Caps off for grads on June 20 at 8:20 p.m.

After restrictions on high school graduation ceremonies arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, parents at a Port Moody school are hoping to encourage a provincewide shout-out for grads on June 20.

Christa Saito and Bonnie Stein, both of whom have daughters graduating this year from Heritage Woods Secondary, want to inspire a celebration of the kind that’s been happening every day at 7 p.m. for health-care workers in communities around B.C.

The parents, co-chairwomen of their school’s parents grad committee, are helping to organize a grad ceremony at their children’s school June 15 that will see the usual dinner and dance for grads cancelled due to the social distancing health directives.

Kids at the school will have a ceremony, but they’ll be allowing only 10 to 30 students in the school at a time while they walk across the stage, everybody distanced from one another before receiving their diploma and a handshake from the school principal.

The ceremony is expected to take much of the day and the parents, who won’t be allowed inside the school to see their children graduate, will be out in the parking lot to greet the kids after they get their diplomas. The ceremony will be recorded by a photography company producing a video of the proceedings.

The plan for a shout-out at 8:20 p.m. on June 20 would include the Grade 12 students collectively throwing their caps in the air while others around the province cheer them on with horns, signs and noisemakers.

“We just thought it would be something nice to have for them since a lot of things are being taken away,” said Saito. “We would like to get as much community support as possible, provincial support. That’s what we’re hoping to achieve.”

Stein said that the celebration wouldn’t just be aimed at high school grads, but also anyone at a school or university who’s graduating or moving on in their education.

“What’s not to say if you have a child who wants to celebrate leaving middle school and going to high school that they can’t go out there and have a cheer or sign, or their family can’t celebrate them?” she said. “The idea is that this is inclusive and for everyone.”

Stein said the idea of a shout-out has support from parents at other schools in the Coquitlam school district and from several mayors in the Tri-Cities area that includes Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody.

ARLEN REDEKOP Christa Saito, left, with daughter Natalie, and Bonnie Stein and her daughter Hannah pose in front of Heritage Woods Secondary in Port Moody, where the girls attended school. Parents are encouraging a provincewide shout-out to grads June 20 at 20:20 (8:20 p.m.), similar to the 7 p.m. daily celebration of health-care workers, due to the fact that grad ceremonies are being restricted during the COVID-19 pandemic.