Rainier students honor music teacher Patrick Velliquette

Only a few weeks ago, Rainier Music/Band Teacher Patrick Velliquette passed away following an illness. Mr. Velliquette was born in 1978 in Honolulu, Hawaii, and graduated from Clatskanie High School in 1997. He attended LCC, University of Oregon and, finally, George Fox University. Mr. Velliquette started teaching in 2005 at Riverdale Baptist School in Marlboro, Md., where he stayed for nine years before moving on to Turlock Christian in Crescent City, Calif., in 2020. He began teaching music in Rainier in 2024. In addition to teaching music, Mr. Velliquette also dedicated himself to his church, coaching soccer, and his 4-H group. Despite only being here for a year, he was a beloved teacher and an important part of our community. However, in that year, he influenced our music program and its people in ways that will never be forgotten. Mr. Velliquette saw potential in every person and had many ambitions for what our band and choir could look like. He advocated for our program to get new equipment (including instruments and uniforms), which we now have. One of his goals for the program was to start a marching band, which we haven't had in many years. In the last year, the band has successfully marched in two parades and had its first year of band camp, where they learned a piece that he composed. Mr. Velliquette was very passionate about teaching music and valued the culture created in the music classes. He wanted to create a space of inclusion and participation. He loved to start inside jokes and traditions. One tradition he started last year was having the band eat dinner together before performances to strengthen our community. He wanted to make sure that nobody was hungry. Mr. Velliquette also valued honesty and did his best to listen to criticism and admit when he was wrong. His passion as a musician, educator, and a Christian has left its mark on our community and will never be forgotten. In memory of his time at Rainier, a weeping birch tree was planted at Mr. Velliquette's memorial, which is located outside of the music room. Music students now water the weeping birch tree daily.