When was the last time you looked at one of your old class photos?
Sure, the fashion of the day and hairstyles may have changed, but we bet you instantly recognize yourself and your friends from those early school years.
Do you think you could pick Newmarket Mayor John Taylor out of his Grade 8 class photo above?
Taylor attended Maple Leaf Public School in what’s now known as the Newmarket Heights neighbourhood, and will be attending its 60th anniversary reunion celebration this weekend, including acting as a tour guide aboard a rented bus this Saturday from noon to 1 p.m. for alumni and guests.
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But let’s fast-forward to 1978-1979, when Farrah Fawcett’s feathered flip, polyester and platform shoes were all the rage, and Peaches & Herb ruled the airwaves with the song Reunited.
The guys wore their hair longer, turtlenecks were a fashion staple, and the Sony Walkman debuted at a cost of $200, almost equivalent to a month’s rent.
And Mayor Taylor was in his final year at Maple Leaf Public School.
“As I look at this class photo, I remember that our class was entered in a class singing competition and that the teacher instructed me to only mouth the words as my best way to contribute to the class success,” Taylor said.
“I lived beside the Upper Canada Mall and I walked to Maple Leaf every morning, but it was too far to go home for lunch every day. So, in Grade 8, I would go to a different friend's house each day and often surprised their parents when I walked in,” he said of a notable memory.
Leave your guess in the comment section below about which student you think is Taylor. You can indicate your guess as follows: Front row, second from left or back row, third from right, plaid shirt, etc. Do not include the teacher.
We will pin the correct answer at the top of the comments sections on Friday at noon, so check back here to see if you guessed correctly.
To quickly locate this page, simply enter ‘Taylor class photo’ in the search bar located in the upper right corner of any page.
Good luck!
Maple Leaf Public School alumni and friends are all welcome to attend this weekend’s 60th anniversary events, which include:
Friday, June 14
Drop-in social at The Works Gourmet Burger Bistro from 4 to 9 p.m.
18075 Yonge St., Newmarket
Saturday, June 15
Meet at 10 a.m. at Maple Leaf Public School (155 Longford Dr., Newmarket) for a tour of the school and take a trip down memory lane.
At noon, board a rented bus for a one-hour trip around town with tour guide Mayor John Taylor. There will be a few memorable stops, some history of our town, and Taylor will share the future vision for Newmarket and where the town is headed.
From 2 to 6 p.m., join the Infamous Pub Crawl at various venues on Newmarket’s historic Main Street and meet up with your decade at your designated restaurant, as follows:
Seventies graduates meet at Cachet Supper Club
Eighties graduates meet at Aubergine Kitchen & Bar
Nineties graduates and up meet at Made in Mexico
All graduates are invited to meet as a group at The Grey Goat at 7 p.m.
All participating restaurants have agreed to give a percentage of sales back to Maple Leaf Public School to help with student needs.
If you would like to donate directly to a Go Fund Me campaign set up by organizers to raise $2,500 to help convert a classroom at Maple Leaf into a kitchen so the student nutrition program can expand to offer more food and cooking opportunities, visit here.
So far, the campaign has reached $350 of its $2,500 goal.
