Updated June 17, 2021 at 6:30 p.m.
Class of 2021 Indoor Graduation
Class of 2021 Students and Families,
We received information late on Wednesday from the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) indicating that end-of-year school events such as graduation are included in the recent lifting of the state’s health guidelines now that the state passed the 70% vaccination threshold for individuals 18 or older. The information was confirmed this morning during a regional meeting with Questar III’s Director of Health and Safety.
With the new guidance on year-end events, there is no requirement for health screenings, proof of vaccination, COVID-19 testing, or social distancing at year-end events with indoor capacity less than 5,000. The only requirement is that any person attending the ceremony who is not vaccinated must wear a mask. (Please note that this does not apply to in-person instruction and that NYSDOH’s Interim Guidance for In-Person Instruction at Pre-K to Grade 12 Schools During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency remains in effect. The lifting of restrictions pertains to graduation ceremonies and other end-of-year events only, according to NYSDOH.)
As such, we are making changes to the HHS Class of 2021 graduation ceremony planned for Friday, June 25th at 7 p.m. The ceremony will be moved back to its pre-pandemic location in the HHS auditorium. Other notable changes include:
- Every graduate will receive six (6) tickets. If additional tickets are required, please use this Google Form to request up to four (4) additional tickets. The deadline for submitting the requests is 12 noon on Tuesday, June 22nd.
- A graduation rehearsal will now be mandatory and will take place on Wednesday, June 23rd at 10:30 a.m. There, the graduates will receive their caps and gowns, yearbooks, Senior Shirts and tickets.
- Students who received Senior Awards will get them in their packets with the other items noted above at the graduation rehearsal on June 23rd.
- The Valedictorian, Salutatorian and our commencement speaker, Jacob Walthour, will give their speeches in person in the auditorium.
- Molinsky Photography will still provide professional candid pictures and formal pictures upon receiving their diplomas.
- The graduation will continue to be live streamed. An active link will be shared closer to the ceremony.
- All parking spots in the front of the high school and junior high school will be reserved for handicap parking. Families should drop off their graduates at the Event Entrance and park in the rear of the building. Entry for all guests is the Event Entrance at the front of the building.
- There will be reserved parking spots for families of graduates in the rear of the building where their graduates’ lawn signs will be located. Lawn sign maps will be included in the graduation packets that will be distributed on Wednesday, 6/23 during rehearsal. All other cars may park in any spot in the back lot that does not have a lawn sign.
Thank you for your patience,
Robert LaCasse ‘94
HHS Principal