On Thursday April 23, Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw announced that all public gatherings of more than 15 people will be banned this summer. This continued provincial effort to flatten the curve for the COVID-19 pandemic follows the cancellation of multiple spring and summer events throughout the province.
Most high schools across the province had graduation set for this spring, however, after following provincial mandates and waiting with bated breath, they will have to postpone or cancel.
Some like Bentley School had set a tentative spring and fall graduation date and are now relying on social distance restrictions to be lifted in part to continue with their fall date.
Bentley School’s Principal Lane Moore says, “we are planning day by day.” Moore also commented, “hopefully the Alberta Government makes a decision on what will happen,” in regards to social distance regulations for the fall.
One school’s graduation that hasn’t been impacted as much as others by COVID-19 is Rimbey Junior Senior High School. Since the 1960s Rimbey has been hosting their high school graduation ceremonies in the fall. A regular fall graduation allows for more graduates as students finish summer courses as well as the presentation of awards and scholarships which are not ready for students in the spring.
With a graduation date set for September 19, 2020, Rimbey is hoping like Bentley School that provincial regulations on gatherings will be partially or completely lifted.
“Right now nothing has changed,” says Rimbey Junior Senior High School Assistant Principal and grad coordinator Bill Bramfield. Rimbey’s only change to their graduation planning this year is communicating via video messaging.
Both schools hope that it will be safe to proceed with graduation this fall and that they will have more answers from the government on the issue as soon as possible.