Digital Graduation Ceremony Planned For AACPS Seniors

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — High school graduating seniors with Anne Arundel County Public Schools may still have a traditional cap-and-gown event later this summer, but for now, they will be recognized with a digital graduation ceremony. Superintendent George Arlotto shared the district's plan for a four-tiered celebration of the students in the class of 2020.

"When the doors opened on the 2019-2020 school year, you, like me, had certain expectations. Those undoubtedly included visions of the dress or tuxedo your child would wear to senior prom, and everything that comes with a student’s ultimate moment: walking across the stage and receiving a high school diploma," Arlotto wrote in a letter addressed to parents and students Thursday. "The coronavirus pandemic that has gripped our county, state, nation and world has brought about circumstances none of us could have foreseen. The year of wonderful crowning achievements we all envisioned for our seniors has largely turned to one of frustration and disappointment for students, families and educators alike."

The school district noted that the decision to have a digital graduation ceremony was made due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the fact that school buildings have been ordered to remain closed for the rest of the academic year by State Superintendent Karen Salmon. Restrictions to social gatherings implemented by Gov. Larry Hogan also dictate what can be done for graduation, district leaders noted.

“As the father of a high school senior myself, I am fully aware of – and have greatly struggled with – the impact that decisions regarding events such as prom and graduation have on students and their families,” Arlotto wrote. “That is why I waited as long as possible before canceling proms late last month. That is also why we have delayed a decision on our graduation ceremonies, hoping against hope that we could hold them as planned at our schools or at the Live! Event Center at Arundel Mills. Our primary focus has been – and will continue to be – on health and safety.”

While the current circumstances “mean that we simply cannot proceed with graduations as we had planned, I refuse to let the circumstances eradicate our ability to celebrate our awesome seniors,” Dr. Arlotto wrote in the letter.

Anne Arundel County Public Schools now will honor seniors in the following ways:

• Senior Salute: Audio tributes about seniors by those who know them best – their teachers and counselors. These will air from May 26-28 on the school district's radio station CRAB Radio (104.7 FM) and will be posted on each school’s website.
• Senior Awards: Each school will be creating an online senior awards event to honor members of the class of 2020.
• Digital Commencement Celebration: These recorded events will follow the format of traditional graduations and will be broadcast on AACPS-TV and on CACPS’ YouTube and Livestream channels. These events will feature the pomp and circumstance of traditional graduations with the announcements of the names and accompanying photos of all graduating seniors, speeches by graduates, a board of education member and the school principal, as well as the turning of the tassel.
• Cap and Gown Gala: Tentative events for all high schools in late July in which members of the class of 2020 can gather together (with appropriate social distancing), put on their caps and gowns, have their names announced, walk across the stage and have their photo taken as they would at a normal graduation ceremony. These events, which would also be broadcast on the AACPS Livestream channel, would be open only to seniors (not families) and would take place only in the event the governor’s recovery plan is in a phase that allows it and with the approval of the Anne Arundel County Health Officer. A decision as to whether or not to hold these events will be made by July 1.

If restrictions remain in effect that prevent the Cap and Gown Gala events from occurring, high schools will plan an event for next fall or early winter that will honor their seniors in a different way. Those events may vary from school to school.

“We have had, of course, no control over the circumstances that brought us to this moment. Nothing that has happened, though, can diminish the accomplishments of the members of the class of 2020,” Arlotto wrote in his letter. “They are outstanding young leaders who will shape the world in the coming years. The ways we will celebrate them aren’t what we thought they would be in September, but our pride in their accomplishments and the way they carry themselves is every bit as strong.”