Modesto, Turlock schools move to in-person graduations, with COVID limitations
In-person graduation ceremonies are back, Modesto City Schools has announced — with the caveat that Stanislaus County remains in the red tier of the state’s COVID-19 monitoring system.
The district posted on Facebook and its website that adhering to state health and safety protocols, there will be eighth-grade promotion and 12th-grade graduation ceremonies that stick to originally scheduled dates. Times and locations may have changed to accommodate limited capacity and to “ensure the graduating class can stay together in one ceremony for each school rather than splitting into multiple ceremonies,” the district reported.
California Department of Public Health guidelines limit attendance to 20% capacity of facilities and require face coverings, social distancing and screening/assigned seating procedures, the district said.
Students will be allowed two guests at the most and must follow preregistration, ticketing and assigned seating procedures. “Due to the limited capacity, in-person ceremonies will also be live-streamed, so family and friends will be able to watch ... from home,” the district said.
“For students and families who may not be comfortable participating in the live ceremony, we will also provide a virtual graduation ceremony, which will feature students walking the stage so students will get the full experience. The virtual graduation ceremony will be available for viewing the evening of each school’s in-person event.”
The district posted a schedule of promotion and graduation ceremonies:
- Beyer High, 6 p.m. May 25, MJC stadium
- Davis High, 9 a.m. May 27, MJC stadium
- Downey High, 1 p.m. May 26, MJC stadium
- Elliott Alternative Education Center, 6 p.m. May 24, Johansen High stadium
- Enochs High, 6 p.m. May 26, MJC stadium
- Gregori High, 9 a.m. May 26, MJC stadium
- Johansen High, 7 p.m. May 26, Johansen stadium
- Modesto High, 6 p.m. May 27, MJC stadium
- Hanshaw Middle School, 6 p.m. May 24, MJC stadium
- La Loma Jr. High, 6 p.m. May 27, Johansen stadium
- Mark Twain Jr. High, 6 p.m. May 25, Johansen Stadium
- Roosevelt Jr. High, 9 a.m. May 25, MJC stadium
Turlock Unified School District also has posted its promotion and graduation schedule on its website.
“As we learn more about the mitigation of COVID, and knowing the sacrifices students and families have made over the past year, we are excited to be able to host in-person graduation ceremonies next month,” district spokeswoman Marie Russell said in an email.
Modifications will be made to promote social distancing (including assigned seating), increased sanitation, mask wearing and other measures, she said, but “we are working hard to have our ceremonies resemble a pre-pandemic graduation as much as possible.”
Schools with larger student populations — Dutcher Middle School, Turlock Junior High and Pitman and Turlock high schools — will have their ceremonies split into two sessions, perhaps by alphabetical order. This will be determined by each school site, and information will be shared with families, Russell said.
School sites will distribute the same number of tickets to each student they would during a pre-pandemic graduation, she said.
This story was originally published April 20, 2021 at 10:49 AM.
