The Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board (WECDSB) has come up with a plan for graduation ceremonies it thinks will keep people safe while still giving students a graduation experience during COVID-19.
A committee has decided that each school will have a virtual graduation ceremony as well as the opportunity for in-person pick up of graduation packages, diplomas and awards.
Director of Education Terry Lyons tells AM800 News the committee spent the last five weeks trying to come up with a solution.
“We'll also have an opportunity for kids to come back to the schools one car at a time and be able to have two people come out, receive their diploma from the principal or vice-principal, take some photos and be able to progress that way,” he says.
When it comes to dates, Lyons says those will vary for each school.
“We are going to try and keep the dates as close to the scheduled graduation as possible,” he says. “But obviously some of the bigger schools will struggle with that so it might be over a couple of days and not that specific day that was scheduled earlier."
Lyons says the committee tried to make the best decisions possible under the circumstances.
"They thought we could put processes in place, that if we kept people six feet apart etc. but all of that presents a challenge because we're not an essential business and I cant encourage a gathering of more than five people," he says.
Students can expect to hear directly from their schools in the coming days with more specific plans on how their graduation ceremonies will be managed.