With the coming of new and exciting opportunities, sometimes there is a necessity of leaving the old things behind and moving on.
This is true of the pandemic, and I don’t think anybody’s going to particularly miss the necessity of always having to put on a mask or to stay six feet away from other people.
It’s true of our graduates, and the Class of 2021 are soon going to be on their way to pursuing their dreams and passions, or searching for their dreams as they move into adulthood. They may end up leaving their homes and family and going off to find new friends, and new meaning in their lives.
This is also true for three of Weyburn’s elementary schools, two of which have very long histories in this city, Souris and Haig.
Both of these schools have been in place for over a century and are landmarks of Weyburn’s history. Haig School was where future Canadian author W.O. Mitchell attended school and his father was involved as a trustee from the very start of the school’s construction.
Queen Elizabeth School hasn’t had quite the storied past of these other two, but it’s held a special place for many families as up until now this was the school for rural area children to come and be educated.
In one post I saw from a parent, QE was a special place because a farm kid or ranch kid could come to school and not be made fun of for having muddy boots from having to do chores before coming on the bus.
The new Legacy Park Elementary School will be an exciting place as a state-of-the-art brand new facility, as will the City of Weyburn’s Credit Union Spark Centre, but I’m sure there will be adjustments and a learning curve for everyone involved.
Part of that adjustment will be the farm and ranch kids integrating with the city and town kids, but maybe this will be a good thing. The teasing may not be good, but if children can learn to be friends and gain insights into how their lives are different, this could be an opportunity for learning of a different kind, as they have to make that adjustment come junior high anyway.
For everyone who has to adjust and learn this year, rejoice in that there are new adventures ahead for you and your loved ones.
