HISTORIAN SPEECH 2011 Josh Wever & Dineke Tolkamp Josh: Dineke: Josh: Hello, my name is Josh.

And Im Dineke.

We have been chosen on behalf of our grade to look back on the many memories weve had throughout the years at LCS and reminisce one last time together. Although one single speech cannot capture all the things we have been together as a class, whether it be good or bad, it is obvious weve been through a lot with those who are sitting here tonight. Dineke: The first part of our journey at Langley Christian was, of course, Elementary school. These years were characterized by games, cooties, Ms. Tuiningas songs at Chapel, recess and lunch breaks, teachers attempting to make us behave and teach us something at the same time, intramurals, a new playground and running club. Josh: For many of us, it all began in Kindergarten. Mrs. VanBrummelen and Mrs. Ensing eased us into this new experience called school and taught us a lot at the same time. We had to figure out the alphabet, indoor and outdoor shoes, cleaning up after yourself, sharing and how to meet our classmates. We had intermediate kids for buddies (they always seemed so OLD), show and tell, the annual Christmas play, a water table, gerbils in the class, a reading loft and of course, we held hands walking through the halls. Mrs. Ensing also stopped teaching Kindergarten after our year..at least we made her final year with 5 year olds a good one. All in all, Kindergarten was packed full of fun while learning important life lessons at the same time. Grade 1 introduced us to our first full day of school and we became intergraded with the big kids. There were new units to study, like Penguins, and threats from Mrs. Kelly to cut off our fingers if we used them for adding. Pokemon was immensely popular in grade 1 and took up much of our time. Being still young, our best times were spent outside on the playground: the swings, slides, high tower, tag and all sorts of other games we came up with. There was so much to doand so little time to do it in. Luckily, we were back the next yearready for more. Kite night with our dads was definitely a high point, while we continued to take small steps in our education as well. There was more difficult math and spelling and we struggled to learn how to read. Some remember the endless breaks spent in the long jump pit (our makeshift sand box) and extreme fear of cooties in grade 2. Most widely recalled, however, was Mrs. Ts bike accident. The effect of such a tragic event was felt by everyone, especially her homeroom class who had to adjust to a new teacher part way through the year. Before we knew it, we were another year older. Much of it passed as earlier years, only a little bit more difficult and with some improvements. We had pioneer day with Mrs. Wood where we dressed up and were treated as though it was the real thingshe checked our finger nails for dirt and some sat in the corner with a dunce cap. There was Woodville, and a snake that escaped in Mr Beards class. Ashley received flowers in her lunch from an embarrassed Mark Agawin and Mrs. Woods class waited the entire year for Kyles cousin Brad to show up (he didnt.) Dineke: Grade 4 was a huge turning point for all of us, as we became intermediates and felt a lot older than we were in grade 3. A lot happened that yearand for those of you wondering, Brad finally arrived. There were the swimming lessons at W.C Blair (why did we do that anyways?), the simple machines unit, watching salmon eggs hatch, and memorizing Bible verses with Mrs. Last. This was also the year where Bay Blades took priority for most of the guys and many breaks were spent in the covered area battling it out. We had a Russian exchange student, Misha, which was very exciting, mostly because we had no idea where Russia was, only that it was big and very far away. Most of us also recall that the feuding between classes was especially bad in grade 4. Both Mrs. Lasts and Mrs. Schaaps groups thought their class was the best and the others were missing out big time on all the fun

activities. We felt bad for each other, to be honest. Looking back now, Im pretty sure both classes were equally awesome, though at age 9, that seemed unlikely. Grade 4 was also the year that Mrs. Lasts class received a SARS scare as an April fools joke (tears of fear were shed over that one) while other class heard the one and only Goodness gravy! exclamation from Mrs Schaap that no one has forgotten, even to this day. Coming back the next year had a totally different feel. There were two full classes, and a 5/6 split with Mrs. Meighen. We seem to remember this year like this: Mrs. Meighens 5/6 split never talked to the other classes because they were hanging out with the older grade 6 students. Mr Gs class had all the fun (or pretended they did at least) and the remaining group simply wished they were with Mr G, having fun. Despite this complication, there were trips to the beach, Chinatown (buying knives and white rabbits was a huge hit there), and trip #1 to Newcastle for the split class. Grade 5 was the first year you could become a Peacemaker and patrol the playground. Finally we were given a chance to show the younger kids our wisdom in matters such as playing fair, sharing and getting along. Adrian Dykstra was also new to LCS in grade 5and what is better to a grade 6 girl than an unsuspecting, cute new boy to pounce on?! Adrian found his place at LCS immediately, though it is unclear whether hes fully recovered from that traumatizing experience Before we knew it, we were the top dogs at the Elementary Campus, and boy did we feel old! No one could tell us what to do (except the teachers, sometimes, I guess) or push us around. At this point we were half done our LCS careers, and there were still many more fun times to be had. Ms. Tuininga and Ms. Buchannon had their classrooms in the portables for the first time. Who could forget the crowded cubbies, daily treks across the gravel to the main building or the apple cinnamon freshener that burned our noses everyday for year? Josh: Grade 6 was the year of the flower shorts for guys and the shocking No Flip Flop rule which affected the girls. Runescape was a big hit, though no one was ready to admit it in public yet. Exciting also was the chance to be on sports teams for the first time! Many people quickly discovered a love for sports, while others figured out that sports really didnt love them (so they did something else). We had art classes with Mr. VanHemert and puppet plays, as well as Advisory once a week. Does anyone remember the Following Directions test in Advisory that everyone failed? Good times! Then we had Mrs. Magra who loved to award us for memorized scriptureand sometimes the stuff that was only partially memorized. She knew quite well that large amounts of candy are the way to a kids heart and weve never stopped loving her since then. There were basketball dunk competitions at lunch, recorder in Music room and Brandons Santa Baby performance. Oh, and what about those guys who turned the microwave on in the portables for 99 minutes? At least we had a break from the apple cinnamon smell for a week To top the year off, we had our trip to Newcastle Island! This highly anticipated event did not disappoint. Burnt food, duct taping, wandering the woods, raccoons, a survival game, and long walks to the bathroom at night (or multiple times for some). We also learned once again that following directions was important. Those who did not got their food stolen and tent ransacked by hungry raccoons. Dineke: We will always look back at our years in the Elementary school with fondness, when things that shouldnt matter mattered and things that SHOULD matter really didnt matter at all. Life was simple and fun. Finally! The moment had come. We were OUT of the elementary school, and now part of the Middle and High School up the hill! No more silly rules or immature kidswe were finally growing up! (It seemed). Middle School had new teachers, explorations and group events like the Banana Relay and 30 Hr Famine. We were the first class to move into the new Middle School campus part way through the year and got brand new lockers, classrooms and a gym.

The first year of middle school is remembered for all the introductions and new things that were to be experienced. We were finally able to get involved in a high school play, that year it was A Wrinkle in Time! Even if we did get the worst acting jobs (minus Luke), the love for theatre and acting began for many of us in grade 7. There was a new French program (using hand signals), and we had our first of 6 French teachers a pattern that would continue till grade 12. We had band with Mr. Alexander, art with Mrs. Contant and science with Mr. Rosborough. Wait a second Remember the black box?! He promised us he would tell us what was in it when we graduated! Well.weve graduated! Someone needs to bring him here to give us the explanation for that one. Plus, we read Banner in the Sky and hiked Mt. Seymour! That was the first time Chris Tang had ever seen snow and Im glad we could be there to help him through itThis talk of snow rings another bell for me in gr. 7: some of us were assigned an 1000 word essay giving our repentance for throwing snowballs at each other one lunch break. How we filled those word requirements I am still not entirely sure. Grade 7 is also fondly remembered for the sex talks we received. Not only did Mr Rosborough take us through the diagrams, we also had an opportunity to ask the teachers questions in a gender specific area. While the girls attempted (and failed) to make the teachers awkward, the guys read through written questions they had submitted.they still wonder to this day about some of those.. That year was definitely the awkward phase especially for the girls. We were taller than the boys, and more mature, but a lot more unfortunate looking. There were futile attempts at applying make up and trying to choose somewhat fashionable clothes. The guys wore skate shoes, grew their hair long, and displayed as best they could a new definition of the word cool. J: Before we knew it, we were the oldest yet again, though this time only of the Middle School. We began to hang out with the opposite sex more for the first time. This meant the beginning of new friendships and dating! Its true, we really had no idea what we were doing, but we pretended and it seemed to work just fine. Dineke: There was a cow dissection, a talking French pear, difficult tests and even exams to finish up the year. (Hey Dennis, remember when you got 7% on that Bible test?) Many of us began to realize that school work sometimes required a bit of extra time in order to pass. Mrs. Triemstras class remembers all the junk they put in her couch without her knowledge, and how Nolan spent probably half the year getting a quality education in the hall. Ms. Winds group gave each other Encouragement notes and sang Grace Kelly till everyone hated it. And the last class goofed off with the new teacher, Mr. Keuhl. Josh: And of course! The Salts sailing trip! We sold chocolates, poinsettias and more in anticipation for this adventureand it did not disappoint! Though Mrs. Triemstras class got the worst weather (rain, cold and wind), it was still awesome. Night watch and stopping on the beach were highlights. Plus, there were 3 days flings, the guitar serenation, Alex Mas freak out video and the inevitable bonding that happens when you spend quality time together. Before we knew it, the year was over! There was a grade 8 grad and suddenly we realized that the next step, high school, was just around the corner! Our high school years are characterized by the increasing difficult classes and workload, trips to MTF, the Deli and Subway, gaining independence, realizing who your good friends are, discovering our individuality and how we fit into LCS as a community. Dineke: Grade 9 was another year with a lot of firsts. I clearly recall our first introduction to high school: Our entire grade got a lecture in each class about how badly behaved we were and how we really needed to step it up, because we were in high school now, which was serious business

Besides a warm welcome by the teachers, there was much more to look forward to. We had junior sports teams, a Christmas banquet and spring fling, choir, longer classes and no recess! We sat where we wanted at lunch and had a different teacher for every class. We also quickly noticed that we were at the bottom of the pecking order. There were long discussions in Bible, Domain Crusher in Math, fitness testing in PE, Bozeman Montana to talk about in English (just kidding, Mr. Kloosterhof) and goofing off in French class with Ms. Moe, like the time Dennis got sent in the hall and we decided to hide David in the cupboard. Dennis came back, went to get paper from the cupboard and got the scare of his life. Speaking of DennisGrade 9 was also the year that he could grow a full beardpretty sure no stranger believed he was only 14. Then: the stolen red belt incident in the all girls PE class. That grade six kid never made me feel like more of a criminal: questioned in the weight room, bags searchedthe works. Turns out the girl had her belt the whole time Soon, we were already another year older. We returned to sports team as the older kids, which meant more playing time and a chance to display our leadership abilities. Jr. Girls Volleyball team won districts that year and wellthe guys tried to We continued to strengthen friendships, as well as discover who we were in Planning 10 with CAPS COPS COPES. It was very helpful to learn that if you liked being outside that meant you should find a career as a sheep herder, or a trapper. The last couple months of the year were jammed full for some of us. Luke and Anna went to Africa to represent us at Gondolikhethwa Christian School. The choir also went to Toronto with the Senior Band and had a blast: Canadas Wonderland, an impulsive nun chucks obsession, late night hotel phone calls and Luke James discovered PDA on the plane ride home. Finally we closed out the year with the trip to Capernwray. The low ropes course and the screamer were a highlight for most of us. The guys will remember the pranks and goofing off every night, even with Mr. Zuidhof, Mr. Vanmuyen and Mr. Kloosterhof patrolling the area. Instead of causing trouble, the ladies just talked in their cabins into the late hours of the night. Oh and how could I forget about Sarah and Denise: Two new life long friends I made that trip. Josh: Grade 11: I like to think of it as the year we made bigger choices and gained some independence. (Finally!) The courses we chose actually mattered for our futures, and we were included in the college fair visits. We had multiple classes with the grade 12s last year and many of us became very close with them. The Sr. Girls volleyball won provincials in grade 11, and though most of them (minus Jess) sat on the bench, the team bonding and experience of winning was amazing. Lunches were spent off campus more frequently, as we were now allowed to leave (officially at least) and some had our Ns! (Should I mention the names of the people who still did not have their Ls?) There was the trip to the PNE with the Physics class and the canoe trip for PE students. Who could forget the terrible weather that was experienced there?! All in all, Grade 11 was jam packed with everyone investing their time in what interested them most. We closed the year excited for summer and anticipating ONE FINAL YEAR of high school! And now, the final year: This year. Grade 12! The final stretch before graduation. It was weird having to adjust with many of our older friends graduated but being the oldest seems suits us just fine. This year has dragged on slower and flew by faster than any year before it. The school work has been either significantly more difficult, or a lot easier than previous years and much of the year was spent wondering what we were going to do with the rest of our lives and also realizing we really didnt know what that looked like outside of LCS. Classes involved bible presentations, in depth History tests, Mr. Schons humour (that only some appreciated), English Lit discussions (and the Lit Family), Mrs. Shelveys loud voice, and the endless packages in Chem.

Dineke: Highlights of grade 12 include the Kumsheen rafting trip that started the year with a bang. We all appreciated it when Lydia and Brennen came late to dinner on the second day (and for the record, yes, they were only talking). Then there was Chris who fell off his raft and got stuck in the whorl pool, plus the guys communicating through the tents when they were supposed to be sleeping. Other things brought us closer too. Like Tight N Bright day, Starcraft, Get Smart, Lazer tagging, an unforgettable band trip NYC and the disappointment we shared over not getting to do a prank. There were leadership and Student Council events (or lack there of), breaking into Jackys, and the final song we sang together at the Spring Fling. There was the Canucks road to the Stanley Cup finals (THAT was a riot) plus hanging out at Kellis and the not-so-secret skip day which included breakfast at Ihop, Cultus Lake waterslides in the cold and a BBQ at Jessicas. Oh! And our 2nd half skip day and drive by. A shout out to Melissa on the megaphoneyou were awesome! And lets not forget the pleasant surprise we had when we found out Kev was graduating with us this year! Its obvious that there are way too many memories from our grade 12 year alone to mention here. Now that weve walked across the stage at the ceremony and studied as best we could for our exams, we have, in some way or another, made it to this moment: todaythe final day our gradeLangley Christian School Grad Class of 2011 will spend togetherever again! Josh: Before we leave today, wed like to thank the teachers, principles and administration for putting up with us. Then theres our parents and family. Thanks for sending us to an amazing school and being there as weve grown up and become the people we are today. Grads: Our time together at LCS has been legendary. The friendships, memories and good times weve shared have strengthened us as a group and as individuals. Many of us have grown up together, and watched each other become the young adults we are today. The journey has had its ups and downs, but weve made it and Im glad that weve shared it together. Finally, we consider what makes us different: our faith. Ultimately we want to thank God for all the good years and the numerous moments weve shared, remembering that he was with us at every moment and will continue to be with us as we go out into the world. Dineke: After tonight, we go our separate ways. Whether that is far away like Switzerland, San Francisco, New Zealand, Kings, Redeemer, Calvin and Dordt, or a bit closer to home: TRU, UBCO, UFV, BCIT, UBC, Kwantlen and Trinity. We may be working, travelling or going to school, but we are now at a closing time in our life and we wont be coming back. We leave LCS tonight more confident in who we are as individuals and anticipating our future, but knowing we will never be together like this again. Lets enjoy this last night and cherish forever the memories weve created as a class. Thank you.