Pearl Lorentzen
For South Peace News
“Be proud that you had this rural and small school experience,” High Prairie School Division Asst. -Supt. Pamela Heckbert told 2023 Kinuso School graduates.
Heckbert was one of several dignitaries who spoke at the graduation June 10 in the school gym. The others were Lesser Slave Lake MLA Scott Sinclair, Big Lakes County Kinuso Councillor Roberta Hunt, Swan River First Nation Chief Lee Twin, High Prairie School Division (HPSD) trustee Lorraine Shelp, and Kinuso School principal Susan Ward.
Many of the 10 Kinuso graduates had been together since preschool. However, one of the students they started with didn’t make it to graduation. Keegan Giroux died when the class was in Grade 5. He is still missed and was mentioned by several people including graduate Paige Nadon in her classmate speech and teacher Ian Bentley, who taught them in Grade 5.
Bentley had nice things to say about each student individually in his farewell to the graduates. The graduates had chosen him as their favourite teacher. However, because he has changed schools, his speech was given by video.
The other farewell to the grads by Shelley Gerrard was also a video.
Kinuso School grads included Shareena Campiou, Tyren Davis, Drayden Giroux, Emma Lee Giroux, Haiden Laboucan, Aiden McLaughlin, Paige Nadon, Lace Sheldon, Tanisha Twin-Giggie (not present), and Hunter Wild.
At the graduation, three scholarships were given out. Emma Lee Giroux received a scholarship from K&R Site Services, owned by Ken, Keith and Ray Sheldon. Nadon and McLaughlin received Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) scholarships.
