Although this year's event looked different to other years, NAISR was determined to ensure that the ceremony was a special moment for our graduates. This was a milestone for our Grade 12 students, and although some adjustments had to be made as to how we ran the ceremony, we were so proud to be able to continue to host a graduation ceremony for our 'Class of 2020', whilst maintaining safety guidelines and social distancing practices.
Family members and guests were invited to join the ceremony online, via a live streamed recording. As for the students and teachers, the graduation ceremony proceeded as it normally would, including individual student speeches, teacher addresses, a slideshow including unexpected audio messages from the graduates' families (which had us all in tears), and finally of course the presentation of awards and the NAISR diplomas. As always, this year’s NAISR graduation ceremony was intimate, personalised, emotional and memorable.
A special thank you to Charlotte from Whisk & Slice for making the delicious cupcakes and to Roy from Roy Borghouts Fotografie for capturing all of the special moments and emotions on camera. Also a huge thank you to the staff who helped to bring this event together so well.
Following a strict schedule to ensure social distancing, students sat for individual photos in their gowns and caps and then, one by one, families also sat for photos with our graduates. A NAISR/Sharks backdrop was set up in the gym for this unique and unforgettable photoshoot and we think it really gave an extra something to the photos, which we are excited to share with our community.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s graduates had to face a number of challenges during their final year here at NAISR. For the last three months of their final year of high school, all learning was done online, IB examinations and end of year celebrations such as the High School Prom were cancelled, and students were isolated at home, social distancing from their fellow classmates. They have rose to these challenges and are now off to university destinations such as USC University of Southern California, TU Delft, Erasmus University in Rotterdam, and the University of Stirling in the UK. We are so incredibly proud of this graduating class and look forward to hearing all about their adventures and achievements in the future.
Go Sharks!
