JCHS Graduation Is Friday
Some 145 out of 157 Jasper County High School seniors will receive their diplomas at a commencement ceremony tomorrow, July 24, at 7:30 p.m. at the newly built Hurricane Field behind the school.
Several seniors have already received their diplomas after opting out of participating in the ceremony for various reasons including entry into the military and beginning employment.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, school administrators have worked diligently to plan a memorable graduation ceremony for the students which will follow the CDC guidelines for social distancing and which have been approved by the local health department.
Each senior will receive eight tickets for guests to enter the stadium for the ceremony. If it rains, the ceremony will be moved into the gym and each senior will only be allowed to have two guests to watch the ceremony. Seniors will receive those tickets at graduation practice the day before the ceremony. Only ticket holders will be admitted into the stadium or the gym. The gates will open at 6:30 p.m.
The ceremony will be livestreamed on July 24 starting at 7:30 p.m. at this website: https://tinyurl.com/JCHSGraduation2020. The link is not currently active so if one clicks on it before Friday at 7:30, an error message will appear.
Upon entering the parking lots, seniors, guests and faculty will have their temperatures taken. Anyone with a temperature of 99.5 or over will not be permitted to stay on campus.
Ticket holders should enter the north driveway and park on the north side of the school in the baseball/softball parking lot or in the visitor parking lot. Seniors should park in the student parking lot and go straight to the home field house on the south side of the field.
Bleachers on both the home and visitor sides of the field will be open. Everyone must present a ticket upon entry. Bleachers will be marked off to seat eight people per graduate in “family blocks.” Each block will be six feet from any other block to provide the social distancing required by the CDC. Masks are strongly encouraged but are not required.
Once the ceremony is complete, guests are asked to exit the facility and go directly to their vehicles. Seniors will leave the stadium during the recessional and go directly to the student parking lot. Guests will not be allowed on the field at any time before or after the ceremony.
A senior walking parade will be held today, July 23, at 1 p.m. Seniors will walk from Monticello Baptist Church, down to West Washington Street, then to and around the square, then back to the church. The hope is that local business owners, patrons, family and friends will support the seniors by watching the parade on the sidewalks, making sure to social distance.
“This year’s seniors have taken a strong hit with the Covid pandemic cutting their senior year short,” said principal Buddy Cain. “We are doing everything we can to make this graduation memorable for them. It is our desire to give them a traditional graduation ceremony while keeping them and their families safe. We know that things will be very different for this ceremony and we appreciate the support of the parents and community in our efforts.”
For more information about the graduation ceremony, interested persons may call the school at 706-468-5016.
The video of JCHS Graduation will be livestreamed starting at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, July 24 at the following website:
https://tinyurl.com/JCHSGraduation2020
