. FEW WEEKS ago, we asked readers to write A in with their memories of Skeena Second- ‘ary in honour of its 50th anniversary - and to say goodbye to the ald school, which will be tom town in July. People were eager to share their stories, particu- _ larly those readers from afar who keep tabs on their _ hometown by frequenting our website. ~.. Here are some of their memories, presented in - their own words. ..- For more photoes celebrating Skeera’s history, its students and staff, see our Skeena School phate gall- - ery at www.ferracestandard.com White Rock reader swayed from a career in education With Skeena facing the wrecking ball now, all my childhood schools are, or will be, gone. 1 began school in 1952 at Riverside Elementary where the Curling Rink now is and graduated from Skeena Ju- nior Senior Secondary in 1964. One of my clearest memories is the huge fire: beside Riverside Elementary when the old civic centre (former - Army drill hall) burned to the ground, The heat was so ~ intense it could be felt on the old highway by the A&W ‘and Dog and Suds (which were not there at the time). Iwas fortunate. to start Grade 1 with people like . Diane West, Zo-Lynn Cyr and others and graduate from -Skeena Junior Secondary 12 years later with them. Mrs. Vesta Douglas was clearly my most memorable “elementary teacher without whom I'd likely still be try- ing 'to pass Grade 6. _ ~. Skeena has memories, like pimples and acne, I would “rather forget and many fond memories of friends, tea- chers and activities I will remember forever. - Looking back almost 40 years since graduation I be- lieve the two teachers that had the greatest impact on me were Mrs. Vera Frank and Mr. Marshall (Skip) Be- -Tgsmna,: ‘The principal drew lines in the hall- ways to make student traffic more or- derly!’ Mrs. Frank was a home rvum and French teacher but | ‘- remember her not for that but for her incredible fairness, values and extreme interest in the well-being of her stu- dents, Mr Bergsma is remembered for two things. He was in- strumental in sending me to Vancouver for a “Future Teachers” convention which convinced me not to be a teacher, thus saving an entire generation of stu- dents my classroom pre- sence. He did inspire in me a strong interest in maths, which led me to complete a degree in Civil Class rings Engineering at UBC. I recall one year at Skeena when the principal of the day decided that painting lines on the hailways similar to highways might lead to more orderly student traffic! The result was the appearance of many student-made _signs such as, “Watch for teachers approaching in your lane”, “No left turn”.at washrooms, .“‘Siower., teachers. ’ keep left” on stairways, etc. I will drive by the Skeena purple and gold rubble on this. August long weekend with these and many unpu- -blishable memories in mind. oe Sandy Wightman, White Rock SKEENA'S high schoo! annuals carried the team name, inspired by the strength of the Tsimshian peoples of the northwest. Where is the Class of ‘69? Skeena High’s final grads share a special connection 1954, Front row: (L-R) Hannah Bushman, Marianne Bissonnette, Sharon Mclirey, Margaret Groome, Joan Gillanders, Shirley Rey- PHOTOCOURTESY OF SHIRLEY (REYNOLDS) BENOIT SKEENA HIGH turned out its very first graduating class in June, nolds. Back row: Eddie Richardson, Robin Gromme, Bruce Wilson, Chuck Walker. o *° McColl, Gerald A 50-year-old Terrace landmark faces the wrecking ball in a few weeks. ' Qur readers reminisce about the late, great Skeena High Two memorable years at Skeena I arrived from my home town Sandspit in 1963 to attend Skeena High until graduation in 1964. 1 stayed with my Aunt and Uncle Bea and Dave Kirby on Straume Avenue. My cousin Dave Kirby was in Grade 12 with me and we were like brothers, (Dave is a now ve- terinarian in Victoria and we see each other often. Dave’s wife is Susan, nee Woodbridge; of Terrace.) My: altendance..was somewhat : erratic as I didn’t like “to do” Monday mornings. After one un- authorized Friday absence to Prince Rupert I was made to clean blackboard brushes in front of the school by then-principal Ray Zacharias before classes let out. How humiliating for a “cool” 18-year-u.d! When graduating from SFU in 1973 with honours (a BA in socio- logy-anthropology}, I was asked — as were all students — if would agree to have my grades forwar- ded to my last high school. Not only did I agree but I added a per- sonal note insisting on same. I knew there would still be tea- chers who would roll their eyes at achievement not reached under their tutelage — through no fault of theirs. I have fived in Sandspit, Burns Lake, Terrace, Kitimat and Prince Rupert in the north but whenever I smel] sweet cottonwoods in the Spring it takes me immediately back to Terrace and Skeena High - two memorable years. Tom Crozier, Calgary Tom Crozier retired from the Correctional Service of Canada in 2001 after holding various position including warden and senior ad- ministrator. its elementary? September ‘62 was the first year Skeena Junior Secondary be- came a secondary school (Grades 8-12), however we Grade 7 stu- dents had no elementary school that could accommodate us, so we were allowed to be in Grade 7 ‘in the new Skeena Secondary School, * I believe we were the only school of its kind in B.C. Bob Frank (Grad ‘67), Vancouver I attended Skeena Junior Sec- ondary School's 50th birthday. I listened‘ to the speakers, Nobody mentioned the primary students who were at Skeena in September 1969 to the spring of 1970. Yes, you heard me right. I was one of those Grade 1 students and my brother was one of those Grade 2 students. we attended school there until Parkside Pri- mary School was finished being built. Parkside opened up in the spring of 1970. We primary stu- dents walked from Skeena to our brand new school, Parkside. Yvonne Nielsen, Terrace My two favourite teachers How | will remember Skeena Secondary: [ attended Skeena By MARGO BATES ‘DID WE study? Yes, Did we learn? Yes. What did we learn? More than anything, we ‘Jearned that it takes a ‘community to raise a child. Our community, Ter- race, did a good job on the grads of 1969. It is an honour to be in- vited to get together with my old classmates every five years. . - Some of us living in the ‘Lower ‘Mainland get toge- ther a few times a year f for dinner. = race after years away. Some of us have held the same job for years; others have had more than one career. We're labourers, mech- anics, doctors, lawyers, nurses, secretaries, writers, artists, hair stylists, for- esters, accountants, sales people, homemakers, mu- sicians, engineers, loggers, miners... you name it, we've done it. Some of us have kids, others don't. Some are grandparents two, three times over. Some are rais- ing young families. IN 1999, SKEENA’'S LAST GRAD class (1969) re- united with a tour of the old school. Above: Mike Nahulak, Gayle Seaman, Rhonda Norbirg, Shirley Satterthwaite Huumonen, Chris Nahirney Hansen, Brian Lennan, Susan Kaulbeck, Rob Rose, Sherri Thomas Webber, Margo Bates Froese, Roland Holiz, and Audrey Troelstra Walsh. Behind Kaul- beck Is Penny Fisher Llewellyn. single, separated, di- vorced, remarried or co- habitating. elite group: we hold the dubious honour of being the last Grade 12 class to What happened to us? Most of the graduates Some: are grandparents of two, three times over. Each of us has a story to tell, and no matter what graduate from “Good Old, Skeena High.” Margo Bates owns a 69 lived.Some died. _. Some remained in Terrace. *.Othets travelled, and set- tled elsewhere, : Some are married to the same person they dated in . . high. school. Others are A few returned to Ter- — “group” or “groups” we were in during. our years at Skeena High, we are now members of an public relations business in the Varicouver area. She met her husband at a Ter- race reunion, . High for two years before pro- ceeding on to the then newly-built Caledonia. I will remember it as it being so “big” to me, However, to this day I think [ was the smallest stu- dent in the school that year! It was an exciting time and.I met so many new friends. Two teachers will always be remembered as very special and outstanding. Mrs. Peterson who taught me English for two years. Her patience, understanding and willingness to put in that extra time with me has always confirmed my belief. that teachers . are’a rare breed of dedicated indi- . viduals. Secondly Mr.. Giesbrecht, who convinced’ me that science was truly.a necessary evil. They were my favourite classes and ones I looked forward to every day they were on my agenda, It is sad that Skeena will be torn down and I send my best wishes to all of those who cherish their fond memories and to be thankful that we have them. Holly McNaughton, Sheridan Lake, B.C. Singing in a tutu We're grateful to the following on-line reader for answering a spe- cific request: the words to the school song: “Give three cheers to old Skeena High. Praise Purple and Gold right up to the sky. When we enter in a game We'll carry you to highest fame. Skeena, School District 88, We'll fight for glory and make you great. Fellows now from Skeena High. Go out and do or die.” I only remember this because I was president of student’s council, and in charge of initiation day ceremonies, and my younger bro- ther Chris was in Grade 8. I made him get up on stage and sing that song in a pink tutu dur- ing assembly. Chris got me back, though, He threw a pie at me while I was on stage adjudicating the kangaroo court. Chris went on to get himself elected President of Students Council at the end of that year. Bruce Hallsor, » Prom King, 1983 Victoria “(Chris is now a married father who lives in Powell River, where ‘he works for Weyerhauser. Bruce is a lawyer) Correction: Two of the photos in last week’s feature page on Skeena’s 50th anniver- sary party | (Goodbye, Skeena) were accidentally | switehed around. The cor- rect informa- tion is: School secre- tary Vi Tim- merman was the woman holding an annual out- Timmerman side the school; Mags Gingles, Petra Burdette and Carla Wooeste were looking at old annuals inside the school. BACK IN THE DAY: Tha Ciass of ‘69 dressed up for grad night. There were so many graduates that year, they had to take two class photos.