COVID-19 won’t stop this year’s Creighton Community School (CCS) graduating class. An altered diploma ceremony, grad celebration, speeches and march will take place later this week.
The school’s current plan will include bringing one student at a time into the school, along with 10 family members or friends, through the school’s east entrance and into the gym. In the gym, students will receive diplomas, grad packs and any scholarships or bursaries they may have earned. Each student will have 30 minutes in the gym to share the moment with loved ones before leaving the school through the north exit by the office. A photographer and videographer will be on site to record the moment. Staff members will be given door duty to ensure no more than 10 people enter the building at a time.
Cleaning staff will wipe down the entire area before welcoming in more grads.
The graduation ceremonies for all 21 CCS grads will take place June 18-19, running from Thursday morning to Friday afternoon.
“This has been a stressful time for everyone and I understand that you are anxious to have a ‘normal’ grad for your child. We are doing our best to acknowledge and celebrate what they have done. Please be patient and kind,” read a note to parents sent out by CCS principal Patty Korchinski.
Along with the school’s plans comes another set of possible honours organized by the school’s grad parent committee. A makeshift outdoor grad ceremony, set at the Oval of Dreams soccer and football field near the Creighton Sportex, will start June 19 at 4 p.m. Graduates will meet, along with 10 friends and family members, at the park for a valedictorian speech by graduate Bree Patterson and a guest speech from Pat McKenzie. Families are asked to socially distance during the ceremony.
“This is a huge milestone and we are so pleased we are able to do this,” reads a message from the school grad parent committee.
A march around Creighton featuring the grads will take place following the speeches, starting at 5:45 p.m. The march will start at the small park at Creighton Avenue west of the intersection of Main Street and Creighton Avenue, then down Main Street, then turning right down First Avenue, right down First Street East and ending at the Oval of Dreams.
The event has received approval from the Town of Creighton and Creighton Volunteer Fire Department.
