Balmoral Hall School - Optima Anni Yearbook (Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada)

Page 10 text:

Wana! Qc!-:fe VALEDICTUHY Dear Girls, School days seem so short when you want to do so much. As I write this valedictory, I am reminded that many of us are soon to end our school days. What glorious opportunities and adventures we who are graduating can recall - the amalgamation of the two schools, the turning of the sod of our new building, and finally the opening of the building, Of my many happy memories I think the most out- standing was being present at the cutting of the 'Q ribbon by Dr. Lockhart. Certainly the highlight this year has been the new building - with its Common Room, Laboratory, Library, Home Economics Room, and of course, the classrooms. Throughout this school year, we have not ceased to remember you who have left, but who worked for what we now enjoy. We too have worked-together with our Mothers, we planned and carried out the Library Tea, which was a tremendous success and has helped to provide the means for cataloguing our Library and for new library books. OUR HEAD GIRL - DIANE SMITH I shall always realize what I owe to my school - to Miss Murrell-Wright, Whose constant understanding and guidance has made this year so successful, to all the members ofthe Staff who have taught me and now send me on to Seek Better Things else- where. To the prefects, House Heads, and girls, I should like to say that this has been a wonderful year for me as your Head Girl. To you seniors who will fulfill the positions of responsibility and authority next year, and to my successor, I give my sincerest wishes for your happiness in all that you undertake next year. Although I find it hard to say good-bye after all these happy years, I hope to come back often to wish you well. Love, Diane

Page 9 text:

Balmoral Hall, june, 19 56. My dear Girls, In various ways as I read your articles in this Magazine I detect a note of appreciation for the changes and improvements that have come to Balmoral Hall and instead of writing a letter I would rather quote a Psalm of Thanksgiving for this wonderful year now completed. However, as I am not too sure that you would read into the Psalm all that I am thinking, I shall gather into this letter some of the gifts to this School for which we should all be truly thankful. Most conspicuous by its size and its importance in our lives is our new senior school building, nearly every feature of which has been referred to in some corner in this magazine. As we now use every room so completely and so naturally it is difficult to realize how we managed without a Common Room, an Art Room and a Locker Room- or how the old library could have been adequate - or how we faced the trips to the old Science Laboratory in 300 below zero weather. Less conspicuous to the casual observer but of great significance in the varying fields of your education are three pictures - you know where they are -a 1955 edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, a Frigidaire, and Television. Still less conspicuous is the work of the Alumnae Association and the Auxiliary, your Mothers. These groups are busily working all the time, not where they will disturb you by their presence but working because they love this school or want the best for you. Their efforts are too numerous to mention but if you stop and think you will realize how much richer we are because of their help. Let us be thankful for all our blessings this past year and let us remember with joy any opportunities we have had for useful service. Service gladly and freely given is a gift in itself. You have served others by being friendly, helpful and considerate - by being able class officers or prefects - by fulfilling to your best ability your duties on various school committees - and by serving others you have served yourselves and your School. As you go away for a happy Summer holiday let no day go by without saying and meaning these familiar words: For what I have received this day, O Lord make me truly thankful . Affectionately yours,

Page 11 text:

. 'Z PREFECTS and SENIORS in the COMMON ROOM Our Prefects XII Carol Cross Jacqueline Hoare jennifer Rose Patricia Smith Xl Brenda Dougall joy McDiarmid Dianne McPhail Lyn Stephen Diane Smith - Head Girl I Am The Common Room I am the Common Room and I speak as the Common Room. Hear my tale. Barely had the painters moved out when girls moved in. I must have been needed for I have stored away a long list of appreciative remarks beginning with Do you remember when we didn't have this Common Room? How am I used? I hardly know where to begin but if I tell you that the first month of opening produced a piano, the next month a new three- speed record player which the girls purchased themselves, QI heard about this one day at recrea- tionj you will understand that there is music in the C.R. Where there is music and a group of girls there is dancing. Believe me Friday nights were quite interesting when a group of seniors took a short course in ball-room dancing. My walls also resound to the tuneful voices of the singing classes where I hear no evil, see no evil and speak no evil. I have witnessed interesting meetings, Guide parties, Alumnae Teas and endless moments of casual living. I seem to be the place where people let off but the greatest moment of all and one that I shall long remember was the occasion of the boarders' Christmas party when Staff and Pre- fects were the guests of honour. I remember the gay mood of the evening, the gaily-decorated Christmas tree, the sparkling eyes of excited girls, little girls in party dresses, big girls in sophisti- cated taffetas but all were one with uncontrolled delight when Santa brought to me, the Common Room, a gleaming new Television Set. From that day on I have been convinced that of all my com- panion rooms in this new building I am the most used and the happiest. I suppose that is natural for after all I am the Common Roomf' The Common Room