California Connections Academy Celebrates the Virtual School’s First Kindergarten Graduation

California Connections Academy, a K-12 virtual public school, celebrated the school’s first kindergarten graduation in a unique event at the Oakland Zoo on Thursday, May 16.  

The animal-themed ceremony featured a student performance in which the children sang songs, including the ABCs, to a crowd of their parents and zoogoers. The class of 20 also received diplomas, presented by school principal Don Ogden.  

This graduation ceremony and zoo field trip is one of many school-sponsored events that provide opportunities for students to socialize and interact face-to-face with their classmates. Throughout the school year, California Connections Academy has hosted more than 25 field trips to give virtual classmates a chance for hands-on learning.  

On June 6, the school will celebrate its older group of graduates, the high school seniors, with a ceremony at the Spring Creek Golf and Country Club in Ripon. This will be the first high school graduation for California Connections Academy, which opened in August 2012 and serves students in Alameda, Amador, Calaveras, Contra Costa, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Santa Clara and Stanislaus counties.  

For more information on California Connections Academy, visit the school’s website.