Lament for ‘our’ school!

Like many in Penetanguishene and surrounding area, I've been having a hard time lately looking at Facebook pictures of PSS, Penetanguishene Secondary School, being torn down. While I understand and agree about the need to do this, (the maintenance, huge operating costs, the asbestos/health issues, use of the building, etc.) but it still doesn't make the sadness of it being reduced to rubble and taken away, any easier to watch.

​For so long PSS was the heart and soul of the community, Penetanguishene, Tiny Township (Lafontaine and Perkinsfield). It was such a huge part of Penetanguishene and the generations of us who went there and experienced it. And it was an experience - a good one. A great one! It's why many people moved here. It carried on the traditions of Penetanguishene high schools.

It wasn't called "Penetanguishene Pride" for nothing. There was something to be said for proudly representing Penetanguishene at sports events, or activities. Arenas and schools instill pride and character in a community. There was great pride in our small school beating larger schools like MSS, (whose butt we kicked a lot with real pride!) or Orillia, Barrie or Alliston. We did it all the time.

The students, teachers and coaches from PSS had pride, a "raison d'etres" not felt at other schools. Not like here. Case in point - when PSS had closing ceremonies a few years back, there were huge events put on by a committee headed by Irene Lau. She and they did a great job. Hundreds attended and it was amazing reconnecting with old classmates and teachers.

MSS had similar closing events attended by very few in comparison even though their student population would have been much larger than ours over the years. It seemed like a whimper compared to ours. I presume it was because Midland wasn't losing their high school, but really getting a larger, newer one, in their town, on the same site. Not to be sour grapes, but the new school may be called "Georgian Bay" but really, it's the Midland high school, not ours. It's theirs. Time may erase that feeling but that's why we're still sad. It should have been here, but I digress.

They say that schools aren't brick and mortar, that it's the students, teachers and staff that really make a school, and memories but I disagree. Yes, it is that, but it's also the location, the building, in the town, its feeling, familiarity and hominess combined with the students, staff and teachers that make a school. It's all of it! It's ours!

It's "the feeling" you had as a student when you walked up Edward St. every day through all kinds of weather, into the front doors of PSS, into the Principal's office to see Mr. Beatty, or Mr. Albert, into the gymnasium with Mr. Banks, Mr. Lichtenberg and Mr. Hartman, into Mr. Mundy's shop class, into Mr. Quealey's English class, Mr. Niblock's art class, Mr. Coull's music portable, Mr. Dubeau's math class, into Ms Maurice's French class. You loved the thin almost cardboard French fries and playing cards in the cafeteria, cheering on our football, basketball, volleyball and other teams. You remember the "feeling" you had at the Friday night dances, the extracurricular activities. You grew close to the teachers and staff. You remember the pride you had in being from Penetanguishene's Secondary School.

I was the teacher's hockey goalie for four years. I had a ball. Every Friday afternoon, Mr. Mundy would sign me out early from his home class and Mr. Kallio would drive me home to get my goalie equipment to be on the ice in Penetang by 4 o'clock. Every Friday. I'm sure many students had similar experiences. That's what PSS was. It was like family, Penetanguishene family. And like family, it wasn't perfect, but it was ours.

That's why many of us are so sad these days. We're losing a part of our family.