Highwood High School celebrates 2020 grad drive-in style

Ninety-one students at High River's Highwood High School celebrated their graduation Friday.

High River, Alta. — A High River high school had to celebrate this year's graduation ceremony differently due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Highwood High School had 91 students graduating in 2020 and while the event normally takes place in beautiful George Lane Park, staff needed to make some changes due to gathering restrictions.

Instead, the event was held in the school parking lot and all the guests were safely separated in their vehicles.

"We’ve been planning this for a while and we have had many meetings with parents and students about how we can do this in a safe way," said Bryan Brandford, principal of Highwood High School.

An event like this takes a lot of planning even without a pandemic at your feet.

"We put up three or four proposals to our school division office, they checked with the local health authority and in the end they approved it," said Brandford.

Weston Slavin is part of the graduating class and he approves of the drive-in graduation.

"I’m glad that we actually got to do a ceremony, I can see all my friends so that’s great," he said.

After the stage walk, the drive-in graduation continued through High River led by a classic car parade.