Fayette County’s five high schools are planning a first-ever virtual graduation Friday night at 7 p.m.
The school system has notified all 12th graders amd their families to watch the virtual ceremonies via a specified YouTube address the evening of May 22. Links to each of the ceremonies follow this story.
The reason for the unique approach to one of American life’s major transition moments is social distancing required by the Covid-19 pandemic.
An in-person, live set of ceremonies will allow seniors still in town to participate in the real deal at the campuses of all five schools on Saturday, Aug. 1, according to the school system.
“On Friday, May 22, each school will broadcast a virtual graduation ceremony at 7 p.m. The virtual ceremony will feature videotaped student speeches, senior awards, and the reading of each graduate’s name while photographs are scrolled,” a news release from the school system said.
Sandy Creek High School will honor 249 graduates in this way. McIntosh has 393 senior getting diplomas. Fayette County High School has 302 graduates; Starr’s Mill honors 360 graduates; and Whitewater will graduate 360 seniors. That’s a total of 1,664 graduates who will have to wait until Aug. 1 to toss their mortar board hats into the air.
“The weekend of Friday, July 31 through Saturday, August 1 will be slated as Senior Weekend. Senior activities specific to each school will take place on Friday followed by live commencement exercises at each school’s stadium at 9 a.m. on Saturday,” the school system said.
“It is important to note that the Senior Weekend will take place as planned provided that state of emergency declarations have been lifted by both the state of Georgia and Fayette County municipalities, and that the Georgia Department of Public Health and Fayette County Health Department have deemed it safe for mass gatherings.”
Here are the YouTube channels for each of the high schools:
Whitewater HS — Click here
Sandy Creek HS — Click here
Starr’s Mill HS — Click here
McIntosh HS — Click here
Fayette County HS — Click here
