Neelin Views — Celebrating 60 years of Neelin, with hand and mind

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/10/2017 (3168 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A lot can happen in 60 years.

A man can land on the moon, another can have a dream, or perhaps, Mikhail Gorbachev, we could tear down this wall.

Or maybe, just maybe, a school could start its first academic year.

This was the case in the cool month of March 1957, when École secondaire Neelin High School opened its doors to the public for the first time.

So now, with hand and mind, let us travel back to a simpler time, a time without iPhones or fidget spinners, and see what has forged Neelin into what it is today.

Neelin Composite High School opened its doors on March 6, 1957. The school was named after the former superintendent of the Brandon School Division, Thomas Addison Neelin, who served between 1924 and 1950.

Neelin started off with a series of academic courses, much like today, as well as a series of vocational courses, such as a school shop program. This is where the school motto, Cum Manu et Capite, comes from. The motto directly translates to “With hand and mind,” and symbolizes the union between these two course categories.

The school remained as such until 1974, when the vocational courses were transferred to Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School. It was at this time that the word composite was dropped from the school’s title.

Neelin has always been a very diverse school. From its inception, it included academic courses, as well as a trade/apprenticeship program.

Nowadays, it has transformed into something on a much grander scale. The school features a wonderful arts program, ranging from visual to theatrical. The school has a life skills program that has been running for more than 15 years. Neelin is the only high school in Brandon that features a life skills suite. This program is designed to help students with special needs.

The school also features a wide variety of sports teams, including, but not limited to, basketball, volleyball, football, and badminton. Neelin also has a very strong track and field team. Ryan Flannery, the teacher supervisor for the Neelin track team, is very excited for the upcoming season, and has said that “track and field is something that everyone can be involved in.”

Neelin has four choir programs, all run by the wonderful Carolyn Gwyer. It just so happens that this is also the 50th anniversary of the Neelin Choir. Gwyer and the Neelin choirs would like to welcome back all of our choir alumni over the May long weekend to help us celebrate because after all, “Once a Spartan, Always a Spartan.”

Neelin is known for doing an annual theatrical production as well. These are usually filled with sensational singing, dynamic dancing and awesome acting. Neelin’s first production was “Arsenic and Old Lace.” This year, Neelin will be performing the 1954 classic, “Singin’ in the Rain,” which will run from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2.

It is important for a high school to offer a welcoming and inclusive environment, and the only way to truly evaluate whether a high school has one is to look toward the student perspective.

One student had this to say: “Neelin is a great place. Its teachers are very helpful. The nice small environment helps you to get to know everyone.”

Ken Seekings, our beloved principal, had this to say about the school’s environment, and what contributes to it. “In my year at Neelin, I have noticed that there is a huge sense of pride. Everyone’s working together to achieve this.”

Neelin is definitely a place where school pride has a massive impact on the student body. There is always some event promoting school spirit. The small environment is definitely a great help in improving the school’s community as well.

Over the years, Neelin has undergone many changes. Each year brings new teachers, new staff and most importantly, new students to these green and white halls. One thing has remained the same throughout the past six decades, however, and that is that Neelin has remained a place of belonging for all. A place where anyone can try and fit in, no matter what their interests.

So, here’s to 60 great years, and to the next 60 as well. I may not be here when Neelin celebrates its 120th birthday, but I know that this place will always hold great memories of pride and tradition for me and all those who have entered its halls, and all those who have yet to enter them.

Whether you think fondly of a school dance, your favourite class, that one major production that you participated in, or those good old 8 a.m. journalism meetings, you will remember the four years that you spent here, and you will realize that they went by in the blink of an eye.

If I had but one wish, it would be to read the journalism article in the fall of 2077, and see how much this beloved school has changed since my fellow compatriots and I walked these halls, in what will seem like a second ago.

» Jordan Adamski is a Grade 11 student at École secondaire Neelin High School.