Wheatley Public School open house a big hit

By Mark Ribble

The 50-year anniversary open house at Wheatley Area Public School produced a lot of happy tears, hugs and shared memories as old friends got reacquainted inside those Warrior walls on Erie Street North.

In total, well over 200 people attended the event, with the organizing committee led by Christine Hopper and Marilyn Foster very pleased with the result.

As people filed into the gym filled with photos, scrapbooks and other memorabilia, the smiles were evident.

Young and old alike — some two or three generations worth — reveled in the old black-and-white photos and talked about the “good old days.”

In the school’s hallways, people stopped and hugged those they hadn’t seen in many years and reminisced alongside photo and poster displays.

The Wheatley Warriors recipe book sold well and many people stopped to check out and purchase Warrior t-shirts at a booth set up in the gym. There were plenty of refreshments, with two full tables of goodies for visitors to partake in.

Wheatley Area Public School grads from long ago — John Turner, left, and Roger Dundas — check out some memories on the hallway wall.

One of the more moving moments at the open house was when bus driver June Rutt, right, spotted her old friend, former teacher Ginny Abbott, in the hallway. The two shared a hug that showed a genuine friendship and picked up where they left off years before. June is still driving the Wheatley bus after 44 years on the job.

Chatham-Kent Leamington MP Dave Epp was on hand to present a certificate of congratulations to the organizing committee, represented here by Christine Hopper (centre) and Marilyn Foster.

Recipe book and t-shirt sales were brisk, as part of the organizing committee poses for a photo. From left are Ashton Beausoleil, Jessica Coulter, Mallory Wright, Lindsay Dales and Marci Lyman.