Grade 8 graduation was not lost in the shuffle as schools in Estevan wrapped up what has been an eventful and unprecedented year.
Each of the elementary schools in the Energy City found ways to celebrate its graduating children, giving them unique send-offs to the Estevan Comprehensive School.
“We have such a great group of Grade 8s this year, and we wanted to make it special like it has been in past years. But obviously it has to be special different,” said Westview School principal Cheri Haberstock.
Westview wanted to keep their program as close to normal, just without the face to face component. Their ceremony was held June 23; 15 students graduated.
An online ceremony allowed students to show off their fancy dresses and beautiful hairstyles. A video presentation with photos taken during the school year offered a glimpse into the year of the Grade 8s.
Then Haberstock and Grade 8 teacher Shannon Sands addressed them individually, praised the strengths of each student and shared what will be missed about them. The principal’s award was handed out to a student who excelled.
The school posted photos of each student along the northeast fence to celebrate their grad as well.
Hillcrest School held a virtual ceremony on Microsoft Teams on June 24. Kids and their parents attended the ceremony, which was MCed by Grade 8 teacher Rebecca Bonokoski.
“During the ceremony, we had different things like the messages from the teachers to the students,” said Bonokoski, who teamed up with a student to create a PowerPoint with pictures from throughout the Grade 8 year.
Each graduate will have a baby picture and a current picture. “Who is most likely to…” awards were handed out, with each of the 12 grads winning an award.
School community liaison Sara Pippus delivered a speech to the Grade 8s, and then two Grade 8s delivered a message on behalf of the class.
Bonokoski said it was important to have something to celebrate the Grade 8s.
“We felt that the kids felt like they were missing out on a lot this year, just because it was their last year at Hillcrest.”
Four or five have been at Hillcrest since kindergarten, so they were particularly sad that their time at Hillcrest ended abruptly.
St. Mary’s School principal Ryan Jutras said it was important to have some kind of celebration for the students. Thirty-three students graduate from the Catholic school this year.
Students and parents have done a good job of navigating the stress and uncertainty of the past three months.
“I think we have to give a lot of credit to our students and to our families for their commitment and effort to maintain these connections and keep up with their school work and their supplemental learning environment,” said Jutras.
A ceremony on June 25 was a live, virtual grad for students held via Google Meet. A few students who previously graduated from St. Mary’s talked about their experiences at the Comp. Teachers praised each of their grad students. Virtual diplomas and awards will be handed out.
Jutras is coming to the end of his second at St. Mary’s, and he has been able to get to know many of the grads very well.
“It sounds like a number of them continued with supplemental learning and persevered. It’s a group with a lot of grit and a lot of work ethic,” said Jutras.
Pleasantdale School’s Grade 8 grad farewell happened June 22, with 24 students celebrated during a virtual grad. Principal Michelle Smart described them as socially aware young people who are quick to volunteer.
The virtual grad followed a similar script to what would happen in the school, with a brief ceremony, a video, speeches from the teachers and an address by Smart.
“We thought it was very important, because one of the things that we’ve really missed is just being able to celebrate with our students and do some of those things that we normally do,” said Smart.
But they weren’t able to take pictures, or serve the traditional ice cream sundaes at the end.
Pleasantdale tried to maintain as many activities that are part of the school culture as possible during the past three months, and the Grade 8 grad was one of them.
“We will miss them greatly, and we think that they’re worth celebrating.”
Banners have been hung on a fence, and a lawn banner was delivered to each grad.
At Spruce Ridge School, they had a virtual Grade 8 farewell June 24 through an online learning platform.
Paula Hanson, who teaches the Grade 8s along with Teresa Johnston, said they have prepared a 25-minute video for the kids.
“We always have most likely awards, and they’re voted on by the kids, and they’re kind awards. They’re not making fun of them or something,” said Hanson.
Also included in the video will be speeches from the elementary teachers with a skit, photos from when the kids were younger, school pictures and farewell tributes from the middle years staff.
“We asked the parents to send in any pictures of their Grade 8 grads dressed up in the clothes they would have worn on the 24th, if we were in the school. Some of them had already bought outfits for it, so we wanted to make sure they had an opportunity to dress up and share their outfits with each other,” said Hanson.
Fifty-six students will graduate from Spruce Ridge this year.
“This is a great group of kids. They’re really a nice group, and they’re going to be greatly missed at the school,” she said.
Sacred Heart School/École SacréCoeur is in a unique position in Estevan, as they have one Grade 8 class for English students, taught by Mark Moriarty, and one Grade 8 class for French Immersion, taught by Nancy Bourbonnais. Her class also has Grade 7s.
Bourbonnais said they have printed off the scrolls that they regularly hand out to the grads. They bought treat boxes from Shannon Campbell with Shaga Creations, and the school community council sponsored bracelets for everyone.
School representatives drove to each student’s home and delivered a treat box, a certificate, a bracelet and the Bible they received in Grade 4. Then they presented a slideshow online the teachers have created.
Forty-one grads will be part of this year’s class.
Bourbonnais has been at Sacred Heart for eight years. She knew many of this year’s Grade 8s previously from coaching them in sports.
They are a wonderful group of kids, she said.
“The students adapted really well, and the students really pulled through. I think it really gave some opportunities to some students,” said Bourbonnais.
But she knows the kids have really missed school in the past three months, and they can’t wait to go back to go to the Comp. in September.
