The graduation ceremony for Sir James Dunn Academy was once again held at the KIRA Amphitheatre in Saint Andrews, New Brunswick, but with a noticeable change. For the first time in over two years, there was finally a full audience in the crowd. The Class of 2020 was restricted to an immediate family-only guest list that was spaced apart from other families due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Class of 2021 also had a restricted guest list. Superintendent Zoe Watson of Anglophone School District South, who is set to retire after this year, was a keynote speaker at the graduation ceremony for the class of 2022.

"It's so nice to be outdoors on this beautiful sunny day at this beautiful facility in Saint Andrews," said Watson. "And, graduates, I must acknowledge that the last two plus years have not been easy. There have been challenges for you, for the staff at the school, and for the whole community. Everybody has been asked to adapt. Some people adapted very quickly."

Watson, who has faced challenges first-hand in her role as superintendent, acknowledged that the pandemic has asked a lot of everyone and taught us all lessons along the way, including her.

"Teachers are always going to tell you to be life-long learners, and the last two years plus have taught us all that we have to be life-long learners regardless of our age," said Watson. "We needed to learn patience and tolerance and how to look out for one another. I think we have learned a lot about the value of good relationships and how working together is necessary to get things done."

Watson is retiring after 41 years in education.