What better way to spend a snowy April day than to come back to The Priory School for an alumni reunion? That’s exactly what over forty Priory alumni and past parents did on Friday, April 27th for The Priory School’s Amazing Race Reunion. The alumni and past parents had a chance to explore the new school wing while performing a variety of challenges. They built sculptures out of recyclable materials in the new art classroom, competing for who could build the tallest tower that could stay standing after being transported. In the new music room, they made up songs for their team and were encouraged to include solos and dance moves. They completed brain teasers in the new grade 4 classroom, and they tried to make wacky basketball shots in the new gym.

They convened in the gym to give their final song and dance performance. Memorable moments include Charles Regimbal’s song and dance solo, and Alexander Torabi’s incredible solo of “Children of the Light” remixed! While the yellow team was the conqueror, the real winners were everyone who participated in The Priory School’s Amazing Race Alumni Reunion. A special thank you to our Alumni Relations Officer, Ms. Molly McKay for organizing the event and the entire Priory staff for their help and support.


Priory Family Reunion

The Priory School Alumni came together for the “Family Reunion” on the evening of December 1st, 2011. Special guests included former principals Ms. McConnon who taught at The Priory from 1961-1969 and was principal from 1969-1995, and Mr. Marinelli who was principal from 1995-2006, and former teachers Mrs. Murphy, Mrs. Tkachuk, Mrs. Blair, Mrs. Waite (who still teaches Faith First), and newly retired Mrs. Riggs. Alumni and past parents from as far back as the 1950s and up to 2006 were given tours of the new school wing by current staff members, browsed through photos from their Priory days, and shared stories with one another and their teachers about their Priory memories. There was wine, hors d’oeuvres, and the legendary mac and cheese to put smiles on everyone’s faces. Many thanks to everyone who made the time to come out!
 

The Annual Fall Mixer

Parents, teachers and friends of The Priory gathered together at The Palace Reception Hall on Saturday, October 29th to show their support for The Priory School. Hosted by the Priory Parents Association and headed by dynamic duo, Johanne Di Silvestro and Sylvie Koutroubis, this year’s Fall Mixer provided a warm and inviting haven for those in attendance. The combination of good food, good company, laughter, and dancing made this event an evening to remember! MC and auctioneer Sian Matthews kept the evening running smoothly with her good humour. A silent and live auction highlighted the evening with items for all interests. Sushi Lessons with Ms. Sherriffs and Ms. Bouchard, Break Dancing lessons with Mr. Lahteenmaa and Principal for a Day, were but a few of the items up for bid. This year’s Fall Mixer was a resounding success and thanks to the support of all who attended, the event raised $17,475!
 

FORE the Kids - The Priory's 11^th Annual Foundation Golf Tournament

The Priory School Foundation is pleased to announce that over $40,000 was raised at this year’s Golf Tournament held on June 2nd, 2011. The proceeds will be directed to The Priory School Foundation’s Bursary Fund and to outfitting the new music and art classrooms. Thank you to all of our generous sponsors, donors, and dedicated volunteers who helped to make this event truly special. Regardless of the windy and wet weather, our 108 golf enthusiasts had a great day at the Ile Perrot Golf Club. After the round, and the ladies’ massages and manicures, over 130 guests joined together for a cocktail hour, three course dinner, raffle, and some silent and live auction bidding.

A great part of the success of the tournament is due to the dedicated Golf Committee, Co-Chaired by Jim Wyzykowski and Sian Matthew, and consisting of Frank Csik, James Gilchrist, Scott Henderson, Dave Matthew, Darren McGuire, Brian Monk, Courtenay and Matthew Price-Gallagher, Wanda Kozak, Molly McKay, and Principal Deborah Heuff. A special thanks to Jim Wyzykowski our very witty MC for the evening, for entertaining the crowd and for making the live auction bidding fun for all.

Congratulation to our Winners of the Day:
Low net: Rod Smith, Alan Marquis, Alan Hazel, and Glenn Rourke
Longest drive women: Suzanne Yacovitch
Longest drive men: Marc Yeramian
Closest to the pin: Craig Lockwood
The winners of the ladies cup was eight very dedicated PPA mothers.

Thank you to everyone who supported this year’s tournament. Your generosity truly makes a difference to students at The Priory School.

Alumni Gathering 2011

On Friday, May 6^th, over sixty Priory alumni returned to their “home away from home” for the Annual Zany Reunion. After searching the school high and low for clues in the scavenger hunt, they gathered together in The Priory gymnasium to be divided into four teams: The Green Team, The Yellow Rubber Duckies, Blue Boomerangs, and the Red Cubs. Together they played a little "secrets game", where they were given secrets of both their fellow alumni and the teachers and they had to guess whose secret it was. Soon after, excitement filled the air with the beginning of the Zany Games. First up was “Kin-Ball Catch,” which was followed by “Quick Ninja.” After defending their “tails” whilst blindfolded and many silly mishaps along the way, the teams tried to have the least amount of laundry in their quadrant while playing “Clean Your Room.” The Yellow Rubber Duckies were the overall champions, and will have their team name inscribed on the Alumni Zany games plaque. Re-energized by pizza and cake, alumni spilled out onto the soccer field, basketball court and playground to have fun and reminisce about their younger years. Thank you to everyone who attended! It was so much fun to see you, and how much you have all grown!

Class of 2006 Reunion

On Friday, April 15, 2011 the Class of 2006 gathered together at a downtown restaurant for their five year reunion. While sharing stories from their Priory days and their current lives, the class was able to bond in a way they hadn’t done in years. Thank you to everyone who attended!

Making A Difference - Happy 60th Birthday, Priory School!

Sixty years… a time to celebrate and a time to reflect on who we are and how far we have come! This is exactly what The Priory Family did on the occasion of its sixtieth year of academic excellence. Past and present parents, teachers and friends of The Priory, demonstrated their love and support of “the little red school house on The Boulevard” as they gathered to celebrate The Priory School’s 60th Anniversary with a special celebratory Mass and dinner held on Saturday, October 13th. The celebratory Mass, held during the afternoon at The Priory School, was full of inspiration, memories, and a moving poem “Sixty Years Of Flight” written by Debbie Merritt and Magda Bruce. Past and present principals, Miss. McConnon, John Marinelli, and Deborah Heuff were honoured for their dedication and outstanding commitment to The Priory School. The dinner, was held at Le Centre Mont-Royal, where guests were taken on a journey of The Priory with a video presentation which captured the school’s long and colorful history. Added to the excitement of the evening was a Silent Auction filled with items to please anyone’s gift list. Hand-crafted jewelry, week-end getaways, and sports memorabilia were but a few of the items available for bidding. The generosity and support of those present was both amazing and gratifying, with a final fund-raising total of $21,425! These funds definitely made a difference to our students, as they allowed all grades to benefit from the use of SmartBoards in their classrooms. A big thank you to the members of the Priory Parents Association for their dedication in making the evening a success.