Brad Horrigan | New Haven Register. Shelton, Connecticut : Shelton High School graduation Friday evening.
SHELTON — It’s official — this year’s high school seniors will gather as one to celebrate graduation.
Graduation will begin at 6 p.m. June 15 at Finn Stadium. Superintendent Ken Saranich told the Board of Education this week the ceremony will occupy the entire football field. Using the entire field, he says, allows for students and faculty to maintain six-foot social distancing.
While the event will be outside, Saranich said because of the magnitude and size of the event, masks will also be required.
“I am excited that we are looking to a ceremony for the students to experience as a whole class,” Board of Education Chair Kathy Yolish said. “They’ve missed out on many activities from last year and this year, but we hope to make their end of the year as normal as possible.”
Saranich said the goal is to hold the graduation outdoors. With that in mind, the board reserved June 16 and 17 as rain dates.
“The biggest, most positive thing is bringing this graduation back as it should be into Finn Stadium, back into the open air, back … all of us together,” Saranich said.
“Setting multiple rain dates will hopefully enable a full class of graduates to share their special day with their classmates as well as have four family members in attendance,” Yolish said.
While each graduating senior will be allotted four tickets, not every family will need that many, Saranich said, so a wait list for families that would like more than four tickets would be created.
Saranich said that if there were a COVID-19 spike in the state that forces Gov. Ned Lamont to adjust the limits on outdoor events at the time of the planned graduation, the board has reserved June 19 for multiple ceremonies, like last year, with students remaining with their houses.
Shelton schools’ last day is June 16, with the last four days early dismissal days.
brian.gioiele@hearstmediact.com