(pexels.com)

By Sheldon Spackman

Milestone Reached

Local high school graduation season underway

Jun 21, 2021 | 1:34 PM

Its graduation season and thousands of central Alberta high school students are taking part in various and creative ways despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

At Red Deer Public Schools, the Alternative School Centre held its graduation ceremony on June 18 in a drive-thru style event, while Hunting Hills and Lindsay Thurber have their graduation ceremonies scheduled for this Friday, June 25.

The Hunting Hills ceremony will take place inside the Westerner Park Centrium. It will be a staggered event with three groups of graduates and 110 students in each grouping. The Grand March evening event will begin at 7:00 p.m. at Hunting Hills High School.

Lindsay Thurber graduation ceremonies will take place at Setter’s Place at Great Chief Park.

Grads and families will select a time slot to attend, with families to be seated in the bleachers while the graduates walks across a covered stage. Grads and families will also select a time to attend the Grand March at Bower Ponds Stage.

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Both Hunting Hills and Lindsay Thurber ceremonies will be live streamed.

Graduation ceremonies for Gateway Christian School are scheduled for June 29 at Canyon Ski Hill. Parents will drop students off at the bottom of the ski hill, then proceed to the top of the hill while students ride the lift to the top wearing their cap and gown. Students will receive their diploma cover upon arrival at the top of the hill.

At Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools, graduation ceremonies will be held for Notre Dame and St. Joseph High School on June 28 in their respective gymnasiums. Both events will also be live streamed for parents and other family members.

At Chinook’s Edge School Division, the majority of the district’s high schools are hosting their respective grad events on June 25 or 26 under current public health restrictions.

At Wolf Creek Public Schools, graduation ceremonies have already been held for Eckville Junior Senior High School, Ponoka Secondary Campus, Lacombe Outreach, and Alix MAC. Ceremonies will take place in Bentley on June 26, the Brick Learning Centre June 29, Ecole Secondaire LCHS on June 30, and at Rimbey Junior Senior High and West Country Outreach in September.

In the Wild Rose School Division, Superintendent Brad Volkman acknowledges their district’s large geographical area, which he says requires an individualized approach for each school’s graduation ceremony.

“Now under the new rules, you can have 150 people seated outdoors with social distancing and so we have some schools that are going to take advantage of that option. Others are going to kind of do it more like last year where it’s a drive-by,” he explains. “The grad and their family pulls up, they get out of their vehicle, there’s a stage there, they walk across. Each one looks slightly different.”

Although Breton High School and Visions West Outreach School have already held their graduation ceremonies, Volkman says the rest will be held between June 25 -29.

“I’m really proud of the resilience of our students and our staff despite all the challenges, making the best of it,” says Volkman. “It’s been a tough year for a lot of kids because they didn’t get the same opportunities athletically in terms of clubs and a lot of things look different. But I’m proud of their resilience, I’m proud of all our staff and all the work that they did to give them as much of a good year as possible.”