Pipestone Flyer
Principal Kevin Prediger making balloon
“hobby-horses” for the children.
Sacred Heart School in Wetaskiwin held a “Harvest Round-Up,” an event where families could have fun together, and meet each other, school staff and the new principal, Kevin Prediger. Throughout the late afternoon and evening there was an opportunity to have family or individual pictures taken. The late afternoon was mostly taken up with a variety of fun activities such as trying to rope a “calf”, ride in a saddle, stretch up tall to eat a doughnut on a string, participate in a sack race, try a ring toss, etc. Principal Kevin Prediger spent almost all of his time making balloon “hobby horses” for the children to gallop around on. Face painting was also available.
After everyone had enough barbecued hamburgers and other snacks from the concession, the games were cleared from the gym for the dance. As a pause in the dance, a group of girls, accompanied by Ken Mastel on the guitar, sang a few songs, to everyone's delight. There was a very wide variety of dances, including such old favourites as the chicken dance, the hokey-pokey, the limbo, a variety of line dances, as well as waltzes and rock 'n roll. Young danced with old, parents with children, as well as couples. It was a fun time for all.
The event was planned by the Parents' Council, starting last spring. They had hoped for about a hundred to turn out, and were thrilled when so many came that they had to bring in more hamburgers for supper. The school has 425 pupils this year, the most ever. Contributing to the increase are students coming for the first time by bus from the Falun area west of Wetaskiwin, as well as at least one family from Rosebrier. The families attending Sacred Heart generally have more than one or two children, are families who welcome children as blessings.
The principal, Kevin Prediger, was previously the principal of the Roman Catholic Separate School in his home town of Ponoka, and finds himself having to commute to work for the first time. One of his annual activities in Ponoka has been driving a horse and wagon for the stampede. He speaks of “walking into a great school, so everything is going well.”