More than three decades after leaving École College Park School, eight members of the Class of 1990 returned on July 19 to walk the hallways, revisit old classrooms, and relive the memories that helped shape lifelong friendships.

The former students travelled to Saskatoon from across Canada and the United States for their reunion: Marusia Kachkowski from Winnipeg, Sarah Beck from Toronto, Clare Cumberland from Edmonton, Jill Yates and Megan Bennett from Vancouver, Leah McKendrick from Portland, Dr. Rachel Erstling from Hamilton and Reché McKeague—the only member of the group who still calls Saskatoon home.

From the moment they stepped inside the school, the memories came quickly.

Flipping through old photo albums, the women laughed about how grown up they looked at 14 compared to teenagers today. They remembered singing, putting on musical productions and, on occasion, finding creative ways to turn gym time into rehearsal time.

They recalled transforming a school hallway into the Amazon Rainforest after learning about the rainforest in class. They laughed as they recalled charging their parents and others admission to come and see their creation.

As they moved through the school, familiar spaces brought back memories both big and small.

One woman found her old locker. Another stood at a staircase she said she has inexplicably dreamed about over the years and marvelled at how strange it felt to see it again in person.

In a former classroom, the group immediately began remembering where everyone sat. They spoke fondly of an excellent teacher who insisted they speak French in class. One remembered starting at the back of the room and gradually being moved closer and closer to the front so the teacher could keep an eye on her. Another recalled the student who sat behind her and grading her brilliant work.

The friends described their group as “super tight, super bright” and perhaps a little hard to tame. They admitted they may have been a handful in the classroom.

That closeness, they said, was strengthened by their shared experience in French Immersion. When they moved on to Walter Murray Collegiate to continue in French Immersion, the friends stayed together, referring to their group as “The Bubble.” 

More than 35 years later, that bond remains.

Their tour also highlighted how much schools, and school communities, can change over time.

The group remarked on how incredibly diverse École College Park School feels today compared to when they were students. Photos, displays, and other elements throughout the school reflected the many cultures and backgrounds now represented within the school community—a change the group was struck by as they walked the halls.

They visited their former portable and looked out at the playground, laughing about some of the less-than-safe playground equipment of their childhood and reflecting on how far playground design has come. They also noted how seamlessly modern portable classrooms can now be incorporated into a school.

Passing the English as an Additional Language (EAL) lab sparked memories of the space as a computer lab, where computer education at the time largely meant learning how to type.

In the library, the women rediscovered a small cubby where they once crowded together for photos. Naturally, they needed to recreate the experience and recreate that photo op!

Another space inside the library prompted a more solemn memory. One woman recalled being at school when she watched news coverage of the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. As she shared the memory, others in the group began remembering that day as well.

For one member of the group, now an artist living in Toronto, returning to her former art classroom was particularly meaningful. She remarked "this is where it all began".

For the sole tour participant still living in Saskatoon, the visit brought together generations of family history. She stood for a photo in a classroom at the school she once attended — a classroom where her own children later attended Prekindergarten and where one of her children participated in iGen (Intergenerational Classroom) for Grade 6.

There were plenty of lighter memories, too. In a large space they remembered as a multipurpose room, then used mostly by younger students, the women recalled having access to a classroom phone. They recalled they 'occasionally' used that phone to prank call other classrooms.

They even reminisced about the everyday challenges of school life, including what one woman jokingly described as lingering “sock trauma.” Students had to remove their indoor shoes before walking to the boot room, she remembered, resulting in perpetually wet socks. 

At one point during the tour, the group came across a painting of the school from 1991. It confirmed another shared memory: in their day, it was simply College Park School, as depicted in the painting. The "École" was added some years later.

The tour ended outside, beneath perhaps the most enduring reminder of their time together: a large tree the students planted to commemorate their Grade 8 graduation in 1990. They gathered beneath its branches for one final photo.

In the years since leaving College Park, members of the group have built careers in teaching, nursing, law, art and film, among other fields. They have made homes in cities across Canada and beyond. Yet, more than 35 years later, the friendships formed in elementary school continue to bring them back together.

Their visit was a beautiful reminder that, every day, students at École College Park School and throughout Saskatoon Public Schools are doing much more than learning. They are making memories, discovering their interests, and building relationships that may stay with them for the rest of their lives.

Thank you to Marusia, Sarah, Clare, Reché, Jill, Leah, Megan and Rachel for coming back, sharing your stories and giving École College Park School some wonderful new memories of its own.

Arriving for their tour

Looking back at their Grade 8 grad photos

Tour stop in gym

Found her old locker

Found their seats in their former classroom

Remembering the kid that sat behind her

Taking in changes to portables & playground

Revisiting a favourite nook for group photos

Recalling the live broadcast of the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster

Now a working artist, visiting one of her first art classrooms

The only tour attendee still residing in Saskatoon. Her children also got a turn to learn in this very same room.

A multi-purpose space that was used mostly for Kindergarten in their time

Prekindergarten cubbies

A painting of the school from 1991

Under a tree they planted in 1990