Tuesday May 12, 2020 ~ LANGFORD
by Mary Brooke ~ West Shore Voice News
The uproar from SD62 Grade 12 students demanding a more suitable graduation event in June 2020 is a remarkable push-back against the school district’s rather passive administrative response to the physical distancing requirements during COVID-19 in BC.
Rather than working creatively with various ways to make the grad ceremonies truly meaningful for Grade 12 at the three highschools in SD62 — Belmont Secondary School in Langford, Royal Bay Secondary in Colwood, and Edward Milne Community School in Sooke — SD62 Superintendent Scott Stinson announced with a video appearance on Twitter that a virtual presentation would happen instead.
The professional video presentation would feature speakers (such as community VIPs and each school’s valedictorian), as well as including background on each student somewhat as if they were walking across the stage.
There are almost 1,000 Grade 12’s in the SD62 Sooke School District this year, says SD62 Communications Manager Stephanie Sherlock.
But the idea for a virtual grad has fallen flat with Grade 12 students. One student — Brianna Gruber who attends Belmont this year for Grade 12 (she attended Royal Bay Secondary for Grade 9 to 11), launched a petition on Change.org on May 7. As of 1 pm today there were 2,799 signatures. See SD62 Grad Ceremony Petition.
SD62 Response from Superintendent Scott Stinson:
In response to an inquiry from West Shore Voice News on May 8, Superintendent Scott Stinson said: “As a district, we are saddened that we will not be able to celebrate our grads in the typical manner due to COVID19 and direction from Dr. Henry regarding large gatherings. Feedback to the district so far has been emotional with most people being disappointed, but understanding. Respondents have been appreciative of the efforts of the district to move forward with a graduation ceremony in a different format.”
Stinson defined “respondents” as parents and students, but based on the public outcry from Grade 12 students it appears to be have an in-house administrative decision that so far has missed the pulse of the people. At least one student said that neither she nor her parents — and none of her friends — received any advance notice about the decision. Most people heard the news first-time through the video it seems.
In followup this afternoon May 12, Superintendent Stinson said about the video for grad 2020: “This is our plan moving forward” but also said: “If there is an option that can be pulled together in time, that fits with the direction from the Provincial Health Office and creates equity of access for all grads, we will review it.”
Comments from students today, May 12:
Grade 12 Belmont Secondary student Brianna Gruber who launched the petition says she is pleasantly surprised that “happy everybody came together” to support the petition. She says that a smaller graduation event — perhaps outdoors being safer — would be appreciated by the grads of 2020. She says she spoke with Superintendent Stinson before launching the petition but that it seems grads had no say in it at all. Gruber says perhaps physical distancing would be possible at the Westhills arena or on the football field at Belmont Secondary. Or perhaps a drive-in event with parents in cars watching the students go up one by one, maintaining social distancing — maybe that could be spread over two days or over a week’s time. “It’s very possible do,” says the 18-year-old who is planning for a career in law. Gruber says that if there is no change from the video idea that she plans to speak with the school district again and take the petition to them.
Grade 12 Belmont Secondary student Danielle Boudreau, age 17, told West Shore Voice News today: “COVID is very serious matter. But other places are pushing it back. It’s not fair to have some video that they’re not putting much effort into. It’s kind of like they had their own plan in mind, and tried to listen, but were already set on their decisions; she appreciates that there is a lot for school administrators to do and that a complicated grad event is “lots to do for them, added pressure” but maybe also that they needed some ideas. “My parents not happy about it at all, and many others aren’t either,” she said. Boudreau said that the school career counselors have been helpful with the transition to post-secondary; she is hoping to study arts at UBC Okanagan.
Grade 12 Belmont Secondary student Bianca Parkes, age 17, said it was “heartbreaking” to hear about the video option for grad. “It sucks that they didn’t want to put in any effort to think of other options. We just want it to be more memorable,” she told West Shore Voice News. “Nobody knew about it before that video (posted online by SD62 on May 7). Her suggestions include: “Something in person, a driveby, or a livestream with parents watching from home as grads go across the stage in small groups,” says Parkes who is planning to study psychology and social sciences at the University of Victoria. She is pleased about the transition to post-secondary and that school career counselors have been helpful.
Grade 12 Belmont Secondary student Aliyah Stevens, age 17, says she doesn’t like the video idea. “Walking across the stage is something I’ve always looked forward to. A video doesn’t give us the same feeling of being graduated and being done,” Stevens said. Thursday night was the first time she and her friends heard about the video idea for grad. “Originally they postponed it, then cancelled it, and the video.” She likes the drive-through idea. Other people are talking about “postponing to winter break when this is over”. Stevens has career ambitions to be a pediatrician, heading to SFU or UVic after “a year off to travel and see the world” (though that was the plan before COVID-19 hit).
Grade 12 Belmont Secondary student Ashley Bilach, age 17, says: “I was heartbroken to hear that our grad ceremony was cancelled and that I would not be able to achieve my goal of walking across the stage in front of my friends and family. For the last four years, I have dreamed about this moment and how I would celebrate.” Bilach says that the grad class of 2020 is “composed of intelligent, dedicated and kindhearted individuals that will not settle for anything less than what they deserve”. She continues: “I understand and recognize there are health and safety concerns with a traditional grad ceremony, although I agree that there are more meaningful alternatives aside from a video. A socially distanced ceremony outside, for example, would allow for recognition of our efforts, as well as the chance to thank our teachers, friends and family.” Bilach plans to study Biomedical Engineering at the University of Victoria starting in Fall 2020.
Parents in the mix:
All the students interviewed for this article said their parents were “not super happy about it — they’re with us,” as articulated by Stevens. Several parents also signed and commented within the online petition.
SD62 says they sent an email to parents and students asking about their interest in what should be done about grad. That letter or notice is presently not posted on the SD62 website.
Not likely the ‘later on’ option:
On the point of holding an event in the winter or a future time, the SD62 school district has had a good point — as in not knowing how long pandemic conditions will last, and realistically grads will disperse and probably not return in great number for something in the future.
Online comments:
Comments from other petition signatories, as posted online, include:
- This is supposed to be special for us grads of 2020. A video simply will not suffice… we need to have a proper ceremony and prom because we certainly deserve it and we should not have to settle for a A VIDEO. ~ Shianna Mclean
- It is simply unacceptable that they expect us to just go along with this ridiculous online grad event. There is absolutely no reason why prom and dry grad can’t be later in the summer and it just shows that the school districts are too lazy and don’t care about our long and stressful school career. ~ Wyatt Pauwels
- 2020 grads deserve a proper graduation ceremony. So much has been taken away from them already, the least the school district could do is provide them with a ceremony when it’s safe to do so. Would a live video stream be sufficient if your child was a senior in 2020???? Please reconsider. ~ Michelle Weaver
