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High School Graduation

More high school graduation ceremonies begin this Friday

May 18, 2022 | 10:00 AM

Traditional, in-person celebrations will be taking place this weekend for high school graduations.

The Grande Prairie Composite High School will be holding its events on Friday, May 20 and Ridgevalley School on Saturday, May 21.

Sandy MacDonald, superintendent of the Grande Prairie Public School Division, says everybody is excited about the return to traditional graduation.

“It feels, for lots of reasons, like we are putting on a favourite pair of clothes, just feels like a good fit. We are doing the kinds of things we should be doing to celebrate our students.”

“It’s an important part of the process of completing high school, it’s an important part of the culture at each of the schools and in society,” MacDonald noted.

After not being able to hold regular celebrations for graduating classes for the past two years, MacDonald says “It’s unfortunate that they couldn’t have this shared public large-scale experience, which makes the opportunity that we have for this year’s class that much more special.”

“It’s more than just an event to celebrate our students, it’s also a bond between generations like when grandparents and parents are coming to celebrate the graduating class, they are thinking back to their own experience and sharing it with one another.”

Other graduations in the Peace Wapiti Public School Division, Grande Prairie Catholic School Division, and GPPSD will be on:

  • Friday, May 27 – Beaverlodge High School, Spirit River Regional Academy, Sexsmith Secondary School & Charles Spencer High School.
  • Thursday, June 2 – John St. Paul II & John Bosco Catholic Schools
  • Friday, June 3 – St. Thomas More Catholic School, St. Joseph Catholic High School
  • Saturday, June 9 – Bridge Network Outreach School
  • Saturday, June 18 – Eaglesham School
  • Tuesday, June 28 – Peace Wapiti Enterprise Centre
  • Saturday, July 9 – Savanna School

Peace Wapiti Academy held their graduation celebrations on May 6 & 7.