EDMONTON – High school students in central Alberta recently showed their support in a big way for a beloved teacher about to undergo cancer treatment.
Video posted online shows students at Red Deer’s Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School holding a surprise rally for teacher Tawnya Wasilenko. It happened on October 8th — one of her last days at work before going in for cancer surgery.
Principal Dan Lower said the school asked everyone to wear pink on the day of the rally, but Wasilenko had no idea it was being held in her honour.
The Run for the Cure was in Red Deer the weekend before, so the organization helped out by providing pink ribbons and flags.
Students in one of the school’s Motion Media Video classes recorded and produced a video of the rally, because Wasilenko wanted her kids to be able to see it.
In it, a clearly overwhelmed Wasilenko is led through the halls and into the gym, passing many of the school’s 1650 students and 150 staff. Lower said they wanted to show Wasilenko that her school family was thinking of her during the difficult time.
The video was put together by students Carson M Loeppky, Carter J Phillips, Zak Jackson, and supervising teacher Gilles Theriault. The school presented it to her a couple weeks ago, and she posted the video on her Facebook page.
Wasilenko’s surgery was successful. She will start chemotherapy at the end of November, but won’t return to teaching this school year.
With files from Ken MacGillivray, Global News
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