The state of education has come a long way in the last 50 years.
Chalkboards were replaced first with white dry-erase boards and now with smart boards hooked into computer systems in nearly every classroom. Research books have given way to the myriad online sources and even the band has evolved significantly — at least in terms of the uniform.
But one thing that hasn’t changed much over the years, especially in a K-12 school like St. Mary, is the sense of community that permeates the building.
Last weekend more than 100 past students and teachers joined the school’s 50th anniversary celebration — ranging from those who graduated just last year to some who graduated in the school’s early days.
Despite many having moved away from the Westlock area and lost touch with some old friends, it didn’t take long for people to start swapping stories and laughing about the good times they had in those halls.
Several school dignitaries past and present spoke in glowing terms about the impact the school had on them throughout their lives — many were former students who, upon completing of their education degrees — returned to St. Mary at some point on their career to sit on the other side of the teacher’s desk.
While the events at St. Mary School are sometimes overshadowed by what’s happening in the larger public schools in the area, there’s no doubt the school and the culture it has created have had a significant impact on this community.
And look forward, this school is doing some very innovative things in the classroom and beyond: the library has moved out of the space that once housed the gymnasium, and book nooks are now scattered throughout the school. The kindergarten program, which has expanded this year to include a pre-kindergarten group, has moved into that space. Teachers will also be looking more at an exploratory learning format based on the Reggio Emilia philosophy.
As the school moves beyond the traditional approaches to education in the classroom, the sense of community at the school remains, and that’s really something to be celebrated.
Congratulations to St. Mary School on 50 years of education in this community.
