Red Deer Public Schools is holding staggered Grade 12 graduation ceremonies this spring in light of last year’s positive reviews.
“We are very excited that we will be able to celebrate the dedication and achievement of our students at this year’s graduation event,” said Hunting Hills High School principal Darwin Roscoe. “These students have demonstrated the extreme resilience and commitment necessary to reach this milestone.
“Last year, the feedback we heard from our parents and graduates was that they enjoyed the staggered ceremony times, so this year we are doing the same while keeping the great things our students, parents and staff value most in graduation.”
Grade 12 Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School graduate Kate Hawkins, said “It has been a wonderful four years of high school. Despite the challenges we have faced as a graduating class, we’ve managed to achieve a marvelous milestone,” said Hawkins, Lindsay Thurber Grad Executive president.
“It is exciting to be able to celebrate our accomplishments together for the first time in two years. With the break we’ve had from traditional graduation ceremonies, we’ve been able to redesign the way our grad will look. At Lindsay Thurber, we’ve decided to go with smaller, more personalized ceremonies and a prom in the evening.”
Lynette Loonstra, a parent of a graduating student at Gateway Christian School said, “Celebrating with our graduates is always an amazing experience, but celebrating with students who have dealt with COVID for most of their high school career makes it even more meaningful.
“These students have managed hybrid learning and the mental health stressors that they have met with resilience, community, and grace.”
Red Deer Public superintendent Chad Erickson added: “Graduation is not only a celebration of the hard work and dedication of students, but the start of the next chapter in their lives. We know our students will move on to do great things, and we wish them all the best in their future endeavours.”
“We are so incredibly proud of our graduates who have persevered under extraordinary, and less than ideal circumstances, and are ready to take this new and exciting next step in their lives,” said Stephen Pottage, district principal of Alternative Programs and Support Services.
Graduations celebrations for each high school will be as follows:
•Hunting Hills High School — Two ceremonies at 10 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. on May 13 at Westerner Park
Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School — Three ceremonies on May 27 at 9 a.m, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at Lindsay Thurber
Alternative School Centre — One ceremony on June 24 at Bower Ponds
Gateway Christian — One ceremony on June 28 at New Life Fellowship Church