Class of 2020 celebrates with lawn signs, not parties

This year, the hottest trend for graduates atoneWaterloo high school isn't a particular prom dress or tuxedo it's a lawn sign.

Staff at Sir John A MacDonald Secondary School handed out the signs to many of the school's 375 graduating students this week. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, students had to schedule an appointment and stand at a physical distance while picking up the signs.

The hope was to make students feel special at a time when most traditional celebrations have been cancelled, said Dan Steckley, a teacher at the school.

"We know it's not much, but just something little to celebrate with them," said Steckley.

Bettina Kapps got her sign on Thursday and said she appreciated the gesture.

"We've had a lot stripped away from us, but it is a nice token, and it's really nice to be able to come and see our teachers and have that last goodbye," said Kapps, who will study at Wilfrid Laurier University in the fall.

Joel Jobby, who helped organize the lawn sign giveaway, said he'd been looking forward to the cap and gown celebration and hopes it might still happen in the fall.

In the meantime, he said he was happy to have a sign to show off to his neighbours.

"This is definitely not how I picture my graduation at all but we're making the most of it," said Jobby, who is also going to Laurier.

The initiative isn't just happening at Sir John A MacDonald. At least six out of 16 secondary schools in the Waterloo Region District School Board are doing similar lawn sign giveaways.

Steckley added that students aren't the only ones who look forward to graduation. It's also important to teachers, who often get to know students quite well through both classes and extracurriculars, he said.

"We've seen them grow and develop over the last four years, so it's kind of bittersweet too for us as teachers seeing them move on to university, college, the workplace," he said.

"It's a big deal for us as staff to celebrate with them as they move on to the next chapter of their life."