Community newspaper serving Kingsville, Leamington, Wheatley and surrounding area
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Community newspaper serving Kingsville, Leamington, Wheatley and surrounding area
Hundreds of students, former students, parents and staff alumni packed the gymnasium and hallways at Kingsville Public School on Thursday, May 16 to bid a fond farewell to their beloved school.
The school’s doors will close at the end of this school year and all students will move to the new Erie Migration District School on Jasperson Drive.
Those arriving were greeted by a trio of school band members playing music and a giant array of word signs outside the school spelling out KPS FOREVER.
Inside, the gym overflowed with people and emotion as several speakers and videos captured their attention, followed by a moving performance by the entire KPS Senior Band, under the direction of Mme. Rebecca Quick.
Principal Darin Carroll addressed the gathering in the gym, where former classmates, teachers and staff all greeted each other with a distinct sense of nostalgia and admiration.
“I’ve come to realize how important this school is to the town of Kingsville,” he said. “We’ll never forget KPS because it will always be in our hearts.”
Carroll went on to say that he’s looking forward to next year at the new K-12 school.
Kingsville Councillor Sheri Lowrie then took the podium and delivered a personal message from herself and another from Mayor Dennis Rogers, who was out of town on business.
Lowrie — a graduate of KPS herself — was valedictorian for the 1995 graduating class.
The school was founded in 1862 and the long history has led to this final closing after 162 years of educating Kingsville’s children.
Thousands of students and hundreds of staff members have passed through the hallways of Kingsville Public School over those 162 years and many retired educators and staff members were on hand for the ceremony.
A painting of the current school done by Grade 8 student Carter Raffoul was on display in the main foyer and postcards of the painting were given out at the door as a memento.
After the ceremony, those in attendance were invited to visit the decade rooms and view all of the memorabilia and photos in the hallways.
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