Sydenham HS Anniversary

Sue Peters | Aug 30, 2023

Recently, my husband Jeff and I attended the weekend long festivities to celebrate Sydenham High School’s 150th reunion.

While I am not an alumnus of the school, my husband and our two sons attended as students. Additionally, my husband and one of our sons taught there. Both our sons have fond memories of special experiences and have forged long-time friendships from their years there.

The time and personal energy invested by staff, both in the classroom and in the many extra curricular activities, went above and beyond the call of duty and offered students a stellar example of character and dedication to carry with them. This spirit of giving continues in many ways. Recently, a fund, called “The Lucky Spike Fund” was set up to help students for whom the financial burden of joining a sports team is too onerous.

This fund is in memory of former teacher/coach, Ken Dearborn, who was for many years a starter for track and field meets. Ken would walk the track prior to the meets and look for discarded spikes, which he would later quietly pass on to a runner with words of encouragement before their race. This tradition is still carried on today, in the same and different ways.

The reunion celebrations gave one the feeling that this school was, and continues to be, a special place, founded on solid educational goals and a strong sense of community. The fact that the original building, completed in 1873, was constructed of local limestone, is a testament to that ‘solid’ tradition of learning values.

A huge shout-out and congratulations to the organizing team that worked tirelessly for many months to bring this weekend of celebrations to fruition. It was simply amazing and indeed a labour of love and dedication.

We applaud you and offer many thanks for all you did.

Sue Peters