High School Graduation 2024

Inuujaq School held its high school graduation on May 31.  The High School Graduation Committee (HSGC) spent a great deal of time assisting the four graduates in organizing their perfect day.  Work started months in advance.  A lot of pieces need to come together and work to guarantee a successful & memorable ceremony.  Just off the top my head, there are invitations, a program, gowns, decorations, grad rings, theme song(s), awards, food, grad cake, photographs, transportation, speeches, assembling helpers, and fundraising.  There are a lot of things that happen behind the scenes. 

The morning & afternoon of May 31 were spent decorating the community hall.  This was done high school students & teachers.  I borrowed a pickup truck from Frank and transported the decorations & kitchenware.  I had to make two trips.  Everything was done & ready to go for the evening celebration.

I arrived at the community hall at 5:30pm.  I walked around and took pictures of the decorated hall.  The decorators did a great job.  The windows were covered in stars.  A red carpet led from the back of the hall to the stage, passing under a white arch covered in balloons.  The stage was covered with gold, black, & silver balloons, stars, and golden drapes.  The names of the four graduates were pasted to the backwall.  Four chairs with white seat covers sat on stage.  To the right was the podium.  In front of the stage were four rows of tables & chairs, laid out for the graduation dinner.  The chairs also had white seat covers.  We expected around 40 – 60 guests for dinner.

More people began arriving a few minutes after I did.  Everyone came in formal attire.  The graduates spent extra time getting prepared. 

Dinner began at 6:30pm.  The emcees introduced the grads, and they walked down the red carpet to their seats while the audience applauded.  An Elder then blessed the food and the graduates got in line first to receive their meals.  Everyone else followed.  The food was prepared & served by the head chef & kitchen staff of the local Taqqut Inns Hotel, formally known as Tangmaarvik Inn.  The menu consisted of a delicious assortment of meats, salads, vegetables, and desserts.  I had two helpings.  Dinner lasted an hour.

The next 30 minutes were spent clearing the tables, folding & putting away the tables, and rearranging the chairs to face the stage for the graduation ceremony.  Any leftover food that hadn’t been served was placed in the main hallway for anyone to take home.  More guests arrived and helped with the cleanup and rearrangement.

The graduation ceremony began at 8pm with everyone standing for the arrival of the graduates.  The graduates were individually escorted to the stage by a local RCMP officer while their chosen theme song played on loudspeakers.  The audience filmed the introduction on their phones, clapped, and cheered.  The graduates took their seats on stage and the music gradually faded out.  The emcee welcomed everyone, and an Elder opened the ceremony with a prayer.  This was followed by another Elder lighting the ceremonial qulliq.  Everyone then took their seats.

The Acting Principal continued the ceremony with a prepared speech.  She congratulated the graduates for completing high school and encouraged them to pursue post-secondary education.  The emcee translated the speech into Inuktitut.  The Acting Principal then called on each graduate to receive their diploma.  The graduates were all smiles when they posed for photographs.  A representative from the local District Education Authority (DEA) also spoke, followed by congratulatory messages from the superintendent, MLA David Akeeagok, and federal MP Lori Idlout.  They wanted to attend but were unable to due to other commitments, so their messages were read by school administration.

The next section of the ceremony were the awards.  There were five this year: Governor General’s, Hamlet of Arctic Bay, Volunteer Achievement, Athletic Achievement, and Inuktitut Language.  I presented the Volunteer Achievement Award.  The winning graduates received a certificate and photo.  In the case of the Governor General’s Award, the winning graduate also received a medal. 

The graduates were given the opportunity to address the audience.  The graduates had elected one of them to be the valedictorian.  She addressed the audience in Inuktitut & English, thanking teachers, friends, and family for supporting her & the graduates, and encouraged any students in the audience to finish high school.  The other graduates capitulated to encouragement from the audience and said a few words of their own.

Parents, relatives, and friends were invited to address the graduates & audience.  Several did come up on stage to offer their personal congratulations & thanks.

The Acting Principal was the last to speak, doing the Closing Remarks, thanking everyone involved and wishing the graduates all the best.  The closing theme song began to play, and the graduates stood up to exit.  The RCMP led the graduates out of the hall while the audience clapped & cheered.

The four graduates assembled in the main hallway behind a large table where the two graduation cakes sat.  Behind them was a large congratulatory mural prepared by the Grade 2 class.  The graduates had their pictures taken cutting the cakes.  They set aside pieces for themselves and then served the remaining cakes to the people in attendance.  I managed to get a small piece.

I personally congratulated each graduate for completing high school & receiving their diplomas.  They went over to a decorated wall that had been prepared for portraits to be taken.  While the hired photographer took photos, Hamlet staff began cleaning up the hall.  I got a few volunteers to help me load the pickup truck with all the equipment & items that needed to be returned to school.  A few teachers followed me to school and helped me carry everything inside.  I then returned the truck to Frank.  As for the graduates, they continued celebrating into the night with an evening dance.