Traditional ceremony on hold
The COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic has forced school systems around the country to come up with creative ways to recognize class of 2020 graduates.
Social distancing guidelines currently prohibit large scale gatherings, which means traditional graduation ceremonies have been put on hold.
Gilmer Schools Superintendent Dr. Shanna Downs and Gilmer High Principal Carla Foley spent recent weeks exploring graduation options in conference calls with fellow educators.
“I know in my superintendent meetings from across the state, every district has a different idea,” Downs said at last Monday’s board of education work session. “Carla was in a meeting with a hundred different principals across the state, and they all had different ideas of how to best meet the needs of our students.
“The feedback I’m getting, and that she’s getting, is that most of our community wants their graduation ceremony, and just schedule it when we can get everybody in the stadium at a later date whether it’s late June (or) just as soon as we can. We can’t schedule something knowing we might have to change it. We want to say we will do it. We just need to figure out when.”
At the time of the meeting, Downs said they were “exploring options,” and by last Thursday, their plans became official when Foley sent an email to all seniors and their parents.
The school system has opted for a virtual commemoration with plans to hold a traditional graduation ceremony at a later date.
“We would like to give each senior an opportunity to walk across the field and receive their diploma with their parents and family members close by,” Foley’s email read.
“ETC will be there to video each senior having their name announced and receiving their diploma. They will edit each video and air the Class of 2020 commencement proceedings on ETC 3 at 7 p.m. on May 22.”
Seniors will arrive at Huff-Mosley Memorial Stadium over a three day span from May 6-8. ETC will record each senior and piece snippets together for a “concise two-hour video,” according to Downs. Valedictorian and salutatorian speeches will also be recorded during this time.
“At the podium, the senior’s name will be announced, along with any academic awards and scholarships from the Gilmer Education Foundation they have received,” the email stated.
“The senior will then proceed to the middle of the field to receive their diploma cover and a folder with additional awards and scholarship information from me, and Superintendent, Dr. Downs.”
Downs said at the work session, “The video will be broadcast on May 22 so that original scheduled graduation date doesn’t pass us by without acknowledgment. Then the students will have a keepsake of themselves and all their peers.
“We’ll schedule graduation in a traditional sense as soon as we are able to.”