We all know how tough the COVID-19 pandemic has been on kids due to the lost opportunities they have suffered in the past 14 months.
It鈥檚 been particularly tough on high school graduates, who haven鈥檛 been able to enjoy the commencement ceremony they so richly earned.聽
Granted, there are worse things that have happened in the past 14 months than the cancellation of a high school ceremony, but the loss of grad is still sad. They spent years looking forward to having that one last send-off with their pals all together, and a large portion of the community in attendance. 聽
And make no mistake, high school grad is a big deal in small communities. In those towns, villages and small cities where there is just one high school, it鈥檚 a community event that brings people together. 聽
We actually did a pretty good job to come up with ways to salute our grads last year. It seems like every community in the southeast that has a high school created banners with smiling grads that were placed in boulevards or hung from lampposts.
Perhaps the coolest concept was in Estevan last June with the grad cruise. Not only did the kids get to don nice clothes for the ceremony, but they drove through the streets of Estevan, often in antique vehicles.聽
The bonus was that all of the businesses along the parade route and in downtown Estevan had signs in their windows congratulating the graduates.聽
Other communities in the southeast had drive-by graduation ceremonies in which the people of the community could drive by the graduates and wave and honk their horns to salute the Class of 2020.
As the summer progressed, some form of a grad ceremony could take place, although restrictions prevented most schools from having all the kids attend a ceremony at once, taking away some of the lustre of the celebration.
There was a groundswell of support for graduates everywhere last year to ensure that they would have something fond to remember their final year of high school.
We鈥檙e now entering grad season once again. Last year, we hoped that the Class of 2020 would be the only pandemic grad class. That鈥檚 not going to be the case.聽
At least we could make plans for this year. Last year there wasn鈥檛 really that opportunity to prepare, because the pandemic hit three months before grad, and it was tough to make plans when we were locked down for two months.聽
This year, there has been the time to prepare for something that doesn鈥檛 involve the big cap and gown grad celebration.
The Class of 2021 deserves our support and our love as much as the Class of 2020. 聽
We鈥檙e seeing things happening. You鈥檙e going to see banners hanging in communities once again.聽
We鈥檙e going to see a bubble parade occur in Estevan this year. Hopefully lots of people watch the parade from the streets of Estevan, while respecting social distancing regulations, of course.
You can expect the business community to be there for the grads as well.
We鈥檙e sure that there will be great things happening in other communities as well. 聽
There鈥檚 also an element of the unknown this year, with the strong possibility of the province government easing restrictions for large crowds, starting in the summer.
A lot of people might be frustrated if large gatherings are allowed later in the summer, after grad season. At the same time, it鈥檚 hard to make plans when we don鈥檛 know how many people will be allowed.
If you鈥檙e involved with something for long enough, eventually you鈥檒l age out or graduate. Perhaps you move on from youth sports, dance, junior hockey, a youth organization, post-secondary education, or an adult organization.聽
But high school is one that is particularly meaningful for so many. Perhaps it鈥檚 because so many of us can identify with grad. Perhaps it鈥檚 because it鈥檚 such a key transition point in our lives.聽
Hopefully, the Class of 2021 will be the last pandemic-era grad.聽
And hopefully we鈥檒l be there for this year鈥檚 grads, just like we were last year.聽聽
