It wasn’t the sendoff planned for the Class of 2020, but it was a recognition of their years at LCCVI in Petrolia and a reflection of the strange way it ended.

The Class of 2020 first missed out on their last days together as schools closed in March and finished the year online.

That put the graduation, planned for the spring, up in the air.

The original plan had LCCVI graduates returning in November for an in person ceremony, however the board of education cancelled those events in the fall as the pandemic continued to worsen.

Principal Greg Nemcek wanted something to mark the end of the student’s high school careers. So graduates signed up for a slot to claim their diploma, any awards and scholarships and pose for a couple of pictures at the school. They also get to take home the graduation cap.

“We wanted to do something for them,” says Nemcek. “We wanted to have some sort of closure for them.”

Nemcek is seen here with Kevin McGrail, the 2020 Student Council co-president. Over half of the graduates signed up and dropped by for a pandemic friendly graduation moment.