Princeton To Host Virtual Graduation As Schools Remain Closed

PRINCETON, NJ — Princeton High School will be hosting a virtual graduation for students as Gov. Phil Murphy declared schools will remain closed for the rest of the academic year due to coronavirus pandemic.

"We won't have any postponement of graduation," said Princeton High School Principal Jessica Baxter. "We will have our virtual graduation on June 16 as originally planned. There might possibly be senior celebrations in the summer if it is safe and restrictions are lifted."

Murphy made the announcement on Monday saying New Jersey did not have the confidence to safely reopen. "We could not guarantee an environment that would not only be safe but be fully capable of meeting the educational needs of students in a setting built with social distancing," he said. Read More: New Jersey Schools Closed For Rest Of Academic Year: Gov. Murphy

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Along with graduation several other Princeton school events will also be held virtually including Senior Awards Ceremony on June 1 and Gold Key Award Ceremony on June 8.

"We recognize there is no true replacement for our real graduation," Baxter said in a letter to parents.

In an effort to making this milestone occasion as special as possible for all seniors the school committee has discussed purchasing a small gift for each senior. If interested in supporting the upcoming activities or gifts for the senior class, donations are being accepted via PayPal to the PHS PTO. For links and information, visit princetonhspto.weebly.com.

"While this is not the end of the year that we have all looked forward to, we hope to create high school memories in a new way this year honoring your children and celebrating their friendships and accomplishments," Baxter said. "We sure do miss your kids and appreciate their patience and resilience right now."

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