Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Napanee District Secondary School’s Class of ’21 will forever hold a special place in the school’s history.
So unique was this group that it took three whole days just to graduate them all.
Ceremonies wrap up today as the last of the 200 plus students visit the Graham Street courtyard of the school to pick up their diploma and say a final good-bye to the home of the Golden Hawks. An unexpected ending for students who last walked out of the building at the start of a never-before-seen ‘April Break’ only to have classes go virtual for the final two-and-half-months.
“They have had to pivot from remote to face-to-face multiple times throughout the year,” NDSS Principal Erin Pincivero said of the students. “That is a real challenge but they really did a great job. They were flexible and they handled it with grace and diplomacy and I was just so proud of them. They succeeded. They got through it and we’re just so impressed with all of our students but particularly our graduates who are leaving us.”
This year’s graduating group has the distinction of having both their senior years interrupted due to the pandemic. While last year’s school year ended in similar fashion, the 2020-21 school year saw octomesters, masks and the uncertainly of the pandemic hanging over the entire world right from September through June.
“It’s a hard way to leave, but I’m encouraging them to think back because they did have two and a half years of sports, plays, concerts, spirit days, assemblies and all that fun stuff that comes along with school,” said Pincivero. “I want them to think about that and remember those times as well it is important to remember the last year and a half but it’s important to remember all the great times that we did have here.”
A full year of no extra curricular coupled with an abrupt ending meant this year’s grads will miss out on several rite of passages of a traditional final year.
“It’s been really hard but the whole world has made sacrifices,” said Pincivero. “In that way we are no different, we’re just playing our part in keeping our community safe by doing this. It’s not lost on the staff here that this is a hard way to end to have kids not be able to be in their last play or musical. To play in the concert band for the last time or play on their sports team for the last time. That’s hard. They didn’t know their last game was going to be their last game.”
For all that was lost over the school year however, there were plenty of positives to celebrate. That goes for both students and staff.
“They still managed to get their special high skills major and managed to do placements and certifications through all these barriers,” said Pincivero. “It’s even more impressive. Online learning is not easy. We have been very impressed with the kids who dutifully log on every day and we’re so impressed with our teachers who didn’t sign up to be online teachers. They have figured our creative ways to do it.”
To make sure their accomplishment is fully recognized, Shalane Kelsey and Daryl Sheffield of the student services department organized a special graduation ceremony. While speeches will be done online, the students were invited to drop by the school for a special, personalized ceremony. In keeping with social distance guidelines, the students visited in small groups starting on Tuesday and wrapping up today.
“They each get their moment in the sun and we celebrate them and they are able to bring two people with them,” said Pincivero.
A unique ending, but still one that celebrates all the hard work that went into obtaining their high school diploma.
As proud as she is of this graduating class, Pincivero says she looks forward to a return to a sort of normalcy this coming fall.