Remi Poliquin
Counsel
PETES Celebrates 25 Years of Community
submitted by Angela Trolli
The anniversary celebration brought together past and present students, families, teachers, staff, and community members for a memorable day filled with laughter, music, games, and school spirit. It was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the school's history and the many people who have helped shape its community over the past 25 years.
The festivities included a family BBQ, inflatables, games, tattoos, and a pin-making station. Adding to the celebration was a special musical performance by Hard Luck Saints, a band featuring a PETES parent, making the event feel even more connected to the school community.
One of the most meaningful parts of the day was seeing former teachers and students return to reconnect with the school. A special picture board, created by Kindergarten teacher Renée Breton, showcased memories from throughout the school’s history and gave visitors the chance to reminisce and share stories.
Principal Allan Fink also addressed the community, recognizing the significance of the milestone and the many generations of students, families, and staff who have been part of the PETES story.
The Home and School team made the celebration possible by organizing activities and games for families. Leadership students from Macdonald High School also came to lend a hand, running games and helping throughout the event. Their involvement was a wonderful example of the connections between schools and communities across the Lester B. Pearson School Board.
A Community Effort
An event of this size doesn’t come together overnight. It took the generosity, time, and dedication of many people and local businesses to make the celebration possible.
The PETES community was fortunate to receive donations of services and items from several local partners, including Hard Luck Saints – The Band, La Belle Patate Dorion for condiments, Pastry Chef Tanya Hamel for cupcakes, Idolem Hot Yoga for corn, Maxi Pincourt for hamburger buns, Macdonald High School for lending inflatable carnival games and tents, and the City of Vaudreuil for lending tents.
Other local businesses helped make the celebration possible by providing items at a discount or at cost, including IGA Viau, which provided hot dogs and buns, and M&M Vaudreuil, which provided hamburgers.
Home and School President Christine Guggenberger highlighted the many people who came together behind the scenes:
“An event like this doesn’t come together overnight. It takes many dedicated people. I would like to thank the PETES staff and all the PETES parents who volunteered to help make this event a success. I would also like to give a special thank you to the MAC Leadership team who came out and helped run all the stations for the students. A huge shout-out to a former PETES parent, Bruce, for coming out with his grill and cooking burgers and hot dogs all evening!”
For parent Erica Petosa, the celebration was a meaningful reflection of the strong sense of community at PETES:
“The 25ᵗʰ anniversary celebration was such an amazing event! It was really special to see our school community come together, with past and present families, students, and staff. We were so happy to be part of this special celebration and to see how much our school means to so many people. It was truly a memorable day!”
Grade 6 student Jessika Barrette also appreciated the opportunity to celebrate PETES during her final year at the school:
“The 25ᵗʰ anniversary celebration was really fun! My favorite part was getting to see one of my old teachers who doesn’t work at the school anymore. It was really nice seeing her again. It was cool seeing so many people who used to work at the school at this event. I’m really happy I got to be part of it, especially in my graduating year! It makes it extra special!”
The 25ᵗʰ anniversary celebration was more than just a milestone — it was a celebration of the people, relationships, and memories that make a school a community. From former teachers and students returning to share memories, to current families, staff, Home and School volunteers, student leaders, and local partners coming together to make the day special, the celebration captured the spirit of PETES beautifully.
Happy 25ᵗʰ anniversary, PETES!
