Alex Kurial/Local Journalism Initiative

The Lambton-Kent District School Board has called off the planning of socially distanced in-person ceremonies for June 2020 graduates – including at LCCVI in Petrolia, citing Ontario’s new restrictions on physical gatherings.
Following the COVID outbreak in the spring, most schools postponed their summer graduations and rescheduled them for the fall or winter in hopes things might improve. But with indoor gatherings now limited to 10 people the board decided these ceremonies were no longer possible.
“Graduations have been something that we were quite hopeful in celebrating and having our students cross the stage this fall to receive their diplomas,” says Director of Education John Howitt.
“Unfortunately with the announcement (reducing indoor gatherings to 10 people) the very creative graduation planning that was going on at our secondary schools… is just not going to be possible,” Howitt says.
The board asked that schools now develop plans for virtual graduations, to take place over the next few months. Howitt said the virtual ceremonies were well received for Grade 8 graduations, and at Wallaceburg District Secondary School – the lone high school that performed a virtual graduation in June.

• The Independent