SASKATOON -- Standing alone on stage delivering a valedictorian speech to a couple of teachers and collecting high school diplomas from a bouquet of roses — this is what one graduation during a pandemic looks like.
Despite the public health order limiting social gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic, a Saskatchewan hamlet pushed through and put on a unique graduation ceremony for its class of 2020.
“It’s a really important time in their life and for me it was a really nice way to end a chaotic school year and leaving them with a sense of normalcy,” said Martin Link, principal at Cando Community School.
On May 22, five graduates from the Cando area, who attended the school had the chance to walk across the stage, collect their high school diplomas and mark the end of their time in high school, all while safely practicing physical distancing.
Link said each student had about an hour in the gym to themselves, where a photographer and videographer would capture cap and gown pictures.
“I think the students were nervous and there wasn’t anyone in the gym but it was just butterflies because this was really happening for them,” said Sarah L’Hoir, Cando Community School vice-principal.
L’Hoir added after the school closed on March 19, the Grade 12 students thought that spelled the end of their graduation ceremony.
“So it was a very memorable event for them,” she said.
Class of 2020 valedictorian Blaze Wuttunee said his speech to the class, while completely different than what he imagined, still stirred up butterflies in his stomach, but he’s happy he had a graduation.
“It felt inspiring that they put so much effort into this,” Wuttunee said. “I’m really happy they made all the preparations and I still got to do my speech.”
As a staff member at the school, Wuttunee’s mother Kristen had the chance to see her son’s speech as she helped put together the graduation.
“Not going to lie I cried about four times,” Kristen said. ”And just his speech and the effort he put into doing the speech was pretty amazing.”
The graduating class then took photos at the school playground and down a gravel road, standing six feet apart.
Lieutenant Governor Russell Mirasty and Canadian singer Jeffery Straker were both expected to attend the original graduation, however, because of the pandemic, both Mirasty and Straker sent the graduates video greetings instead.
On June 11, the original graduation date, Link said the school will display lawn signs for each graduate as well as a shadow box with all of their badges and achievements throughout their time at Cando Community School.
Each graduate will also receive a video of the graduation including the messages from the special guests.
“We thought it was really important to keep normalcy in a time of crisis,” Link said.
“It felt inspiring that they put so much effort into this,” Wuttunee said. “I’m really happy they made all the preparations and I still got to do my speech.”
