Alessandro Di Nardo
Staff reporter
Before that Gleneagle Secondary School was built, during 1990 in the Coquitlam district schools there was a problem regarding space and student.
According to newspapers uploaded on the Gleneagle website, there were too many students in relation to the number of schools available. For instance, in Port Moody senior and Hastings junior there were almost twice the amount of the students that these schools could have.
So as to solve this problem, some families of these students started protesting while government wasn’t making decisions about building a new school to help the district.
In order to build the new Gleneagle Secondary School, for the entire building were needed about $25 million. Those families launched a symbolic campaign called ‘buy a brick campaign’ to raise money to fund the school, even because the Coquitlam district received only $7 million compared to the over $50 million awards for Surrey and Richmond.
Roberto Ramogida, teacher and temporary vice-principal, said:” In those years my father took part in the campaign and donated some money because he wanted to see this school built for all the students who needed it.”.
After that campaign the site preparation took place and thanks to this great effort from families and organizations, in 1997 at corner Lansdowne and Glen, the Gleneagle Secondary School was built.
After two awful years of pandemic, finally in September 2022 Gleneagle decided to organize once again the long-waited event Senior Sail.
In this event, where only grade 12 student could take part, students and teachers can meet on board of a fantastic boat moving near Vancouver.
On the boat students, usually formally dressed, can have dinner together and after that they can sing and dance in a large room of the boat.
Colby Ng, a grade 12 Gleneagle student, took part in this event and said: “Since I was in grade 9 I really wanted to participate in this event but because of Covid-19 I saw many friends cannot be able to take part. So, this year I paid for the ticket and had lots of fun with all the other students that come”.
Since the Gleneagle Secondary School was built, its students have the opportunity to let their voice heard by publishing stories and news in the official school journal, The Edge.
It is made by students from the New Media and Journalism class from grade 10 to grade 12.
In writing feature article students can improve their skills in interviewing techniques, publication design, page production.
Through The Edge lots of interesting news that happened in the Glenaeagle community are available basically to everyone who wants to know more about the students ‘activities and school.
In his interview, Mrs. Lim, mandarin teacher, said: “Since I arrived at the Gleneagle, I have always been interested in reading The Edge news because I believe that it helps to keep everybody up to date on what is happening at school”.
Thanks of its quality during the years, The Edge has won many awards such as the International First Place Award and the George H. Gallup Award.
Info sources:
Buy a Brick – Thumbnails – Gleneagle Secondary School (sd43.bc.ca)