Planning is underway for a special celebration in 2014 to mark South Delta Secondary's 40th anniversary.
A committee of teachers and grads is hard at work trying to get the word out about the celebration, likely to be held next May 10. It's a big task reaching thousands who graduated from the Tsawwassen high school as well as its former staff.
"There's about a dozen of us and at this stage there's assigned tasks we're running around after and formulating a plan and making contacts," said Julie Lymburner, a fine arts teacher at the school and member of the committee.
In just a few weeks, well over 500 people have joined the committee's Facebook group (South Delta Secondary School's 40th Anniversary).
Originally called South Delta Senior Secondary, the school opened its doors in September 1973, graduating its first class of 250 students the following June. The 53rd Street high school opened at a very different time in Delta, during a period of huge population growth following the opening of the George Massey Tunnel years earlier.
At that time, Tsawwassen already had a junior secondary so the senior high school co-existed next door for a couple of decades. In 1994, the two schools merged to form South Delta Secondary and eventually the junior secondary building was demolished. Another anniversary committee member is math teacher Brian Outerbridge, who was part of the school's first graduating class of 1974. He began teaching at Tsawwassen Junior Secondary in the early 1980s before moving over to SDSS after the amalgamation.
He said a lot of grads have parents who are also grads at the school. In fact, he has taught kids whose parents are his former classmates.
Outerbridge said it's clear students today are much different than years ago.
"You can look at the pictures to see how the kids have changed physically. Students today are definitely different than when I went to school," he said.
"Then just look at the impact of technology on the world and you don't have to look too far before you see computers that weren't here, kids walking around with cell phones and cell phones used in class. Ten years ago, the library would have had lots of TVs, but not any more."
Lymburner agreed, saying the electronic transmission of information has also meant a lot less paper for students and staff. Outerbridge said paper report cards are also a thing of the past at the school.
"On the flip side, school is still school," Lymburner added. "By and large, we're still looking at bricks and mortar and bells ringing and we haven't quite moved out of that paradigm, but I wouldn't be surprised if that came to an end."
The first celebration next spring is going to be a daytime, family-friendly gathering, likely a sporting event followed by a barbecue run by current students. The evening event is still being contemplated but will likely include musical entertainment.
For more alumni information or to get in touch with the committee regarding next year's celebration, call the school at 604-943-7407 or check www.sd.deltasd.bc.ca.
