Hillcrest School is going to be renaming its library after a popular former staff member, and the school hopes to see a large crowd turn out for a ceremony next month.
A dedication of the Rose Davenport Library will happen on May 3, starting at 1:30 p.m. Principal David Gillingham said there will be a brief dedication of the library, with a speech from Gillingham on why the library is being renamed in Davenport’s honour.
Tim Pippus from the Estevan Church of Christ will say a brief prayer, and Davenport’s family will be present as well.
“After that, people are welcome to stay and have a wander around, take a look at the signs and the plaque and so forth, and there will be some snacks and refreshments put on by the SCC (school community council),” said Gillingham.
It will be an opportunity to visit and discuss what Davenport meant to the school.
Davenport was a teacher at Hillcrest for many years, with much of her time spent teaching Grade 1 students, before moving on to a role with the South East Cornerstone Public School Division.
She died suddenly in 2017.
The school wanted to have the ceremony open to the public because Davenport’s influence extended beyond Hillcrest.
“Not only did she work in the capacity of a consultant (for Cornerstone), where she touched students across the division, she also touched the city of Estevan in terms of how she felt about people, how she worked with people, what she meant to the community,” said Gillingham.
“It meant that the only right thing to do was to make sure that anybody who wished to be here has the opportunity to do so.”
He hopes to see a large crowd that day, including former students of Davenport’s, and representation from the Cornerstone division.
Most of the work for the dedication is finished. The exterior signage on the library, the interior signage from the hallway to the library, and the plaque for the library are all ready to go.
