16°c A few clouds
19°c Sunny
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Reading, writing and real estate
Kids dream up prank during math class
A pair of students at John Taylor Collegiate pulled the all-in-fun prank Friday morning. A group of soon-to-be grads helped out. (SUPPLIED PHOTO)
When principal Scott Lockhart pulled into the parking lot at John Taylor Collegiate Friday morning, he rubbed his eyes to make sure he was seeing what he thought he was seeing.
Hanging from the school's roof was a giant white tarp with a spray-painted message, School For Sale!!, followed by John Taylor's office phone number. Vice-principal Rod Gilhuly was already there, taking a picture.
"I had a great big smile on my face and I said, 'That's a good one!' " Lockhart said.
The prank was the brainchild of Colin Toews and Brandon Clark, a pair of Grade 12 students who came up with the idea during a lull in a recent math class.
"I thought, 'I want to get out of here so badly it would be great to sell the school so nobody else had to go here,' " Clark said with a laugh. The pair was joined by six other soon-to-be graduates -- Clark's twin brother, Josh, Jordan Lineham, Carson Roziere, Christopher Miller, Matt Beaudin and Alexis Pankiw-Dorge.
They met up at the school late Thursday night with the tarp -- which had been used to cover the Toews' house when it was being reshingled recently -- a 4.8-metre ladder and a couple of cans of spray paint.
The boys covered a surveillance camera with a hockey sock and tape, and climbed up the ladder to the lower level of the school roof. Then they pulled the ladder up to get them to the upper half, where they tied the sign to some pipes.
Pankiw-Dorge, meanwhile, stood watch as the lookout. They hurried home for a few hours of sleep and made sure they were sitting in parked cars by 7 a.m. so they could see Lockhart's reaction.
"It was priceless," Miller said. "Teachers and other students were asking us about it in the hallways. I said we were good friends with Spider-Man. You can only keep a straight face for so long."
Because it was harmless and in good humour, the culprits weren't hauled into the principal's office.
And no, there were no offers.
geoff.kirbyson@freepress.mb.ca
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 9, 2012 A10
More Local
- Back to Top
- Return to Local
Poll
Most Popular Local
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Apple trick on Ellen falls short for city woman
- Couple faces new charges of sexual assault
- The end of the credit card?
- A new mom's booze-fuelled hell
- Gentle, humble native leader who made history lies in state
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- WAG's 100 Masters exhibit drawing more than art aficionados
- Goose gets cooked in Linden Woods
- Police identify slaying victims
- Charleswood deaths being investigated as domestic incident
- Man charged, victims identified in double homicide
- '2 minutes after I read the winning numbers, I retired': Winnipeg lotto winner
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Sex charges for ex-club boss
- Police identify slaying victims
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- 'Responsible Winnipeg' ads appear on sign run by mayor-owned Goldeyes' baseball park
- Woman killed in head-on crash in southwestern Manitoba
- Headingley grass fire destroys dealership's cars
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- A child-custody catastrophe
- Charleswood deaths being investigated as domestic incident
- Man charged, victims identified in double homicide
- Co-worker 'sick' today? Maybe it's the $17M flu
- '2 minutes after I read the winning numbers, I retired': Winnipeg lotto winner
- Parents, community relieved and elated as missing boy found safe
- No threat from bag found at Winnipeg Square
- Man missing since 2009 found safe
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- U of M to chop $5M out of $642-M budget
- U of M researchers awarded $9.5M in grants, U of W $2.2M
- Gentle, humble native leader who made history lies in state
- WAG's 100 Masters exhibit drawing more than art aficionados
- Elijah Harper: The humble man who said no
- Goose gets cooked in Linden Woods
- New main event confirmed at Winnipeg’s UFC 161 due to Barao injury
- Province courts European workers
- Province introduces changes to rules governing landlords, renters
- Crushing blow for amateur sport
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Fishing for fashion
- Woman killed in head-on crash in southwestern Manitoba
- Sex charges for ex-club boss
- Newly minted MD a beacon for kids in youth program
- North End proud
- Power restored to Linden Woods after goose collides with lines
- Bethania CEO put on leave during investigation
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- Mental-health patients get own ER
- A child-custody catastrophe
- Black market in moose thrives
- An uncommon phenomenon
- Steen invests $1M in family entertainment centre
- Earls on Main going, but new one coming
- Province introduces changes to rules governing landlords, renters
- Crushing blow for amateur sport
- Boost same-sex curricula: union
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.