Brandon has first socially distanced grad

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This article was published 24/06/2020 (2109 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The altered graduation ceremonies put on by École secondaire Neelin High School were unlike anything the participants and organizers had ever seen, but that didn’t deter their enthusiasm.

On Tuesday, the school welcomed all of their graduates to the Keystone Centre, where small groups of students and their loved ones took turns crossing a small stage to grab their diploma and take photos.

Starting at 9:30 a.m., those groups lined up in the Keystone Centre’s Manitoba Room, with green tape clearly marking the two-metre social distancing separation needed between them.

When strains of “Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1” started playing over the public address system, that was code for a group of students to make their way into the adjoining UCT Pavilion, where the stage was set up, lit by green and white lights in school colours.

Upon entry, students made their way to stage left to line up and await their name being called as family members lined up in front of the stage in clearly marked socially distanced positions.

The master of ceremonies, who rotated between sessions, named the next student to cross the floor from a podium to the left of the stage, mentioning if they graduated from the English or French immersion program at the school and listing any awards and scholarships they won. Every grad got a barrage of cheers from their family as they passed by.

Staff on stage propped the student’s diploma and award envelope on a podium in preparation for them to cross the floor, forgoing the typical handshake and hug when they walked by. Cameras from WCGtv were on hand to livestream the event for those who couldn’t attend in person.

The first group of students in Brandon to officially graduate high school were from Neelin’s life skills program, most of whom were announced as continuing their education at COR Enterprises, a vocational training centre.

Eileen and Tom Czerkawski were on hand to celebrate the graduation of their daughter Tianna, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair. Both parents were excited that Tianna was going to be one of the first Brandon graduates to cross the floor this year.

“She has loved every minute of it,” Eileen said of her daughter’s time in the life skills program. “She’s gonna miss it like crazy. She already misses it, of course, with having been out of it for a while. She’ll be looking forward to going to COR at some point. … She has blossomed, she has made so many friends. She is non-verbal and you should see the friends from school calling her to video chat with her often.”

Ben McKay, the first student to cross the floor this year, was accompanied by a cheering section that included mom Shelley.

“He’s my baby,” Shelley said. “He and my eldest Jason are the only ones in my whole family who ever graduated high school.”

Shelley said that she was relieved her family got the chance to celebrate Ben’s accomplishment with the possibility of grad ceremonies having been up in the air a couple of months ago.

“I can’t wait to see my baby walk across the stage,” she said.

Graduates in each group then assembled for a group photo before grabbing a glass of “champagne” and some treats on their way out.

Backdrops with the school logo and colours were available for individual photos with grads and family before the gown dropoff station near the exit.

“(I’m) pretty excited to be done school and start my summer,” Dexter Adolphe said on his way out of the building. Adolphe said his summer plans are to work and save up to go to school in the future.

He was glad that even a small ceremony was able to be held for this year’s graduates.

“I think it’s better than having nothing at all. At least it’s something for everyone to get together and see each other again.”

Another grad, Jena Barscello, said she’s signed up to go to the University of Manitoba next year and play for the school’s hockey team. More than just celebrating her graduation, Barscello said she got a couple of scholarships she’d applied for.

“It’s kinda nerve-wracking, stepping off to the next chapter in my life,” she said. “I got to start it off well with this high school. Neelin has been a great home to me for the past four years.”

Barscello added it makes this year special to have had a different than normal graduation ceremony.

“It was a little different, but the teachers did a great job of organizing it and trying to make it special for the kids,” Jena’s mom Dayna said. “The way everything ended, it was little anticlimactic, so it’s nice that they did get to have this special day.”

Walking back into the Keystone parking lot, the students were vigorously greeted by school staff armed with harmonicas, percussion instruments, loud voices and other assorted noisemakers. It was an emotional moment for staff, who haven’t seen many of their students since in-person classes were suspended.

“It’s a beautiful day and we’re celebrating some gorgeous graduates, so it’s a very happy mood,” English teacher Lindsay Kendall said. “It’s a little bit bittersweet. Obviously, we’d like to hug them and embrace them in some sort of way because you haven’t seen them for months now, but it’s wonderful seeing these really talented people go off into the world to make some sort of difference.”

The Keystone Centre is now being turned over to Vincent Massey High School, who will be holding their ceremonies in the same two rooms today and Thursday.

» cslark@brandonsun.com

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