With pandemic restrictions likely to remain in effect until the end of June, this year’s group of Grade 12 students will have to find different ways to celebrate their graduations.
Prairie South School Division recently met with Dr. Saqib Shahab, Saskatchewan’s chief medical officer, for an update about the current restrictions. Shahab informed the organization that the rules would likely stay until the end of the school year.
Using the information from this meeting, the division then sent a letter to parents on Jan. 15 with an update about graduations.
Shahab doesn’t expect to loosen the rules until enough vaccinations have occurred — which won’t be any time soon, Tony Baldwin, director of education, told the Moose Jaw Express in a phone interview. Shahab was also confident that school divisions would not have any large indoor graduations since groups have to be smaller than 10 people.
“I’m as anxious as everybody out there to be through this,” Baldwin said. “I don’t really have an opinion on the restrictions. I trust the work that Dr. Shahab and the Saskatchewan Health Authority are doing … . We’ll follow whatever guidelines are in place and do our very best to be good citizens, both as a full school division as a corporate citizen and as the people within it.”
Division administration will decide about indoor graduations by mid-February so that there is no confusion in May or June. Giving schools that much lead time makes it easier to plan alternative events for graduations than last spring, where the situation changed almost daily from mid-March to June, said Baldwin.
“They really had a shifting target at schools last year, so if we had some assurance in February that we’re probably not going to see a time where we can have 10 people gather at an indoor location, then we’ll be able to say that’s just off the table … ,” he continued, which would give principals and schools enough time to plan for something else.
Although this will likely be the second consecutive year where large indoor graduations are cancelled, Baldwin didn’t think this would have a compounding effect on students since this is a different group of Grade 12s. However, some students with whom he has spoken have said this year was their last chance to participate in major sports championships, perform with choir or act in drama productions.
“… It’s like piling on for those kids. I feel for ’em, but I’m not sure that it’s the two years in a row graduation thing that’s the issue,” he said, noting students have shown how resilient they can be in the face of difficulties.
Some graduating classes thought outside the box for their ceremonies last year, including holding events at the fairgrounds in the summer. While ceremonies were randomly planned and disjointed last year, Baldwin believes this year there can be more co-ordination.
Holy Trinity
“While we are all hopeful that restrictions may ease by later spring when graduations are typically scheduled, that uncertainty will force us to create contingency plans. We have not formally instructed schools in any way at this point,” Sean Chase, director of education for Holy Trinity Catholic School Division, said in an email.
“Rather, we have asked that administration reviews last year’s events to determine the most successful aspects given the restrictions at the time to help inform preliminary plans should similar restrictions be in place come June 2021. As they monitor the evolving restrictions, schools will work in consultation with students and parents to plan and celebrate this important milestone in a safe and memorable fashion.”
