PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. – Calvert County Public Schools has announced plans to host graduation ceremonies on school grounds this year.
Seniors were surveyed about what they would like to see in this important milestone, and their top priorities were to (1) have parents in attendance, (2) walk across the stage, and (3) graduate with as many classmates as permitted.
Dr. Daniel D. Curry, Superintendent, said, “We want to give our seniors a special sendoff, with a bit more pomp and circumstance than we had last year. Our high schools are planning ceremonies that will be memorable while following health guidelines.”
In keeping with the seniors’ wishes, each high school will host three or four ceremonies, depending upon the size of the graduating class, of about 90 students each. Students will be emailed a link to register for the time slot of their choosing on a first come, first served basis. All seniors will receive six tickets for family and friends. The ceremonies will be held in each school’s football stadium and will be live streamed.
Dr. Susan Johnson, Director of Secondary School Improvement, said, “We are balancing the wishes of the seniors to graduate with their friends while allowing as many guests as possible to attend. We explored larger, outdoor facilities, but those did not work out for a variety of reasons. We are fortunate to be able to utilize the live streaming network that we used for sports, and the subscription fee will be waived for graduation.”
Calvert High and Northern High will graduate on June 2. Huntingtown High and Patuxent High will graduate on June 3. Ceremonies will be scheduled between the hours of 8:00 and 5:00.
Schools will communicate specific details, including the sign-up process and times of each ceremony, with seniors and their families.
In the event of rain, a modified ceremony will take place in the gym.
All graduates and their guests must wear masks and follow social distancing guidelines.
All CCPS elementary and middle schools will follow the typical school schedule on June 2 and 3. Those two days will not be early dismissals. June 2 will, however, be a full day of asynchronous learning for Calvert High and Northern High students, and June 3 will be asynchronous for Huntingtown High and Patuxent High. All schools will follow their usual Friday schedule on June 4.