LAC LA BICHE - It's been a busy two weeks of learning and laughing at Lac La Biche's J. A. Williams High School.
The Grade 12 Diploma Exams wrap up this week, following a week of Mardi Gras fun and games.
Students and staff across the school took part in the decades-old Mardis Gras tradition that featured daily activities and games that promote school spirit. The week wrapped up with a school Mardis Gras dance last Friday night — the first dance at the high school since 2019.
This year’s events included a dodge-ball event, an obstacle course relay and balloon-popping game, a 70s dress-up day and a Family Feud-style trivia event.
The school’s students’ association organizes the event, said Ainsley Kruk, a JAWS student union member and Grade 11 student.
“Mardi Gras is the most important event in the school year other than Grad…We put a lot of work into it. We took a couple of things out of last year's Mardi Gras book, but this year ‘Family Feud’ and the ‘Ballon World of Doom’ event were fresh ideas created by the students union, said Kruk.
Winning teams and teachers
Another change for this year’s week of events — back as a school-wide activity after a two year break due to COVID measures — was the absence of a king and queen contest. Instead organizers opted for a team approach, matching group of students with a teacher or staff member. Throughout the week’s competitions, each team collected points based on how well they did in each event. The winning team took the Mardis Gras trophy and had their names on a banner that will hang in the winning teacher’s classroom.
This year’s winning team was a group of five students from Grade 9 and 10 joined by teacher Andrew Pryzyblski
JAWS Grade 11 student and student union member Samantha Onciul said this year’s return to a full-school event was great to see and fun to plan. For some students, like her, who came to the high school during the last two years, it was the first time they’ve taken part in the fun.
“It was awesome, the school was able to come together and it was special because it was our first real Mardi Gras as students ever,” she said.
Both Onciul and Kruk hope to see this year’s return of the Mardi Gras event continue to grow for years and years to come.
“I really appreciated all the people that participated and I hope that the people that participated this year will influence others to do it next year,” said Kruk.
The fun weekend came just before a week of big tests for high school students, as the Grade 12 Diploma Exams are scheduled for this week.
