Around 1,000 students from across Nanaimo-Ladysmith Public Schools will attend modified graduation ceremonies beginning Monday, June 15. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

TIP OF THE CAP

‘To not have grad happen was never an option:’ local high school graduates prepare to cross the stage

Jun 11, 2020 | 5:32 AM

NANAIMO — Months of uncertainty due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic will soon give way to two weeks of celebration for local high school graduates.

Graduation plans for School District 68 were recently approved by the province for most secondary schools and learning programs, allowing scaled down ceremonies to honour the class of 2020.

Don Balcombe, SD68 assistant superintendent, told NanaimoNewsNOW they looked at every possible scenario from delaying grad into the summer, to modifying the ceremonies.

“There’s immense pride in celebrating the conclusion of 13 years of public schooling. To not have grad happen was never an option for any of our principals. It wasn’t a matter of ‘should we do grad,’ it was a matter of how we were going to do it.”

The approved plans share common details such as splitting grad classes into smaller, more manageable groups to maintain physical distancing.

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Cedar Secondary principal Laura Roberts said they’ve arranged a drive-thru model where students and their guests arrive at a pre-scheduled time, walk in one way and leave another. She said their planning was all about capturing the moment.

“All of the preparations, the lineup, the grad gowns and all the things you do, it comes to that one moment where you walk across the stage and you get a photograph and you get to turn around, look at your family and smile,” Roberts said.

Managing the number of guests quickly became a problem for organizers to deal with.

Larger schools such as Dover Bay or John Barsby will only permit three or four guests per student, to stay within the provincially mandated maximum of 50 people in public gatherings.

“My inbox is full of messages saying ‘please, please can I bring six? How do I choose?’ We’re having to navigate that now and it’s tough,” Jane Reynolds, John Barsby Secondary principal said.

Smaller schools such as Cedar Secondary are permitting up to eight guests per grad.

SD68 said around 1,000 students will graduate from high school this year in Nanaimo and Ladysmith.

Forging ahead with grad is hoped to provide some sense of closure for grade 12 students after months of not knowing if school would resume or grad would be celebrated.

“When our kids left here on March 13, they didn’t realize their whole worlds were going to be turned upside down,” Dover Bay Secondary principal Geoff Steel said. “Not only did they lose their schooling, they lost their jobs. Some were pushed more into the community working at grocery stores or supporting people at home.”

Plans for each school are as follows (graduate numbers are approximate):

• Dover Bay Secondary: 260 graduates in ceremonies from Monday June 15 to Friday June 19
• Nanaimo District Secondary: 235 graduates in ceremonies on Monday, June 22 through Wednesday, June 24
• Wellington Secondary: 150 graduates in ceremonies on Thursday, June 25
• John Barsby Secondary: 110 graduates in ceremonies on Monday, June 22 and Tuesday, June 23
• Cedar Secondary: 40 graduates in ceremonies on Monday, June 22 and Tuesday, June 23
• Ladysmith Secondary: 110 graduates in ceremonies on Thursday, June 18
• Learning Alternatives: 74 graduates in ceremonies on Monday, June 15 and Tuesday, June 16 at Dover Bay Secondary
• Island Connect-Ed: Plans to celebrate their 25 graduates aged 17-55 have not yet been officially been approved by the province

alex.rawnsley@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alexrawnsley