HCPSS Seniors To Pick Up Graduation Materials, Create Video Clip

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Starting Thursday, Howard County Public School System graduating seniors will receive information about when they or their parents can pick up graduation materials and return school materials. Everyone will be assigned a day and time, and everyone is encouraged to wear face masks, the school district noted. Schools will have a traffic pattern mapped out for people to follow with several stations set up for checking in; distributing caps, gowns and other graduation materials; collecting textbooks and Chromebooks; and gathering other school materials such as athletic equipment and music instruments.

Graduating seniors also are asked to create a short five- to 10-second video while wearing their caps and gowns to be incorporated into the virtual graduation administrators have planned for them that begin June 4. If a student doesn't provide a video clip, his or her graduation photo will be shown instead, the school district noted.

Each student's video without audio or photo will be displayed on the screen as his or her name is announced by a staff member. Virtual graduations will be prerecorded but closely aligned to the programs that were already planned to include student speeches, student performances, commencement remarks by the county executive, recognition of the graduates by the superintendent, awarding of diplomas by a board member and the turning of tassels. According to the school district, virtual graduations will be prerecorded due to "concerns with online connection stability, to prevent unwelcome interruptions by people seeking to digitally interrupt the special celebration and to eliminate the risk of inappropriate words or actions being broadcast live."

Virtual graduations will be streamed on a staggered schedule from June 4-9 so that students, families and community members can view multiple ceremonies and because there are families with seniors in more than one school. Graduations also will be able to be viewed on HCPSS television channels (Verizon 42 & Comcast 95 in Howard County) based on a schedule that will be provided closer to the graduation dates. Recorded videos will be available online soon after each ceremony ends, the district stated, but DVDs will not be created.

Diplomas will be distributed toward the end of May, the district noted. Each school will provide dates for seniors to return any additional items owned by the school/school system and receive their diploma and diploma cover. Students may continue to use HCPSS Chromebooks for any remaining schoolwork during the summer and they will be provided with their diploma once the device has been returned.

Information about virtual graduations can be found online and below:
June 4

• 10 a.m., Mt. Hebron High School
• 2 p.m., River Hill High School
• 6 p.m., Centennial High School

June 5

• 9 a.m., Oakland Mills High School
• 12 p.m., Wilde Lake High School
• 3 p.m., Marriotts Ridge High School

June 8

• 9 a.m., Cedar Lane School
• 12 p.m., Reservoir High School
• 3 p.m., Hammond High School
• 6 p.m., Atholton High School

June 9

• 10 a.m., Glenelg High School
• 2 p.m., Long Reach High School
• 6 p.m., Howard High School