Updates

50^th Anniversary & Reunion
NOW WE ARE FIFTY…

It’s true! Gloucester High School celebrates its 50th anniversary this spring. (Yikes! How did THAT happen?)

And since jubilees call for, well, jubilation, and since 50th anniversaries have a golden, well, ”aura”, let’s spread the word and get ready for a weekend of Guiltless Gilded Gator Giddiness. (Take that alliteration, you English dons and donnas!)

Long-time teachers Kelly Oka and George Barrett, together with a planning team of enthusiastic alumni/ae, have spearheaded plans for a fabulous homecoming weekend of exhilaration, mirth, gaiety, elation, animation, glee, delight, joyfulness, hilarity, exaltation and, well, fun.

Download details HERE or log on to the forum.

40^th Reunion Review Well, wasn’t that a party? The 40^th Anniversary celebrations of May 2003 are over….but the reverberations of the good times had by all linger still.  The reunion weekend celebrations began with some 125 current and former teachers and staff rekindling old friendships at a warm-up reception in the library kindly hosted by Phil Nicholson (Class of 1969). The only challenge was peeling them away from their own private fun to join in on the grand reception with some 800-900 returning students that evening.

And what a night! Inside the auditorium, the most dazzling display of musical talent imaginable, as Laurie Hamilton led her national award-winning ensembles through a brilliantly orchestrated tour of the musical hits of each successive decade. In the lobby, brilliant smiles of recognition popping like flash bulbs as old friends reunited. Growing circles of laughing, beaming classmates rekindling shared experiences. And throughout the evening, small clusters of friends - arm in arm more often than not -  taking their own quiet moments to reflect on their “once and always friends” now honoured with profound dignity on the In Memoriam display in the central lobby showcase. Meantime, in the “decades rooms”, boisterous gangs of classmates chattering excitedly, swapping addresses and phone numbers, and passing patched-in cell phones to link up with friends as far away as Vancouver and California. Throughout it all, wave upon wave of delectable treats from the region’s finest caterer Thyme & Again, complemented by much-appreciated beer, wine and other liquid refreshments served up by an astonishingly efficient and friendly brigade of teacher volunteers under enthusiastic orchestration of Kelly Oka.

 But hey, we’re not finished. A smaller but highly energized group of alumni – some 250 in all – returned for “extended viewing” the next night. This time, a more formal soiree - again superbly catered by Thyme and Again. The dazzling opening musical concert by Laurie Hamilton’s musical proteges was complemented by after-dinner dancing to the sparkling jumped-up rock of Ottawa’s favourite garage band The Sox.  Not a dry shirt in the house. In between, great food, great stories, great times.

 And, oops, did we skip over the classic afternoon hockey match for former Gators? Check the reviews under Hockey in the Sports Teams section of the Gloucester Through the Ages (Caution: Not for the faint-hearted!). And how about that Saturday golf tourney with a wonderful balance of old and new generations on the most glorious spring day a reunion committee could wish for. Speaking of which, hats off to the organizers who set a record for the first reunion planning team that never actually met! Ideas via e-mail and phone messages from alumni across the country.  Web site design from Halifax , thanks to Deborah (LeBlanc) Sangster (1969). Electronic registration coordinated by Margaret (Smith) Pahud (1970), based in Switzerland of all places. And on-site quarterbacking by GHS 40 Committee Chair Phil Nicholson (1969) and Vice-Chair Deborrah Kilmartin (1967). A very special thanks to new Gloucester teacher Anthony Anderson, teacher liaison with the alumni planning committee.  For more reunion snippets, read the pre and post-reunion chatter in the various discussion forums, and check out the reunion pictures on the Photo Gallery page. 

 School History and Distinctions Check out this “locked” (i.e., “read only”) section of the Forum, which seeks to provide a reasonably comprehensive and up to date history of the school for on-going reference, inspiration and amusement. Want to know who all our student leaders were, and when? How about the Principals and Vice Principals? Who’s gone on to studies abroad? Who’s accomplished what in the arts, science, business or public and humanitarian service?  How about individual and team sports successes? Reach For the Top contests?  Math Olympiads? They’re all here…at least as far as our diligent sleuthing tells us. And that’s where you come in. If you know – or even have a suspicion or vague memory – about something noteworthy about our school or its alumni, let us know. We’ll check it out and fill in the gaps. Just send a short note to Phil Nicholson (Class of 1969, GHS 40 Committee Chair, and Co-Manager of this site): nicholson@jpnicholson.ca

Legacy Fund Click here to find out about our growing scholarship and student activities fund.  

Mentor Program Have an interesting professional background that might be of interest to the current crop of students? Click here to find out how you can share your valuable insights and experience.