‘Seniors made the call.’ One Lexington school plans in-person graduation for seniors
Lexington’s private Sayre School, with a graduating class of only 54, is planning an in-person graduation at its off-campus athletic complex in late July.
The announcement comes at a time when many Kentucky schools with larger classes are having to opt for virtual or drive-through services this month but are hoping for in-person services later.
“Our seniors made the call. That’s really what they want to do in their heart, they want to have an in-person graduation,” Sayre spokeswoman Barb Milosch said Monday.
Sayre’s academic campus is located downtown .The traditional graduation is set for 8 p.m. July 23 with a rain date of July 25 at the schools’ athletic complex at 300 Canebrake Drive off campus in southeast Lexington.
The commencement ceremony will be set up on the main playing field with pods of six chairs per family, placed eight to ten feet apart.
Sayre will hold a traditional graduation using a speaker system to hear Valedictorian and Salutatorian addresses.
For the awarding of diplomas, seniors and their parents or guardians will come to the stage and a parent or guardian will give their senior’s diploma to them followed by a group photograph, Milosch said.
However, Sayre will also be prepared if the number of cases of COVID-19 at the time doesn’t allow for a safe gathering at the athletic complex.
“We have several different scenarios in case we still can’t have a gathering of over 50,” said Milosch.
Meanwhile, on Friday May 22, Sayre will have a Virtual 8th Grade Ceremony by Video at 11 a.m. and a 2 p.m. drive-through ceremony .
Masks will be required and school officials will observe regulations from Gov. Andy Beshear that say “vehicles should stay at least 6 feet apart and contain no more than a single family that lives together.”
Students and families will have to remain seated in cars, allowing for minimal physical engagement.
This story was originally published May 18, 2020 at 4:17 PM.