High School Redux

Anne Renouf    Senator O'Connor College School    1969 - 1974

Recently, I listened to the album 'Tea for the Tillerman' by Cat Stevens, (1970), in its entirety, for what was probably the first time in fifty years. I was in the kitchen, cooking, and surprised myself by singing lyrics, unsung by me for almost that long. 

It was the album of that year,
known by every one of my classmates. 

We were Grade Ten students, thrown together from various parts of suburban Toronto and small communities north of Toronto, in a relatively new Catholic high school, 

Senator O'Connor College School.

The school was distinct in a number of ways. Built on land donated by Senator Frank O'Connor to the De La Salle Christian Brothers, (in the Parkwoods neighbourhood of North York), the school buildings surrounded the striking Brother's House, (the former home of the Senator), with the J.J. Lynch building to the east, and the O'Connor building to the west. 

While the Lynch building was standard 1960's school style, the O'Connor building was avant-garde, designed in a hexagon by Fisher Tedman Architects. I'm not sure we fully appreciated the building's beauty at the time, with its quirky angled staircases and oddly shaped rooms, but the erratic hallways made for amazing games of hide and seek, and hidden corners to slip away into, unseen.

The Christian Brothers, and nuns of the Daughters of Wisdom held various teaching posts in this ground-breaking co-ed Catholic school, as well as many lay teachers, (including former brothers and nuns). I still think of a number of teachers from the early '70's with huge fondness - Marg Gardonio, Hugh McShane, Brother Walter, Sister Anita, Harold Brathwaite, Phil Small, Theresa Duffy.

It wasn't just the building or the staff, though these were pretty great. 

There was a strong emphasis on academics, and not just learning facts and figures, 

but developing critical thinking skills, strengthening self-confidence, experiential learning, and teamwork.

My strongest recollections of that teamwork was a distinct camaraderie in Grade Ten. 

Friendships, yes, but also trust, loyalty, 

love.

Now, fifty-six years later, I listen to Cat Stevens, and it all comes back. The melodies, the lyrics, the tight friends I was with when listening to them - all of that - but also, who I was as a person, where I was headed, and what an extraordinarily good education we all received.

*

Some months ago, I picked up one of our grand-boys after an exam at his school in Peterborough,

 to shuttle him home. (We had some good chats on those half-hour drives.) This time I mentioned that Grade Ten, for me, had been the best.

"Why?" he shot back, curious. "What made it so great?"

"It was the sense of belonging", I told him. "We were all part of something."

As I thought about this, I could picture my classmates - the school musical, sports, the fund-raisers, the 'Miles for Millions' walkathon, the hockey pools, the class trips,

the singing and guitars in the beautiful school chapel.

Primarily though, the sense of belonging was in the classes themselves, some boring, yes, but nevertheless, 

ours,

a shared experience by the same twenty-five tight friends of 10D, 

all navigating being fifteen-year-olds.

Together.

Five friends - Senator O'Connor College School - 1969-1974