Citizenship thrives at Oilfields

Citizenship flows through the hallways of Oilfields School from Grade 7 to Grade 12 and from Longview to Millarville — and even a taste of Edmonton is thrown in there.

Grade 7 and 12 students Peyton Meston and Lina King bookended the Citizenship Award recipients at the Oilfields Junior/Senior high school Black and Gold Awards Friday in Black Diamond.

King started at Oilfields in her Grade 9 year from Edmonton.

She had no complaints about her capital city school, but it didn’t have the same feel of the small, but big-hearted Black Diamond school.

“With bigger schools, it’s easier to fall through the cracks and no one notices you,” King said. “Here it’s easier for good citizenship because there is so much to do. It is such a tight-knit community that you know everyone… Going to a school with a 1,000 kids, you feel like you are in the middle. My grad class is 35 people and everyone knows one another and everyone cares for each other.”

She’s proud of her community.

“It’s small town,” King said. “People would think it would have more traditional views, but I feel it is very progressive. We have Mental Health Awareness and GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) at the school and I am part of both those communities.”

She admitted it took a month or two to fit in back in Grade 9, but now her heart pumps black-and-gold blood.

“I was so nervous when I got here and I didn’t know what to expect,” she said with a smile. “Everyone has been here since Kindergarten. Once I found those friends, it really clicked.”

She said she now prefers Oilfields.

“The community is so close and there are so many opportunities,” King said. “If I was in Edmonton, there is no way I could play basketball at the high school level. Here I can play any sport.”

Meston didn’t become a good citizen at Oilfields, he brought those positive traits with him from Longview School.

“The teachers at Longview are nice and you have to be nice back,” Meston said. “They taught us how to be nice, not to be rude at all, be patient.”

Turns out being nice, makes one feel nice.

“It just feels nice inside,” Meston said. “I just want to help as many people as I can. It also helps in the real world when you are an adult.

“You become a nicer person.”

The other citizenship recipients were Tice Kehler, Grade 8; Kiera Bretzlaff, Grade 9; Kiri Beer, Grade 10 and Keyanna Bates, Grade 11.

The Award recipients at the Oilfields High School Black and Golds ceremony on Feb. 17 in Black Diamond:

Western Communities Foundation Exceptional Achievement Bursary: Tim Murrin

Governor General’s Award: Jaime Wong

Dr. Haslam Bursary: Jaime Wong

Inter Pipeline Discovery Award: Jaime Wong

Foothills Lions Club: Hayley Hill

Ladies Auxiliary of the Royal Canadian Legion Turner Valley Branch #78: Katelyn Braun

Sheep Creek Arts Council: Georgia Jeffery