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Oxbow students excited to graduate

Grade 12 students from the Oxbow Prairie Horizons School will wrap up one chapter of their lives, and start a new one, during the school’s graduation ceremony on June 28.

Grade 12 students from the Oxbow Prairie Horizons School will wrap up one chapter of their lives, and start a new one, during the school’s graduation ceremony on June 28.

Principal Jason Petlak said the celebrations will begin with the grad supper at the school. Then the ceremony itself will begin at 7 p.m. at the Oxbow Arena.

Thirty-three students will be taking part in the graduation ceremony, which Petlak said is an average number. The school has ranged anywhere from 20-60 grads over the past 20 years.

This year’s guest speaker will be Dana Krienke. She was an English teacher at the school until the 2017-18 school year.

“The grads invited her back to do the speech this year,” said Petlak. 

Clarence Vistal is this year’s valedictorian.

Scholarships and diplomas will be presented to the graduates. There will also be a grand march and dances.

Petlak believes grad is an important event not only for the students and their families, but for the community as well.

“It’s been about a little more than 20 years since we moved our graduation ceremonies to the rink, just due to the large class sizes at that particular time period,” said Petlak.

Each grad is given a number of invites for the ceremonies, but then they also open it up to the community.

“It’s obviously a positive thing for the school, and for the community in general,” said Petlak. “It’s become an event, an annual event where … community members who know different graduates will come to celebrate grad with them, and for others it’s become an annual event that they come to get to see the grads dressed up and taking part in their ceremonies.”

It’s also important for the region, because the school has students from Alameda, Alida and Glen Ewen areas. 

In keeping with the community theme, the grads will visit the Oxbow Villa prior to the ceremony, and parade in front of the residents, so that the people who can’t get out to the graduation ceremony get to see the young people in their nicest tuxedos and dresses.