CCSD2 graduation plans approved by county, state

Saratoga, Encampment and HEM high schools will hold graduation ceremonies with some slight alterations

For many students, the graduation ceremony is arguably one of the most important events of their high school career. Under normal circumstances, the planning and execution of the event can be frustrating for students, staff and parents. For Wyoming and Carbon County School District No. 2 (CCSD2), circumstances have not been normal since March. 

With each extension of public health orders issued by Governor Mark Gordon and State Health Officer Alexia Harrist, questions arose as to how schools would handle this most important occasion. During a special meeting of the CCSD2 Board of Trustees on May 4, CCSD2 Superintendent Jim Copeland informed the board that he had requested graduation plans from the three high school principals in the district; Darrin Jennings for Saratoga Middle High School, Mike Erickson for Encampment K-12 School and Steve Priest for Hanna, Elk Mountain and Medicine Bow (HEM) High School.

Prior to putting the graduation plans into effect, they had to be submitted to the Carbon County Health Officer, Wayne Couch, and the State Health Officer, Alexia Harrist. Both approved on May 13. Of the three high schools, two will be able to perform their graduation ceremonies inside due to the small class sizes.

Saratoga Middle High School

At SMHS, the graduation ceremony for the 18 seniors will take place at the high school football field. According to information from Copeland, the SMHS seniors will be seated on the football field and one vehicle per graduate will be allowed in the field and the senior will need to arrive in that vehicle. Other vehicles will be permitted to park outside the football field.

The vehicle that the seniors arrive in can have school appropriate decorations. A public announcement system will be used and the graduation will commence in the traditional order. In the event of bad weather, the graduation ceremony will take place in the SMHS parking lot and diplomas will be given out in a drive-thru format.

Following the ceremonies, all 18 senior vehicles will form a line and have a parade through town. The vehicles will travel down Elm Street, turn left on River Street, left on Bridge Avenue and back to the high school. Spectators for the parade are asked to remain in their vehicles.

Saratoga Middle High School will hold their graduation ceremony at 11 a.m. on May 30.

Encampment K-12 School

In Encampment, the graduation ceremony will take place in the Encampment K-12 School and will be limited to select staff members along with the six graduates and their families. Each graduate will be given six tickets for family members to attend the ceremony. Each graduate and their families will be greeted at the door by an usher wearing a mask and escorted to their seats. Following the ceremonies, each family group will be escorted out of the building by the same usher.

Seating will be arranged in groups of six with each family group being six feet apart. Graduates will walk into the ceremony together, but graduates will sit with their families rather than up front as in the past. Following the ceremony, graduates will not leave together, but will leave with their families instead.

Graduates will be announced and awarded their diplomas one at a time. The diploma will be on the table for the graduate to grab instead of being handed to them, there will also be no handshakes or hugs from staff members.

All social distancing guidelines will be observed. All staff will sign an attestation statement and log. One family member will sign an attestation statement and log for each family and list all family members. The ceremony will be livestreamed on Zoom and YouTube for those who wish to observe but cannot attend.

The Encampment K-12 School graduation will be at 2 p.m. on May 30.

HEM High School

For the 13 seniors at HEM, their indoor graduation ceremony will be similar to the one being held in Encampment. 

Graduation will have only a select number of staff along with the graduates and their families. Graduates will be given six tickets for family members to attend the ceremony and the family groups of six will be seated six feet apart. Graduates will sit with their families rather than at the front of the room.

Graduates and their families will be met at the door by a masked usher and escorted to their seats. The same usher will escort them out of the building following the graduation. Graduates will walk into the room together while maintaining a distance of six feet between each other. When presenting diplomas, the graduates will be called individually and diplomas will be on a table to be picked up. There will be no handshakes or hugs from staff members.

All social distancing guidelines will be observed. All staff will sign an attestation statement and log. One family member will sign an attestation statement and log for each family and list all family members. The ceremony will be livestreamed on Zoom and YouTube for those who wish to observe but cannot attend.

The HEM High School graduation will be at 6 p.m. on May 29.

While it will not be the same type of graduation ceremony in years past, the Class of 2020 will still be able to celebrate their achievements in light of recent events.

 

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