Tears and laughter filled the Cold Lake Elementary School (CLES) gymnasium as students and staff, past and present, gathered to look back on their time in the building.
The afternoon gathering attracted those from near and far for one last look at the CLES building before it gets demolished this summer to make way for students and staff to transition into their new environment. Stories, songs, and videos allowed the CLES community to reminisce about the many experiences they will take with them for the rest of their lives.
“My memories are catching frogs out in the back field, the monkey bars where many injuries occurred and hanging out in the open fire escape at the back stairs. The ceiling used to be quite higher and one April Fools' Day the teacher's desk was found above the doorway,” recalled Cindy Kentfield, who moved to Cold Lake with her family in 1967.
She continued, “Of course, the day came when two girls decided they wanted to go to shop class. My sister and her best friend went and insisted they had to go into industrial arts...It was finally agreed that the girls could be bused back to Cold Lake Public to take industrial arts with the boys.”
The current building was constructed in 1955 and has undergone many changes over the years. It is now home to just under 400 students in Kindergarten to Grade 3, as well as offering pre-school. Over the years, the school population has fluctuated greatly and welcomed as high as Grade 12 students through the doors.
Kentfield was one of many former members of CLES to share their memories during the June 16 ceremony.
One person who has watched the school grow from all different viewpoints over the years is Marilyn Hrycauk. After attending the school as a high school student and graduating 50 years ago, she came back following university to teach Grade 8 in 1968.
“I coached high school girls, junior high girls and junior high boys in all sports. I also coached senior high boys in badminton and track and field. I would load up these students on a bus, and I would get on, and at 19-years-old I was in charge.”
After serving as the Grade 2 teacher, she left the school only to return as principal in 1994 – a position she held for the next four and a half years.
“I'm just like Arnold Schwarzenegger, I just keep coming back,” joked Marilyn.
Her husband, Walter Hrycauk, was also hired on as a teacher and later became principal at Cold Lake Elementary School. Walter shared his memories through song – leading a chorus of the Cold Lake Public School song, which was written by former primary students.
“The song has a lot of pleasant memories. We had hundreds and hundreds of assemblies at this spot with the 300 students that were here. This song was created when the school became Kindergarten to Grade 3, back when Nelson Heights opened. It was a song commemorating the fact that we were a new school at the time an wanted to pass on the message of family and working together,” Walter explained.
It doesn't take decades to make memories at CLES, though. Even the school's more recent additions took the time to think about the building and memories being left behind.
“The thing I like most about this school is I find lots of friends here. I will miss this school because lot of my family went here, like dad and grandpa,” said Grade 3 student Darcy Ulfsten.
Watching a ‘then and now' video created by former teacher Kate Pereira , there wasn't a dry eye in the room. Visitors finished off the day with a meet and greet for former members of CLES, giving them a chance to share stories and reminisce.
For current principal Kathy McKale, the afternoon was the perfect send-off for a school that has had such a large impact on those that have gone through it.
“I was absolutely thrilled when I looked out in that crowd and saw all of the people. The walk down memory lane, I had said it was starting at 1:30 p.m. and people showed up at quarter-to 1 p.m. in order to walk the halls, look at the artwork, see what the students had done.”
McKale added, “I've been packing and purging and I'll walk down the hallways
and have these tears. They're tears of joy, for all of the memories, all of the students. It's beautiful.”
While there is some sadness with the parting of the current CLES building, students and staff alike are excited to be moving into their new school come September.
