If the local Newmarket saying holds true, that the town of 90,000 is still home to the original 5,000 who never left, Maple Leaf Public School’s 60th reunion should be one heck of a shindig.
Planning is now underway for what promises to be three full days packed with activities that not only celebrate six decades of alumni success and friendships that have endured over the years, but look to the future to help current students reach their full potential.
The school is located in a community that is bounded by George Street to the west, Cherrywood Drive to the north, Hillview Drive to the east, and Davis Drive to the south. It has recently been named Newmarket Heights, and a new, $27,000 sign installed in 2018 at the southeast corner of Longford Drive and Penn Avenue is testament to community and political efforts to instill pride of place.
As part of the reunion’s festivities, a Go Fund Me campaign has been 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, with a focus on education and knowledge.
“The school would like to expand the program into providing daily hot lunches for students,” the campaign states. “The kitchen will be an opportunity for students to have a place to learn food literacy and develop real life skills around agriculture, food preparation, sharing in community and inspire entrepreneurial endeavours.”
The students of Maple Leaf Public School and the East Gwillimbury Heights community have come through some challenging times that continue to be an issue in the community, organizers say. With the growth of Newmarket, the community formerly known as “the Patch”, has become a multi-family-per-dwelling community with many living below the poverty line.
The campaign has so far reached $75 of its goal. Organizers hope to present the funds to the school at its final assembly of the year June 11.
Reunion co-organizer Tracee Chambers said a flood of memories have come rushing back since she has been walking the halls at Maple Leaf in preparation for the 60th anniversary celebration.
“I spent nine years there, senior kindergarten to Grade 8,” said Chambers, who attended the school from 1969 to 1979. “My family lived on Main Street North and I was blessed to have a horse that I kept across the street at my best friend’s house, Chris Bennett, who is still my best friend. She and I did a lot of riding in the endless fields behind the school. Yes, at that time there was nothing but beautiful farmers fields where we spent most of our free time playing hide-and-seek, kick the bucket, riding bikes, horses, dirt bikes, building forts, climbing trees and, later in life, having bush parties.”
One of Chambers’ fondest memories is of her teacher, Mrs. Pitts. Chambers’ parents divorced when she was in Grade 3, in 1971. Mrs. Pitts took the young girl under her wing, and would bring Chambers to her home every second Friday for a while, to have lunch and talk.
“She had such a positive impact on my life,” Chambers said. “Talk about going above and beyond the role of a teacher. I have tried to find her to thank her now, as an adult who can truly grasp what she did for me. I haven't been successful as of yet.”
Chambers believes it was Mrs. Pitts' influence that propelled the desire to volunteer and help others, to help boost young people’s self-esteem with her nearly three decades-long career at the Flare Group/Flare Modelling, which she owned and managed, and now in her new career as a life coach.
“I'm also grateful to our librarian, Mrs. Woodhouse, who was at the school for 32 years,” Chambers said. “We are hoping she will join us at the reunion.”
For co-organizer Gord McCallum, who attended the school from 1972 to 1978, growing up in Newmarket Heights at that time meant going home for lunch every day and exploring the neighbourhood until dark without fear.
“We had Block Parents, and a sense of security,” McCallum said. “We had a work ethic that went something like this, if you want something, you put a plan together, work it and get it done. We were tough and stood up for each other. I think other schools disliked us because of that trait.”
“I remember my first day at Maple Leaf. ...My mom told me that our neighbour, Robert Meadows, was going to take me to school and I was to go over to his house. She went to work and I went over to Robert's house. It was 7:30 a.m. The entire family was just getting up and here's this little freckled, blonde kid knocking at the door. Anyway, as I remember it, the day went well and (was) very welcoming,” McCallum said, adding that the friends he made many years ago at Maple Leaf are still friends today.
Maple Leaf Public School’s 60th reunion kicks off with a special assembly at the school Tuesday, June 11 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Alumni guests speakers are featured to talk about where they are now.
A fun fair and a community barbecue round out the day at the school from 5:30 to 8 p.m. where all are welcome to attend.
Special alumni events are planned for Friday, June 14 and Saturday, June 15 including a pub crawl, and a tour down memory lane aboard a rented bus guided by former student and Newmarket Mayor John Taylor.
To learn more about Maple Leaf Public School's 60th reunion and to get on its email list, visit here.
