After reviewing the results of a student/parent survey that was sent out Monday, Cañon City High School has revised the Class of 2020 graduation plan to reflect limited audience participation over three distinct ceremonies July 30 at Citizens’ Stadium.
Ceremony times will be at 5, 6:30 and 8 p.m.
The district originally announced July 2 that the class would be able to celebrate its graduation together, but parents wouldn’t be able to attend the ceremony because of a 250-person limit for larger gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic.
CCHS Principal Bill Summers said students had a voice in how the ceremony would be conducted and they expressed a desire to be together on this day.
However, the results of Monday’s survey now have led officials to break up the ceremony so a limited number of guests can be in the stands.
“Having received feedback from the community and wanting to make the event to most positive and memorable for our students, we’ve decided to change the ceremony style for the class of 2020,” Summers said in an email to the Daily Record on Friday.
He said the number of ceremonies and/or audience members may be altered if there is a lower number of students RSVP than anticipated or if they receive a higher number of participants from the Department of Public Health and Environment before July 30.
Graduates should email Sara Marietta at [email protected] no later than July 20 to let her know if they will attend the ceremony. If the school does not hear from the graduate, they will not plan for their participation. If a student will not be here on July 30, an immediate family member may stand-in for the student if desired.
Summers said there will be no graduation practice. Funfest prize drawings will be conducted during the 30 minutes prior to graduation when the students are lining up to march on to the field. Honors cords will also be distributed in the line.
Arrival and Ceremony Times:
- Graduation ceremony No. 1: All Students that are being academically honored: Arrive at 4:30 p.m., ceremony at 5 p.m.
- Graduation ceremony No.2: Students whose last name ends with A-G: Arrive at 6 p.m., ceremony at 6:30 p.m.
- Graduation ceremony No. 3: Students whose last name ends with H-Z: Arrive at 7:30 p.m., ceremony at 8 p.m.
Graduates are asked to drive to the student parking lot, park near the stadium and stay in their cars until they are approached by a school official and directed where to go. They should wear their cap and gown and bring a facemask to wear from the time they leave their car to the time they reenter it.
Permission for the ceremony is currently limited to 250 people, so each student will receive two tickets for their family to be let into the stadium during the event. Students must RSVP in order to receive their tickets which may be picked up at the activities window in the school’s commons beginning July 23 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day.
All families are asked to sit together in a socially distanced pre-marked spot in the stadium. Those who arrive early for the 6:30 or 8 p.m. ceremonies will not be allowed to enter the stadium until the previous ceremony completes, but there will be a line formed to retain an arrival spot.
The district will live stream each ceremony on Facebook and YouTube.
There will be a professional photographer at the event and each student’s picture will be taken immediately after receiving a diploma and while on stage. An unobstructed digital photo of each graduate will be provided free-of-charge. On stage, each student will receive an empty diploma jacket cover. At the bottom of the stage on a table, each student will be able to pick up their diploma before returning to his or her seat. The event is also being filmed and a copy of the video will be provided to all who want it free-of-charge.
Each ceremony is scheduled to last approximately 45 minutes. At the conclusion of each ceremony, students are asked to return to their cars and leave the parking lot.
“We cannot host congregations of people without proper social distancing at the ceremony, so if students wish to have photos taken with their classmates, we ask that this is done before the ceremony and at an alternate location,” Summers said.
