Forest Heights Trojans coming home for 50th anniversary of school in June
Kevin O’Reilly looks forward to reminiscing with other Trojan alumni.
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by Helen HallKitchener Citizen
April 10, 2014
Few people have been more connected to Forest Heights Collegiate than Kevin O’Reilly.
Over the past 38 years, he’s walked through the doors of the school as a student, athlete, student council member, teacher, vice-principal, coach, and parent. So, he’ll have a lot of reminiscing to do at the FHCI 50th anniversary reunion.
Former Trojans will come together on Friday, June 6 and Saturday, June 7, during a two-day celebration held at the school and at local watering holes. O’Reilly, who is now a vice-principal at Cameron Heights Collegiate, will be one of those meeting up with former high school friends and teachers, as well as students he
taught there.
“I’m a small town guy in the city and Forest Heights was my small town,” O’Reilly said of his time at the school.
He started as a student in 1976 and got involved with sports and student activities and still enjoys friendships with those he met there.
And it wasn’t just his friends from FHCI who helped shape his life, but it was also the teachers who guided him.
“Russ Woloshyn is the reason I became a teacher,” O’Reilly said of Woloshyn, who taught math and physical education at Forest Heights when O’Reilly was a student. Now retired, Woloshyn still coaches volleyball locally for a club.
“Woloshyn said one day if I beat him at tennis in phys-ed class, I didn’t have to go to his math class at the end of the day,” O’Reilly recalled. He beat his teacher, but still went to the afternoon class “because I really liked Russ.”
O’Reilly also fondly remembers the “tap on the shoulder” he got from Student Activities teacher Jim Furlong, suggesting he join student council.
“Being a part of student activities changed my life,” O’Reilly said. He said he enjoyed the leadership skills he learned as well as volunteering. He still uses these skills today in his job and in the community.
O’Reilly said his dream after graduating from teacher’s college was to come back and teach at Forest Heights. Eight years later, his dream came true and he was back in its halls as a teacher.
“I got to teach with some of my former teachers and coach with some of my former coaches,” O’Reilly said, which he considered a “privilege.”
He also got to coach his own children who attended Forest Heights. His sons Clarke and Joel were quarterbacks of the football team (just like their dad) and his daughter Faith played basketball, another sport he played as a Trojan.
O’Reilly also got to teach and coach a niece and a nephew, and the children of some of his friends from Forest Heights.
No wonder he considers Forest Heights his “small town.”
Former Trojans like O’Reilly will have many activities to participate in during the reunion weekend, according to current FHCI teacher Maureen Maus, who is on the organizing committee.
On Friday, June 6 the school will be open at 1pm for registration and to pick up new Trojan spiritwear.
You can tour the school and visit the different “decade rooms” and, depending on how long ago you graduated, hope to recognize some of your former classmates.
Friday night “pubs” will be held at four locations throughout the city, said Maus.
Those from the 60s and 70s will meet at the Schwaben Club, the 80s will meet at Grand Valley Golf and Country Club, the 90s at the Waterloo Regional Police Club, and those who graduated after 2000 will meet up at Elements Night Club in downtown Kitchener.
Maus said there are lots of activities planned for Saturday including a barbecue and alum-ni sports including hockey, basketball, volleyball, and slo-pitch.
And, of course, there will be a Journey. The annual and much-loved variety show is nearly as old as the school itself.
Saturday evening will finish up with a dance at Bingeman’s Marshall Hall at 8pm. It will feature the live band Innuendo.
Maus said about a dozen people have been working on the reunion for the past year. Because tickets are limited for the off-school events, she suggests people register and purchase their tickets in advance.
Information about registration packages can be found at www.fhci50threunion.com.