Skip to content

Central Alberta schools look at options for graduation

Another COVID graduation season
24068692_web1_210129-RDA-high-school-graduation-graduation_1
FILE - Grade 12 students from Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School celebrate the end of their high school careers in 2016. (File photo by BLACK PRESS)

Central Alberta school districts are still figuring out how to celebrate 2021 graduation as the pandemic continues.

On Thursday, the Calgary Board of Education announced it was not planning traditional graduations that involve large public gatherings.

No decisions concerning graduation have been made yet at Red Deer Public Schools.

“We haven’t really had in-depth conversations on that yet, so that will be happening,” said Bruce Buruma, community relations director.

He said grad is not a day, but an entire year, with different events and activities. With such a dynamic situation as the pandemic, all factors will have to be considered.

“We do know it’s a significant event in the life of students and families and all those who support them, so any decision that needs to be made is not taken lightly. We recognize the importance of these kinds of life celebrations,” Buruma said.

Related:

2020 high school grads won’t get their ceremony

Catholic grad celebrations abruptly cancelled in Red Deer

Superintendent Kurt Sacher, with Chinook’s Edge School Division, said possible types of graduation events are still up in the air, and will be determined by COVID health restrictions.

“We’ve encouraged our administrators to start thinking about it. They each need to decide with their school communities how they want to move ahead,” Sacher said.

“Our schools really impressed us with their creativity last year.”

Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools said in a statement that it was looking at all scenarios and was currently in the planning stage for Grad 2021.



szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter