The first cohort of French immersion students to successfully complete Kindergarten to Grade 12 bid farewell during their commencement ceremony, June 2.
It was an emotional moment for many, including teachers at Jasper Elementary School (JES), as the grads walked through the hallways they entered as knee-high students.
While the grads high-fived little ones lining the halls to see them, principal Jodi Campbell, teachers and school staff fought back tears with varying degrees of success.
鈥淭he graduation walkthrough at JES brought back a lot of memories of the students when they attended our school,鈥� Campbell said. 鈥淗aving the graduates retrace their steps and revisit the elementary school that many of them attended allowed the staff to feel that we had a part in their graduation.鈥�
It was also the start of a new tradition for the Jasper graduation ceremony.
鈥淚 am so proud of the amazing young people that they have become,鈥� Campbell continued. 鈥淭hey have a tremendous amount of influence on the younger children, and it was inspiring to see the students cheering on the graduates, giving them high fives, and sharing in the excitement with them.鈥�
In his ninth year as principal of Jasper Junior/Senior High School, Mark Crozier has known the students for years.
鈥淲e pretty much know every single graduate,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e coming in as young as 11 and graduating at the age of 18 or 17. They go from young boys and girls to grown men and women.鈥�
He said it鈥檚 pretty unique to be able to offer French immersion in such a small mountain town.
鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting because in a small town there are some challenges to offering French immersion, funding two different programs, two different classes all the time, but it鈥檚 something we鈥檝e been able to make work.鈥�
Craig Gilbert
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