We appreciate your patience as new information becomes
available. This week, we received approval from the Licking County Health
Department to organize a drive-thru graduation ceremony for the class of 2020!
Unfortunately, we also learned from our Balfour representative that diplomas
and diploma covers are delayed by 8 weeks due to the pandemic. We know that we
will have caps/gowns in time for student pick-up next week, but the diplomas
and diploma covers will not arrive until later in the summer.
Many thanks to the students, staff, and parents who have offered
their feedback to help form these graduation plans. This has truly been a
collaborative effort! Additionally, we remain committed to working with the
senior class officers to host a gathering of the class of 2020 as soon as we
are able.
Here are the latest/new details about graduation:
- The original plan to deliver diplomas
to each of our graduates will not take place because we will not have them
in our possession on May 24. The original plan also featured an optional
"walk the stage" opportunity in the high school theater on May
26-28. This opportunity is no longer needed because there will be photo
opportunities at the drive-thru graduation.
- The drive-thru graduation ceremony
will take place during the morning/early afternoon of Sunday, May 24 in
the front parking lot of Granville High School. It will take place rain or
shine. The start time will be determined by the number of graduates who wish
to participate.
- We are asking ALL families of a
graduating senior to complete this Google
Form for their graduate. This form will provide us with the number of
students wishing to participate in the drive-thru ceremony, which will
help us to determine an appropriate start time on the morning of May 24. Please complete the Google Form by the
end of the day on Monday, May 18.
- As originally planned, we are still
encouraging all families to have a "Graduation Watch Party" at
their homes at 2 PM on May 24. The virtual graduation ceremony video will
be released in advance so that families can ensure access to it wherever
they reside. The virtual ceremony contains traditional elements of our
graduation ceremonies, like student music and student speeches, with a
virtual twist. Our senior class president, Will Schieber, will read the
names of our graduates accompanied by still photo images of them. Video
will be taken of the graduates walking across the stage at the drive-thru
ceremony, described below, and will be edited back into the virtual
ceremony for re-release.
- Families are permitted to come to the
drive-thru graduation ceremony in one
vehicle per family. Any exceptions due to multi-family situations must be
approved in advance by the principal. RVs, party busses, and limousines
are not permitted as they will block the view of other graduates. Vehicles
must be driven by the parent/guardian of the graduate and their families.
All vehicles will enter and exit through the Granville Middle School
entrance. Vehicles will park in the upper student lot and then be staged
for the walk across the stage in the lot near the GHS main entrance. The
high school entrance will be closed/barricaded to provide a safe space for
the graduates to walk. Please review the aerial map to familiarize yourself
with the set-up and traffic flow.
- Graduates will arrive at the school no
later than their stated arrival time wearing cap/gown and seated in the
front passenger seat. Arrival times will be communicated once we have
determined the number of participants and the start time of the ceremony.
In addition to arrival times, we will communicate a parking space number
in the upper student parking lot to each family. Please be parked in your
designated spot at your stated arrival time.
- To comply with state guidelines, we
will schedule the ceremony in waves of 10 graduates at a time. For
example, 10 graduates/families will report at 11 AM, park in their
designated space, and then be directed to drive towards the stage area in
the front of the high school. Once they have reached a designated
location, the graduate will be directed by a GHS staff member to exit
their vehicles. The graduate will then have individual photos taken by HR
Imaging. Next, the graduate will cross the stage while senior class
president Will Schieber reads their names. The graduate's family will
remain in their vehicle at all times and will advance along this route
with their graduate. When it is time for your graduate to walk across the
stage, your vehicle will be front and center for the best viewing and
photo opportunity. Family members in the vehicle will be looking out the
passenger side to see the graduate. Once the graduate has exited the
stage, they will pick up their senior gift and get back into the family
vehicle. The senior gift is a drawstring bag that will contain the
following:
- Any year-end awards
earned (music, drama, global language, etc)
- Four graduation
programs
- BluePrints senior
edition
- Senior letter
- Once the graduate is back in the
vehicle, the family heads home by driving behind the HS & MS to exit
via the middle school exit. Sadly, we cannot allow graduates to congregate
on school grounds once they have completed the drive-thru ceremony. The
Granville Police will be on site to assist with traffic flow.
- We encourage all families to decorate
their vehicles to celebrate their graduates.
Of special note:
- Graduates will be required to practice
social distancing at all times. Spacing will be marked in the areas the
graduate will be walking.
- Graduates are required to wear face
masks at all times when they are out of their vehicles with the exceptions
being during their individual photos and when crossing the stage.
- The high school building will not be
open to the public on May 24.
- No other spectators are permitted on
school grounds during the drive-thru ceremony. This is not a public
event.
- Please complete the
Google Form linked above by the end of the day on Monday, May 18.
We look forward to celebrating our deserving graduates on May
24!
Matt