With the chaos of this school year, graduation has been something far in the future. Now that it is nearing, seniors are more curious as to what it will look like. SJHHS is planning to have in-person graduation however it will be slightly altered to match state guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Things are constantly changing, but current guidelines allow for students to only be around those in the same household and that are seated 6 feet apart with masks. This equates to 2 guests per graduate, similar to that of how athletic events are being done. With these restrictions in mind, the current plan is to have multiple “mini” graduations. 

It is important to note that the new 3 foot rule and the large amount of vaccinations going out do not come into play and effect graduation. The 3 foot rule only applies to classrooms, as due to the California Department of Public Health guidelines. 

Though subject to changes, the plan is to have 2 to 3 “mini” graduations to accommodate guidelines and still allow for seniors to have their “moment”. This plan allows for the school to pivot if guidelines were to change last minute and have as much of a traditional graduation as possible. The ceremony will be held in the Badlands stadium, and they are looking into the option of  livestreaming the event due to the lower occupancy, similar to the livestream of football games.

“It would give us a chance to bid farewell properly to high school given how much we’ve missed out this year,” said senior Shaili Patel.

During past years, the graduation robes and seating has been a hotly debated topic among each senior class. Students will still get a white or blue robe, depending if they are a valedictorian or not; however, the seating will not be based off of robe color. In the past those with white robes were seated together at the front while those with a blue robe were seated in the back. This year they are hoping to allow students to sit with their friends regardless of robe color.

“The staff is working hard to make as much as possible for our seniors that we can.  We know they got the raw end of the deal (as with all our students). We hope to end this year with a ceremony that is special and meaningful to our class of 2021 and their families,” said Activities Director, Brooke Valderama.