Stratford and area residents with connections to the former Stratford Central and Stratford Northwestern secondary schools will have a chance to take home a piece of their school’s history Oct. 27 as historical memorabilia from both schools will be available for purchase during the Stratford District Secondary School open house from 6-8 pm
Stratford and area residents with connections to the former Stratford Central or Stratford Northwestern secondary schools will have the opportunity to take a piece – or pieces – of school history home during an open house at Stratford District secondary school next week.
Following the decision in the fall of 2019 to reconfigure Stratford Central secondary school and Stratford Northwestern secondary school into Stratford Intermediate school and Stratford District secondary school, the Avon Maitland District school board established the Stratford transformation committee to guide students, staff and the community through the transition. One of the committee’s goals was to determine how to distribute or dispose of school memorabilia, awards, plaques and other items in a respectful way.
“We worked with the Stratford-Perth Archives and the Stratford Perth Museum and we hired three summer students,” superintendent of education Jane Morris said. “(Archives manager) Betty Jo Belton and (museum collections and exhibits manager) Micaela Fitzsimmons worked with the summer students to help us go through everything to determine what paper records are significant enough that they should be stored at the archives, so the registers from the late 1800s and anything that was historically significant.
“And then a number of artifacts that we deemed historically significant like … some of the memorabilia from the sports events, like the old scoreboard from the 1950s that used to be outside, all of those pieces went to the museum on permanent loan.”
However, there were hundreds of yearbooks, awards, framed pieces of student artwork, sports jerseys, scrapbooks, photos, pennants and more that, while lacking enduring historical value, could still hold some sentimental value for former students and staff from both schools.
So as part of Stratford District secondary school’s annual open house, students, families and the community members are invited to the cafeteria to peruse items from both schools. If they find something they’d like to keep, they can buy it for a cash donation of the buyer’s choosing that will go to either the Stratford Intermediate school or Stratford District secondary school benevolent funds, which provide financial and other assistance to students in need .
“So if you played on a basketball team in the 1970s and you want the plaque from that tournament, that is the kind of thing that will be available on Thursday evening up at the high school,” Morris said. “Two of the summer students who are most familiar with what we have will be there on Thursday evening so they can help people find things from specific time periods.”
Fitzsimmons will also be on hand Thursday night with a selection of the artifacts from both schools that are now in the Stratford Perth Museum collection. Those who attend the Oct. 27 open house will be able to tour many of the Stratford District secondary school classrooms, the recently renovated school gymnasium, the new science lab, the tech rooms, music rooms and more.
“Because of COVID, people haven’t really been in our schools, so they can come and see what that space is like and take a piece of memorabilia home with them,” Morris said.
IF YOU GO
What: Stratford District secondary school open house
When: Thursday, Oct. 27, from 6 pm to 8 pm
Where: Stratford District secondary school, 428 Forman Ave., Stratford