The Hillcrest School library was named Friday after a teacher who was a part of the staff and the Estevan community for many years, who touched so many lives and inspired so many people, and who died suddenly in June 2017.
A good crowd of around 100 people gathered at the Rose Davenport Library to pay tribute to the woman affectionately known as "Mrs. D." Her family, including her husband Shane Davenport and two sons, Cole and Carter, as well South East Cornerstone Public School Division board member Shari Sutter and superintendent of schools Shelley Sargent also came in for the dedication ceremony.
Hillcrest School principal David Gillingham talked about what kind of person Rose Davenport was and how she didn’t like the extra attention. However, it was important for the school to recognize, honour and show respect for their friend and colleague.
“I’m sorry, Rose, today, for these few minutes you are going to be the centre of our attention,” said Gillingham during the ceremony at the library.
He recalled how Rose Davenport helped him to adjust and made him feel welcome when he first moved to Estevan.
“She heard that we were looking for an acreage, and so she lined up acreages for us. She sent me some information and said, ‘These are some places where you could live.’ So right away my first contact with Hillcrest was through Rose and she made us feel so very welcome, and she made us feel better about the community before we even got here. I think it’s typical of how she interacted with everybody,” said Gillingham.
Gillingham also shared some stories and jokes they had with Rose Davenport. For the ceremony, Gillingham was wearing an “I've been Hillcrestified” shirt which reflected how much impact Davenport had on him personally.
“We were having a conversation there in the office, and I realized then that she had turned me into something that I wasn’t when I started at the school… Rose taught me to be a different and better person. And a Hillcrestified shirt represents that for me, because what she has taught me ... is what it is to be a teacher at Hillcrest, and a teacher anywhere, but especially at Hillcrest," said Gillingham.
“She lived and breathed the quest to help others be the best that they can be, children, adults. And what stands out was that she never ever expected anything in return. She did it because she was a good person. She wanted you to be better for its owns sake, not because anything special that might come back to her. Well, I get another apology. Today we do give back.”
He also noted that to have a building or a room named after a person is a very unique situation that reflects a special contribution that person made to the school.
By the end of the sincere speech, Gillingham's voice broke and he wasn’t the only person who turned emotional during the dedication. Quite a few people couldn’t hold tears remembering Rose Davenport and how much she meant to the school and to the community.
Minister at Church of Christ Tim Pippus, whose children were Rose Davenport’s students, made a touching dedication, also sharing some of his memories.
“In Megan’s (his older daughter) Grade 1 year they did an assembly and they did a dance, a choreography theme to Eye of the Tiger. Does anyone remember that?... I can’t listen to Eye of the Tiger without thinking of Rose, “ said Pippus.
He also noted that his older daughter, who is a teacher herself now, used educational materials developed by Rose Davenport to enhance her skills.
Shane, Cole and Carter Davenport brought the dedication ceremony to an end by unwrapping the plaque and thanking the school and everybody who came for recognition of their wife and mother.
“I’d just like to thank everybody for coming and sharing these moments with us, and everybody who (did) all the paperwork and things that needed to happen in order for this to happen. Thank you so much!” said Shane Davenport.
The plaque is located inside the library and is decorated with fireflies. One of Mrs. Davenport’s students, Brenna Sellsted, with tears in her eyes talked about how the teacher affected her personally and why fireflies were symbolic.
“Fireflies. There is a valley, and we always go down there quite a bit. And one day we went with her and we caught fireflies and she would hold it in her hand,” Sellsted said.
“It was a personal relationship with us, too. We usually would go down there at night and meet her there, and just catch some fireflies. Rose was always trying to catch them in her hand … for Brenna,” added Lyn Vilcu.
The new library name can be seen by the library entrance on the board, which also has a jar with fireflies on it.
