The pandemic has forced school graduations to take on various looks over the past two years but this year could be different.

As students, staff and parents plan for graduation day in June it appears a number of schools will have graduation programs similar to pre pandemic times.

Al Hicks is vice principal at Boissevain School and helps coordinate graduation at the school.

“When the pandemic first hit we had to pivot and try and give students a meaningful graduation and I got a lot of parents support in 2020 with a program on our front steps and last year more on the green space and we paraded around town because we always get great support from the community as the kids work their way through school to graduation day.”

Boissevain School will have one of its largest graduation class with 42 students taking part in ceremonies on June 26th.

“This year looks like a more normal grad and it will be in our gymnasium as some of the restrictions have lifted and we’re back to a more normal routine this year. I always watch the excitement build as the grad kids come back in the fall and they’re the seniors and then they get nervous as grad day approaches and the energy that fills the building is something special.”

Boissevain graduates are taking a trip to Winnipeg to tour the zoo and science centre. Hick says this is another sign things are getting back to normal with graduation and school activities.

“It’s nice to see the students interacting more and getting our sport teams back out playing. If the weather cooperates we’ll finish up with baseball, softball and track. We’ll share the graduation day with our community. You try to pull good things out of these circumstances and the parade that started because of the pandemic was well received and we’ll do that again because it was so popular” said Al Hicks.