April 8th, 2014

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Stanley Park SPS 50th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday. It was wonderful, with an estimated 700 guests, as well as several local dignitaries including Mayor Carl Zehr and Stephen Woodworth, Kitchener MP.  Thanks to the Planning Committee for all their hard work and great ideas! We also had many parents and students help out, including Anna Blagojevic who baked all the cookies, and Margie Rolston who got all the bottled water. Many other parents helped out in classrooms, served refreshments and greeted guests at the registration tables. Thanks to you all!

A few questions came up on Saturday that we’ll try to answer here:

1) When and how did Stanley Park become the “Gators”?

 Apparently Stanley Park was “The Green Machine” for many years. It was understandably difficult to have a mascot, so Bill Hooks and Lori McKim-Lang coordinated a shift (circa 1990) to become the Gators, complete with a plush mascot costume and papier mache head! A Gator was chosen largely because it maintained the green and white colour theme. The school recently purchased a new mascot outfit for “Stan” the gator. Perhaps some of you met him as he circulated on Saturday.

 2) What will be done with the time capsule contents from 1989?

Current students will be proposing ideas as to what they’d like to include in the time capsule for the next 25 years. We will also include a sample of the 1989 contents (a bag with one selection of student writing from each class). Parents and staff are also welcome to submit their ideas by April 24th. At that point the committee will select the items for the Time Capsule based on how well they reflect the current era, as well as being small and non-perishable. We will be using the same copper box, which will be stored in the same location in the front hall, with a new plaque stating “to be opened in the year 2039”.

 Thanks again for a wonderful celebration!

Categories: Principal's Message