By Carson Ellis
For the Bashaw Star
Bashaw’s Grade 12 graduation took place Saturday, May 27. The evening started with dinner at the community hall for graduates and guests, before moving to the Bashaw School gymnasium.
Once invited friends and family were seated in the gym, graduates were brought in one at a time, each with a formal escort to walk them from the entrance to the stage.
Each graduate entered by the doors and made their way around the length of the gym and up to a staged area for formal photos, before taking a seat on the stage. Once all the graduates were seated on stage, the graduating class of 2023 was formally introduced.
Trinity Congdon and Bree Ramstad were introduced as Masters of Ceremony. Congdon and Ramstad thanked everyone for coming, before calling Janelle Sommers to the stage to sing O Canada.
Battle River School Division board representative Karen Belich was then called to the stage to address the class. Belich commended the graduating class for their success, despite facing very unusual circumstances during their school career.
She noted they had been able to show adaptability and resilience that would serve them well in their future endeavors. She then wished them well on behalf of the school board.
Congdon and Ramstad invited Bashaw School’s acting principal Shawna Johnson to speak. Johnson thanked members of the school board for their attendance and passed along a message of congratulations from the superintendent of the school division.
She then thanked the parents for choosing Bashaw school, and all they had done to help the students get to that point. Johnson spoke about how well the graduating class represented the school culture and complimented them for being the type of class the younger grades could aspire to.
She noted this was also somewhat of the first formal school year in several years and told them they should be proud of all they had gone through over the last several years.
After Johnson’s address, guests were invited to turn their attention to the large screen in the corner of the gym where a slide show presentation was shown. The slides were a collection of photos of each graduate contributed by family showing the students over the years.
Following the slide show graduates Brock Dawbin and Luke Wray then presented future predictions for each of their graduating classmates.
Predictions included the first almond milker, a reclusive self-help author, and a master spy.
The graduating class was then addressed by their special guest Candace Hodder. Hodder was invited to speak as the graduating class was the first class she had taught in her career when they were in grades 2 and 3.
Hodder encouraged the class to listen to their hearts. She closed with a quote from Mother Teresa about life, and getting the most out of what they can.
After Hodder, valedictorian Gwenn Quapp gave her address to her class. Quapp spoke about time, and the importance of connection. She thanked the parents for helping the class learn grown, and the staff at the school for helping them to find their talents and abilities.
After the valedictorian address, Johnson was invited back up to the stage. Johnson then presented each student with their diplomas, and spoke about the traits of each one, before bestowing upon them their ‘class name.’
Upon the completion of the ceremony, each graduate was dismissed from the ceremony and were again escorted out by different escorts, most of which were parents or family.
