City Council celebrates the Winning sounds of the Prince Rupert Middle School Band

Musical Director Kristy Tillman and the members of the Prince Rupert
Middle School Concert and Jazz bands were celebrated at City Council
for this success this spring at a national music festival

Monday night provided an opportunity for the City of Prince Rupert to pay tribute to the success of the Prince Rupert Middle School Concert and Jazz Bands, with Mayor Herb Pond noting how the opportunity to celebrate their success at the MusicFest event of the Spring is "one of those things you love to do".

Mayor Pond provided some background toward their trip to Ontario and then welcomed Musical Director Kristy Tillman and the members of the school's Jazz and Concert Bands to the chamber, celebrating their success at the Niagara Falls event earlier this year.

He observed for the Band members and the audience the impact of the success for the community.

"Travelled nearly 5,000 kilometres to represent Prince Rupert at the MusicCan Music Festival in Niagara Falls Ontario in May of 2023. None of these students had ever been to a music festival before, but both Bands were awarded Gold. Fantastic, absolutely fantastic. 

And I can tell you that while you were there being celebrated there, your community back here was celebrating you, and thank you so much for what you did"

As part of the ceremony, the band members were presented with Civic Merit Awards and received pins from the City.

The Mayor (who is married to Sandra Pond, the Acting Superintendent for SD52**) also used the opportunity to praise the Prince Rupert School System, noting that students in the District get a better education than can be found elsewhere, noting of the scope of programs that the District has such as the music program, drama program and others.

Mr, Pond also hailed the work of the teachers of the District who give to the community and the students of the District. 

"Listen I have to speak really, really positively about the Prince Rupert School System it sometimes gets a rough ride and I think it's absolutely ill deserved.  I raised four kids, they went through the public school system here and their experience was incredible.

We came from a large urban centre, we came from the lower mainland. We did question in moving to Rupert if our kids could get as good an education as they could have got down south.

They got a better education here, and it's not only what happened within the school classrooms but its all the other programs.

It's the Arts programs, it's the Basketball programs, it's the Music programs, it's the Drama programs it's the whole thing, you guys will never appreciate this until you leave, you really won't and thats Ok ... 

A huge part of how that happens is because  there are teachers who see their job as a calling not just a job and it's a mission in life and those are often the Band Teachers and the Drama Teachers and the Sports coaches who just go above and beyond.

And there is no possible way, that this group of kids as talented as they are, got all the way to Niagara Falls and won gold in two categories without an incredible amount of work from Kristy and the folks that  work with Kristy to make this happen, the parents and everyone else, Thank you, thank you for what you do"

You can review the ceremony from the City's Video archive starting at the opening of the Monday Council session.

A lot back at the success for Ms.Tillman and her students can be reviewed here.

More notes on the Monday Council Session can be reviewed from our Council Timeline Feature.

** -- We have amended the story to note for those not familiar of Prince Rupert of the connection for the Mayor with the School District.