Missing out on high school graduation was not even something anyone could fathom prior to March 21.
But over the last four weeks, seniors and their parents, have begun to face the possibility that the celebrations and ceremonies they dreamed of for the last 18 years may not happen or may be delayed in 2020.
While a nation’s heart aches for them, St. Joseph-Ogden High School administrators are thinking of the 113 seniors on a daily basis.
“What our world is going through at this moment is unprecedented in our time and the things we often take for granted are being taken away or at least altered significantly,” SJ-O principal Gary Page said. “This is a very emotional and important time for our seniors and their families. It is a time of several ‘lasts’ and an opportunity to come to grips with a very significant portion of their life coming to an end.
“The end of the school year events that typically provide closure for students and signal the transition to the next stage in their life are not happening and not having the closure that they expected makes the transition very difficult. We recognize the strain this puts on students and want them to know their community and school loves and supports them and if there are little things we can do to help during this we are there for them.”
St. Joseph-Ogden is not giving up hope that several of their traditions will be able to come to fruition, even if those events take place at a later time.
But knowing that the seniors are left wondering when or how those events might take place, the district is taking time each day to recognize each senior by posting their picture and high school accomplishments on Twitter.
They also teamed with Wagner Signs and Graphics to create yard signs for their students, delivering them to each home on Tuesday. Each sign includes the student’s name and “2020 SJO Graduate.”
“It is our hope that doing a couple little extras (ie. the senior highlighs or the yard signs) reminds them how important they are and provides a little bright spot during a time where so much is being taken away from them,” Page said.
Page added that the “neat and accomplished” Class of 2020 is constantly on the minds of the staff and administration at St. Joseph-Ogden High School.
“Personally, I really miss them and not having that daily interaction with a great, uplifing group of kids,” he said.
St. Joseph-Ogden High School does not know what the next couple months will look like.
“We are trying to be as patient and open minded as possible in making decisions to try and ensure our students can experience these events to whatever extent is possible,” Page said.
They are currently planning a virtual National Honor Society ceremony, a video compilation for senior honors night, and staying hopeful that they will be able to provide an opportunity for the students to perform in extra-curricular/co-curricular events as the state allows.
“I am so thankful for how our students and community as a whole have been amazingly understanding and patient through this,” Page said.
“We are holding off on making any official decisions on graduation at this point because we want to have the most up-to-date guidance on what we may be able to do and not do. We are continuing to discuss the pro’s and con’s of different situations and as we draw nearer to the date.
“We will get input from our seniors and senior parents when we have a better idea of what our different options may be.”
