Westlake High marks 100 years
Published 7:14 am Thursday, October 2, 2014
School pride and tradition are normally a given at most high schools, especially during homecoming week. But Westlake High School is taking its homecoming celebration up a notch this year in honor of the school’s 100th anniversary.
Kerry Onxley, the school’s theater teacher, said that since Westlake is a small community, its lone high school is like the “civic center” of the town and has a lot of support from residents. Onxley said the centennial will showcase the school’s growth, old-fashioned spirit and community involvement.
“This is a very big deal for the entire community because we have a lot of tradition,” he said. “Our students are truly the drive behind the school.”
Events will start at 10 a.m. today at S.P. Arnett Middle School — the high school’s original site — where the school’s Ram statue will be rededicated. Onxley said the statue was refurbished for the anniversary celebration.
At 6:30 p.m., a community pep rally will be held at the McDonald’s on Sampson Street. Onxley said residents should bring a chair or blanket.
Friday’s events will start with a school pep rally at 10:50 a.m. in the gym. The homecoming parade will be at 4 p.m., and an open house and self-guided tours of the high school will be at 5 p.m. The homecoming game will start at 7 p.m. with the Westlake Rams facing Patterson High School.
Morgan Spell, biology teacher, said residents won’t want to miss the open house because it will feature photo murals and a 100-year timeline of the school’s history.
Spell said the senior class spearheaded the project and assisted with gathering photos dating back to the early 1900s. She said students used yearbooks and social media and contacted community members for information and photos.
Spell said she wanted seniors to be involved in the project and anniversary celebration to learn where they came from and to leave Westlake High School with a sense of pride and heritage.
“They need to always remember they are where they are because of what our generations before gave us,” she said. “This project couldn’t have been done without the help of our community. Their desire to show our students and share this tradition is why we are able to celebrate our 100 years so proudly.”
