Proud class of Rattlers graduates just as OSS's future comes to a head

The 2016 grad class at Osoyoos Secondary School sits at the front during last Wednesday’s ceremony. (Dan Walton photo)

Before the decision to shutter Osoyoos Secondary School was reversed at the eleventh hour, the community gathered at the school to celebrate what many worried would be the town’s final high school graduation.

But even though it was widely anticipated that the province would be stepping in to save OSS the following morning – the day the school was slated to close – the town had been on the cusp of losing one of its most valuable assets for months.

Because many other opportunities to save the school that had fallen flat, it seemed as though the graduates almost came to terms with the idea that OSS was on its dying breath.

“As of today, it might not just be the graduates ending our days at OSS,” co-valedictorian Kate Turner told the audience in her address.

“Endings are all hard to endure, especially as hard-hitting as this one can be,” said Kianna Carvalho, the other valedictorian. “Everything comes to an end; the last chapter of a book, the freedom filled splendor of a summer vacation, the scent of your favourite candle that fills up a room, or the sweet taste of the last bite of ice cream. It’s unavoidable. Books finish, seasons end, candles burn, and food gets eaten.”

Throughout the duration of their public school tenure, Turner and Carvalho’s success has been strongly intertwined.

“It seems like only a minute has passed since Kiana and I were nervously awaiting the moment for us to present our valedictorian speeches at our Grade 7 grad,” Turner said.

The bittersweet feelings that surrounded their completion of Grade 12 were paralleled with the community’s apprehension over the fate of its high school.

“Without endings, we would never come across anything new,” Turner said. “New love, new hobbies, new tastes – ending promotes growth and experiences. From this day on, we will learn, try and admire so many new things that would have never occurred to us if this period in our lives had not ended.”

“The storm will pass and things once again become clear and bright,” Carvalho said. “We’re saying goodbye to childhood, parental dependence and each other and it’s hard, but we as grads are also saying goodbye to this school; our home away from home for the last five years. To be a Rattler is a miraculous thing, and we hope with every ounce of hope we can muster that more people can get the experience of being a Rattler.”

In reminiscing over their bygone days, the valedictorians said their richest memories come from the class trip to Camp Rattler in Grade 10.

“It was truly the highlight of my high school career,” Turner said. “We played in an intense game of capture the flag that resulted in many bruises and cuts from tripping in the dark. We played kickball in the rain, which probably wasn’t a good idea considering Nimrit (Dhaliwal) fell in the mud when she tried to kick the ball. And through those few days that we were there, I watched our grad class grow so much closer.”

Leading into the valedictorians’ speech was a keynote address by teacher Peter Gajda. The central theme of his advice was to be a duck. And while it seemed like a frivolous thing to say in the beginning, he had a poetic analogy: while wading on a water surface, ducks appear cool and calm, but underneath, it looks as though the creatures are frantically scrambling to stay afloat. Conflict, sorrow, haters and pain are inevitable parts of life, so they should be treated like the water that lands on a duck’s back.

June Harrington, School District 53 trustee from Osoyoos, also shared remarks with the graduates. Even though some life’s challenges are difficult to perceive as opportunities, Harrington reminded the crowd that life isn’t meant to be spent waiting for the storm to pass – it’s about learning to dance in the rain.

Osoyoos Mayor Sue McKortoff told the Class of 2016 that even though their high school days are over, it’s important to embrace being a lifelong learner. She spoke about the surprising number of opportunities that can arise from volunteer work, and encouraged students to create opportunities for themselves to travel.

The environment is going to need the care and attention of the coming generation, she said, and students were told that whichever endeavours they pursue, “The community of Osoyoos will be behind you in your journey.”

The ceremony was hosted by Principal Mike Safek, who told students in his closing remarks that there are two ways of looking at their graduation – it can be seen as a sarcastic “Big deal,” or as an inspiration, “That’s a big deal!”

And while earning a high school diploma is an important accomplishment, Safek said applying it towards a career is much more important.

“Don’t get complacent,” he said. “Be a driver, not a passenger.”

Ambitious visions will always be plagued with doubt, but he said those who work hard enough can expect their dreams to come true.

His final remark was telling the grads how proud he is of them all, and asked them to always wear the proud badge of a Rattler.

DAN WALTON

Osoyoos Times

From left are Kiana Carvalho, Simone Malcolm, Nimrit Dhaliwal, Taylor Pendergraft, Amareet Bains and Parker Gaudet. (Dan Walton photo)

Proud graduates Katrina Hahn and Alyssa Macor. (Dan Walton photo)

From left are Kyle McNurney, Luke Nehring, Kiana Cavalho and Nimrit Dhaliwal. (Dan Walton photo)

Mayor Sue McKortoff speaks at the Osoyoos Secondary School graduation while Principal Mike Safek looks on. (Dan Walton photo)

Osoyoos Times Editor Keith Lacey presents a bursary of $1,000 on behalf of the Osoyoos Times to Kate Turner, an Osoyoos Secondary School graduate. The ceremony took place June 29 in the OSS gymnasium. (Dan Walton photo)