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UPDATE: Graduation – August 27th

Posted on: August 13, 2020

WAHS GRADUATION CEREMONY 2020

Graduation ceremonies for the class of 2020 will be held at the Linn County Fairgrounds in order to meet all state COVID-19 regulations while allowing us all to be together to celebrate. Students will be in small groups to ensure we meet the Governor’s guidelines of 100 or fewer people during outdoor gatherings. All parents and families of graduates will stay in their vehicles during the ceremonies; however, the ceremony plan in place will ensure a continuous graduation that encompasses tradition and celebration.

LIVE STREAM LINK

MANDATORY GRADUATION PRACTICE

We will hold a mandatory student practice for graduation on Wednesday, August 26 at 5:00 p.m. at WAHS’s Memorial Stadium. If you have a conflict, please reach out to Mrs. Orsborn as soon as possible at Susie.Orsborn@albany.k12.or.us . At practice time, we will: 

  • Hand out honors cords (NHS, Bulldog Achievement, etc), stoles, and Smarter Balanced exceeds pins
  • Collect any outstanding textbooks, etc
  • Practice the pronunciation of names and the graduation ceremony
  • Give you an additional parking pass
  • Hand out Senior all-night party parents gift to you

We will have four distinct groups and times for practices. 

  • Group 1: 5:00 p.m. 
  • Group 2: 6:00 p.m.
  • Group 3: 7:00 p.m.
  • Group 4: 8:00 p.m.

IMPORTANT: Group numbers will be assigned once we have an accurate count for participants. This information will then be sent out, so students know which practice time they need to be present for. Graduates, if you plan to attend, it is very important you go to THIS SHEET and sign up–signing this form indicates you plan to participate in the graduation ceremony. We sincerely hope all students will choose to participate. Please have this completed by Tuesday, August 18. 

WAHS GRADUATION

The WAHS Graduation ceremony will occur on Thursday, August 27, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. 

ARRIVAL AND PARKING

Graduates will arrive in vehicles with their families and enter the south parking lot of the fairgrounds. Each graduate will also receive a pass for one other vehicle for family and friends to attend. All vehicles will be asked to enter on Price Road by Lassen Chevrolet to help with traffic flow. APD will block off the Knox Butte entrance with barricades and the fairground staff will put cones in front of all other entrances. Vehicles with a graduate will receive a program when they enter the parking lot and then park in the front rows by the security staff. Additional vehicles will park in the back. Please, in order to not block views and allow for the best experience for all, open-bed pickups with back passengers or motor homes will NOT be allowed. 

The ceremony will be live streamed on YouTube. It will also be streamed into vehicles using the Shift church’s FM Radio transmitter. We will also have two jumbo screens for live video feed on each side of the stage. Pictures will be taken throughout the ceremony by a staff member.

CEREMONY LOGISTICS

  • Students will stay in the vehicles with their families until their group is called to the stage.
  • Students will get out of their cars and file into chairs (6 ft of distance apart).
  • The Senior class President and Vice President will announce the students’ names and future plans.
  • Students will walk across the stage, get their diploma cover from a table on the stage, and then will exit the stage where the senior counselor will put a flower on a table for them to take. A photo of each graduate will be taken as they cross the stage.  
  • Students will then proceed to a table to receive their actual diploma.
  • Students will return to their chairs. When all students’ names have been announced, the president will ask them to raise their flowers, and then they will move their tassels from right to left signifying their graduation.
  • Students will sing the alma mater led by the Senior class President and Vice President.
  • Students may then throw their hats in celebration of their graduation.
  • Students will then return to their vehicles in order to continue watching their peers graduate. 
  • Chairs will be disinfected by administrators in preparation for the next group. We will repeat the process until all our students have been recognized.
  • After all graduates have been recognized, the Principal will congratulate the class and thank everyone.
  • The class of 2020 class song will be played as students and families exit the parking lot.  

Sincerely, 

Susie Orsborn