Verdun School News

We had the pleasure of dropping by last Saturday to take in the Community Breakfast with Santa event. Over 100 people within the two sittings took advantage of a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausages, pancakes, and other morning delights.

The kids also weren’t disappointed as the jolly gentleman in the red suit and white beard did make his promised appearance and visited with him on stage to let him in on their wish list. It was brought to our attention that one youngster wanted a car and one wanted a reindeer, and despite the snowstorm, we have been informed by our contact at the school, the mild-mannered Jennifer Holmes, that Santa did make it back, as it seems that Jennifer is the direct Riverview contact for Santa as well.

The big event here was last week’s Annual Christmas Concert under the steady direction of music teacher Gary Lindner, and, as always it got us off to a great start for the festive season, and the Sec. 2 and 3 bands showed substantial improvement over last year. The concert also showcased the great vocal talent at the school and the discovery of the night was Tishawna Callender of Sec 1 who sang her version of “The Greatest Love of All”. Move over Whitney Houston!

Kayla Vardon did an encore performance of last year’s “Oh Holy Night” with that great strong set of vocal chords and Samantha Cambridge gave us a powerful version of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”.

After an energetic version of the Beatles’ classic “Come together” by the Sec. 5 rhythm section with Zach Soles on vocals, it was time for leading vocalist Susan Young to step up to the mike and accompanied by Gary Lindner on the piano, proceeded to warm up our hearts with a soulful version of Judy Garland's Over the Rainbow from the classic 'Wizard of Oz'. While listening, it made one think of being in a quaint cafe on a mild wintry evening, logs crackling in the fireplace, sipping on a favorite beverage with fluffy snowflakes falling against the window and daydreaming of your future wishes in life and past memories of times long ago.

The Sec. 2 and 3 bands showed us they will be musical forces to reckon with as the seniors graduate, as they played hit classics like Born to be Wild, Thriller, Louie Louie, and the timeless classic, Stand by Me, and it had Gary Lindner just standing back and proudly watching.

The Senior band also played like veterans on 25 or 6 to 4, John Lee Hooker’s Boom Boom, and Buffalo Head. On Metallica’s Enter Sandman, that great rhythm section of Mylissa Koeppe, Kevin Earle, and the legendary Taylor Scott-Covey were on the jazz along with Zach Soles on the Korg organ and featuring a neat slide effect on guitar by Nicholas Ryan. Thanks for the great show, and we look forward to the Spring Event.

And, last but not least, if you don’t feel like wrapping up your last minute gifts, why not drop by this weekend until Monday the 24th to the Pharmaprix on Verdun where the BA Grads will be wrapping up for a minimal cost looking at reducing the cost of the yearbook hoping to have a color version for the 5th anniversary. I think I will wrap up my son’s gift this weekend, shh, it’s a secret. And to everybody at the three schools and to all our readers, have a safe and Merry Christmas and the happiest of New Years .