Sask. high schoolers graduate after unusual four years

Graduating students in Saskatchewan have been through a lot in their high school careers.

Four years ago, the school year was cut short and many grade eight farewell ceremonies were cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions. On Tuesday, Aden Bowman Collegiate’s Class of 2024 was finally able to cross the stage — this time as high school graduates.

“It’s my first one, I’m just as nervous as anyone else,” Graduate, Aaditya Mann said at the ceremony. “I feel grateful. I feel blessed, you know. Just thankful to be here.”

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These students began grade nine with public health measures in full swing. Then, in their grade 12 year, the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) announced sanctions, beginning with province-wide strikes and rotating strikes in January. The sanctions expanded to noon-hour supervision and extracurricular activities and led to uncertainty about graduation ceremonies this year.

“We’ve had an up and down year with everything going on, so it’s just nice to be here to celebrate our grade 12s, it’s a great group of people,” Davis Humbert, a math teacher at Aden Bowman said.

Their principal, Marnie Ross, described the class as nice, hardworking and humble.

“So many of these students are off to amazing adventures, different universities around the world and in Canada,” she said. “They keep achieving, and they’re never the first to say ‘Hey, look at what I’ve done’ and they just lift each other up.”