Celebrating the Past, Creating Our Future
By: Brian Uzick, Community Engagement Coordinator
It’s not every day that one is granted the opportunity to help plan a party five decades in the making. As Community Engagement Coordinator for the 50th Anniversary of Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School (STS), it is my pleasure to welcome you home to celebrate this landmark year with us. A monumental milestone like this calls for an event that encompasses the full spirit of our school’s motto — Nil Nisi Optimum: Nothing But Your Best.
It’s this philosophy that guides us as we prepare to host generations of alumni, employees, and families. STS is a school built around an extraordinary community: students and alumni, current and former employees, volunteers, and everyone else who has gone above and beyond in supporting our school — you are all ambassadors of our timeless legacy. It is with this in mind that we are presenting an entire year of events in honour of our Golden Anniversary.
The 50th Anniversary celebration year kicks off with a two-day event that runs from Friday, September 17 to Saturday, September 18, 2021. Friday’s events will feature a formal ceremony and cake cutting with notable dignitaries, as well as fun student activities centered around the history of the school. Saturday’s events will include an open house and family fall fair with activities for all ages.
If you haven’t had the chance to visit our campus in a few years, you will be amazed at how much STS has grown and developed in that time. With our new Rose Elementary Wing, Innovation and Arts Centre, beautiful school grounds, and countless enhancements to our existing facilities, the STS of 2021 may look a bit different from what you remember. At its heart though, it still retains the same vision and innovative spirit shared by the little private school that first opened its doors in 1971. It’s simply impossible to condense 50 years’ worth of memories into two days, so we will be holding events on a monthly basis throughout the 2021-2022 school year. For those that love the snow, you are welcome to join us for a pre-scheduled day of cross-country skiing or snowshoeing on our campus trails. Do you prefer something a bit warmer? Come out for an afternoon of canoeing or join us for family-friendly craft sessions such as kite making and flying. Check our website for more details and registration for events.
As the sun descends, the party will just be getting started. For those guests looking for a night out with old friends, we have lined up a series of adult-only events such as STS exclusive wine, gin, and beer tastings, a Flames game, and two on-campus observatory evenings: one for families and one for adults. At STS, the sky is literally the limit — and we’re reaching for the stars.
Our Big Birthday Bash weekend is June 3-5, 2022. Guests will have the opportunity to reconnect with old and new friends, all with a shared love of the STS community. The day of June 4 will be filled with family-friendly activities on campus, including trail walks, canoeing, and athletic reunions. That evening, attendees will have a front-row seat to the biggest party in STS history, with food, drink, dancing, and fireworks.
Everyone is invited — it’s an event you won’t want to miss! Also as part of our 50th celebrations we will be launching an online store offering a wide-variety of unique 50th themed merchandise and memorabilia that our STS family can purchase from around the globe. If COVID-19 has presented us with one lesson, it’s the importance of staying connected, and if you have ever wistfully pondered a nostalgic return to your school, this is the time to make that dream a reality. After all, a celebration like this only happens once in 50 years!