I was a student at both JP (1976-79) and KSS (1979-81) and had a long association with both schools. I grew up on Cowan Street and lived only a block and a half from KSS, so it was always close by: 7 minute walk to JP via the big staircase, 5 minute walk to KSS across the field. Speaking of the field, I used to ride my bike along the cinder track at breakneck speed in spite of the fact that the curves at each end were not angled. One day, I ran up against the physics of this and wiped out in spectacular fashion. To this day, I still carry a small bit of KSS cinder track (vintage 1974) under my skin just above my left elbow.

The KSS Auditorium - I remember the old auditorium from an early age. When I was 10, I got a part in Tom Kerr's production of Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs, and I spent many afternoons rehearsing at the auditorium. I especially remember going through the long dark tunnel on the way to the stage. There were also a number of events at the auditorium that I went to over the years, including the time I crashed a concert by my favourite Canadian band, the Stampeders, in the summer of 1974.

Extended Day — In the summer of 1980, KSS underwent some interior refurbishing. It soon became clear that this was going to interfere with the school schedule, so adjustments had to be made. The upside of this was a longer summer holiday. The downside was a form of cruel and unusual punishment for students and staff alike called Extended Day. Class time, long break and lunch hour were trimmed down in order to fit six blocks into a five block day. This went on for several weeks in order to make up for time lost to the long holiday, and everyone was slightly insane at the end of it. We all survived, but I think the entire staff and student body for the 1980-81 school year deserves a medal for it.

Teachers

There are several teachers who deserve some recognition, and I'd like to mention them here. I've included a few JP teachers, although a number of them taught at both JP and KSS.

Dick Dickens and Vic Pashnik — Two great band teachers. Dick Dickens came along at a crucial time for the KSS music program and went above and beyond the call of duty in making the band room a great place to be. Vic Pashnik, who conducted the JP band for several years, had an excellent sense of what his students wanted to play and what his audiences wanted to hear. When asked how he got such good music for his bands to play, he replied, "I always find out what my daughters are listening to on the radio".

Marty Koslowski — A great musician, an all-round fun guy and one of the most colourful personalities at KSS. I especially remember the day he did a noon-hour Christmas singalong in the main hallway, partly because I helped him haul his massive Hammond organ and Lesley speaker up from the IOOF hall. I think it took at least four of us to lift the @#$% thing!

Ray Shindell — Social studies with Ray was lots of fun, mainly because he was a fascinating talker. He frequently went off topic and onto several tangents that focused on the world situation, which at that time included the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the Iranian hostage crisis. He also helped us understand the bizarre events of the short-lived Joe Clark administration.

Wilf Epp — I played drums for his choir and always enjoyed his understated approach as a musical director. He also had a good sense for songs that worked for both students and audiences, drawing on material ranging from the Beatles and the Everly Brothers to the Muppets(!).

Brian Olthuis and George Keys — Two PE teachers with a great sense of humour. To Brian Olthuis, how skillfully you played a sport wasn’t as important as how hard you tried, which was especially encouraging to an athletic no-talent like myself. George Keys taught social studies as well as PE, and effectively presented Canadian history in the manner of a soap opera - you had to come to class regularly in order to find out what happened next....

Walter Trkla — He taught an excellent introductory course on law, making everyone think a little harder than usual about a very important and complex subject. Like everyone else listed here, a great sense of humour was a big asset.

Wilf Schmidt — My all-time favourite teacher, period. German and social studies have never been equalled when taught via his teacher/stand-up comic approach. A good story, in German or English, could crop up at any time, often brought on by a random event. One student's remark about his tie triggered a detailed story of his wedding and the circumstances surrounding it. He also helped people develop an appreciation for history. Everyone in Wilf’s classes got to see his slide show on the ghost town of Sandon, and he managed to make the abandoned old town come alive with his accounts of the 24 hotels, 23 saloons and the "ladies of the evening".

Bio Note: After graduating from KSS in 1981, I pursued a music career in Vancouver, then changed gears and earned a history degree at the University of Victoria. I still live in Victoria, dividing my time between working for Big Brothers & Big Sisters, teaching a course on the Beatles at UVic and playing drums in the classic rock cover band 20th Century Men. My long-term goal is to move back to Kamloops and pursue similar activities.