PLAMONDON - Plamondon residents can soon expect to see Grade 12 students all dressed in their Grad 2021 formalwear, participating in a walking parade from École Plamondon school to the Festival Centre’s outdoor stage. The parade and outdoor ceremony will take place on June 26.
The graduation event, which students, staff and parents normally spend a year planning, was only confirmed last week, said Lisa Maheden the school's administrative assistant.
Planning for any large event has been hard in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the school and its grad committee is banking on Alberta reaching Stage 2 of the the provincial government’s “Open for Summer plan,” which will allow 150 people to gather outdoors by the time the grads are set to walk to — and across the stage, she says.
Grad plans
The École Plamondon 2021 Grad Class, along with their families and teachers will begin the socially-distanced procession from the high school at 2:30 that Saturday afternoon, where observers are welcome to watch the parade spaced out, stretching along the route. Grads and their guests are expected to reach the Festival Centre Grounds by 3 p.m. where students will be recognized for their educational accomplishments and receive their diplomas and gift bags.
Guests attending the outdoor ceremony at the Festival Centre will be limited to each students’ family and one guest as capacity numbers will be strictly adhered to. However, the school has discussed allowing additional family and friends to take in the ceremony from the inside their vehicles, Maheden says.
“The Festival Centre has a large parking lot with a view of the stage, so we are considering the feasibility of allowing spectators, but they would have to remain in their cars,” she explains.
The event will conclude after convocation ceremony comes to a close, as large shared meals are currently prohibited in by provincial health measures.
Graduating during COVID, one student's story
Like many other École Plamondon graduates before her, Amy Ammond, is preparing to write her provincial diploma exams and is letting the reality of moving to the big city to pursue a post-secondary degree sink in. But before she sets off to begin her studies at the University of Alberta next fall, she has to do one more big thing — celebrate her graduation from high school.
Ammond is a part of École Plamondon’s 2021 graduation committee, which has been a volatile year as far as planning events goes.
“It was really hard to plan when no one really knew what we were doing,” she tells Lakeland This Week.
It is the second year that local schools and students have had to plan for a pandemic-minded graduation. A yo-yo of governmental restrictions related to the ongoing pandemic has also left students and grad committee members apathetic towards the special day meant to celebrate their 13 years dedicated to their education.
“I kind of accepted that we weren't going to have a regular graduation,” said Ammond, explaining it as a sentiment echoed by many of her peers. She said the uncertainties made it a challenge to keep the motivation going for the grad committee to plan an event they didn’t know would happen.
Just a few weeks ago, she remembers thinking, “If there's not going to be a graduation, it's not that big of a deal. As long as I get my diploma, and I'm able to have a normal first year of university, then it's fine with me.”
A window of hope
However, things began to change after Premier Jason Kenney announced plans to incrementally reopen the province at the end of May, hopefully allowing for an outdoor convocation to take place with close family and friends in attendance.
The possibility of a celebration — even with some restrictions — has put the energy back into the project, she said.
“I think it's cool that it's different.” - EPS 2021 Grad Amy Ammond
“We recently planned it a few days ago and I'm really excited,” Ammond said. “It's a lot different than what our school usually does.”
Growing up, Ammond attended both her brother and sister’s graduation at the Festival Centre that was complete with a convocation ceremony and a “fancy” banquet dinner, as she recalls. Although, there will be no meal served at this year’s graduation, the fact that it will be completely different and in the midst of a pandemic will make it memorable, she says.
With time running out before the big day, there are still lots of plans left to finish. Ammond and her friends will have to rush to make a slideshow and decorations for the “enchanted forest” themed graduation. Keeping busy and working on the tight-schedule brings some of the excitement back as well.
“At first I was really sad that it would be different because it's not what we're used to, but now I have more of an open mind and now that I know what we're doing, I'm not upset about it,” said Ammond. “I think it's cool that it's different.”
