Kevin Allerston
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (July 01/05) - "This is family." That's how most described J. H. Sissons school as it celebrated its 30th anniversary last Friday night, drawing alumni from all over Canada.

About 160 people filled the school gym decorated in Sissons' yellow and blue, for a banquet dinner.

About 60 came from out of town to see people they haven't seen in 30 years.

"It's very nice. Very nice, just like old times," said the school's first principal Doreen Wyme, who flew up from Victoria, British Columbia, to be at the anniversary.

"Sometimes schools just have a certain spirit that just carries on and carries on and takes over in the end," said Wyme of the elementary school she helped to start three decades ago. "So many original staff members have come back to be here today, it's just great," she said.

The school was filled with the smiling faces of alumni who were happy to meet up with some old friends.

"I haven't ever had so many hugs! This is unbelievable! You walk two feet and you get another hug," said Clara Sulz.

Sulz, principal from 1989-1991, has been working as a director of instruction in Kelowna, B.C.

"It was just unbelievable to come back and recapture all the memories that we had in the early seventies," Sulz said.

Louise Jovanovic initiated the French immersion program for Yk 1. "We started when this was only a tiny little dream, and together we felt there was nothing you couldn't do," Jovanovic said.

"There was never a time when people didn't say 'why not.' It was a can-do school - and still is!" Jovanovic said.

The event was a year in the making, said Sarah Berry, the school's current assistant principal and one of the organizers.

"It was really meaningful to me to bring all the people back to a place like Sissons school: it's really very special."