During the pandemic, parents in the Charleston County School District said that the student’s experience lacked one thing: normality.
“My son always says his senior year was stolen,” said Georgia Gruber, whose son Luca is studying at James Island Charter High School.
Gruber hopes his son and his classmates will finally get a sense of the normal high school experience at his face-to-face graduation ceremony on June 18. The district announced this week that all high school training will be held in person in June.
The announcement comes when the school year, unlike most, comes to an end. Although some students are in person five days a week, others spend all that time learning virtually. For students in their final year of high school, the pandemic meant the loss of many of the activities they expected over time at school.
“There is a lightness in your eyes and spirit that does not exist, that we have seen in recent years,” said Gruber. “Even with growth, problems and studies, there is a spark in our children that does not exist. I hope you come back. “
While they cannot make up for a stressful year, face-to-face degrees mean that students will be able to experience a tradition that many consider natural, said Steve Larson, director of St. Johns High School in Johns Island.
“Graduation is not just a celebration of what you have done in the past 12 years, it is now, in my opinion, more of a rite of passage,” said Larson. “You have earned the right to experience this ceremony.”
In Larson’s opinion, the 2021 class deserves more recognition than just finishing high school, as these students did so in a time filled with challenges. In addition to having to adapt to online classes and cancellations, the senior class was left without the support that often comes with the school. They were forced to self-discipline and find ways to move forward, knowing that favorite traditions, such as rallies and school dances, would not happen, Larson said.
“They had to endure a less than ideal learning environment. They did it,” he said. “They did something monumental.”
Specific details about the ceremonies at the district’s 15 high schools are still scarce. Although authorities have outlined dates, times and locations, the capacity plans and restrictions for COVID-19 are still being resolved.
Larson hopes that South Carolina’s capacity restrictions will allow each student to bring more than two guests to the ceremony. However, capacity will depend on what the restrictions will look like in June, he said.
Last July, the district trained students in 15 schools through a variety of modified face-to-face ceremonies. At St. John’s High School, the trainees were divided into two groups and each had two guests present. This year, Larson is confident that the school will be able to hold a ceremony for all graduates.
“We suffered from it last year and were able to make it happen,” he said. “This year, with that experience, we were able to amplify the experience so that we can recover everything that was missing from last year’s ceremony.”
While Gruber and parents like her are thrilled with the idea of a ceremony in person, they are moderating their expectations.
Kelly Smoak, whose son Preston also studies at James Island Charter High, hopes that enough people will have received the COVID-19 vaccine by June to allow students to invite as many people as they like to the ceremonies.
“I hope it will be another opportunity to celebrate,” said Smoak. “I would like to think that by June, everyone who chooses to attend should be able to participate.”
Follow Libby Stanford on Twitter @libbystanford.