Retiring teacher Miles Kereliuk gets a handshake from student Taylor Towers during a special assembly at Southern Okanagan Secondary School on January 30. Kereliuk says goodbye after 25 years of teaching. Twenty-three of those were spent at SOSS.

 

 

by Lyonel Doherty

Whenever Miles Kereliuk felt down, all he had to do was go to school where his students picked him up.

The veteran teacher from SOSS admitted this fact in front of the whole school on January 30 during a special assembly.

Kereliuk has retired after 25 years of teaching in the district (23 at SOSS). He taught just about everything except physical education.

Student Taylor Towers said Kereliuk always had a smile on his face.

“Math class was tedious, but he always made it fun,” Towers said, noting students will remember Kereliuk particularly for his “man scarf.”

Kereliuk said he considered his students like family, who made him feel happy when he felt down. “Kids are good for us; they keep you young.”

Principal Cate Turner began the assembly by saying how proud she was of students for being so resilient and positive during the upheaval since the September 12 fire.

“You truly showed us what it means to be an SOSS Hornet.”

She promised the Grade 8s that next year will be a lot better.

Turner thanked teachers and support staff for weathering the storm and recovering from losing all their resources. She noted there was much chaos with students being moved from portable to portable, but they still managed to organize  several major events, such as the Terry Fox Run, the Missoula Children’s Theatre and Halloween haunted house.

Students ??? were recognized for setting up the donation jars for the school, and Austin Basso was praised for establishing the “I Love SOSS” Facebook page.

Other individuals and groups recognized for their support include: Cindy Gosling for the hoodie fundraiser, district principal Terry Collis for special education services, Valley First Credit Union and Staples for donating school supplies, Peter Morrow from the Kiwanis Club for donating furniture, Sen Pok Chin principal Heather Kelliher for donating gym space, and the Sikh Temple for raising cash donations.

Turner said she received emails from all over BC. She noted a leadership class in Langely donated 18 boxes of books for SOSS.

Past president of the Oliver legion, Ron Hovanes, congratulated the students who won the Remembrance Day poster and literary contest.

“It means so much to the veterans,” Hovanes said, noting there are people in Canada not much older than high school students who are war veterans.

Student council members from Osoyoos Secondary School presented SOSS with a large photographic print of the original school. They also gave SOSS a number of decals that read “We Rise Again.”

A big lottery was held to see which students would win 62 lockers up for grabs at the school (lockers are worth their weight in gold at SOSS).

Many cheers and yells could be heard from the audience as students’ names were called.