For the nine graduates of Arborfield School, their ceremony marked the beginning of going after anything they wanted.
Nicole Lacroix, one of the valedictorians, was pleased that her class had finished 13 years of public education.
“It’s just exciting to be here and finally be at the end of our education and going into a new chapter,” she said at the ceremony June 9.
“We’ve put lots of time and effort through it all, so it’s finally paid off,” added Céleste Fortier, the other valedictorian.
Desirea Binning has only been the principal of Arborfield School for a year, but she had taught the class of 2017 before. She had a definite impression of the class.
“This is a very unique, energetic group who I foresee lots of success,” she said. “A lot of them have shown a lot of drive and determination in getting different activities done around the school. They have very ambitious plans and good work ethic. They’re a tight-knit group and very supportive of each other.”
Tristan Chabot and Colton Ralph were the only two graduates that have been at Arborfield School since Kindergarten. Lacroix and Fortier were among the students that moved to the school when the Zenon Park public school shut down. Other grads joined the class as time moved on.
“It’s fun, being in such a small class, you know everybody,” Lacroix said. “It’s nice to be close to your classmates. There’s not like 60 of us, so we know everybody.”
“We’re all very good friends, taking the same classes and always hanging out with each other,” Fortier said. “Next year, we’ll go to a big class and we won’t be used to it. It will be a lot different for us.”
Lacroix plans to go to Saskatchewan Polytechnic to take a nursing degree, while Fortier plans to go to the University of Regina for kinesiology. Both said it will be weird not being together next year.
Binning said the ceremony was special to her.
“It’s exciting to get to see a group of kids graduate and start their adult life,” she said. “Arborfield graduates often pop back in through the school year and visit and check in with teachers, so I know that this is a really close school and a close community. It’s nice to be a part of that.”
