Ethel and McAdams graduates won’t get their desired traditional commencement ceremonies
In response to a survey of graduates, county school officials put off a decision on commencement plans for weeks in the hope that they would be able to offer the students what they wanted — a traditional graduation ceremony, replete with unlimited guests and a shared experience for the students.
But with COVID-19 social distancing orders unlikely to change enough to allow tradition to win out, Superintendent Kyle Hammond told the Attala County School Board Monday night that he intends to proceed with modified ceremonies.
Modified commencement ceremonies will be held for Ethel High School graduates on June 19 and for McAdams High School graduates on June 19.
“The latest guidance from MDE... the biggest thing that sticks out for me was the maximum outdoor capacity of 100 people at a time. And obviously, if we go with a full ceremony, we will not be compliance with that,” Hammond told the board.
Although originally drafted for Ethel High School based on how the Choctaw School District modified its ceremonies, McAdams will follow a similar format, with some possible minor logistical changes.
All graduates of each school, wearing their caps and gowns, will be seated together outdoors. As graduates prepare to cross the stage to accept their diplomas, their family and friends can pull up in two vehicles, get out and take pictures and celebrate with the graduate before the entire group returns to their vehicles and departs, allowing for the arrival of the next graduate’s family and friends.
The speeches of Ethel co-Valedictorians Madison Odem and Brady Bishop, as well as Salutatorian Taylor Engle, and McAdams Valedictorian Vershante’ Malone and Salutatorian Alexis Brooks will be recorded and posted online. Ethel will broadcast its entire ceremony live online for anyone who wants to watch the ceremonies in their entirety. It is unclear at this time if McAdams will do the same.
“It’s not what we want to do. I wanted to put this thing off as long as I could so we could have a have a graduation. That is what the kids want, what the parents want, and what we want,” said Hammond. “But I don’t see the guidelines changing.”
Board members agreed.
“We’ve lengthened this out as far as we can. I think all of us had the hope we could have a traditional graduation,” said board Chairman Christy Moody. “I hate to continue to lengthen it out and have nothing change.”
