Class of 2021 Celebrations
March 25, 2021
In this update, you will find information about:
Venue capacity and distancing guidelines
Class of 2021 graduation
Updates for graduation requirements
Prom
Annual senior celebrations
Venue Capacity and Distancing Guidelines
The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) recently updated an executive order to allow indoor and outdoor venues to hold up to 50% of capacity, as long as six feet of distance can be maintained between individuals who are not in the same household. In addition, the order requires all participants and guests to wear face coverings over the nose and mouth at both indoor and outdoor venues.
WCPS schools are planning and preparing for some spring events with these guidelines and our community health metrics in mind.
Class of 2021 Graduation
The Class of 2021 has experienced a senior year unlike any other. WCPS is excited to celebrate this once-in-a-lifetime moment of graduation with our students. It is our intention to plan and host in-person, traditional graduation ceremonies. All graduation events will follow health and safety guidelines.
Graduations will be held on Tuesday, June 1, 2021. In the event of rain or other inclement weather, outdoor ceremonies may be delayed and would subsequently be held on Wednesday, June 2, 2021. Any postponement of graduation will be communicated with parents and guardians through a phone call, text message, and email. We will also post this information on the WCPS website and social media platforms. More details will be shared as we approach the graduation date.
Each student will receive four tickets for guests to attend the ceremony. Groups of guests will be seated six feet apart.
The last day for seniors is Thursday, May 27, 2021, which will be a full day of school.
Please look for additional information from your student’s school about the graduation ceremony venue and start time. Schools will also communicate with students about the distribution of caps and gowns as well as stoles, cords, and other graduation honors.
If you have any questions regarding this information, please contact your child’s school.
Updates for Graduation Requirements
The Maryland State Board of Education recently approved waivers for some graduation requirements for this year’s seniors:
This year’s seniors do not have to complete the normally required 75 hours of student service learning.
This year’s seniors do not have to take or pass the state high school tests for algebra 1, English 10, science, or government to meet the graduation assessment requirement; however, seniors must have passed those courses to be eligible for the assessment waiver.
This year’s seniors who are in a Career and Technology Education (CTE) program that require supervised work-based learning experience or industry-mentored projects can graduate with four (4) CTE credits and can complete the work-based learning experiences beyond the school year.
Prom
After much thought and consideration, WCPS must make the difficult decision to cancel high school proms. We recognize these milestone events are a valuable part of the high school experience, and we regret that our students must miss out on these memories due to the pandemic.
No potential prom venue can meet the requirements of the current executive order from the Maryland Department of Health (see above) given the number of students who would attend and the requirement to maintain six feet of distance between guests.
Annual Senior Celebrations
WCPS traditionally hosts county-wide ceremonies recognizing the achievements of seniors each spring. These celebrations will be held as virtual events that will include remarks from program speakers, and each student honoree’s name, photo, and award information will be featured.
These celebrations will be shared as live videos on the superintendent’s Facebook page at the scheduled date and time indicated below. There will also be a live premiere on the WCPS cable channel, which is channel 99 for Antietam Broadband cable subscribers. The videos will also be added to the WCPS YouTube channel at a later date according to the schedule.
Senior honorees will be receiving an invitation to view the premiere of the celebration video as well as programs, certificates, and any additional award materials. These items will be mailed to homes in advance of the video premiere date.
Washington County Public Schools
Website: www.wcpsmd.com
Location: 10435 Downsville Pike, Hagerstown, MD, USA
Phone: 301-766-2800
Facebook: facebook.com/wcpsmd
Twitter: @wcpsmd