THE DRAGON'S PEN
/by Milan Streit
(all photos by Milan Streit. Click to enlarge)
GRADUATION 2021
June 25th marked the second pandemic-era graduation at King George and by all accounts, it was a total success given all the COVID safety protocols and constraints. Sixty-five Grade 12 students graduated this year, most of them being born in 2003.
The grad itself took place in the school gym and according to school staff, three weeks of planning went into the event.
See our gallery of grads, captured leaving the ceremony, on your right here.
Due to pandemic restrictions, only the grads, select staff, and speakers were allowed inside the gymnasium — not even the press (yours truly) was admitted entrance. But there's a major reason behind it. During a grad committee meeting, it was decided unanimously that everyone wanted to graduate in the same room. Sadly, that meant no parents were allowed inside, though some did wait outside.
I did manage to secure a location near the archives room for photos. Graduate Dolan Kumpf, the class valedictorian, told me he was “excited for the opportunities ahead.” While I didn’t catch the full speech outside the gym (along with the fact that the live stream can't be re-watched), I hear he mentioned a couple of his favorite things to do in the West End and offered a major shout-out to some of his favorite teachers.
KG math teacher Patrick Wadge, Principal Jason Lauzon, and “the old guy” retired staffer Jess Coombs were also mentioned frequently during the individual statements of each graduate.
This was an historic event at KG for sure, as a graduation ceremony hasn’t happened inside the school's gymnasium since the early ’90s. Mr. Coombs said it was significantly cheaper as well. The Vancouver Playhouse (2019’s venue) costs around $7,000, along with the $5,000 usually spent on prom venue decor and food. This required major fundraising, something not needed this year.
We can only wonder what's in store for next year. I am hoping to be part of the 2022 grad committee.
THE YEAR IN REVIEW
As we end another school year, I thought it would be interesting to review some of the major events that happened in 2021, while not completely over-saturating it with the ongoing pandemic.
September and October were interesting because no one really wanted to go back. Online petitions called for school to be online. Much misinformation spread on social media about the virus at the time, and masks were only required in hallways.
During Halloween, pretty much no one wore costumes. It seemed that the special event was dead because of the ban on gatherings, but people had parties anyway. A group of Grade 8 students had a “long talk” with Vice-Principal Godfrey after ten of them gathered and got busted.
Leading up to Christmas break, the student council hosted a couple of “Spirit Week” events, encouraging people to dress up for certain events, but they soon realized no one really followed along. Only teachers and student council members were seen dressing up, leading to the cancellation of a similar event afterward.
From January to March, nothing much happened, though an updated provincial mask rule came into effect, requiring that students must always wear them, apart from sitting in a classroom. Gym class protocols were also updated after complaints from students and parents.
But March finally saw some real school news, A group of KG cross-country students placed first and third in a city-wide competition. This was the first real sporting event since early 2020.
Also, in March we saw our first major schedule change, with online learning almost thrown out the window in favor of more class time for all students, with younger students getting more than the seniors. This was done after a lawsuit by a group of parents from Kitsilano Secondary School and tons of complaints.
April to June saw much-improved attendance from all students and a significant spike in grades among my peers. Other sports returned, and KG fielded a small track and field team that placed seventh citywide in competition.
ANOTHER PRINCIPAL CHANGE
It seems like ever since Mr. Lauzon left, the VSB has had some trouble securing a principal, with Vice-Principal Godfrey basically covering that role.
Jack Bailey, the temporary principal, who himself was covering for temporary Principal Geoffrey Taylor, is switching schools, along with Mr. Taylor, which means KG will have its third principal in one and a half years.
In a message to students and staff, Godfrey says “as we depart for a summer break and say goodbye to our graduates, we will also be saying goodbye to several staff members. For the new school year, we will be joined by a new school principal, Mr. Tyler Evans, and we wish the departing Mr. Geoff Taylor the very best for the future. We also say goodbye to Ms. Tina Li, Ms. Leah McGraw, and Mr. Patrick Wadge, all leaving the King George family for exciting new educational adventures elsewhere.”
Not much is known about where the new principal is coming from. However support worker Kevin Okrainetz told The Dragon’s Pen that the new principal is “a strong fisherman”, referring to a staff-only post on Microsoft Teams.
SCHOOL’S OUT!
It's that time again, the sun is out strong, the beaches are filled, the grass looks as if it's on life support. Yes, summer is back and it’s a great time to get a community job. Many companies are struggling to find employment at restaurants, cafes, and tourist attractions, mostly because of a shortage of seasonal workers.
A summer job can be a great source of revenue for many things such as a new tech item, saving for post-secondary education, and not relying on parents for money.
With some jobs, you don’t have to work full time. You can simply do weekend shifts or peak hours only at many companies, so you won't lose touch with your core group and have more flexibility.
MORE CORONA VIRUS CHANGES - THE GOOD KIND
Here is some cool news! Masks, social distancing, sanitizing, and capacity limits will all be dropped for the next school year if everything goes to plan. That’s from the BC Ministry of Education, which was one of the few in the country to keep schools open all year.
Also, not really coronavirus-related, a reminder that we switch to the semester system in the coming school year. This means you will only have four classes for each half of the year and then the schedule changes. For more information, you can check out last month’s edition of the Dragon’s Pen or the VSB website.
Liam Stewart with retired teacher and King George Archives advisor Jess Coombs.
INTO THE ARCHIVES
Every Tuesday since January, Jess Coombs has been hosting small tours of the KG Archives for former students and community members. However, every so often, Grade 10 student Liam Stewart randomly drops by.
Liam said he was interested in an English Bay photo from the 1920s, featuring the old pier, slide, and Davie Street with streetcars in the background.
