October 1991 was a time of joy and excitement at Ă©cole Marie Poburan, says Monique Holm, the school's first principal.
October 1991 was a time of joy and excitement at Ă©cole Marie Poburan, says Monique Holm, the school's first principal.
“It was a new neighbourhood around here,” she says, speaking at her old stomping grounds Monday, as she recalled heading up St. Albert's newest school.
“The children were so excited to be here.”
As part of the school's opening celebration on Oct. 21, each of the students got to take home a coloured stone from a mosaic depicting the school's logo, she recalls.
Today, to celebrate the school's 25th year, they'll be leaving one behind.
Hundreds of current and former staff and students will be at Ă©cole Marie Poburan today to take part in the school's 25th anniversary celebration.
Although the anniversary is technically in October, the school decided to hold its celebration now so that it would happen during its 25th school term, said Marie Gamache-Hauptman, the school's current principal.
They've planned a full day of events, including a mass at the Holy Family Parish just up the hill, a hot lunch picnic with a live DJ, a historic video, an open house, speeches, and, of course, cake.
Parent volunteer Mark Schoenberger has constructed a large wooden podium in which to house a time capsule for the celebration, Gamache-Hauptman says. The capsule, a toddler-sized wooden box, will be filled and sealed during today's ceremonies, not to be opened again until 2041.
“Every child will be represented in this capsule,” Gamache-Hauptman said, with each class doing something a little different.
The Kindergarten kids are putting in self-portraits, for example, while the Grade 6 students have made a day-in-the-life video. Some students are putting in lengths of string that represent their current heights along with predictions of what they'll be doing in 25 years.
In a call-back to the 1991 opening ceremony, students will also get to place a coloured glass stone into the front of the podium to create the cross-shaped stone mosaic, Gamache-Hauptman says. The podium will be used in various school ceremonies and will have a small plate indicating the presence of the time capsule.
St. Albert artist Lewis Lavoie worked with the school last December to create a tile mosaic that will also be unveiled today, Gamache-Hauptman continues.
“The kids have been waiting since December to see where their piece is.”
The mural depicts a tree with the faces of Jesus and some children near its roots, Gamache-Hauptman says. This is a pun on the school's theme for this year – “For His Tree” or “forestry” – and references a family tree, reflecting the multiple generations of students that have attended the school. The mural will go on display in the school's lobby.
Jennifer Smith will speak at the ceremony today about the school's namesake and her grandmother, the late Marie Poburan.
A teacher in St. Albert for 35 years, Poburan was instrumental in setting up the St. Albert Catholic district's French immersion program and had retired four years prior to this school's opening, Holm says.
“She had a wisdom about her,” she recalls, as well as a strong vision of education and the community.
“She really loved children.”
While the core of Ă©cole Poburan hasn't changed much over the years, it has gained some portable classrooms, a playground, and about 100 students, said Holm and Gamache-Hauptman. It's also picked up a mascot – Gribbit the Frog – and changed its school T-shirts to light blue from turquoise (as they can't get turquoise shirts anymore).
One thing that hasn't changed is the joy and sense of community at the school, Holm said.
“We could do amazing things just because people were so engaged in the school.”
