Madison Seniors Get Virtual Graduation, Celebration Later - Spectrum News 1

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MADISON, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) - While they can’t have graduation as planned, Madison seniors will be celebrated on TV, on billboards, and in person.

Families with students in the Madison Metropolitan School District have been anxiously awaiting an answer about the alternative graduation plans. District officials made the announcement Wednesday afternoon.

There will be three two-hour graduation ceremonies, one the evening of June 12, and two on June 13. They will be aired live on TV and livestreamed for families. Officials said they want these ceremonies to feel as real as possible. They’ll read out students’ names, and show their pictures.

“[This will] celebrate all of our youth who are moving on to the next phase of their lives during the most challenging periods of our time,” said MMSD interim superintendent Jane Belmore. “I know this will not replace in-person graduation,” said chief of high schools Mike Hernandez.

Seniors’ photos will also be on billboards across the city highlighting their accomplishments. “We have multiple billboards, both on the east side and the west side,” said Hernandez. “The billboards will actually be ran for two consecutive weeks. It will actually have their name the school that they’re graduating from, and a congratulatory message.” The signs are in partnership with Adams Outdoor Advertising.

District staff are planning some sort of in-person graduation celebration, because students need to see their classmates and teachers. “They didn’t get to say goodbye,” said school board member Cris Caruso. She also has a senior at home. “I know that graduates and their families are grieving right now. I’m living it.”

However, that in-person party can’t happen until it’s safe to gather in large groups, and there’s no way to know when that could happen. “As a mom, I also know that it’s a bad idea to make promises and commitments to your kids that you can’t keep,” said Caruso. “I wish with all my heart that we could commit to an in-person graduation ceremony this summer. But the COVID-19 virus currently shows no signs of abating, and it would be disingenuous of MMSD to make that commitment.”

Still, they want to make sure students, teachers and families have the chance to celebrate together. “The class of 2020 will meet again,” said Caruso.

Now the district is working out all the details. They’ll need consent from every family to use their student’s photograph on the billboards and broadcast. The ceremonies will air live on the Madison CBS station.

Students will still get a cap and gown, so district officials are working on that too.

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Madison Seniors Get Virtual Graduation, Celebration Later - Spectrum News 1
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