Grade 12 students at the Estevan Comprehensive School moved into the next phase of their lives on Friday during the school’s graduation festivities.
The theme was And so the Adventure Begins, which was fitting for this year’s class, which had more than 150 graduates.
The celebrations began at the Estevan Courthouse, where the students gathered in their finest clothes for photographs, including the annual class photo.
Then they headed to Affinity Place, where they donned their caps and gowns for the ceremonies.
The grad band performed O Canada, and the choir sang True Colours. Class representatives Carter Davenport and Samantha Wade provided the tribute to the parents, and student representative council co-presidents Eric Swirski and Mackenzie Holman supplied the tribute to the teachers.
Swirski and Holman then presented a gift to grad co-ordinator Pat Fergusson, who is retiring at the end of the school year.
Principal Pat Jeannot gave his speech to the students, and then Holman returned to the stage, as she was this year’s valedictorian. She offered some advice to her peers.
“Each of us is in the same boat,” said Holman. “We started here as scared little Grade 9s who didn’t know which side of the hallway to walk on. Now we are excited to graduate and move on to the next step in our lives, but nervous to leave the comfort of the people we have come to know.”
The school then presented diplomas to the students.
Other highlights of the grad festivities will include the grand march parade and dance an hour after the ceremony’s completion, and the chem-free after grad at the school, in which students play games of chance for play money that can be used to purchase prizes.
Next week’s edition of the Mercury will have more on this story.
