Editor, The Times:
My name is Gail Yip and I am part of a volunteer group writing and compiling the history of Burnaby Schools - 1894 to the present day. The other committee members are Janet White, committee chair and retired languages department head; Harry Pride, retired high school vice-principal; Dave Carter, retired school principal; and Rosemary Cooke, retired elementary school teacher. Janet, Dave and I are also former Burnaby high school graduates. I am the only layperson but have a strong interest in Burnaby history.
The Burnaby School Board and B.C. Retired Teachers support us. In addition, the City of Burnaby, through its Heritage Commission, has been a passionate sponsor from the start and will be doing graphic layout and publishing of the book.
Each school library will receive a complimentary copy.
Profits from the sale of the book will go to scholarships for Burnaby High School students.
The focus of our coffee table-style book is not just to publish the histories of the school buildings but also to "humanize" the book by including interesting stories, anecdotes, and personal pictures of sports teams, social events, unusual school rules and customs.
One special section will be dedicated to our "celebrity sons and daughters" who attended school in Burnaby.
That being said, we hope you will contribute a short narrative or picture of either a school experience or memory. It need not be long, 100 words is fine. Could you please make your submission by May 31, 2012?
We ask that you send your narrative to burnabyheritageschools@gmail.com
Our target date for publication is early next year.
Gail J Yip, committee member
Burnaby Heritage Schools