JACKSON – The township’s School District will be holding both a live and virtual graduation ceremony for seniors at Jackson’s two high schools.
A message posted to parents by Superintendent Dr. Stephen Genco said the new information by the state finalized for parents “the fact that we are doing two things – a virtual ceremony in the June and another graduation event the week of July 8 that will be hopefully as close to a traditional ceremony as social distancing rules allow.”
“We know that some graduates and families may be unable or unwilling to attend an in-person ceremony in July due to personal schedules or choices – or due to the fact that they may have already left for college or military assignment. We also want to respect the suggestions that we should not let June 19, (the planned date for the virtual ceremony) go by without celebrating the last day of their senior year,” Genco said.
This will mark Genco’s last graduation ceremony as superintendent. He is retiring on July 1. He said “the district’s goal is to create a collective experience that doesn’t leave anyone out, and that celebrates the journey they have been on for the past 13 years.”
“We believe it is imperative to do all we can to recognize the hard work these students have done to earn their diplomas in the face of an unprecedented national challenge,” Genco said.
He added that, “with all this in mind and to respect the many needs of hundreds of graduates and families in both high schools, the plan below allows us to celebrate the Class of 2020 in two ways a virtual graduation on June 19 that will feature:
- Staff and student speeches, including the Valedictorian/Salutatorian addresses;
- Music presentations from our student chorus and musicians;
- Individual, personal videos submitted by graduates wearing their caps and gowns (which we will deliver to them). In these 10-second videos they can send a personal message that will be broadcast in our video;
- Submitted photos of their decorated caps if they wish;
- Submitted photos of graduates with their families if they wish.
The second ceremony will be an in-person graduation on either July 8, 9 or on July 10.
This ceremony will be designed to be as close to a traditional ceremony as possible (with social distancing modifications) and will feature:
- A procession graduates to Pomp and Circumstance;
- Students in caps and gowns, held on the football field at students’ high schools;
- A modified ceremony featuring fresh remarks from students and staff;
- The exact date and time will be finalized next week once we confer with our photographer and finalize other details. We will also be releasing a “rain date,” as these ceremonies must be held outdoors
Genco noted to parents to remember “that the exact makeup of the ceremony is impossible to know at this time, as we do not know the limits to how many people may assemble at one time.
“Our goal is to hold as large a gathering as is feasible and lawful. If we need to break the ceremony up into two or more sessions, the times for however many ceremonies we need to hold will be staggered during the course of the same day,” Genco said.
Genco added that district officials “cannot know how many guests will be allowed to attend until we know the size limitations. We will keep you updated as soon as we know more.”
