The last time King George held a full-dress graduation, Mr. Lauzon was the principal.

by Milan Streit

THE SHOW WILL GO ON!

In this last stretch of the school year, grade 12 students at King George Secondary are currently working extremely hard. Graduation is inching closer and physically walking or rolling across the stage in June is officially a go.

For the past two years, the graduation ceremony has taken place at the school, thanks to provincial COVID-19 safety restrictions and protocols. But with the lifting of all restrictions back in March, the event will be in-person and at full capacity, without masks. As in 2019 and years before, the grad ceremony will be held at the Vancouver Playhouse. Tickets will be handed to graduates to be distributed among family and friends. Graduation is set to take place on Friday, June 17.

The last time a proper graduation ceremony was held, Mr Lauzon was still the head man ...

DINNER DANCE ON LIFE SUPPORT

In previous years, a dinner dance was hosted by the school's grad committee after the official ceremony, in conjunction with the school. Its aim was to give graduates a great time after a long journey in the school system, along with providing a safe space to party free from alcohol and narcotics.

Due to many factors, including the easing of restrictions, late planning, and fees not being paid by students, the dinner dance is now in serious jeopardy.

Last year’s grads, like Michael pictured here, didn’t get to enjoy a Dinner Dance after the ceremony.

Originally, the KG Grad Committee, of which I am a member, was planning the event in collaboration with the school’s administration. However, the two have since split due to disagreements and now the dinner dance is primarily student-led. We are currently planning a smaller event compared to previous years, most likely to be held at the Stanley Park Pavilion or the Pinnacle Hotel.

Fundraising is planned through a public Krispy Kreme donut drive in front of the Denman entrance, with dates to be posted on The West End Journal’s social media sites. Other planned fundraising includes a $10 door fee from all attendees, possible funds from the Parent Advisory Council (PAC), and parent and community donations.

Last year's Grad didn’t feature a Dinner Dance due to the Coronavirus.

Henry MacDougall will be taking over “The Dragon’s Pen” as Milan graduates this year.

TRANSITIONS

I have been writing “The Dragon’s Pen” since March of 2019 and am ready to graduate this June. Doing this monthly column has not only improved my writing in school, but I've also met tons of readers and learned about issues all over the community.

After graduating, it makes no sense to write about the school I no longer attend, so I will be passing on the column to Grade 8 student Henry MacDougall. He’s a talented writer and long-time family friend who I feel will do a superb job continuing “The Dragon’s Pen”.

Henry will be writing a small section of the next issue, so look out for that in our June issue. July will be my last article and will mainly be focused on the King George graduation.

I will stay on as a contributor for The West End Journal, shifting to local issues and urbanism.