Didsbury Highschool’s annual grad banner tradition is back to celebrate the class of 2025.
Raising banners with grad headshots got started during the pandemic as a way to celebrate Covid-era grads who were unable to attend an in-person ceremony. Now, Didsbury High School Principal Scott MacDonald says grad season just isn’t the same without it.
“We’ve been putting the banners up since Covid and there has been talk in the past of not putting the banners up, but there seems to be a pretty strong drive from the grads, from the parents and from the community to, get the banners put up,” he says.
MacDonald adds that through the years, the town has continued to support the endeavour, saying grad has become much more of a community event because of it.
“Most of the banners are paid for through community donations as well, so that’s important, and the Town has taken that lead in making sure they’re put up, so it’s kind of a whole community effort to get those up,” he says.
The class of 2025 also marks the first group of students who completed their schooling entirely post-Covid, which MacDonald says has resulted in a more “confident” and “outgoing” group than those in previous years.
“In the past, those grad classes all seemed to have experienced a little bit of trauma throughout the whole Covid experience, and this group, I would say, seems to be a little bit more confident and outgoing than other grad classes I saw that during that time period,” he says.
This year’s class boasts around 60 students and there are numerous ways to celebrate each and very one of them. MacDonald says the festivities kick off during the official cap and gown ceremony on March 23rd, and anyone eager to attend is advised to get there early, as the ceremony is typically “bursting at the seams.”
The following day, a reverse parade is on the schedule, when grads, dressed in their best, will stand under their banners to celebrate the culmination of their 12 years of hard work.
“The grads will be out underneath their banner signs so the community can drive along the route where the signs are, the grads will be in their finery for the banquet – all their dresses and suits and you can honk, give ’em a wave, say hi,” MacDonald says.
MacDonald also shares a brief message for his grads, saying he is “hopeful” for the future.
“We are excited for this grad class, they have shown that they’re not afraid to do hard things, they’ve stood up for themselves, they’ve questioned decisions, and they have challenged authority not to be difficult, but because they believe that there was something better,” he says. “That takes guts, that takes maturity, and that gives me hope for them in the future.”
Didsbury High School’s graduation ceremony is set for May 23rd. This year’s Valedictorian is Brandon Holliday. You can read more about his story here.
