Graduation plans revealed

By Connor Linskey
Posted 6/3/20

As the school year winds down, plans for graduation and moving up ceremonies have been announced. This year’s functions will be unlike any other.

Valley Central High School’s …

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Graduation plans revealed

Posted

As the school year winds down, plans for graduation and moving up ceremonies have been announced. This year’s functions will be unlike any other.

Valley Central High School’s Graduation will be a combination of live and virtual events. On June 5, the district will hold its “Not Your Ordinary Cap and Gown Pick-Up.” The event will run from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with staggered times for seniors to arrive in their cars to drive down Celebration Lane (AKA the bus lane). While remaining in their cars and driving through Celebration Lane, professional photographers and Valley Central graduates Kateigh and Ben Jamison will be on hand to capture the moment as a keepsake for the seniors. During the drive-through pick-up, seniors will be showered with gifts including honor cords, presents from local florist The Secret Garden and local bakery Calculated Confections, receive military honor sashes and pins, be greeted by the Town of Montgomery Police Department, be provided with a grab-and-go BBQ from the Village of Montgomery Fire Department members and much more! Seniors are encouraged to decorate their cars, however it is not required.

The district’s tentative dates for presentation of diplomas are June 11-16 (times will vary). Presentation of diplomas will take place with each graduate dressed in their cap and gown and receiving their official diplomas with their select family members. This will be held at a scheduled time at a staged area of the high school in person. Professional photographers Kateigh and Ben Jamison will be present to capture this special moment. If yearbooks arrive on time, seniors who ordered them will receive them at the Presentation of Diplomas.

The end of year activities will culminate with a graduation ceremony. The district will host a celebratory virtual presentation on June 20 at 6 p.m., which will recognize all graduates in the Class of 2020. Valley Central hopes to host an official commencement ceremony at the high school on August 1 followed by an all-night graduation ceremony. This would adhere to any and all safety guidelines as per the State and local governments. If that is not possible, then a virtual commencement ceremony will be held on August 1.

Unlike Valley Central, the Wallkill Central School District is planning on having a traditional graduation ceremony with no restrictions at the high school on June 26 at 6 p.m.

If the high school is unable to perform the ceremony on June 26, due to guidance from state and local officials, it will be rescheduled for 6 p.m. on Aug. 7. The rain date would be 10 a.m. on Aug. 8.

“We will make every effort to provide you with timely notification on whether the graduation ceremony scheduled for 6 p.m. on June 26, 2020 will need to be rescheduled,” Wallkill Senior High School Principal Joseph J. Salamone told parents and guardians. “The decision may not be made until the week of June 22 since we want to make every effort to hold the graduation ceremony on its originally scheduled date. If we are provided guidance prior to this date, we will notify you sooner. We will use a similar notification timeline in August, if needed.”

In light of a challenging end to their last year of high school, a group of Pine Bush seniors decided to play a prank on their principal Aaron Hopmayer. They put a toilet in front of his house with a special note.

“Even though this year has been tough, some might even say crappy, you have pushed on, trying to make it special for our class,” wrote the Class of 2020.