Highland High School holds successful virtual graduation for class of 2020

The Highland High School class of 2020 graduated 190 students, and all of them did get to walk across the stage and receive a diploma, even though their graduation was far from normal.

Even when schools went to remote learning March 16, educators and families still thought they might be back in school buildings by late April, according to Highland High Principal Chris Becker.

“As things continued, the administration team realized that we’re not coming back,” he said. “So how do we find a way to celebrate the class of 2020?”

The graduating seniors had lost many of the traditions that usually comprise senior year: The class picnic, the spring sports season, the prom. So Becker and his staff sent a survey to families about graduation, and 60 percent wanted some combination of a virtual celebration and real-life ceremony.

“Logistically, how do we celebrate the grads so that it’s safe, but also a dignified and honorable graduation?” Becker said.

It also had to meet safety requirements set by Illinois State Board of Education, and so the logistics and planning was the most difficult part, he said — at least 60-70 hours of planning for Becker alone, in addition to the team of administrators, parents and faculty working on the plan.

The students arrived for appointments set every 10 minutes for five days from May 4-8, accompanied by parents. Each person did a temperature check and wore a mask until the actual moment. A videographer captured each student’s walk across the stage, and diplomas handed to them by their own parent. There were photos and videos with the family, of the tassel turn and so on.

The videos were then cut together in a two-hour video ceremony, which was available online for those who could not join them and family members far away. It includes speeches from the valedictorian, salutatorian, Becker and Superintendent Mike Sutton — a longer ceremony on video than it usually takes in real time, Becker said.

The Highland High School Choir spent the fourth quarter working on a singing project recorded via zoom, and the high school band recorded individual students on their instruments at home and mixed them together for the musical portion of the video ceremony.

“We got a week’s worth of footage and mixed it for a week,” Becker said. “There were a couple of moments when I wondered if we could get this thing done.”

Throughout the process, social distancing and safety were paramount.

“I felt like we were safer than going to Walmart,” Becker said.

The biggest challenge, Becker said, was the “transformational thinking” of finding a way to do graduation without having the room filled with grads and families. Some students have divorced parents and stepparents or live with guardians or other special situations, which made each appointment an individual arrangement.

“I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody,” Becker said.

Still, he said, feedback has been very positive and the video was popular. Becker reported 10,000 viewers on Highland’s local-access cable broadcast, and the YouTube video had more than 4,300 views at press time.

“Families could watch it together at home, and they liked the intimacy of the stage walk with their parents giving them their diploma,” Becker said.

Parents praise graduation process

For parent Sarah Wiegman, it was a chance to enjoy the ceremony and get pictures they wouldn’t have been able to get at a normal ceremony because of the chaos.

“Every single student had their parent or guardian give them their diploma, where that has never happened before,” she said.

Her son, Carter Wiegman, is heading to play baseball for Lewis & Clark Community College. While he lost his senior season, she said he’s “very laid back” and accepts that sometimes life throws a curve ball.

Jamie Jansen’s daughter, Olivia Jansen, also lost her senior year in several clubs and activities from National Honor Society to the Snowball Club.

“When they left, they thought they were going to be gone for two weeks,” Jansen said.

Graduation process at Highland ‘phenomenal’

There were some emotional moments as distance learning stretched on and on, and losing prom and senior skip day was a disappointment.

But Jansen said the graduation process was “phenomenal.”

“The kids were apprehensive about a virtual graduation, but it was really nice,” she said. “It gave them something most classes won’t get: Special one-on-one time and opportunities for photos that were very special ... it was definitely a memorable graduation.”