Maples Collegiate turns 40

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This article was published 27/01/2020 (2244 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Although the new year has just begun, staff and students at Maples Collegiate have already been busy planning the school’s 40th anniversary.

“It’s not a 50th (anniversary), it’s a 40th, but it’s very significant because it’s going to lead up to our 50th,” said Luba Fedorkiw, a staff member at Maples who is spearheading the project.

To celebrate this milestone, Maples is hoping to transform an empty greenspace on the school’s property into a serenity garden which would also function as an outdoor classroom.

The garden will reflect a medicine wheel, its colours and teachings. Inspirational words and murals along with various plants will decorate the space as well.

The purpose of the garden and classroom will be to provide a safe space that acknowledges Indigenous cultures, and can be a retreat for students who prefer silence over bustling hallways and hubs, said the project committee.

“I think the most important thing about this particular high school is the celebration of community and diversity,” Fedorkiw said.

The committee also intends to add to its in-house hall of fame which was conceived for the school’s 25th anniversary to recognize prominent alumni.

Maples Collegiate has a population of around 1,500 students. The school’s various programs, whether athletic, academic, or performing arts, have earned the school several awards and recognitions.

“We’re always looking at how we’re going to celebrate our students’ success,” said principal Scott Schier.

“Some of our initiatives right now are posting pictures of our athletes in the gym, posting pictures of our performing arts along the wall, we’re looking at getting action shots of students in classrooms doing dissections, doing hands-on physics and so forth, and posting those around the school so our students can feel even better about themselves and understand that that’s the norm in this building.”

“For those students that don’t feel as engaged, hopefully that will bring up some of their engagement and celebrate great students.”

The project committee is calling on Maples alumni to pitch additional ideas for celebrating the school’s anniversary. They can contact the Maples 40 committee at maples40anniversary@gmail.com