The 2016/2017 school year is an exciting one for many with current or past connections to Winkler's Garden Valley Collegiate.  The school will graduate its 50th grade 12 class as it marks the half century milestone.

Principal Scott Jantzen says the milestone year will be celebrated in a number of ways, including the publishing of a history book, and an alumni banquet and concert set for December 17th.

Jantzen says they chose the 17th of December for the concert because they thought people would be coming home to celebrate Christmas with their families.  "It also backs up against our alumni basketball tournament, which has been a big success over the years."

The history book will be a hard cover book, consisting of about 80 pages.  "It's going to be kind of the best of the last 50 years," said Jantzen.  Mrs. Loretta Thorliefson, who has been teaching at GVC since 1988, will be editing the book, while the school's Desktop Publishing classes are working on the layout and design.  As well as including some of the best of out of the last 50 years of year books, the history book will also have some new copy and new photos.  

Jantzen says they're hoping to sell the history book on its own, or as part of a package deal with December's banquet and concert.

Excitement is building for this year's celebrations.  Being that they're the 50th graduating class of Garden Valley Collegiate, Janzten says the current grade 12 class is getting the message pretty clearly that they're special.  "We're talking about it at our assemblies and different places, and our Desktop Publishing classes are really excited about it, because they're taking a lot of ownership for the history book."

The December 17th concert will feature a great deal of unique musical collaborations, with a wide variety of musical genres represented.  All performers will be GVC students, staff and alumni.  So far confirmed artists include, Leanne Zacharias, Dennis Kehler, Jayme Giesbrecht, Rick Wiebe, August Jack, and Hey Zeus Marimba.

"There will be a great deal of unique musical collaborations for the evening, with a wide variety of musical genres represented- jazz, pop, blues, country, classical, bluegrass," said GVC teacher and concert organizer Scott Bell.  "It will be an eclectic evening of GVC students and staff and alumnus that make music an integral part of their lives. The event will also celebrate some of the key people responsible for building the musical culture at GVC."

For full details and updates on GVC's 50th celebrations, you can check out the school's Facebook page as well as its alumni Facebook page.

Submitted photo