On June 3, the community of Bienfait celebrated 50 years of Weldon School serving the community’s educational needs.
The day started off with the School Community Council hosting a barbeque supper. In the gym the tables and walls were adorned with memorabilia from the past 50 years. Coats, jerseys, plaques, trophies, pictures and yearbooks were set out for everyone to enjoy.
There were also face-painting and balloon animal stations manned by some of the students. There was a synthetic ice surface for the kids to skate on. Approximately 200 people attended the celebration.
Weldon School opened in 1961 with Grades 7-12. In 1969, it housed students from Grades 4-9. The old white school closed in 1980 and then the school ranged from Kindergarten to Grade 9. From 2007 to the present, its family consists of students from K-8.
Weldon School has only had seven principals in the past 50 years. The first was Edward Gough from 1961-72. Tom Gamble came after and was there from 1972-75. In 1975 Joe Knippshild came in and led the school until 1983. Kathleen Wilson then served as principal for one year and was followed by Gary St. Onge, who came in 1984 and was the leader there until 1999. In 1999, Adrian Schindel took over until present principal Jane Moriarty came in in 2008.
Weldon School has welcomed many other schools to Bienfait over the years. Black Diamond’s high school students were the first to come in 1961. In 1964 their school closed and all their students were bussed to Bienfait. In 1967, the school welcomed Roche Percee’s students after their school closed as well.
Minto bussed its Grade 7-9 students to Bienfait for a few years and then in 2003, after their school closed, Weldon grew again. Frobisher sent its Grade 9-12 students to Bienfait in 1966. In 1993, only the Grade 7-8 students attended Bienfait. With 2008 seeing the closure of the school in Frobisher, Weldon continued to grow with the influx of new students.
Organizers felt it was a great thing to see past and present teachers, students and people from the community come out to support Weldon on this special occasion. There is plenty of homegrown talent teaching at Weldon. The school’s principal, vice-principal, one teacher and two educational assistants were raised and schooled in Weldon. It’s nice to see them come back to their roots.
In the picture are current principal Jane Moriarty and retired teacher Virginia Finstad.