BELLEVILLE – Centennial Secondary School is calling all Chargers, both past and present, to come and celebrate its 50th anniversary this weekend.

The school is holding various events from May 11 – May 14 that includes an opening ceremony, a coffee house, family activities and more.

The public school, which officially opened in 1967, is named in accordance with Canada’s centennial year as a country.

Back in 1967, despite already having Moira Secondary School, Quinte Secondary School, and the former Belleville Collegiate Institute, the city still needed more schools. 

As a result, Centennial was the answer to the areas growing enrolment numbers, said the school’s current head principal, Kim Sampson. She adds that at the time, approximately 450 students attended the home of the Chargers.

“At the time it was considered a modern school because it was built with air conditioning,” she said, “and it still really is one of the only high schools in the area that has air conditioning.”

Sampson added that she herself is a 1988 Centennial graduate and has had her three children attend the school.

Currently, over 750 students now attend Centennial, but the school hasn’t lost an ounce of what has made it so special over the past 50 years, noted Sampson. 

“We have fantastic, dedicated staff and our students show lots of Charger pride, lots of spirit, and are certainly leaders in the making,” she boasted. “It’s a wonderful place to be.”

As for the school in its next 50 years, Sampson said she hopes it will continue to be a place where students will grow in both their education and in their communities as leaders.

But despite the current ongoing recommendations to consolidate and close various schools in the area, Sampson said she’s not focusing on that and declined to give further comment. 

On Monday, the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board’s Student Enrolment/School Capacity Committee met to review several new suggestions by senior staff administration.

In their recommendations, effective September 2017, staff suggested relocating Grade 7 and 8 students from Sir John A Macdonald to Centennial school, creating a Grade 7-12 school.

But for Sampson, she said she would continue to dedicate her time and efforts to the successes of her students.

“I think I would just wanted to be remembered as someone who cared deeply about her students and wanted only the best for them,” she said, adding that she hopes this weekend will be a time for Charges to reconnect and make new memories.

For more information on the various events happening at Centennial throughout the weekend long celebration, click here.