It's June, and that means it's graduation season in southeastern Saskatchewan.

Estevan Comprehensive School is preparing for the big day this Saturday with a parade for all of the graduating Grade 12 students, 149 of them to be exact.

"We've got the grad ceremony at 2:00 on Saturday, and then kids get together for a picture at the courthouse. And then that's actually followed by a couple of parent organized events, that aren't connected with the school," said principal Nathan Johnson.

"Very busy day for the grads...that's for sure."

After two years of dealing with pandemic restrictions, Johnson said the return to a "normal" graduation ceremony is welcome.

"This'll be our first traditional grad in a few years and the last couple years I guess we made it work with the restrictions that were in place," Johnson said. "But it'll definitely be nice to gather together and celebrate the academic achievements of these students."

As for the future plans for the grads, Johnson said it's wide-ranging, with some opting to stay in Estevan while others will be leaving southeastern Saskatchewan.

"There's a wide variety of students that are heading off to post-secondary institutions all over the country. And we've got students that are entering the workforce right here in town," he said. "Wide variety as we always have, but all of those students are excited to move on to the next chapter."

"That's actually one of the great things about our ceremony...we get to announce all the future plans and recognize all of the students on stage individually."

"Definitely excitement in the air," Johnson added.