The Community of Castor came together to celebrate the Gus Wetter School graduating class of 2025 on May 30.
For 2025, the school celebrated 24 graduates.
2025 graduates are Rheese Andersen, Drew Bagshaw, Kyla Beaumont, Ethan Boger, Adison Charbonneau, Axton Compton, Cort James, Ryder Fuller, Anderson Haberman, Aage Markel, Jamie McCallum, Cara Penner, Kolby Renschler, Damon Ries, Jensen Rossing, True Shephard, Evelina Simpson, Kaydence Simpson, Callum Stewart, Saphira Vincent, Veronica Virgo, Chance Weeks, Grace Weeks, and Brandyn Wiancko.
The ceremony began at 5 p.m., with the introduction of the graduates.
Once the graduates were seated, O' Canada was performed, which was followed by a land acknowledgement by Clearview School Division Trustee Erika Grice.
Gus Wetter School Principal Jordan Rhodes made a few opening remarks, following which Saphira Vincent took to the podium with a toast to the teachers. The teachers' response was given by Devon Slemp.
"This class has always been all in," said Slemp. "Do what you've always done, stay true to yourself."
Following the teachers' response, Rheese Andersen, Mrs. Weber, and Autumn Tanner took to the stage to perform a song.
After the musical interlude, Brandyn Wiancko took to the stage to give thanks to the parents, with the response on behalf of the parents given by her mom.
"It's time to leap onto a new stone in life," said Brandyn, thanking her parents for the long hours spent on the road as they supported her through all her activities and as she looked ahead to the future.
Following the Wianckos, Kolby Renschler and Jensen Rossing took the microphone, and gave a speech outlining the history and memories of the class, particularly the time surrounding when the Grade 9 students from Theresetta Catholic School made the switch to Gus Wetter for their High School years.
Gus Wetter's 2025 Valedictorian, Rheese Andersen then took the stage again, this time giving a speech to her graduating class.
As part of the ceremony, unlike previous years, which saw a separate convocation in the fall, a convocation was also held where the students were presented with their diplomas.
When the diplomas were presented, the students did the traditional throwing of the hats.
A Gus Wetter tradition, the ceremony concluded with a rose ceremony, where students presented a rose to their parents and were then escorted out of the school gymnasium.
To end the evening, after all the students had left the gym, it was time for a quick reset that had the chairs in the middle of the room put away, and a grad dance was held. Grads danced with parents, escorts, and other special people in their lives.
