As school year is coming to an end, summer is right around the corner. It is a time of year the senior class of Brooks Secondary School looks forward to every year, as one chapter of their life comes to an end and they start preparing for adventures in adulthood.
There will be about 180 students in the graduating class of 2014 and among them is their valedictorian Hillary Fleming, who’ll be speaking in front of the students and parents over the weekend to send her class off on a high note.
Graduation is a two-fold celebration, with the formal Cap and Gown commencing on Friday, June 6, and the graduation ceremony itself, Grand March and Dry Grad on the night of Saturday, June 7.
Saturday night’s celebrations are expected to be jumpin’ and jivin’ with an old-school Hollywood theme for the decorations, which will be hosted at Powell River Recreation Complex. Grand March is the real showcase of the weekend, with a dress to impress dress code as students walk two by two among their peers. Students generally go all out for the event, trying to find the most unique tuxedo or dress to stand out among the many.
However, they’ll quickly change into casual wear for the events ahead. They will be off to Dry Grad which has a tailgate party theme and as Melanie Adams, one of the principal organizers of dry grad, said, this is literal: “We’re actually getting tailgates of trucks set up in the complex; it should be a lot of fun.”
Along with the tailgate theme, the students voted to have a similar Dry Grad as the previous years, featuring a hypnotist and the faux casino where students can win play money to spend at the end of the night auction for real prizes.
Dry Grad is an annual event put on entirely by parent volunteers which range from organizers to security and runs all night to ensure the students have a safe place to party in an alcohol-free environment.
The graduation events are taking place during a tumultuous time for School District 47, however, as the teachers are in the midst of a contract dispute between the provincial government and the teachers themselves. Regardless of the job action, principal Kathy Rothwell has assured that grad will be going ahead as normal. “It’s a one-shot deal for these kids, grad can’t stop because of job action. We want it to be a great grad and it will be a great grad.”
When going into further detail about the graduation ceremonies, which arrive this week after two days of no classes on Wednesday due to a professional day and Thursday due to a teachers’ walkout, Rothwell said “admin is not going to affect the grad. Past administrators and community members are prepared to help if the teachers cannot help. At this time the jury’s out. We’d love the teachers’ support with grad and they want to be a part of it but at this time we’re just unsure if they can be involved.”
The contract negotiations with the provincial government are ongoing and both the government and the teachers are hoping to have a resolution before the end of the school year.
