JPII graduates pictured here celebrating the final chapter of their high school journey. Pictured Left: Graduate Alexander Swiftwolfe and his mother, Miranda; Top Right: graduates James Sundiam and Guiel Salunga and their family; Bottom Right: graduate Thomas Swanson and his sisters. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

One to remember

Local high schools celebrate graduation day with special event

Jun 10, 2020 | 5:00 PM

The local Battlefords high schools are celebrating graduation in a unique way this year.

Due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, both John Paul II Collegiate (JPII) and North Battleford Comprehensive High School (NBCHS) offered a virtual spin on the traditional grad ceremony. The effort is to provide as authentic a grad experience as possible under the current circumstances, given the provincial guidelines.

Students of each high school were each given a time slot throughout the last two weeks, when they would be able to return to their school gymnasium to walk across the stage and receive their diplomas, with a small group of family in attendance. The students were then also given some time for family pictures, as things were properly sanitized, prior to the next graduate taking the stage.

Each student’s moment crossing the stage was also videotaped, and will be included in a video release of their school’s graduation compilation. The videos will also feature an address from the local mayors and dignitaries, along with the standard valedictorian speech and even some musical entertainment from students.

Vice Principal at JPII, Bruce Yockey, said it was important to offer graduates a special celebration of their achievement, even if it meant things had to be done in more of a creative format.

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“The idea was to produce a virtual graduation which would be as close to a live ceremony as possible,” Yockey said. “Graduation is the culmination of these kids’ 13 years they’ve put in and it should be recognized and celebrated. It has been a unique and strange year obviously, but we wanted to make sure the class of 2020 was honoured just like all the previous classes that have gone through John Paul II.”

NBCHS Vice Principal, Carla Bernier, said while the unique video format is obviously trying to make the most of a tough situation, it has also provided an added personal touch with each student coming in individually to be honoured.

“What we have actually found with the finished piece is that we now have a more personable grad, you really get to know the grads,” Bernier said. “They came in and were videotaped doing a stage walk and a moving of the tassel and then we also had a portion where they were actually interviewed. You get to know the graduates a bit more and then in the end families were able to come and get pictures with the graduates, and it was really great.”

The NBCHS graduation tape is expected to be released on the school’s website June 26. JPII’s tape will be uploaded on their site on June 29. Each upload dates correspond with the respective dates their graduation festivities were originally planned to take place.

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1