Samantha L’Heureux was looking forward to showing off her purple grad dress to her friends this May 30 at the Paul Kane Class of 2020 graduation.
“Ever since I entered high school, I was always looking forward to graduation,” said L’Heureux, who is co-president of the school’s grad committee.
“Hearing my name and being able to walk across the stage with the whole family watching was something I really was looking forward to (experiencing).”
But this week, she and hundreds of other St. Albert Public School students learned grad had been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with plans for a replacement fall grad still up in the air.
Bellerose principal Jyoti Mangat said she and the principals of Paul Kane and the Outreach school sent letters to parents about their decision to cancel/delay grad on April 14 after discussions with district office, adding it was a difficult decision to make.
“We all decided there really was no possibility of having a grad in June,” she said, as have many school jurisdictions.
Bellerose’s grad would typically see about 2,500 people packed into the Edmonton Convention Centre, for example, and the province has restricted public gatherings to just 15 people due to the pandemic.
“There’s just no way under these circumstances that we’d be able to have that kind of grad,” Mangat said.
Mangat said the school would work with students and families in the coming weeks to plan a possible fall grad ceremony. Paul Kane principal Erin Steele said in his letter to parents that the school still hopes to celebrate Grad 2020 in some form, possibly in the fall.
Bellerose Grade 12 student Damon Lesburg said he was shocked to hear grad had been cancelled, noting he had already picked out a suit for it and had plans for a date.
“I’ve worked hard for that 12 years I’ve been in school, and I’ve been looking forward to getting my diploma at my grad.”
L’Heureux said it’s been tough to deal with this cancellation, especially since she’d spent many hours after school organizing fundraisers for it. She was also concerned some students would miss a fall ceremony, as they might be at jobs or universities out-of-province by then.
“I know this pandemic is much larger than graduation, and I completely understand the cancellation of the event. I just do hope it is (instead) postponed.”
Delays everywhere
Most Greater St. Albert Catholic schools have delayed their grads due to the pandemic, said superintendent David Keohane.
Morinville Community High’s grad is still scheduled for June 27 at the Windspear Centre if by some miracle the province lifts public gathering restrictions by then, but that’s very unlikely, said principal Don Hinks. The backup dates are July 3 and Aug. 22.
“In terms of planning, it’s extremely hard,” Hinks said, as they don’t know if or when they’ll be able to have the 1,200-some people expected at grad gather in one place.
Hinks said the school was working on having a grad-like activity online later this term.
St. Albert Catholic High moved its grad to Aug. 28 from May 8 last month after they heard schools were likely to stay closed for the rest of the term, said grad co-ordinator and learning support facilitator Ashley Morgan. Staffers sent a survey to families on April 16 asking when and how they’d like to hold grad.
Vice-principal Kim Payne of Sturgeon Composite said her school has yet to make a decision on its plans for grad this year.
École Secondaire Sainte Marguerite d’Youville was to hold its final high school graduation this year, as Catholic board trustees voted in February to end the school’s high school program this fall. The school has yet to finalize its grad plans, said GSACRD spokesperson Rudy Zacharias.
