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By Tiffany Goodwein

Area high schools preparing for more traditional graduation for students

Apr 5, 2022 | 6:06 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – It’s one of the biggest days of a teenager’s life. High school graduation is just around the corner, and high schools across the city have been busy preparing for the celebrations.

Paul Bauche is the principal at Monsignor McCoy High School.

“We are very excited that now that we have kind of gone through two years of COVID-19 restrictions that we are now able to return to what we would call a regular grad this year,” he said.

The ceremony and dance will take place at the end of May at the Cypress Centre. A much different feel than the past two years.

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“Two years ago when COVID-19 was just starting, we ended up having no traditional graduation. So we ended up having some events at the school, where families could come in, socially distance, get photos taken. Last year we had our graduation at the church so we were able to do the cap and gown ceremony and have all the presentations we would typically have, but only at Holy Family Parish,” he said.

At Medicine Hat High School, excitement is also brewing for the big day.

“We actually started dress shopping quite early I think August was when we started looking for dresses,” one student said.

Graduation will take place at the end of June at Co-op place, and teacher Sheldon Regier said they too will be having a traditional ceremony.

“Ceremonies, followed by a banquet the following night that families could go to. So yes it gets us back to what we were able to do in 2019 and the years before that,” Regier said.

So far, Regier said, planning for graduation has come with fewer hiccups compared to last year

“Last year we had to make about four or five different plans for graduation as the season went along and so we are hoping that everything will be able to go smoothly this year.”

Also hoping for a smooth graduation is the graduation council at Crescent Heights High School. About 180 graduates are expected to cross the stage on June 9.

“We are feeling really excited, we are happy that we are going to have an in-person grad this year and stuff is starting to get to normal,” said Carter Wilkinghoff, vice president of the high school grad council.

Students are already getting in the spirit and recently participated in a graduation scavenger hunt.

Teacher Nicole Pocsik said this year’s graduation for students will be big.

” The last few years we have done individual ceremonies for families and the students and although it was absolutely wonderful and one of the greatest experiences of my teaching career. It will be wonderful to just see the grads together, and also see all the teachers together. We haven’t had that in years. So I think it will be a little bit of a cry fest for some of us,” she said.

A cry fest, as students close one chapter of their lives, and enter a new one.