Staff Reports
HANCOCK COUNTY — Three of the county’s four school districts will try to hold outdoor graduation ceremonies in July, assuming the state fully emerges from COVID-19 restrictions the week before.
The plans come with a big caveat: large-group gatherings are not yet allowed, and a number of thresholds must be crossed before the state launches the final stage of reopening activities, tentatively slated for July 4.
If Gov. Eric Holcomb does lift the final restrictions — which by then will still include gatherings over 250 people — the schools will be prepared to put on ceremonies starting on July 10. Mt. Vernon, Greenfield-Central and New Palestine high schools unveiled new graduation plans this week that include full ceremonies and special presentations for seniors and family members. Eastern Hancock High School has not planned a formal in-person commencement but will have other activities to celebrate the Class of 2020.
All the schools’ plans acknowledge social distancing guidelines that still will be in place.
While the later dates may interfere with some family vacation plans, administrators said the feedback they received from families was strongly in favor of having formal ceremonies. One scheduling conflict is the Hancock County 4-H Fair, which is tentatively scheduled to begin the evening of July 10. A 4-H official noted Thursday that the fair would work with any students whose 4-H activities conflict with graduation.
Here’s a closer look at the plans:
Eastern Hancock High School
Eastern Hancock High School will be marking graduation for its seniors in several ways, Superintendent David Pfaff said. The district will put together a virtual video commencement ceremony, featuring pre-recorded speeches by the valedictorian, salutatorian and a teacher representative, as well as a short segment showcasing each graduate’s future plans.
“Short of the kids walking across the stage and receiving their diploma, (Eastern Hancock Principal Adam Barton) wants it to be as close to the feel of a commencement as you can get,” Pfaff said.
The video will premier on June 6, the original date of Eastern Hancock’s graduation. Graduating seniors are also hoping to mark the occasion with a parade in their cars, pending the approval of law enforcement.
Depending on what social distancing requirements are in place at the time, the senior class also aims to hold a graduation party on July 25 to celebrate the end of their high school careers.
Mt. Vernon High School
Mt. Vernon’s commencement is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 10, at the school’s stadium, with rain dates of 10:30 a.m. Saturday, July 11; and 4:30 p.m. Sunday, July 12. School officials said they will adhere to all health and safety regulations. If necessary, a virtual ceremony will be held at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 10.
Casey Dodd, Mt. Vernon High School principal, told the Daily Reporter in an email: “We worked extremely hard to ensure this was a collaborative process where our soon-to-be graduates and their families had a strong voice in what decision was made.”
That included holding a series of virtual meetings with seniors and their families to discuss the details of options that were researched and to take further suggestions, Dodd continued. Feedback surveys were also used to narrow down the most desirable choices and arrive at a final decision.
If a virtual event is necessary, it will feature recorded components of the ceremony like the valedictorian and class president speeches and the reading of each graduate’s name as their photo appears on a slide show, Dodd said.
“One of the elements from the surveys we sent out asked our students to identify elements of the graduation ceremony they felt were the most important to them, so then we have been able to make sure we put those in the virtual ceremony if at all possible,” he added.
Tony Fleming, Mt. Vernon class of 2020, told the Daily Reporter in an email that he felt the school’s administrators cared about seniors’ input.
“They stated many times that it was our celebration and they wanted it to be what the students wanted — while following the guidelines the state has given us,” Fleming said.
He was excited and relieved, he said, to learn of a live ceremony slated for July.
“My senior year was cut short and ended unexpectedly, but no one saw that coming,” he said. “Mt. Vernon’s plan to have a live ceremony in July will give the class of 2020 the closure we are all looking for and will give us one last chance to be united as a class before we are officially alumni of Mt. Vernon High School.”
Greenfield-Central High School
Greenfield-Central’s graduation is scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday, July 11, at the school’s stadium. That will be a big change for G-C, which historically conducts its graduation in the school’s gymnasium.
Principal Jason Cary sent an email to parents and students early Wednesday morning, May 13, with the news.
“Thank you for your patience as we have gathered information to make the best decision possible for our commencement activities,” he wrote. “We are excited to let you know that we have decided to delay our onsite commencement rather than have a virtual commencement.”
After soliciting input from staff, students and families, school administrators learned that most wanted to keep commencement activities in person — rather than virtual — if at all possible, Cary said.
While a virtual graduation remains a backup plan, administrators will continue to work on the July 11 ceremony’s details and share updates as they become available, he said.
New Palestine High School
Southern Hancock officials have scheduled New Palestine’s graduation for the same morning as the one at Greenfield-Central, but an hour later: 10 a.m. Saturday, July 11. The ceremony will be outdoors at the school’s stadium instead of inside in the gym.
“We really wanted to make every attempt to get this thing in that we could,” communications director Wes Anderson said.
District officials will provide each family with four tickets to the ceremony and will ensure proper social distancing measures are followed. Tickets will permit admittance to a specific section of the bleachers. Families will be required to sit in the section indicated on their ticket in order to maintain a safe distance from each other.
Graduates will also sit 6 feet apart on the field during the ceremony in accordance with social distancing guidelines. A live stream of the ceremony will be provided for those unable to attend.
Administrators talked with senior class leaders, who expressed a strong desire to have some kind of social gathering to celebrate graduation, even if it meant delaying the ceremony until it was deemed safe.
“When we met with the kids last month, it was clear that is what they really wanted,” Anderson said.
In the event of rain, a second attempt to hold commencement will take place at 5 p.m. Saturday, July 11. If the weather does not permit a Saturday ceremony, they’ll try again at 1 p.m. Sunday, July 12.
If none of those ceremonies can happen or COVID-19 restrictions haven’t been lifted, a virtual ceremony is set for 1 p.m. Sunday, July 12.
Kristy Deer, Mitchell Kirk, Jessica Karins and Shelley Swift of the Daily Reporter staff contributed to this story.
