September 2008

Dear Students and Staff of Mt. Elizabeth Secondary School,

This message is from the Grads of 1971 and it accompanies a gift to our school. The painting will hopefully hang in an appropriate place and decorate a spot that reminds you all that those who have gone before you still remember the school with fondness.

Many of us gathered for a reunion in 2006 to celebrate 35 years since our graduation. It was a weekend that surpassed all expectations. Many days later, we still had grins on our faces remembering the moments we shared with our old friends. You see, the intense friendships that exist in the teen years are difficult to come by again as we scatter to careers, raising families and discovering the world and our place in it. To revisit those people whom we shared so much with is a thrill of a lifetime and that is no exaggeration!

The sense of shared friendship that we all felt generated a desire to send something of that positive feeling to the present makeup and future occupants of MESS. A piece of artwork seemed the right fit since it is an item that endures, beautifies, and can be shared equally by all. With it we wanted to send a message of advice gathered from our many years of experience. Initially, this seemed a difficult task because of our age difference. If directed at the students, it would exclude the staff, who are such an important component of the school. In the end, our message to you all is sent with our sincere consideration and gratitude and boils down to this:

Your friends,

The Class of 1971