Trending
Graduation plans for Altoona Area High School's 521 seniors have been set in a virtual format and possibly a traditional commencement in July, if conditions permit.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the cancellation on this year's traditional June 5 ceremony at Mansion Park.
At Monday's Committee of the Whole meeting, high school Principal Andrew Neely told the board that graduates will do a "Senior Spotlight," in which seniors, dressed in caps and gowns, will be brought to the school where they individually will walk in front of a video camera, state their name and turn their tassel.
Starting today, seniors will be scheduled to come to the school to pick up their caps and gowns. Neely said the process will follow social distancing guidelines.
"Seniors will be given a date and time to come in for their caps and gowns. Those will be in 20-minute increments," he said. "They are all going to be required to wear face masks."
Neely said the senior spotlights will be recorded on May 18 in hour slots, with 25 students per slot. The event will not be broadcast live but will be recorded and edited together with music by the school's broadcasting teacher Doug Sipes and posted for viewing on June 5.
"It won't be live, but it will be broadcast on the actual day of what would have been commencement, June 5," he said. "At that point, Mrs. (Sharon) Bream can declare them graduated as board president."
Neely said if social distancing requirements are relaxed later in the summer, a live commencement will be held 10 a.m. July 25 at the Jaffa Shrine.
"It's hard to say what is going to be allowed and what is not going to be allowed," he said.
If a live commencement is held on July 25, a senior only dance will be held in the Jaffa banquet hall on the same evening.
"We are going to do a senior's only dance because we figure the juniors will have a crack at a prom the following year." Neely said.
If those events take place, an afterglow will be held that night from 12:30 to 3 a.m. at The Casino at Lakemont Park.
"It's kind of a long day." Neely said. "It's kind of a catch-all day for our seniors, and if we are able to have large group gatherings, that will be our plan."
Neely said that officials tapped July 25 for the live events because students will begin to move on with their lives as the summer progresses.
"We certainly understand that not every senior, if we are able to pull this off, is going to be able to attend because of other things going on and moving on with their lives," he said. "We know that most of our families, and certainly all of our students, if they can, they would really want to do the live, in person event."
Mirror Staff Writer Rick Boston is at 946-7535.