Letter to the editor: Port Perry High School 150th Anniversary & Reunion

Please join us for the 150th Port Perry High School (PPHS) Open House, on Saturday, May 6th, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can roam the halls and reminisce about your days spent here at the High School, 160 Rosa Street, Port Perry.

There will be various areas to explore throughout the day. Opening ceremonies will be held in the large gym, starting at 10:30 a.m. Afterwards, explore various areas of the school!

Check out the theme rooms, watch the band play and tour the school, learning about its history. Other events may include: visiting with former staff and students, checking out your old tech room/sci wing, visiting our Indigenous classroom, finding your old locker, seeing the amazing artwork of current students or playing a game of volleyball in gym AB. There will be some face painting for your kids, food trucks to feed your bellies, and more memories to be made.

School Tour - Want to learn about the history of PPHS? Join in for a school tour. Tours will start at 11:30 a.m. and again at 1:30 p.m. Please meet in the foyer in front of the main office.

Overflow parking is available on the Port Perry Fairgrounds.

Admission to the daytime open house is free. We would ask that you register so we have an idea for planning purposes.

Do you have any memorabilia we could borrow or photos we could use for the day? If yes, we ask you to contact dianne.carstairs@ddsb.ca. We are looking for various items to display throughout the day. Thank you so much for your attention and participation.

Lauren Walker, a former PPHS student and now artist, will be displaying her artwork, including the newly completed Port Perry High School 150th Anniversary Piece, on a large canvas. She will also be selling Limited Edition Prints that day. There will be a free raffle for the first Limited Edition Print. She has also generously offered a reduced rate, to our school, for the beautiful large canvas artwork, if a minimum number of prints are sold. Check out her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/artistwithin86.

There will be a Staff Social at 11:30 a.m. All former and current Port Perry High School staff are invited to this private social event being held in the library at the high school. There will be some refreshments provided.

This will follow shortly after the opening ceremonies. Come visit and catch up with your previous work colleagues. Afterwards, walk around and see your old classrooms and work spaces and how the school has changed since you left. There may be some former students waiting to catch up with you in the halls.

All former leadership camp alumni are encouraged to drop into the Open House Thumbnail on the 50th PPHS website to register. Room 171 will be set up with a display of 14 years' worth of camp pictures. As well, there will be old camp videos shown and camp memorabilia to look at. This is a wonderful opportunity to renew camp friendships, dress up in costumes, and take campy pictures.

Make sure to stop into gym AB and C throughout the day. Starting at 1 p.m., the varsity volleyball teams will be scrimmaging in gym AB. If you want to join in, bring some gym clothes/shoes. Perhaps you still have your PE uniform you can wear; and your 'A game' so you can take part in the fun.

Once you bring down your heart rate, hop across the hall to Gym C. In there, you can relive your glorious PE and sport team days by checking out the various uniforms, trophies and pictures from the past. Perhaps catch up with an old coach. Get your photo taken with our Mascot, the Rebel. You and your kids can also participate in some exciting physical (easy) tasks if you are up to the challenge.

Tickets are on sale now for a Social, in the evening, at Scugog Arena, Adults only (19+), from 7 to 12 p.m. Tickets are $27. Please note ticket sales end on Friday, April 28th. Purchase your tickets online at ddsb.schoolcashonline.com/fee/details/126645/102/false/true.

Enjoy a slice of pizza, snacks and photo booth etc. The Lions Club of Greenbank will host the cash bar and a 50/50 draw. The band TwoForTheShow will also be performing. There will be a cash bar. The first 500 people through the door will receive Port Perry Swag.

Mandatory wristbands and pizza tickets will be distributed at the doors. If you buy a group of tickets, please remember they will need to be given to your group before entering the hall.

If you would like to help us in the planning and organizing of this exciting event, please get in touch with the school at portperryhs@ddsb.ca.

There is fun to be had for all ages!

Hope to see you soon!

- Planning Committee