Milbank School Prepares for Virtual Graduation on May 17
Milbank School Prepares for
Virtual Graduation on May 17
Officials with the Milbank School District have adapted to the current COVID-19 protocols by planning a virtual graduation ceremony, which can be viewed on Sunday, May 17, and tentatively scheduling a traditional, face-to-face graduation ceremony on Sunday, June 14.
The dual-pronged approach is to assure that the seniors are appropriately recognized for completing their high school careers, while abiding by the South Dakota Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic. “We are hoping for the best, but we want to assure that everyone stays healthy,” commented Dan Snaza, Milbank High School principal.
In preparation for the virtual graduation presentation, the school officials divided the seniors into groups of ten and had them go to the school at 15-minute intervals on Monday, May 4. “While maintaining social distancing and appropriate protocols, we were able to have the students in their cap and gowns have their virtual graduation,” Snaza said.
The day included official photographs being taken of each student so they can be combined into a collage as a class photo. Each student was videoed as they faced the camera and stated their name and future plans. The students were then recorded crossing the stage as they would typically do in a traditional graduation ceremony.
The class speakers, James Lusk, IV, and Danica Schulte, gave their presentations, which were video recorded and will be included when the virtual graduation is made available publicly on Sunday, May 17, at 2 p.m. on the Milbank School District webpage, https://www.milbankschooldistrict.com/
“It was great to have the staff be on hand to see the students. It was really a great morale boost for us,” Snaza said.
As would have been the case in a typical year, the teachers hosted a graduate reception, and each graduate received a gift basket of survival items contained in a laundry basket. Unlike other years, each graduate just picked up the basket and left, rather than being able to socialize during the event.
When the public views the virtual graduation, they will also see that the honor graduates for the class of 2020 are Hali Anderson, Yami Arano, Taylor Bray, Landon Brown, Kayla Bury, Cassidy Christians, Kaden Eisenschenk, Jaecy Engebretson, Brady Femling, Elijah Fischer, Andrea Fonder, Elijah Fraasch, Bailey Frerichs, Maddie Gustafson, Tori Hooth, Drew Kennedy, Gracie Korstjens, Stewart Loehrer, James Lusk, IV, Noah Mursu, Amy Nelson, Makenna Osowski, Logan Paysen, Lilly Peschong, Tracy Pillatzki, Alaina Rausch, Elsie Rogers, Yulissa Sanchez-Ramirez, Alex Schuelke, Danica Schulte, Samuel Seffrood, Crystal Spiering, Noah Steinlicht, Lilly Trapp, Rhianna Welberg, Payton Wendland and Adam Wollschlager.
The class has chosen the dahlia as their flower with white and gold as their colors. Their motto is All Eyes On Us.
The commencement activities will be presided over by Justin Downes, superintendent. Snaza will present the class.
Unlike other years, the class members did not receive the folders for their diplomas during the filming for the virtual graduation. “We want to be able to present those during the in-person ceremony on June 14,” Snaza said. The diplomas are traditionally ready to be distributed in mid-June, so it should correspond well. Those graduates who need their diplomas sooner, such as for those entering the military, have already made arrangements to receive them.
The format for the June 14 ceremony is uncertain at this point, but the school officials wanted to get the date on people’s calendars. “Our first choice will be to have a regular ceremony, but it will all depend on the CDC and government guidelines at the time,” Snaza said. “We will keep our options open.” He added that the official forecast, as of May 5, is for a national peak in COVID-19 deaths to be 3,000 on June 1. “We will just have to wait and see how the situation develops,” Snaza said. “We want to do a regular ceremony, but we’ve got to keep people safe at the same time.”
As the school year nears its end, Snaza said that no additional assignments will be given to high school students after May 8. From May 8 to 20, the staff will work more closely with the students who have struggled under distance learning. “They never asked for this situation, and for those who have gotten behind, we want to give them the extra time and help they need,” Snaza said.
The tentative date to have all students return their textbooks and Chromebooks is May 21 and 22.
Snaza noted that the entire community has worked well to support the school staff and the students during the difficult time. “There was no blueprint for how to do this, and we appreciate all the support from the community,” Snaza said.
~Holli Seehafer
