Graduation 2026 Thanks

Graduation 2026 Thanks

It was an absolute pleasure and honor to oversee “all-things-grad” and there are many people who deserve our gratitude.

• Mr. Vercillo: for his help wherever or whenever needed – assisting with set up and rehearsals, helping with graduates, un-decorating, making sure the grad class stayed safe – name it and he was there to help. Oh, and how about that job he did announcing 336 Grad Statements?! I think there is an announcer’s job in there somewhere should he ever change his plans of being an administrator!
• Mr. New:  for all his help with coordinating the Grad Mass, distribution of certificates, set-ups and take-downs, and for allowing me to focus on what I needed to do.
• Mr. Comchi: for all his help with rehearsals, set-ups and take-downs, distribution of certificates, and making sure the grad class felt honored and safe.
• Mrs. Christensen: for not only overseeing the Grad Mass but for being at every meeting that led up to grad to take notes and fill in wherever needed and for helping with smooth transitions from one event to the next. We, honestly, could not have pulled off such a beautiful weekend without her attention to detail.
• Mr. Dalton: for being the master of all lists and for doing one of the hardest jobs in organizing our graduates so they were ready, in the order or group they needed to be in, and looking their best. He is another human who truly ensures that graduation is a gift for our students.
• Mr. Hansen: for all his work on the grad list and  for ensuring each student received the right certificate!
• Mrs. Sutter, Ms. Magill, Mrs. Aasman, Ms. Kidwai, and Mrs. Wilson: for all the pre-grad work that was done, certificates, grad lists, slides, grad fees, grad photos, and gown organization…. and even washing and ironing tablecloths! Special thanks to Mrs. Sutter for the role she has played in many CCH Grads over the years; all the best in her retirement!
• The Staff Grad Committee: Mr. Balog, Mr. Cavilla, Mrs. Christensen, Mr. Comchi, Mr. Cox, Mr. Dalton, Ms. Ens, Ms. Fox, Mr. Gilbert, Mr. Hansen, Mr. Ledsham, Mrs. Leroux, Mr. Lutz, Ms. Mombourquette, Mr. New, Mr. Pasquotti, Mr. Point du Jour, Ms. Provost, Mrs. Richards, Ms. Ross, Mr. Spiess, Mrs. Sutter, Mr. Vercillo, and Ms. Wojtowicz for everything they did to ensure everything ran as smoothly as it did from beginning to end.
• Ms. Fox, Mr. Gilbert, and Dr. Boschee, plus the First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Education Committee for organizing the Feather Blessing Ceremony. A special thank you to Elders HolySpirit - particularly Mr. Kendrick Fox, Mrs. Dorothy Day Chief, and Dr. Christina Fox - and Catholic Central Elders for bestowing eagle feathers and metis sashes to our graduates. Also, thank you to Luigi's North for catering the meal. to Mrs. Yawney and the Foods classes for preparing lovely desserts (gluten sensitive and sugar-free) and to CCH staff for helping to serve both the meal and the treats!
• Mr. Comchi and Mr. New and the B&E class: for providing graduates with grad hoodies.
• Mrs. Christensen: for organizing the grad mass and working with our commentator, readers, and offertory. And to Mr. Spiess for arranging clergy, sacristans, and altar servers for facilitating with set up.
• Mr. Cavilla, Mrs. Christensen, Ms. Ens, Mr. Gilbert, Mr. Spiess: for turning the arena into a sacred space for grad mass.
• Ms. Ens, Concert Choir, and Mrs. Plewes for providing us with beautiful music for mass.
• Mr. Cox: for helping me with working with and guiding all of the student speakers and MCs.
• Mrs. Leroux and the decorating committee, including Mrs. Dudas, Mr. Hammel, Mr. Hogan, Mrs. Johnson, Mr. Leroux, Ms. Magill, Mrs. Schwark, and Mr. Leroux for coordinating the decorations at the arena. They had a HUGE job of setting up but the arena looked beautiful!
• Mr. Dalton and Mr. Goruk: for always being a calming presence (especially for Mrs. Polec) when it comes to organizing students into lines and directing the procession during the mass, the convocation, and the Grand March. Also, thank you for getting students picture-ready and feeling less anxious as they took the stage. Moreover, thank you for all your help with taking down and moving things back to the school.
• Mrs. Wojtowicz and our Students’ Council ushers: for distributing programs and seating our guests.
• Mr. Dalton, Mr. Goruk, Ms. Kidwai, Ms. Magill, Ms. Mombourquette, Mr. Point du Jour, Mrs. Richards, Ms. Schori, and Mrs. Wojtowicz for ensuring all grad gowns were collected after convocation.
• Mr Cavilla, Mrs. Dudas, Ms. Ens, Mr. Pasquotti, Mr. Rosen, Mrs. Schwark, Mr. Spiess, Ms. Wojtowicz, and Mr. Yanke for representing staff of Catholic Central during the distribution of certificates.
• Mrs. Larson: for creating the beautiful programs.
• Mrs. Stacy Henderson, Ms. Omilon, and Mr. LeBleu for  taking pictures at the Grand March and for sharing your photographs with our families of the graduates.
• Priests and Deacons: for being a visible presence at our graduation Mass and for their spiritual support of our students. Thank you especially to Father Kevin Tumback, Father SantiagoTorres , Father Valentine Suum, as well as Deacon James Manzara, Deacon Peter Lilienthal, and Deacon Bruce Barnett.
• Helen Manzara: for being the Sacristan.
• Bridge Brass Quintet: for providing beautiful music during mass. 
• All those who were Altar Servers, Eucharistic Ministers and Ushers during distribution of communion.
• Mr. Rosen: for running the Grad Mass slides.
• Ms. Magill: for running the Convocation slides.
• Dr. Mombourquette: for bringing the warmest of greetings from the Board.
• Ms. Axani: for bringing greetings from the Superintendent. 
• All our Trustees and Senior Administrative Leadership Team who attended the mass and convocation.
• Mrs. Ruaben: for being present during the graduation weekend to celebrate those students who attended Trinity E-Learning School. Thank you for filling in wherever was needed!
• Feature Productions and PB Pro Audio: for making the entire weekend one to be proud of! Your ability to convert a “normal” production into one to cherish and remember is unmatched.
• Staff of the VisitLethbridge.com Arena, especially Robin Sakamoto and Dakota Oler: for their excellent service and continued guidance and support throughout the planning process.
• Sounds Unlimited Inc: for providing the music for the grand march and for the dance.
• Luis Hernandez and his crew from Life Touch Photography: for taking the grad pictures, the group picture and pictures of the graduates receiving their certificates. And head caretaker for Campus West, Mr. Urbanczyk for organizing the “lift” for the group photo!
• The Lethbridge Herald, especially Alejandra Pulido-Guzman: for the wonderful write up in the paper on our valedictorian!
• Lethbridge Police Department for your presence at the Feather Blessing Ceremony and at the Grand March and Dance.
• Candle lighters representing alumni, parents, CCH staff, Holy Spirit staff, clergy, and trustees: Father Santiago, Trustee Dr. Mombourquette, Gordon Marconi, Christa Sawatzky, Dino Caputo, Kathy Jones-Husch, Amber Sheridan, Tim Folkersen, Kiera Bouchard, and Aaron Skretting.
• School Council for their lovely gift of rosaries for our graduates.
• Mrs. Urquhart: for preparing the French Certificates for those grads who have completed 12 years of French Immersion.
• All Staff of CCH: All the staff present throughout the weekend’s events for guiding students to where-ever they needed to be during the mass, the convocation, and the Grand March. For being available to students, for acting as substitutes for teachers involved directly in the grad activities and for their quiet, constant commitment to making graduation a memorable event for students. Graduation is a gift that the staff of CCH gives to our students. 
• Parents/ Guardians and family members: for sharing your children with us over the past three years!
• Grade 12s: We are very proud of how you took care of each other and walked together. You carried yourselves with dignity and class. It was an honor and a pleasure to celebrate with you!

Thank you to all who have made this event meaningful, memorable and successful. 

Mrs. Joanne Polec

Principal of Catholic Central

Here are the links to all of this weekend’s events:

Grad Mass: https://vimeo.com/1189802052?fl=tl&fe=ec

Convocation: https://vimeo.com/1189805824?fl=tl&fe=ec

Grand March Prt 1 https://vimeo.com/1083223318?fl=tl&fe=ec

Grand March Prt 2: https://vimeo.com/1189806398?fl=tl&fe=ec

Please note: photos from the Convocation hat toss and from the Grand March are yet to come! We are working as quickly as we can to get them edited and put into a Digital Folder for the graduates to access.