Riverside School District’s 2020 Commencement Ceremony Details

Riverside School District commencement is scheduled for Monday, June 1 through Thursday, June 4, 2020, according to information made available on the district website.

According to the district site:

While this year’s ceremony may look and feel unique and different, we are proud of each student’s achievements, and we plan to celebrate this milestone with everyone who helped shape each student’s individuality, talents, and intelligence. Below will be the procedures we will follow for this program.

• All families will arrive at their assigned time and date.  No more than 8 members of the student’s family may attend this ceremony due to the restrictions and regulations we are mandated to follow. The district will record all graduates receiving their diplomas.   Also, all members of the family will be required to wear a mask and distance themselves from other graduates and their families.  There will be markings on the ground to follow as well as faculty members to help all families proceed through the various locations.
• All families will park in the front parking lot in front of the high school entrance. We will be controlling the number of families and people inside the school, so please adhere to the times listed for your child’s ceremony so we can safely and easily conduct the celebration of all seniors.
• The entrance to the commencement ceremony will be at the high school gym entrance.  We will have marked locations to keep all families properly distanced from one another as well as hand sanitation stations in several locations. A faculty member will place all students and their family members in alphabetical order.
• Location #1 High School Gymnasium:  Once the graduate and the family members are inside the gymnasium, parents and other family members will follow the signs posted where you will have an opportunity to watch/record/take photos of your child receiving his/her diploma.  The graduate will walk to position 1 (marked on the floor) and will proceed to position 2 (marked on the floor) once Mr. Huth/Ms. Berteau reads the graduate’s name.  The graduate will have the opportunity to shake hands, or not, with the School Board President Shawn Plassmeyer.  Proper sanitizing will occur after each graduate receives his/her diploma.  Once the graduate has his/her diploma, the graduate will move the cap’s tassel from right to left signifying that transition from student to member of Riverside School District’s Alumni.  Once this process is completed, the family members and graduate will exit the gymnasium through the exit located near the swimming pool and proceed to the cafeteria.
• Location #2 High School Cafeteria: At location #2 (high school cafeteria), the graduate will have an opportunity to record a small message to his/her classmates.   Once the message has been recorded, the graduate and family members will exit the cafeteria and follow the directional signs to the front entrance of the high school where all families have an opportunity for a family photo or to exit the building.

Recording a personal message is optional for all students.  If the graduate does not wish to record a personal message, we will take one family photo in the lobby area of the high school (location #3), and we encourage each family to take a photo beneath the Senior Highlight Area (tennis courts) after exiting the high school building.

• Location #3 High School Lobby:  Before exiting school grounds, graduates and their family members will take a family photo in front of the Riverside Panther Mural, which is a piece of artwork created by the class of 2020. After exiting the building, we encourage all families to take the opportunity to take a photo beneath the Senior Highlight Area  (tennis courts) as well.

The district asks, at all times, to please be mindful of others and their families. Social distancing and masks should be worn at all times. It is understandable for families and graduates to remove masks for photos and video opportunities.

There will be sanitizers located at various locations on school grounds. It is encouraged to sanitize properly frequently.

After all locations have been visited, please exit the school grounds.  It is imperative that we maintain the allotted number of people on school district property in order to avoid violating the mandated orders within the “yellow” phase.  Thank you for your understanding and cooperation regarding this matter, and we all extend our congratulations to all graduates and their families.

To view a full schedule and order of graduates and a schedule for recorded speeches and student responsibilities for commencement, please visit: www.riverside.k12.pa.us/apps/news/article/1230497