MONROE, CT — Families will watch recorded speeches for Masuk High School’s graduation online, then graduates will be invited to come to the campus in waves to receive their diplomas.
Families will wait in their cars for their child’s name to be called. When it’s their turn, students will walk across a stage to receive their diploma, then stop and take off their mask for a photo — preserving the memory.
“I feel really confident that we can have something that’s beautiful, tasteful and gives the kids something where they have a photo on stage and they can have a memory that’s not Covid,” said Principal Jacob Greenwood.
On Monday, Superintendent of Schools Joseph Kobza told the Board of Education this is the most likely solution educators are working toward in a year interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, which resulted in schools closing in favor of distance learning.
Students surveyed by Greenwood favor waiting until the summer to have a live graduation ceremony on campus, but Kobza said state guidelines on social distancing are not likely to be lifted by then.
Citizens currently have to wear masks in public and social gatherings are limited to groups of five.
What resulted was the hybrid approach for a part virtual, part drive-in commencement.
The Board of Education still has the goal of a June 12 graduation date for Masuk High School and a June 16 graduation at Jockey Hollow Middle School.
Jockey Hollow Principal Jack Ceccolini and other administrators will hand diplomas to students, so families do not have to get out of their cars.
Ceccolini said educators do not want to miss the opportunity to congratulate Masuk’s graduates and Jockey Hollow’s outgoing eighth graders, adding it will be good to give students closure to the academic year.
This is not what a single one of us students wanted
hey lets send a bunch of surveys out so people think we care and then completely disregard them!
anybody wanna talk about that $900,000 they stole?
This isn’t what we asked for, I understand 100% that we need to make the best out of it regarding this pandemic but I mean, stores are opening up, why can’t seniors get their graduation? And why survey the students and parents if we won’t get what we asked for?
I agree. They have lost so much this year.
We can do better than this and agree to guidelines at the same time. As a parent, I am willing to stay home and watch my son graduate in a live stream, while he and his classmates sit 6 feet apart on the field and properly graduate. All they want is to be with their friends, together, one last time. It’s not that hard, give them what they want, they’ve lost so much already!