Graduation celebrations kicked off Thursday for the W.C. Miller Collegiate class of 2020.

Teachers at the high school made a show of things as they boarded a bus and cruised around Altona delivering yard signs for the grads to stake in their yards. Students can expect more deliveries today. 

Submitted.

Angela Pilkington is the principal at W.C. Miller. She said staff at the school have come up with an alternative plan to honour this year's graduates after classes were indefinitely suspended and COVID-19 health restrictions took effect in March.

While the agenda will look vastly different to the traditional celebrations held each year, Pilkington explained a priority for organizers was to make sure the grads were acknowledged in June rather than later in the year when health restrictions would possibly be loosened further.

"We felt that waiting until a later date wasn't necessarily the best option," she said. "The students have worked hard for this achievement and even if they weren't going to be able to celebrate in-person as a group, June was the time that they were finishing with school and we know that once they move on to other opportunities it just wouldn't feel the same."

Celebrations will take a short break following this week's activities as students and teachers work to wrap up the school year and preparations are made to host some form of graduation ceremony at the school later in June.

Pilkington explains the typical one-day ceremony won't happen this year. Instead, arrangements have been made for students to bring home a cap and gown and take pictures leading up to a series of individual ceremonies happening at the school over the course of 4 days for each of the 93 graduates.

"They will each get to walk across the stage and be acknowledged with their immediate family there with them, of course keeping group numbers in mind," she said. "They'll be able to accept their diploma, turn their tassel and celebrate the end of that public school journey they've been on for the past number of years."

For those looking to get some use out of their formal attire selected specifically for the occasion, there may also be a photo opportunity for students.

While typical graduation activities for Miller students like the staff/grad breakfast and baseball game have been cancelled, Pilkington said organizers still tried to include some traditional elements into the alternate celebrations. She explains the grads will still select a valedictorian, scholarships and local area awards as well as school awards for sports, music and citizenship will be handed out as well.

Footage from the individual grad ceremonies, a recorded valedictorian speech and comments from school officials, as well as award presentations will be compiled into a video feature to be posted online June 30th for extended family and the community to enjoy.

"We certainly appreciate everybody's patience and understanding as we worked through this process...they recognized that will the global health pandemic going on that this was going to look a bit different but they gave us the time and space that we needed to put together what we hope is a thoughtful plan and a way to celebrate their grads," said Pilkington.

Some photos submitted.