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Is LJ] \ ewe bh EL EAT FAT V/AGT1IQO TON 30 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, November 20, 1990 Port Perry High School held its Commencement Ceremo- ny Friday evening. The Valedictorian Address was given by graduating student Michael Toye. Pictured with him is prin- cipal Ted Morrison. Commencement Ceremony held a ge Todd Poppleton (centre) was the reciplent of the Governor General award at the 1990 t Port Perry High School Friday evening. Pictured with Todd is MPP Ross Stevenson and principal Ted Morrison. Michael Toye Port Perry High School 1990 valedictorian The following is the valedicto- ry address given by Michael Toye at the 1990 Commence- ment ceremony at Port Perry High School. Mr. Morrison, honoured guests, teachers, students, fam- ilies and friends, fellow gradu- ates: Tonight is called Commence- ment. We are participating in an academic ceremony that is hundreds of years old. It is an ending and a begin- ning. It is the opening of a door and the closing of a door. It is one of those important times, when in parting, we feel that something relevant should be said. Parents say it all when they say, "Good-bye, and re- member, we love you." In Hamlet, Polonius gives his son Laertes some parting ad- vice, ending with, "This above all else: to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man." Although this historical mo- ment for us may not require such beautiful sentiments, Someining appropriate still needs to said, and it looks like I'm supposed to say it, so here we go. Good evening. And welcome to your graduation. Does it "seem strange to you? Personal- ly, I really can't believe that we're finally here. After spend- ing.go much time in this place, with all of you, I feel awkward just coming back to say good- bye. But I guess we've earned it: We've done our time, so now for a moment we can reminisce. Thinking about High School now brings a flood of memories rushing back. Do you remem- ber the first time we sat in this gym? It seems eons ago -- that first morning we crowded these big halls looking anxiously for a familiar face in a sea of older and much taller people. Then in our Captain Rebel outfits we endured an initiation that really wasn't as bad as all that we had heard, and so we became full-fledged members of P.P.H.S. Once in, we were amazed at the variety of ways to get in- volved: Music groups, sports teams, dances and sockhops, spirit days and spirit weeks, student's council, dress-up days, winter carnivals, At Homes -- the list goes on and on. As we gradually became the older and much taller people, we joined in these activities and went to our classes from time to time and eventually started to feel at home in these big halls. We came to know this place so well that we could walk the halls in our sleep. Anyone who was here on a Monday morning can attest to that. We spent so much time here, it really became our home away from home. But no home is tru- ly a home without its parents. The teachers and adminis- tration of Port Perry High School are an incredible group. Mr. Morrison has navigated yet again, the good ship P.P.H.S. successfully through the stormy and dangerous waters BS of the sea of adolescence. Mr. Nield is the only vice- principal I've ever met who could take away your hat, walk- man and chips, and still leave you with a smile on your face (not, of course, that I would know, dad). The secretaries were always there for us, listening patiently to our excuses again and again and calling mom when her sig- nature just somehow didn't look the same. It seemed that the all-seeing secretaries knew exactly where you were all the time, even when you didn't. That brings me to the teach- ers: The people we had to deal with the most. On the court or the field, or the stage and in the music room, in the halls or on the picket line, in the classroom before, during and after class, the teachers gave of them- selves. They could have taught Port Perry High School Ontarlo scholars were honoured at Commencement exercises held November 2 at the School. Front from left: Nancy Imperial, Krista Hazelwood, Jody Melville, Lisa Scott, Shelly Brousseau, Celia Willlam- son, Zakeana Reld, Julle Young, Annette Martens, Jenifer and left, but they didn't. By giv- ing of their time, they showed that they cared, and that is the greatest gift a teacher can give. Teachers are more than just dispensers of knowledge, they are social workers, coaches and first aid attendants, would-be comedians, security guards and above all that, experts in their field. These teachers did all this, and they did it with a style that will make them hard to for- get. Mr. Reed always seemed to know when you were asleep with your eyes open, Mr. Arcu- lus had his daily puns. Mr. Scuse had his love of fresh air -- in January, and Pete...or Mr. Talbot had his favourite histor- ical videos. Every teacher had his or her interesting little quirks, and that's what made them all unique and special. So then there's us, the gradu- ates. Some of us have been here just a while, but most of us, it seems, have spent our entire lives here. The people we met here be- came acquaintances, then friends. We've watched each other grow up. We've come to know each other by our voices, our laughs and sometimes our tears. Although we may not see eve- ryone again, the friendships that we've made here will last a lifetime. But unfortunately, not every- one made it to this point where we are now. We must take a mo- ment and remember a friend who finally lost a long battle to cancer last year. Steve may be gone, but he is certainly not for- gotten. It's been a time of change, a time of work and of reward. A Turn to Page 31 pag HE Fowler and Annette Foster. In the back from left: Peter Workal, Paul Wyllie, Jason Buller, Christopher Dunn, Todd Poppleton, Peter Brock, Jeffrey Goreski, Mike Toye, Brad Meszaros and Robt. Sparling. Not present for photo: Karen Cook, Jon-David Rodway and Colleen Yorke. |