Cheerleading Squad

By Jennifer Piggott

 Our school is now home to yet another team: the Cheerleading Squad. Near the end of last year, Ms. Gauthier and Ms. Spencer started a cheerleading squad, made up of students from grades six and seven.  The girls had only one performance that year and have only had one so far this year with their new coach, Ms. Weir.   

The girls are split into two teams, senior and junior. Ms. Gauthier coaches the more skilled girls on the competitive or senior team, while Ms. Weir coaches the others on the in-school or junior team.  In addition to the coaching they get from staff, the girls are now also working with select members of the Clarkson Secondary School Cheerleading Squad, who won first prize in the Peel Regionals last year. There are also some select staff members of the Pro Spirit Alliance Group and organization that has been coaching cheerleading for more than 18 years.   

            One item that the girls didn’t have last year but was a goal for this year was to have ‘official’ cheerleading uniforms. They had to do a lot of work to get them, as each uniform costs $300. Two members of the team actually sold one hundred chocolate bars each, each of them making a profit of $136, to help in this fundraising initiative.  There was also a bake sale and a Krispy Kreme donut sale to gain additional money for the uniforms. 

            “The thing I like most about being on the team is that it’s fun!” says one member of the team.  The senior team will compete on January 30^th, 2004, in the Peel Regionals.  Good luck, girls! Well keep you posted in the February edition as to how they did.