TORONTO -- With limits on public gathering sizes still in place across the country, students hoping to graduate this year won鈥檛 be marking the occasion with a traditional ceremony.

Many schools are considering hosting virtual celebrations or postponing the event until it鈥檚 safe for parents, students and teachers to meet face-to-face again.

However, the Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) is calling for support from provincial governments in allowing in-person ceremonies and instructions on how to safely facilitate them, especially in Ontario.

鈥淲e鈥檇 like to see [ministries of education] take a positive, facilitative attitude toward recognizing that kids need these ceremonies,鈥 Daphne Korczak told CTVNews.ca over the phone on Wednesday. Korczak is a psychiatrist and chair of the pediatric society's mental health task force.

鈥淲ithin provincial guidelines, there鈥檚 a lot of room for creativity and flexibility.鈥

Students transitioning between different schools or learning environments are especially vulnerable to feelings of anxiety and social isolation, she explained. The idea of not being able to visit their new school or potential teachers makes it more difficult to know what to expect in the future.

It also makes it harder to move on, she says.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e torn. On the one hand they鈥檙e supposed to be looking forward [and] on the other hand, they鈥檙e still grieving the losses of this year,鈥 she said. 鈥淕raduations ceremonies can be really helpful in giving kids the opportunity for closure and to prepare them psychologically for their new identity.鈥

Jennifer Vriend, a psychologist based in Ottawa, explained that with the ongoing pandemic, a number of her patients are experiencing this sense of grief, including those expecting to graduate.

鈥淎 lot of us are grieving for things that we have lost [such as] the way that we used to live, the connections we used to have,鈥 she told CTVNews.ca on Wednesday via telephone. 鈥淔or a lot of the kids in school, it鈥檚 those memories that they were planning on having, like prom or graduation.

鈥淣ow they鈥檙e going to be missing out on those experiences.鈥

She said it鈥檚 important for students to not only accept that it鈥檚 a challenging time, but to also be able to celebrate how far they've come. Hosting a graduation ceremony is the perfect way to do this, she added.

鈥淚t forces some of that reflection, hopefully in a positive way, about all of the things that you鈥檝e gone through,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t is really important to remind yourself that it was a difficult year but you got through it, and have lots of big things ahead of you.鈥

According to Korczak, having a graduation ceremony can even go as far as affecting a student鈥檚 ability to succeed.

The recognition and sense of accomplishment that normally comes with such an occasion acts as motivation, she explained. It encourages students to be excited and engage positively with their new environment.

鈥淚f they鈥檙e about to embark on a new journey, a new phase of their life鈥t鈥檚 tougher to do that when you haven鈥檛 experienced the reward that comes from graduation,鈥 she said. 鈥淪etting them up for success when we know that there are going to be challenges yet to face is really important.鈥

While Vriend said that having a virtual ceremony is still better than nothing, it doesn鈥檛 compare to hosting one in-person.

鈥淭he in-person [contact] is a basic human need and function," she said. "The virtual doesn鈥檛 affect us as strongly, there鈥檚 something missing."

WHAT SCHOOLS ARE DOING

Korczak points to action taken in other provinces as good examples of formally recognizing the importance of these ceremonies by easing restrictions.

Nova Scotia鈥檚 Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Robert Strang has said that exceptions will be made within the province to allow for drive-in graduation ceremonies .

Earlier this month, Quebec鈥檚 public health department also announced to attend school for one last day to take graduation photos and get their yearbooks signed. This is despite the province having the highest number of COVID-19 cases in Canada. With a total of 53,341 cases, nearly 55 per cent of the country鈥檚 cases have been reported in Quebec.

While ceremonies must continue to respect public health guidelines, such as physical distancing and hand washing, this support from the government allows students one final chance to say goodbye. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, high school and elementary school classes across the province have been cancelled for the rest of the school year.

Other provinces have made similar announcements. New Brunswick, for example, has announced it will for high school students. Individual schools, however, must come up with plans to ensure the safety of those attending.

The province of Manitoba has released looking to host outdoor drive-in graduation ceremonies, while Prince Edward Island鈥檚 ministry of education announced it would be at the province's 15 secondary schools the week of June 22.

Provinces such as Ontario, however, have not taken similar measures. Schools across the province are until at least September due to the pandemic. With regards to graduation ceremonies, Education Minister Stephen Lecce has until it is safe to host them again.

Ryan Bird, spokesperson for the Toronto District School Board, explained that the decision of how and when to organize graduation ceremonies for students in its elementary and high schools is being left to schools themselves.

鈥淏ecause there are so many different experiences among staff and students and the challenges they face, we鈥檝e left this up to individual schools to decide what works best for them,鈥 he told CTVNews.ca over the phone on Wednesday. 鈥淭here may be instances where schools can mark those events in a creative way, but we鈥檙e not, as a system, mandating that every school do an in-person event.鈥

Official graduation ceremonies have been delayed until the fall or whenever limits on gathering sizes are lifted and it is safe to meet again. At that point, Bird said, the board would have to reassess its plans based on what provincial public health officials are recommending.

鈥淩ight now, we have guidance that there should not be gatherings of more than five people,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e just don鈥檛 want to take that risk based on public health advice at this time.鈥

GRAD IN A 鈥楤AG鈥

Meanwhile in Calgary, the city鈥檚 largest school board is taking a unique approach to giving students a sense of closure while still meeting physical distancing requirements.

All in-person classes in schools across Alberta were due to the pandemic. The province of Alberta has since released for holding either drive-in graduation ceremonies or those performed virtually. Facilities where graduation ceremonies are normally held, such as auditoriums, continue to be restricted.

Some schools enrolled under the Calgary Board of Education will be providing students with 鈥済rad in a bag,鈥 explained Calvin Davies, the board鈥檚 director of education. Come the end of the school year, students will be able to pick up a 鈥渂ag鈥 鈥 or a box or tote bag 鈥 filled with mementos.

These will include their graduation certificate, letters from faculty and board members, even a cap and tassel. Students will be able to pick up these bags at staggered times.

鈥淚t鈥檚 something for them to have that鈥檚 physical and tangible, to take with them,鈥 he told CTVNews.ca on Wednesday via telephone.

On top of this, different schools will post pre-recorded messages from faculty and board members through their own online databases for students to access. These are messages that would have otherwise been delivered as speeches in a traditional graduation ceremony.

鈥淭his is truly a unique graduation year and nobody has ever experienced something like this before,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e want to acknowledge the hard work and effort that our graduates have put in.鈥

Additionally, Davies said the board is looking at dedicating a half-day to graduation celebrations across all schools once restrictions are loose enough to do so. in Alberta are currently limited to just 15 people, and no more than 50 residents are able to gather outdoors.

鈥淕raduating classes at our high schools are significantly larger than [provincial gathering limits] but we have said we will set aside a half-day for those that are able to make it鈥o have that sense of closure,鈥 he said.

MICRO-GRADUATIONS TAKE THE STAGE

Last month, the province of British Columbia announced that students on a part-time basis as of June 1.

A remains in place across the province.

Certain schools in Surrey, B.C. and the surrounding area will be hosting in-person graduations over several days while others are opting for virtual celebrations, explained Ritinder Matthew, spokesperson for Surrey Schools. This school board is the largest in the province, with about 74,000 students enrolled.

Different parent and student advisory committees, she explained, are directly involved in deciding how individual schools approach their own ceremonies.

Those who have decided to host in-person ceremonies are putting together 鈥渕icrograduations鈥 鈥 these are much shorter ceremonies with a small number of graduates in attendance. Students will stand spaced out across the stage with at least two metres of distance between them. Two relatives of each student are allowed inside to watch them collect their certificate. Once the ceremony is done, the entire room is wiped down before the next ceremony takes place.

Daniel To, district principal of education services for Surrey Schools, oversees a number of programs for at-risk and vulnerable youth attending schools across the district. He鈥檚 been participating in a number of 鈥渕icrograduation鈥 ceremonies for these students.

With only five to 10 students per ceremony, each one only lasts about 20 minutes, and features all the same aspects of a traditional graduation ceremony, such as speeches and certificates.

For the at-risk and vulnerable youth enrolled in his program, hosting these physical, in-person celebrations holds additional significance.

鈥淢any of our at-risk and vulnerable youth didn鈥檛 even think they would graduate鈥nd in many occasions, they鈥檙e the first high school graduate in their family,鈥 he told CTVNews.ca over the phone on Wednesday. 鈥淐arrying out an in-person graduation ceremony, even though it鈥檚 small, even though it doesn鈥檛 look the same as it did before, it鈥檚 such a confidence-building and life-affirming thing for our youth.

鈥淔or some of them, this is the greatest accomplishment they鈥檝e ever made.鈥

To explains that students are allowed to take their cap, gown and sash home with them, making it easier to take pictures with relatives.

Despite the continued restrictions regarding physical distancing, To said he's glad he鈥檚 able to share such a special moment with students in person.

鈥淜ids crave physical contact and spending time in-person is important for these youth,鈥 he said. 鈥淧ositive relationships with their teachers and support workers is what keeps these kids coming back to school.鈥