Unlike 2020, graduating students will be walking across the stage this year, but without any family or friends in attendance.
Dave Hill, Principal of Mount Baker Secondary School said students were given a choice between a drive-thru celebration, similar to last year, or they could walk across the stage at the Key City Theatre with no audience.
“There was a ballot taken amongst the graduates and the decision they came to was, they wanted to walk across the stage. So we will have a stage-crossing for our commencement ceremony,” Hill told MyEastKootenayNow.com. “It will look similar to the commencement ceremony at Western Financial, except we can’t have an audience, so we’ll tape it.”
Hill said the ceremony will be recorded on June 23rd and broadcast the next day. That way the graduates can watch the event with friends and family together at home.
According to Hill, businesses around Cranbrook have offered to host photo booths as a way to help celebrate the accomplishments of the grads.
“There’s opportunities throughout the community for graduates to go in, and I think some businesses will be giving them some treats, and they can have some pictures taken with groups of friends.”
Hill said all COVID-19 restrictions will be met, with groups kept small throughout the ceremony and around Cranbrook.
“They will be spread around so we’re within the regulations of the Interior Health and Provincial Health orders, so not very big groups and they will be scheduled,” added Hill. “That way the community can see the grads out and about, either in their regalia or in their finery, depending on what the kids want to do.”
Prom will still be off the table this year, according to Hill, because there is no way of having the event, while still following Provincial Health guidelines.
