Mother Colleen Rader adjusts Austintown Fitch High School graduating senior Thomas Rader's tie before a graduation photo is taken while father Randy looks on. Each of Fitch's roughly 380 graduating seniors will be recorded walking across a stage in the gym over the course of three days and the footage will be edited with speeches for a full virtual graduation ceremony, expected to be released at the end of the month. Submitted photo

Staff report

Mahoning Valley school district leaders say they are making their best efforts to bring the Class of 2020 some pomp and circumstance in this unprecedented time of social distancing and learning at home.

“This has been a unique year,” said Austintown’s senior counselor Amanda Krygowski. “The Class of 2020 has always been strong.”

Graduation plans are moving forward — sometimes literally, in cars, at drive-thrus and even drive-ins. Social media also is playing a role in virtual commencements.

“I know this is not the commencement that scholars and their families planned to celebrate, but this allows us to preserve as many of the components of a traditional graduation ceremony as possible while maintaining social distancing and abiding by the restrictions against large gatherings,” said Justin Jennings, Youngstown City School District chief executive officer.

It’s been a strange few months.

On March 12, Gov. Mike DeWine made the

unprecedented announcement ordering all of Ohio’s public, community and private K-12 school buildings closed to students due to the ongoing coronavirus health crisis . It was supposed to be an extended three-week spring break.

School districts were required to continue to maintain their educational programs with students through a variety of off-site techniques, including virtual learning programs using computers at levels also unprecedented in Ohio public school districts.

Before the break was over, however, DeWine ordered the schools to be closed until May 1, while still hoping effects of the novel coronavirus would get under control. But on April 20, he announced Ohio school buildings would remain closed for the remainder of the year, throwing commencement plans into disarray.

“We will be participating in a hybrid graduation. Some parts will be virtual and some parts will be in person… we wanted to make sure is that they had as many of the normal experiences as possible,” said Girard High School Principal Sam Caputo. “Our seniors really stressed that they wanted to have an in-person graduation in any way possible, so we tried to find the best way to accommodate that …”

Austintown Fitch head Principal Tim Kelty said his message to students is: “As young people, you know something powerful — that you’ve been tested and didn’t fail.”

Here’s a look at commencement plans as provided to The Vindicator:

AUSTINTOWN

Fitch High School’s roughly 380 seniors were individually filmed last week walking across a stage set up in the high school gym. Graduates picked up diplomas and the footage will be edited together along with valedictorian and faculty speeches. A video graduation ceremony will be released on the original graduation date of May 31.

School counselor Lesley Busico said the effort was made possible by Superintendent David Cappuzzello, Fitch head Principal Tim Kelty, Director of Technology Tom Ventresco, Falcon Media supervisor Gina Cardillo, and senior counselor Amanda Krygowski.

A graduation speech by Krygowski is modeled around the Dr. Seuss quote, “Life’s too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right, forgive the ones who don’t and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said it’d be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.”

BOARDMAN

The district has decided on an in-person, one-family-at-a-time option outside at Spartan Stadium on June 7. Each graduate is allowed four guests.

Principal Cindy Fernback said the decision to have a socially-distanced ceremony was for the entire community. “We don’t want our kids to leave commencement and find out we’ve upped 600 people sick with COVID,” she said.

Class President Noah Basista worked with the administration, Fernback said, bringing ideas on behalf of students. “It’s been an evolution, because we’ve gone through so many (plans),” she said. “He has a very good pulse of the class.”

Together, Fernback said the final outcome is anticipated to make everyone happy, but it’s important that everyone follows rules.

The principal said as a unique detail to graduation, she is looking for lemonade stands to hand out shakes, noting that although this graduating class has been given lemons, they are making lemonade.

CANFIELD

Some parents have voiced frustration over details leading up to commencement, but David Wilkeson, board of education president, said that’s because of changing guidelines by the state that caused the board to be cautious. Working with senior class officers, the current plans were finalized.

On Tuesday, the Canfield Education Association will deliver caps, gowns, tassels and earned honor cords, along with graduation signs. Between 2 and 7 p.m. May 22, board of education members will hand out diplomas to graduates at their homes. Once the routes are set, timelines will be established when board members can be expected.

May 29, a broadcast will show the remote graduations beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the high school parking lot. One car per family, including the graduate, will be allowed.

GIRARD

Girard is having a hybrid ceremony with an in-person diploma and prerecorded speeches May 30 and 31 at the high school gymnasium. Social distancing will be maintained by having students assigned times in groups of 10 througout the day in 30-minute intervals. Each students is allowed to have four guests present, with one of them handing the graduate their diploma.

The ceremony will be recorded and edited into a graduation movie to debut June 10 at the Skyway Twin Drive-In Theater.

“We paid attention to what many other schools are doing, and we picked the pieces we liked and were comfortable that we could pull off, and this is what we put together. We’re really hoping the final product is something that is memorable and unique, which would be fitting for a truly memorable and unique time and a memorable and unique group of young people,” said Girard Principal Sam Caputo.

HUBBARD

Hubbard schools will work with Stambaugh Auditorium to host the virtual event Monday and Tuesday. All members of the senior class will sign up for a time to walk across the stage in their caps and gowns, to receive their diplomas. Each student will be permitted to have two family members present.

All parts of the ceremony will be edited together into a final version, which will be broadcast on Stambaugh Auditorium’s website May 28 at 6 p.m. The virtual graduation ceremony will also be broadcast on the district website and social media accounts.

JACKSON-MILTON

Seniors will be emailed a Powerpoint slide. Parents are asked to edit the slide with a photo of their student, and to include a special message to the graduate. Slides must be emailed back to ryan.rotuna@jmlocal.com, by May 22.

On June 2, seniors will walk across the stage, and are allowed to have up to three family members present. A photographer will take photos as students receive their diplomas. Students with the last names A-Fa, 5 to 6 p.m.; Fi-McD, 6 to 7 p.m.; and Me-Wo, 7 to 8 p.m.

The virtual ceremony will be available at 7 p.m. June 5 for graduates, friends and family.

LIBERTY

Officials will work with Stambaugh Auditorium to host the virtual event Friday and Saturday. On Friday, valedictorians, class officers and district staff and administration will be assigned times to record their speeches at Stambaugh Auditorium. All members of the senior class will be assigned a time on Saturday to walk across the stage at Stambaugh Auditorium, in their caps and gowns, to receive their diplomas.

Each student will be permitted to have two to four family members present for the occasion. The speeches and the conferring of degrees will be edited into a complete ceremony, which will be broadcast on Stambaugh Auditorium’s website on May 22 at 7 p.m. The virtual graduation ceremony also will be broadcast on the school district website and social media accounts.

LOWELLVILLE

Starting at 2 p.m. on May 31, the 37 graduates will participate in a “Drive-In-Theater” ceremony. One vehicle per graduate will arrive at the parking lot in the back by the cafeteria at 1:45 p.m., and check in with an official at the entrance to the rear parking lot.

The graduates will exit a vehicle one at a time, during speeches and conferral of diplomas. Each vehicle will be able to transmit over their radio the ceremony being presented by district officials.

At no time will more than 10 people be outside in one area.

MCCTC

Mahoning County Career and Technical Center will have five graduation ceremonies on May 27 for its 360 students graduating from its five programs

The graduation times will begin at 8 a.m. For the Arts Academy; 10 a.m., for the Global Academy; noon for the iCONS Academy; 2 p.m., for the Machine Academy; and 4 p.m., for the Shield Academy. Students and their families only will be able to attend their own ceremony. They will be given numbers for their parking areas and must remain in their vehicle throughout the ceremony.

Students will be permitted to leave their car only when they are to walk across the stage to receive their career passport, which contains all of the certifications and credentials they earned while at MCCTC. Prerecorded speeches will be played.

POLAND

Poland Seminary High School will have graduation at 6 p.m. on May 30, at the school’s football field.

Each graduating student will be allowed to have one vehicle on the field for the ceremony, which will also be streamed live. A professional photographer will photograph each student individually. Specific details will be shared with students as the commencement approaches.

SPRINGFIELD

A commencement video will be created as graduates will be recorded walking across the stage. A parade along with the issuance of diplomas and a drive-in movie will be projected at 9 p.m. on June 7.

STRUTHERS

This past Saturday, and Monday and Tuesday this week, students can sign up for a time to go to the high school gym for a photo and video recording of them receiving their diploma. They are welcome to bring up to four family members only.

The district will compile all footage for a virtual commencement day that will be shared with families on the originally planned commencement day. Diplomas will be picked up at a later date.

YOUNGSTOWN

Graduates will experience a blend of tradition and the use of new technologies with ceremonies enabling students, their families and district staff to remain safe through social distancing.

“Our scholars will be assigned times on May 20 and May 21 to walk across the Stambaugh Auditorium stage wearing their caps and gowns,” said CEO Justin Jennings. “A family member will be there to give the scholar a sleeve for his or her diploma, which will be mailed at a later time.”

All graduates will be recorded as they receive their sleeves. The recordings will be edited together, along with statements from their high school principals, school valedictorians, Jennings and, perhaps, a school board member.

This ceremony will be shown on the district’s YouTube and other social media channels for Youngstown Rayen Early College, East and Chaney high schools. Videos will be posted and provided to the students.

Youngstown Rayen Early College is scheduled to graduate 51 students; East High School 113; and Chaney 148.

“We originally thought about having a drive-up graduation ceremony,” Jennings said. “Having so many graduates, we felt that would not work work. This is the best way to keep it traditional with students walking across the stage with a few family members being able to attend.”

The video will be available on May 29.

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