'Create our own legacy': Lakehead public high school students look beyond closures

Superior Morning11:34School Test - Student Union

The Lakehead public board plans to close two high schools in Thunder Bay, effective next September.Cathy Alex spoke to teenagers from all four schools, and get their thoughts on the pros and cons of bringing together different student populations

It is the beginning of a new school year for theLakehead public board in Thunder Bay, Ont., but it's also the end of an era for two of itsfour high schools in the city. Now teenaged students are started to think about the challenges they'll face, and the benefits they'll see next year.

Due to declining enrolment, and a decision by the provincial Ministry of Education to stop funding empty class space, the administration is proposing moving students on the south side of the city from Sir Winston Churchill C.V.I into Westgate C.V.I. On the north side the board recommends moving students from Superior C.V.I. to Hammarskjold High School.

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"I was kind of annoyed and sad.. to hear that Churchill was going to be shut down," said Peter MacGregor, a grade 10 student in the school's International Baccalaureate program.

His classmate, Sharran Sekhon, felt the same way. She was hoping to carry on a family tradition, and graduate from the same high school as her five older siblings, but that's unlikely to be the case for her and her younger sister.

"We've basically grown up at Churchill because even when my older siblings were coming here we would still come for the different events they had," she said.

"My biggest concern is that kids will lose the opportunities they already have at one school," said Caleb Perzan a grade 10 student a Hammarskjold. He's worried that students could potentially lose out on sports or academic scholarships.

But many students think they might do better academically at a larger school, because there will be more options when it comes to choosing classes.

"I'm excited to see what the future holds," said Alison Jones, a grade 11 student at Hammarskjold."There's a lot of course conflicts [now] and not enough kids to fill classes. I really just want to see programs that I'm interested in and enough kids to fill them."

They're also eager to find ways to smooth the transition next year when two school populations suddenly find themselves under one roofandwhy many are suggesting that the schools and their sports teams be renamed.

"I think that if we keep them the way they are, there's still going to be a fight against the students about who won and who didn't and so a change, a rebrand, a new mascot would just bring us together and we could create our own legacy," said Madilyn Reppard, a grade 10 student at Superior.

But Emma Hansen, a grade 11 student at Hammarskjold, wondered if those scheduled to graduate in spring 2018 could hold onto their old school identities for just one more year.

"I'd like the opportunity to graduate as a Viking and I'm sure that some Superior Gryphons would feel the exact same way. We have the gowns. I would hope to see that happen, but if that does not happen I'd be totally game to be graduating as one of the first graduating classes of the new school,"she said.

Recognizing that the students are building a new school community will be vital to the success of the transition, summed up Cameron Johnsen, a grade 10 student at Westgate.

"My sister is in grade 8 this year, so she'll be going into grade 9 next year so this school will really be just as new for me as it is for her because of all the renovations.

"Not only will the building look different but there will be new teachers and new students. It will almost be like another first day of high school."

The Lakehead District School Board will vote on the final staff recommendations at a special meeting on October 4.