The Community
Press Volume 114, Issue 44
Wednesday, May 11, 2022
$1 Including GST
‘A Grads A Sweet Ending to a New Beginning’ for Daysland D Day Gr G Leslie Cholowsky Editor
Daysland 2022 graduate Kiera Prymo dances with her escort at the graduation ceremony on the evening of Friday, May 6.
Daysland School’s Class of 2022 held their graduation ceremonies this past Friday, May 6, with the theme ‘A sweet ending to a new beginning.’ This year’s class was a small one, with just nine graduates taking the stage on Friday. Grade 11 students Rylee Zimmel and Karlen Petiot welcomed family and friends, and introduced the graduating class, acting as emcees for the ceremony. Daysland School’s principal Mr. Wes Wilson started the evening off with his speech to the graduates. Wilson said this class had the distinction of being the first graduating class to celebrate a ‘normal’ graduation, without restriction, in the 2020s. “I think I speak for everyone when I say, congratulations, and thank goodness.” He praised the class for visiting younger grades earlier in the day in their formal wear, saying, “You exemplified the joy that comes with celebrating the hard work that goes into completing 12 years of education. You are not only an example today, but you have been during your entire time at this school. As a group you have demonstrated strong character and leadership that will be greatly missed in our school community. “In a couple of short months you will be taking your places in the world beyond the walls that have defined your ‘home away from home’ for the past dozen or so years. It is our sincere hope is that you have learned not only knowledge during your time at Daysland School, but also gained insight into the person or people you want to be as you depart, and that these lessons serve you well.” Wilson closed with, “You may grow up, but you will always be our kids. Grads and parents, we pay tribute to you on this special evening.” Guest speakers Mrs. Story and Mrs. Johnson had the grads both blinking back tears and roaring with laughter as they regaled the audience with some stories about the graduates as they moved through their time at Daysland School, and handed out specially picked candies that personified each graduate. What was made very clear was the special bond that this class had with each other and with their teachers. During their joint presentation, they told the graduates: “You are a class of unique individuals; be who you want to be and don’t let anyone else decide or tell you that you should be something other than what you choose for yourself. Write your story; be the main character, making all the decisions, and tell it in the first person. Write the story you were meant to live.” Class Representatives Dane Davis and Larissa Mohler said, “Our close-knit class really wasn’t fully formed until Grade 3 when our ‘Strome-y homies’ came to Daysland, bringing our class up to a whopping 16 students.” They said in Junior High, the competitive nature of this class began to really show, both on and off the playground and in the classroom, including a history of ‘great debates.’ See GRAD P12