As the school year winds down at William Morton Collegiate in Gladstone, Principal Shannon Blondeau says she can sum up the past year as exciting, stressful, exhilarating, and a lot of things. 

"It's my first year back as administrator. I took a leave for four years. So, coming back has been crazy but a good crazy," notes Blondeau. 

She explains their Race Day was a definite highlight. Blondeau says Mr. Lang's Industrial Arts class had put in a semester's worth of work to bring them to their annual Race Day with homemade go-karts. 

"Weather didn't cooperate that day, but we still had fun. We've also had the opening of our Constant Peace Memorial Courtyard in memory of a colleague we lost at the start of the year. There have been collaborative band concerts between our (the school division's) two high schools, which has been fundamental in bringing students together from across our division. There are so many things I'm forgetting; Christmas concerts and many activities just within the school, and some student and staff morale with a big function of the Gym Blast, where we break students and everybody into houses and have a good time."

She says they were proud to raise a Provincial Banner for their Junior Girls basketball team, which she describes as a huge feat; to claim a basketball provincial title.

"We have lots of Zone Championships proudly displayed in our entrance. So yeah, it's been a crazy year. We've done some partnering with MacGregor's high school in the band program, which is great."

Blondeau adds they're in the planning stages of what's to come in the future, and currently trying to finish up one year and planning for next year. 

"Graduations are coming up. We're kind of unique in the division in that we have Grades 7 to 12. So, we've got some middle schoolers and our high school. Grade 12 Graduation is on June 21st. Our Grade 8 Graduation celebration is on June 27th. So, we get to celebrate a couple of different times."

Reflecting again on their go-kart Race Day last week, she adds it's always exciting to see how students and staff come together as a community. 

"As you can see, there's maybe 12 students involved with the race and the building of the bikes, but the whole school community was there supporting. That's what 'the Warriors' (school team) do, right? We back each other up regardless of a sport, a race day, or it's a band performance. We're there for one another. And that's what I like to see."

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