There was no mistaking that last year’s COVID-19-altered drive-in graduation ceremony was a hit amongst students and families, but tradition is tradition, and this year students and school leaders decided a formal graduation ceremony at Veterans Memorial Stadium is the right course of action.
However, that doesn’t mean the best of the 2020 drive-in ceremony cannot be culled and implemented as part of the graduation experience, Supt. Priya Tahiliani said.
Tahiliani announced officially on Monday that a traditional graduation ceremony would return on the evening of June 9 at the Veterans Memorial Stadium, where it typically has been held until last year’s COVID-19 surge forced the district to improvise with what turned out to be a fun drive-thru ceremony.
“Everett High School has planned a festive week of graduation events,” said Tahiliani. “Senior week will begin on June 1 with a luau at the Kowloon Restaurant which has a large outdoor space that is perfect for an outdoor social setting…Our graduation ceremony is set for Weds., June 9, at 6 p.m. inside Veterans Memorial Stadium with a rain date of June 10. In talking with EHS students, families, teachers and staff, it was quickly determined that students wanted to do a traditional graduation if it was possible, and we’re so happy it is. So this was a request that we’re thrilled to be able to fulfill for them this year.”
The highlight of the Senior Week is the Red Carpet Extravaganza in front of EHS, which will take the best from last year’s improvised ceremony and catapult it into this year’s Senior Week. In fact, she said, it could become a tradition going forward at EHS.
“This kind of borrows from the best of last year’s drive-thru graduation in that we’ll have stations set up where students can have a professional photo taken, make a 30-second senior legacy video, receive gifts from our district partners,” she said. “We will be broadcasting the event on YouTube Live so everyone can view the festivities…While we do not know what the future of graduation holds, I do think the drive-thru component of our senior festivities may become somewhat of a tradition.”
Students will be assigned time slots to arrive and depart the Extravaganza, much as they were last year for the graduation.
The entire Graduation Festivities schedule is below:
•June 1 – Senior Luau outdoors at the Kowloon in Saugus
•June 2 – Ice Cream and Taco Truck and EHS Virtual Talent Show
•June 3 – Sunrise Event at Everett Stadium
•June 4 – Red Carpet Extravaganza at front of EHS – 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
•June 8 – Scholarship Night online via Zoom
•June 9 – Graduation Ceremony, Everett Veterans Memorial Stadium