With graduation later this month, school officials and students at area high schools are looking forward to a more typical ceremony. Last year, schools were forced to drastically alter their ceremonies and limit guests due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Surry Early College High School kicks off this year’s graduation festivities, holding their ceremony on campus on Friday, May 21 at 7 p.m. In event of rain, the ceremony will be moved to Saturday, May 29 at 2 p.m.
Next in line is Surry Central High School, with a graduation ceremony on campus on Thursday, May 27, at 7 p.m. The ceremony will be postponed to the following day at 9 a.m. in event of rain.
This will be closely followed by Surry Online Magnet School’s graduation at the Surry County Government Center in Dobson on Friday, May 28 at 3 p.m. East Surry High School students will graduate on campus later in the day at 7 p.m. In event of rain, the East Surry graduation will be moved to the following day at 2 p.m.
North Surry High School caps off the Surry County Schools graduations, having a ceremony on Saturday, May 29 at 9 a.m. The graduation will be postponed to 7 p.m. in event of rain.
Each of the Surry County Schools graduations will permit six student guests, with COVID-19 protocols closely followed throughout the ceremonies.
“Our graduates are excited that this is a return to a more normal feeling for their senior experience,” said Surry County Schools interim Director of Communications Sonya Dickerson.
On the same date and time, Mount Airy High School’s graduation ceremony will be held at Wallace Shelton Stadium on the football field. Students are permitted a limit of six guests in attendance. In event of rain, the ceremony will be moved to the main gym, with student guests limited further as indoor restrictions require.
“It will be nice to have a graduation and not draw it out. Last year due to COVID, we postponed it hoping things would get better in terms of what was happening,” said Mount Airy City Schools Executive Officer of Communications Carrie Venable.
Last year, Mount Airy students waited until August before having a proper graduation ceremony. All of the more than 100 student seats were positioned six feet apart, with students getting up one by one to receive their certificates. Any planned speeches were recorded and projected on a screen for the audience to watch. In the end, last year’s ceremony lasted twice as long as the typical graduation at Mount Airy.
Millennium Charter Academy’s 2020 graduation was greatly altered as well, with those at the school opting to hold a special drive-in ceremony in hopes of combatting COVID-19. Students stayed in their cars until it was their turn to receive their certificate, and car horns were honked in replacement of claps. Although far from the typical ceremony, the event proved to be a huge success with both parents and students alike.
This year, Millennium students are graduating on May 29 at 10 a.m. in the upper school gym. Guests are limited to six per student. Only Millennium’s fourth high school graduation, the graduating class of 34 is the largest the school has seen yet. Renfro CEO Stan Jewell will be a guest speaker at the ceremony.
“We’ve done our due diligence in making sure all restrictions and guidelines are followed. We’re thrilled to be able to have it this year,” said Millennium Charter Academy Director of Development and Director of IT Lu Ann Browne.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com