Talus Hryniuk will be the first male in his family to graduate high school.

“It’s going to be a big day for all the graduates. I’m really nervous but at least I’m graduating, that’s all that matters,” he said.

The 18-year-old from the Lac La Ronge Indian Band is a student at Senator Myles Venne School in La Ronge, Sask. He’s interested in joining the military after graduation.

He said positive encouragement from his track and field coach helped him stay in school. 

“I really enjoyed coming and playing sports and just getting to know people.”

La Ronge’s two high schools have seen a surge in the number of students obtaining their Grade 12 diplomas this year.

“We’re pretty excited to see that many kids on stage getting their diplomas and moving on to the next chapter of their lives,” said Churchill Community High School (CCHS) principal Kristianna Mercredi.

CCHS had 61 graduates this year, the most in its history, Mercerdi said. Recent years have ranged from 32 to 47.

Senator Myles Venne School (SMVS), the Lac La Ronge Indian Band’s school, had 38 graduates this year, up from 28 last year.

The town of La Ronge, when combined with Lac La Ronge Indian Band and nearby Air Ronge, has a population of more than 5,600 people. It’s located about 240 kilometres north of Prince Albert.

Mercredi pointed to several factors contributing to the spike in graduates.

The two high schools share a success coach who splits her time equally, ensuring students are registered in the necessary classes to complete Grade 12 and co-ordinating additional support they might need to stay in school. The position is funded by the provincial Ministry of Education.

“She helps students overcome barriers and helps them academically and is a bit of a liaison in helping to talk to their teachers, so that’s really helped,” Mercredi said.

She said an attendance initiative that included social media outreach to parents, home surveys and monthly attendance draws for prizes has also helped.

The Following their Voices program has also supported Indigenous student retention at both schools by increasing the amount of cultural activities.

Churchill also held Grade 12 “credit crunch” days, where students could get extra help with their assignments from teachers on days off or on teacher professional development days. Staff also made information about post-secondary school available to grads.

“Our teaching staff is amazing and they just go above and beyond,” Mercredi said. “That’s had a huge impact on our students.”

CCHS’s building is at full capacity, with about 500 students from grades seven through 12.

Forty of the 61 graduates are Indigenous, primarily members of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band, followed by Metis and First Nations students from communities such as Black Lake, La Loche and Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation.

CCHS’s graduation ceremony was June 20. SMVS’s is on June 24.

SMVS principal Dale Ahenakew has worked at the school for 15 years and says graduation is a special time. Students enter the school in Grade 5 and become like a family as they grow and learn together.

“It just gives us an extreme sense of pride because we’ve been with them every step of the way,” Ahenakew said. “The smiles on their faces, their sense of accomplishment.”

He said many factors have contributed to having more graduates, including the success coach, and staff and administration making connections with students.

SMVS teachers often stay after school to provide students with extra help on their assignments. 

“When they’re connected, they feel like they belong,” he said. “Then they want to be there and they know they’re going to be taken care of.”

Attendance rates have also increased at the school.

Ahenakew said a block system has made it easier for students to complete credits. It divides the school year into multiple terms, allowing students take only 2 or 3 intensive classes at a time, instead of five to eight class simultaneously all year.

“I think we’ve been growing as an education system with Lac La Ronge Indian Band.”

The community is also benefiting from more students pursuing post secondary education, Ahenakew said.

Students happy to graduate

Davis Sanderson, 17, said the teachers, classmates and coaches at SMVS were very supportive. Knowing he was making his mom proud kept him in school.

“It feels great. I came a long way. I was so close to dropping out at one point but I kept going and I’m glad I did,” Sanderson said.

He said he spent a lot of time playing sports in high school and his favorite subject was math. He plans to pursue employment at the uranium mines.

“I’m looking forward to making my family proud.”

Kristopher McCallum, 17, from SMVS said he’s excited for the ceremonies and will be wearing a ribbon shirt.

“I had a lot of help to get this far,” he said. “I’m very grateful for the people around me who helped. I don’t know where I’d be without them.”

He liked cooking class and listening to stories from the elders in school. He hopes to join the workforce in the future.

CCHS graduate Jodi Watt, 18, was involved with student representative council and the drama program.

Getting additional help with homework from teachers on “credit crunch” days helped her and others catch up on assignments, she said.

Watt was awarded the academic proficiency award, and has been accepted to the University of Regina and plans to study business administration.

She said she noticed more students using the resources at the school.

“They try so hard to get all of their grads to graduate,” she said.