As the school buses rolled up to the front door of Elkhorn school, the students, for the most part, came off the bus like a can of soda pop that had been shaken before opening it.
There were lots of big smiles and lots of big bags and backpacks as they headed for their classrooms to meet the new teacher and tell stories to their friends of summer adventures, travel and jobs.
If you were going into junior high or high school, you would get your first private locker, a definite rite of passage.
All students assembled in the school gym to be welcomed back by school principal Mr. Barrate, who introduced the school staff that included new elementary teacher Kristy Rasmusen of Moosomin, Kelly Moar the new school custodian from McAuley, and Tamara Bajus the new school lunch lady from Elkhorn.
Barrate later reported that the school staff would number 24 this year and student enrollment would be about the same as last year. The grade 12 class this year has 12 students, eight boys and two girls.
On that first morning, the voices of the elementary children at the gym assembly sounded like a choir of angels - singing Oh Canada. However, on the playground at recess the sounds were very different.
Principal Barrate pointed out the new electronic bill board in front of the school that had been paid for by a great donation from the school’s canteen. The canteen is operated as a school course to teach basic business skills.
Before leaving, I made a stop at the staff room, only to find a cup of coffee and a baked treat and to have a brief talk to the school secretary, Marcy Rowan, who was looking forward to a good year. She plans to continue with her in-and-out-of-school project, working with students and area seniors to make sleeping mats out of recycled plastic shopping bags. The mats are then donated to homeless shelters.
This year’s kindergarten class will be the grad class of 2027. I wonder what kind of world they will be facing as everything that we know is changing so much and so fast.
Filing off the school bus for the first day at Elkhorn School.
