requiring a meal, the LPS school council will be putting on a barbeque at Sydenham High School and there will be a raffle with a number of prizes donated by local businesses and individuals, including a gas barbeque, travel accessories, and a number of gift certificates courtesy of Trousdale's General Store. An old-fashioned photo booth will be set up and those wanting a historic pic will be able to don period costumes.

Next door, at Sydenham High School, there will an anniversary cake cutting at 6:15 p.m., followed by speeches by School Board Trustee, Suzanne Ruttan, and School Superintendent, Krishna Burra.

Then at 7 p.m. LPS students from grades 5-8 will perform a play titled “One Hundred Years of Learning”, written and directed by Christine Harvey. The play is made up of a number of vignettes including skits, songs and dances. It hearkens back to the area's first native inhabitants and covers the history of the Sydenham community and the school.

A number of events will also be taking place at Sydenham's Grace Centre, including an art show by LPS students in the main hall. Students from the grade7/8 challenge program will be offering up tours of the community garden that they are growing there, and which will provide fresh vegetables and other produce to the local food bank and to seniors at Sydenham's retirement residence.

Loughborough Public School has a unique history. Originally built in 1915, it has undergone two major expansions since that time, the most recent in 1993 when a new library, entrance way and new classrooms were constructed, which brought an end to its outdoor portables. The school has received awards. In 2002/2003 it was named the Associate School of the Year by Queen's University. It has also birthed a number of unique programs, including its annual Girls Active Living and Sports (GALS) conference, which was recognized by none other than Oprah Winfrey.

Helen Peterson, who has been principal at the school for the last four years, and taught there for five years, is thrilled to be a part of the school 100th anniversary celebrations. “This is a unique opportunity for students, staff and the entire community to celebrate 100 years of teaching and learning at Loughborough. Many of our students have parents and grand parents who went to this school and its great for our students to see, understand and celebrate how the school has changed so dramatically and adapted so well over the last one hundred years. In 1915 education looked very different to what it has become today and that history represents something interesting for students to learn about and understand."