By Donna Hayward, Principal.
(May 8, 2020) — The last few days have included a whirlwind of emotion as Governor Lamont declared that schools would not reopen for the end of year. While many of us anticipated that this might happen, it did not lessen the impact of learning that it is a certainty.
As you would expect, the HKHS family has been working hard behind the scenes not only to continue the distance learning initiative which is new for all of us, but also to plan for our seniors in the event that we could not come back together for June 15th. These are not decisions we want to rush, as they are too important to rush. Rather, we are taking a careful and thoughtful approach and including seniors and a wide representation of faculty and staff in our planning. As parents and educators, we share in the seniors’ disappointment and grief over the loss of these last few weeks together. I know families are sad, frustrated, and unsure of how to move forward; we are all, essentially, trying to “stick the landing” in a new dance we’ve never practiced. It is important that we are patient with each other and come together as a community to support our seniors. We all love them and care deeply about the rites of passage that bring closure to this chapter.
While we are still very much in the planning stage, I would like to update you on where we are in the process regarding senior celebrations. We are planning for the following:
Mid-August Commencement: We are tentatively scheduling our graduation ceremony for a mid-August date. (We will release the date as soon as it is officially approved.) We know how important a traditional ceremony is to our senior families and are in communication with seniors about their specific priorities and wishes. While this event is subject to the State of CT social distancing guidelines at that time, our intention is to host either a traditional graduation ceremony or some variation on the traditional ceremony to the extent the State allows. If we are unable to hold a graduation ceremony in August, we will hold a virtual graduation ceremony instead. Please note that this would be our last resort, but it would be important to give our seniors some sense of closure before they all move on to their next endeavors.
June 15th: We will mark the official end of the year for seniors on the day that would have been their graduation celebration. A group of faculty and staff are planning, in communication with senior leaders, around specifics. More information to follow.
Senior Prom: We have scheduled a NEW date for senior prom in August at St. Clement’s Castle. We are cautiously optimistic that we will be able to preserve this important event for our students. If we are unable to host the event at that time, due to social distancing or other restrictions, the money for prom will be refunded to the students/parents who have paid class dues.
Scholarship Night: We will be featuring our senior scholarship winners through a recorded video production which will be aired on HKTV and posted on our website for seniors and families to enjoy at their leisure. Award presentations will be made by community groups,
individual benefactors, and school administration and include the senior photo of each award recipient. This presentation will also include celebration of the top 10 students from the Class of 2020.
Project Graduation: Our Project Graduation committee is working to host a celebration for students the night of graduation. We are so grateful for this wonderful group who are working tirelessly in this entirely unfamiliar landscape to provide a safe party for our graduates. More information to follow.
HKHS has purchased personalized lawn signs for each graduating senior that will be incorporated into our June 15th celebration. They will then be gifted to the seniors and their families by the school. These are not the same as the Project Graduation lawn signs which are sold each year as a fundraiser. We encourage you to still purchase the Project Graduation signs, as they are very different from the school signs and create a unified celebratory display throughout our community.
I hope that you and your loved ones are healthy and safe. Let us count our blessings and get through this together.
