Written by Mr. Paul Ciesla
Teacher at Dr. Probe
1993 - 2001
When Dr. Gerald B. Probe Elementary School opened in 1992, the grades were grouped into clusters referred to as pods, which are groups of whales. When I joined the staff in 1993, I was given the task of developing a mascot for the school. In the following weeks, as I pondered a number of ideas, I often heard the phrase "Pride of Probe" used in reference to the social and academic ideals of the Probe family. It occurred to me that "pride" is also a reference to lion families. ("Pod" seemed not to be a very appropriate name for anything in a landlocked prairie school.) It wasn't much of a leap from there to come upon the idea that a lion cub, representing the children cared for by the pride, would be an appropriate mascot. Sketches and drawings were made with a view to creating a lion cub with some human characteristics and yet still closely resembling a real lion cub.
Presently the lion cub has emerged. The mascot was presented to the Probe community with the recommendation that he be given the name Gerry, the nickname of Dr. Gerald Probe, in whose memory the school was named. Further, a recommendation was made that the reference to "pods" be replaced with the term "pride". The mascot and the other recommendations received general approval and soon Gerry's image was appearing on T-shirts and other things associated with the school. Gerry has most recently appeared on our gymnasium wall in the form of a two an a half meter mural.