Redwater grads settle for front-door celebrations after COVID-19 quashes ceremony, banquet

When health restrictions forced graduating high school students in Redwater, Alta., tocanceltheir grad,their teachers found another way to honour them.

Teachers atRedwaterSchool drove to the homes of the almost 30 graduateslast Friday bringing alonga graduation cap,diploma, a mug and a few letters for each.

Each of the students came to the door in a suitor prom dress.

Tori Michaluk, 18,wearinga pink dress with matching Crocs, becameemotional as she put on her cap and thanked the three teachers who delivered it.

"It was really heartbreaking almostbecause I want to hug them and stuff," Michaluk said. "But it's really nice that they did that because a lot of schools didn't even get anything,"

Many of the grads have attended the Grade 5 through 12 school for eight years.

When the pandemic scotched plans for a ceremony andbanquet, the school's grad adviser Terra Beth Dowhaluklooked for a way to safely honour the students.

"I've been teaching some of them for eight years so to get to at least do something and say congratulations and let them know we're thinking about them has been absolutely amazing," she said.