“People will be able to plan for proms; they’ll be able to plan for graduation. There’s no reason these events cannot occur if we follow basic safety protocols.”
These words, spoken by Gov. Mike DeWine during a Feb. 25 press conference, are the go-ahead high schoolers here and everywhere in Ohio have been waiting to hear.
The Royalton Recorder reached out to local principals for updates on end-of-year school events like prom, commencement, field trips, picnics, special assemblies, and the like.
“We are working hard towards providing as many of our traditional senior and end-of-the-year activities that we can this year,” said North Royalton High School Principal Sean Osborne, in an email interview. “While they may not all look like they traditionally do, we believe it is important, when possible, to honor senior rites of passage.”
He said staff has begun putting together a plan for prom and are working to provide an in-person commencement ceremony for graduating seniors.
“We are exploring options and looking at various venues including Blossom, our stadium and others,” Osborne said of the commencement ceremony. “We will work creatively within the guidelines set up in the state executive orders related to mass gatherings to plan the best option.”
As far as prom, Osborne said staff is engaging with senior student leaders and working with Student Council to gauge interest in different possible ideas and locations. He added that school officials are “hoping for some updated guidance from our Board of Health and possibly some relaxation of the restrictions put in place by the state and county.”
In his Feb. 25 press conference, Gov. DeWine mentioned new guidance for proms and graduations is forthcoming. As of Royalton Recorder press time, no further updates were provided.
The annual eighth grade trip to Washington, D.C. is again canceled this spring, said North Royalton Middle School Principal Jeff Cicerchi, and school officials are planning an alternate event with Andy Thibodeau, a motivational speaker whose presentations are “part pep rally, part comedy show, part inspirational talk, part hands-on training workshop,” according to his website, andypresentations.com.
“Andy Thibodeau has been a motivational speaker since 1992 and has visited NRMS several times over the last 15 years,” Cicerchi said in an email. “He will also facilitate a remote NRMS Leadership Conference in May, which will include middle-level students from schools across Northeast Ohio. We will finish out the school year by celebrating our eighth-grade students’ accomplishments during our annual Eighth Grade Promotion Ceremony.”
Cicerchi said 42 eighth graders will be inducted into the North Royalton Middle School Honor Society. Seventh graders can apply in the spring. In April, the school plans to recognize the second semester Pride of NRMS recipients, Cicerchi added.
“Although we have had to modify events based on the pandemic, we certainly are working to acknowledge the hard work and effort of our students through various events and celebrations,” Cicerchi noted.
At the elementary level, details for various end-of-year events like field day, picnics and special events aren’t as clear.
“We are still hopeful that conditions will improve to the point where we are able to do them in a more traditional format, but we are in early conversations about alternatives in the event this is not possible,” said Royal View Elementary School Principal Kirk Pavelich in an email interview. “Last year, we switched things up with our annual fourth grade clap out when we made it a drive-through celebration instead. That was possible with all of the students learning from home remotely, but with them now back in school five days each week, we would have to come up with something a little different if we are still looking at the same types of restrictions at the end of the year.”
Award programs will likely be virtual at Royal View if it’s not possible to have everyone gathered in the gym, Pavelich added, and that a live stream event is likely.
In a “News From Albion” mass email Feb. 25, it was noted that a decision on the offering of the summer Safety Town program is on hold but expected soon. Safety Town is a program that offers lessons in safety for Kindergarten-aged students.
By SARA MACHO HILL
Contributing Writer