Following the stay-at-home order and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announcement that schools would remain closed for the rest of the year, the OPHS administration and Associated Student Body began to make plans for a virtual graduation ceremony. 

On June 4, there will be two Commencement events: a drive-thru during the day and a virtual Commencement Ceremony in the evening. The virtual ceremony will premier online with a moderated live chat and well wishes forum; it will be recorded and saved.

“I researched how online universities do virtual ceremonies and looked into the companies that help them conduct these events. I contacted one of the companies, IMS Technology Services, and described our school and community and how we usually run the Commencement,” Buchanan wrote in a statement to the senior class.

According to Buchanan almost all elements of a traditional graduation ceremony can still be made possible through the virtual commencement, including student performances, speeches, awards and the presentation of each graduate with their baby photo and senior portrait.

The administration acknowledges that they will be unable to charge for tickets to the ceremony, or otherwise monetize the ceremony. According to Buchanan, the administration has looked in their budgets for any unspent funds and were able to find enough to move forward. On April 21 the Board approved the contract with the vendor and are comfortable with the other aspects of the plan to celebrate the seniors.

According to Buchanan, the administration acknowledges that students would prefer a live, in-person ceremony, and are working to provide that while enforcing social distancing rules.

“While we originally believed that this was not going to be possible, developments in the last couple of days may have opened up the possibility to conduct an in-person drive-thru activity in addition to the virtual commencement ceremony,” Buchanan wrote.

For the drive-thru, students can decorate their cars and teachers can participate as they typically would but in separate cars in the parking lot. Each student may wear their cap and gown and there will be music and some giveaways. In addition, college posters will be hung up and the administration hopes to have a senior breakfast.

This event will abide by mandated social distancing rules.

“There can be more than one person in a car as long as they are from the same household. There will be rules, and we will enforce them. We will put up the college posters, and we have some giveaways. They also hope to have a senior breakfast,” Buchanan wrote.

The third component of the graduation ceremony will be an in-person celebration planned with families and graduates, to be held when large gatherings are permitted in the future.

“We look forward to the day we can celebrate our graduates in person and when they can all be together to share this celebration of their accomplishments,” Buchanan wrote.