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Oxbow Prairie Horizons School Grad Class of 2023

This is a time of excitement for what the future will bring as well as a time to reflect on what has come before. These past times were captured in a slide show that was shared, as well as the surprise return of retired teachers
Nicole Northild
Nicole Northild
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2023 Graduating Class of OPHS. Front row Left to right - Cheyanne Klatt, Mackenzie Miller, Callie Smith, Samantha Cuz, Kathleen Bumatay, Kristine Miller, Madison Garling, Mari Lemieux. Middle row - Lily Rinas, Cadence Amosah, Nicholas Muir, Loek Armstrong, Dylan Frey, JayDee Van Rooyen, Kianah Dyer, Alyssa Rejano. Back row - Kaiden Brock, Spencer Copeland, Xander Gervais, Nicholas Hustins, Kross, Kylan Pierce, Emerson Peet, Ethan Junk Starr Mercer Photography

Oxbow

Oxbow Prairie Horizons School can boast of 24 graduates in the 2023 year. The graduation started at 5 p.m. on June 29 being held for the first time in the OPHS gymnasium, where a massive crowd of 450 people attended. Previous year’s graduation has been held at the town rink or in Bow Valley Park. The gymnasium was decorated with the grad colors of black, silver, and white keeping with the theme of starry night.

Notably this group of students was, 13 years ago, the first kindergarten students that attended what was then the newly built OPHS School. This building has seen the entire journey of this groups public education, from K to 12, in the new combined school.

Walking across the stage the graduates accepted their diplomas, with plans of moving on to a variety of post-graduation activities. Many having earned scholarships for universities and colleges as well as 4H, “They are a very diverse group that will follow many different paths in life. They are a group that will find success on those paths; whether it be to head off to work, to take a trade, to travel awhile or to go off to University.” Pamela Dmytriw teacher at OPHS shared.

This is a time of excitement for what the future will bring as well as a time to reflect on what has come before. These past times were captured in a slide show that was shared, as well as the surprise return of retired teachers Mrs. Jody Jeannot and Mr. Pat Jeannot, who came back and spoke to the grads and audience as guest speakers sharing their memories, praise and hopes for the graduates.

“For many in the class they will be excited to be done school – it is but a stepping stone in their path. Now they can find their way in life with what excites and intrigues them and we couldn’t be happier for them.” Dmytriw said

After the ceremony, at 7 p.m. the grads paraded from the school in their finery, past the senior center and down Main Street. 

Dmytriw left the graduates with some final words “Find your path and know that the whole world is out there for you. Take time to travel and figure out who you are if you have the chance. Spend your life doing something you love. Make good choices and when you don’t – own the bad ones. You’ll still make mistakes but that’s part of life.”