A group of Belmont students are unearthing a little West Shore history and they need the publicB次元官网网址檚 help.

Led by Cindy Cullen, the Leadership/Belmont History class is a small, self-directed group working on a historical timeline project. Their goal is to create a permanent feature that will fill an 11-metre display at the schoolB次元官网网址檚 front entrance. The timeline will showcase interesting events and activities that happened at Belmont between 1947 to 2015.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 the type of project where you donB次元官网网址檛 know exactly where itB次元官网网址檚 going to end up,B次元官网网址� Cullen said. B次元官网网址淭his is a great group.B次元官网网址�

Her class, consisting of students from Grades 10 through 12 B次元官网网址� including three who attended the old school B次元官网网址� has been pouring over old yearbooks and scouring records.

Grade 12 student Ryana Emile is clearly passionate about the project and the discoveries they have already made. B次元官网网址淭hey used to have house systems; I think thatB次元官网网址檚 really interesting,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檇 get points for doing different things.B次元官网网址�

The group is still trying to sort out what types of activities would earn points and what the houses could win for collecting the most. Students have already determined that sports and putting on a play were among the eligible activities.

B次元官网网址淚 think itB次元官网网址檚 really cool that everyone could come together,B次元官网网址� Emile said. B次元官网网址淚t would probably feel really nice and inviting.B次元官网网址� Some students may not be inclined to participate in activities on their own, she noted, but if they were part of a group activity there would be less pressure.

She was also impressed by the number of students that participated in extracurricular activities. B次元官网网址淚 think it was really cool that a lot of people were on sports teams.B次元官网网址�

Learning more about the schoolB次元官网网址檚 sports history is part of what motivated Grade 10 student Gracie May to take the class. B次元官网网址淚 really wanted to do it B次元官网网址� My parents went here,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淲hen I look through the old yearbooks I find out about them and their sports teams.B次元官网网址�

Mattie Duddridge, whoB次元官网网址檚 in Grade 12, noted that sports werenB次元官网网址檛 the only way for students to get involved. B次元官网网址淚n the old school there was a mosaic when you entered the school,B次元官网网址� she said. The tiled art, located beside the old library, was part of a massive project undertaken in the 1970s as a way to get students together and show their school spirit. B次元官网网址淭hey (even) had a contest to get a design,B次元官网网址� she said.

Cullen said Belmont actually started in 1946, a year before the old building was finished. Roughly 30 Grade 9 students were the first class, attending school at the Albert Head annex.

B次元官网网址淪D61 said they were no longer taking Sooke students,B次元官网网址� Cullen noted as the Victoria school district was full at the time. That was what helped spur the creation of the old Belmont. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e hoping to go down there and try to find where the old school was,B次元官网网址� she added. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a really fun project.B次元官网网址�

In particular, the class is focusing their efforts in the coming weeks on locating photos of BelmontB次元官网网址檚 early years, including the initial 1946-47 school year at Albert Head. Students also hope to track down more information and images of the mosaic created by Nancy AdamsB次元官网网址� yearbook class.

Cullen is reluctant to take credit for the timeline project, nodding to Belmont principal Ray Miller. B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 had a vision for a couple of years to celebrate the history of the old school,B次元官网网址� she said.

The project B次元官网网址渨asnB次元官网网址檛 just an idea that happened over night,B次元官网网址� Miller noted. Roughly four years ago when he became principal, in the midst of the design phase for the new building, he realized he had a duty to preserve the old legacy.

B次元官网网址淚 also had the responsibility that we show great care and respect to the history of Belmont,B次元官网网址� he said.

Plans were put in place early on to preserve as much as possible, which included taking pictures of all of the art in the old building that couldnB次元官网网址檛 be saved. A lot of brainstorming was also done, on how to showcase the schoolB次元官网网址檚 legacy.

The timeline was one idea emerging from those sessions, while another is the touch screen displays already active at the schoolB次元官网网址檚 front entrance. Items that CullenB次元官网网址檚 class finds interesting but canB次元官网网址檛 fit into their display will be added to these electronic displays.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a great way to connect young people to the past,B次元官网网址� Miller said, adding that involving students with those who have come before them creates a great sense of school spirit and pride.

He has two students heB次元官网网址檚 working with that are learning how to administer the touch screen displays, which are similar to a website in their technical nature.

Every page of every school annual has been scanned and uploaded to the displays B次元官网网址� all except the yearbook from 1974, which has vanished from the schoolB次元官网网址檚 records. Miller asked that if anyone in the community has a copy of the book, the school would love to borrow and scan it.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e working hard to show respect to the 60 some-odd years of alumni that have come through the school,B次元官网网址� he said. Part of that will include giving the community a say in naming the new display, but that will come when more pieces of the puzzle have been rounded up.

In the meantime, the group is hoping community members lend a hand in their search, as many of the yearbook photos arenB次元官网网址檛 able to be reproduced. They are looking for good photos that arenB次元官网网址檛 necessarily of major events. In fact, Cullen said they are especially interested in finding out about events or activities that may have flown under the radar of the community but were important to the school.

If you have photos that capture a memorable or interesting school event that youB次元官网网址檇 like to share, you can email Cullen at ccullen@sd62.bc.ca. Items can also be dropped of at the office (3041 Langford Lake Rd.) to be scanned and then returned.

katie@goldstreamgazette.com