Teachers Kent Hanna and Bryce Henderson watch a student attempt to pin the tail on a projection of a lion at the 10th birthday celebration of Dr. Roy Wilson learning Centre on Friday morning.--News Photo Anna Smith
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
On Friday, Dr. Roy Wilson Learning Centre students and staff gathered in the gymnasium to not only welcome a new school year, but the start of a new decade with the school’s 10th birthday.
The event was both a beginning of the school year assembly, congratulating students for settling in for their first week of classes, as well as a “birthday party” for the centre with several special guests, including former administrators and the family of Wilson himself.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been inside this gym. I was thinking back to 10 years ago when we did the opening of the school,” said Corey Sadlemyer, associate superintendent of learning for Medicine Hat Public School Division. He spoke briefly on the history of the school, as well as the educator and board trustee it was named after.
“Your school is named after a really important educator. Dr Wilson was a professor at the Medicine Hat College, and he established their teacher training program,” said Sadlemyer. “Dr. Roy Wilson had an impact on thousands of people who became teachers. And I’m not exaggerating when I say thousands, because there were nearly 100 students a year that were in that program. I was one of them.”
The assembly featured a rhythmic basketball presentation, as well as students performing Happy Birthday, before each class sent a representative to try to pin the tail on the lion.
An announcement of an upcoming mascot was also made, with the yet-unnamed Lion being on his way. Students were encouraged to work together as a class to come up with a potential name for the newest part of the school, with the potential to win a pizza party with the mascot.
Finally, the school passed the torch from the first 10 years into the next, and looks forward to continuing to cultivate what teacher Lindsey Nemeth called a “royal mindset” in their students.
