Tuesday, May 12, 2020
Students and Families of the OHS Class of 2020 and Raccoon
Community,
While this message is specific to our seniors and families, it’s
important to recognize that we are one community and excited to celebrate the
Class of 2020 together! Despite your grade level, please take a few minutes to
check out the details so you can participate in all the fun!
Seniors, you have just about one month left of your high school
experience, and I know this is not how we anticipated your senior year ending!
While there is no denying that the effects of the coronavirus pandemic
certainly will be part of your high school experience, it will not be what
defines your class. You have so much to be proud of, and our entire community
is ready to celebrate both your individual and collective
accomplishments!
As we make plans for the end of the year, it will be hard to
continue some of our long-standing traditions that celebrate the senior class.
Based on current CDC guidelines and government regulations, we will need to
postpone our formal Commencement Ceremony to Saturday, August 1, 2020, with a
tentative start time of 9:00 a.m. Also, many of our celebrations over the next
month will need to take place virtually or in other alternate ways.
I know this may be disappointing news, however, don’t worry, we
have a plan to make this next month, the best one of your life! Wipe your tears
away, shake off your disappointment, and get ready to celebrate the Raccoons of
the Oconomowoc High School Class of 2020! While the events and traditions may
look different, I am equally, if not more, excited to be part of these
celebrations in the coming weeks. Below are
details about our Commencement Ceremony and all the celebrations we have
planned.
Rescheduled Commencement Ceremony: Saturday, August 1, 2020, at
9:00 a.m.
In the Oconomowoc community, the traditional Commencement Ceremony
brings together thousands of individuals across all generations to celebrate
our graduates. Family, friends, and neighbors come from all over to celebrate
and wait for that special moment when their graduate’s name is announced. While
we honor our graduates at the Commencement Ceremony, it truly is a family event
that will live on in your memories forever. It is important to our OHS team to
provide every opportunity legally possible for families to enjoy this
moment. A moment dreamed about for a long time.
Given the recent Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) and
Department of Public Instruction (DPI) guidelines about crowd size restrictions
and graduation celebrations specifically, it is highly unlikely we can hold a
large scale gathering this summer. Therefore, we have decided to delay the
ceremony until Saturday, August 1, 2020, with a tentative start time of 9:00
a.m.
While we cannot predict what regulations will be in place come
August, this does give us more time for the restrictions to possibly be eased,
though this may not guarantee a live face-to-face ceremony. Our team is
diligently planning for a few different ceremony styles.
Last week, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS)
released high-level guidance regarding high school graduations and other
gatherings within our District school buildings and on school properties
throughout the summer. Based on current Department of Health Service (DHS)
guidelines, we would need to conduct our ceremony as either a virtual
graduation broadcast into your home or a drive-in/drive-thru style ceremony on
August 1, 2020.
If by chance, regulations are eased we will explore more in-person
ceremony options. When determining the final kind of celebration, we will
prioritize CDC guidelines and government regulations around crowd sizing and
social distancing. Also, we will need to be sensitive to logistics, including
access to equipment and the potential for inclement weather. We will send out
communication around our plans for the August Commencement Ceremony by July 20.
Please note that your diplomas will still be dated June 13, 2020,
and your transcripts will be finalized and ready to distribute on
Thursday, June 18, 2020. We will mail your diploma directly to your house in
Early August.
Celebrating the Class of 2020: A
Communitywide Celebration!
Events and Celebrations throughout
May and June
While we cannot predict what regulations will be in place come
August, this does give us more time for the restrictions to possibly be eased,
though this may not guarantee a live face-to-face ceremony. Our team is
diligently planning for a few different ceremony styles.
Photos of the events and family celebrations should be shared on
social media using #OconPride2020 in your message!
The Class of 2020 will Shine On!
In the coming weeks, you will see purple lights shining on several
landmarks in downtown Oconomowoc in honor of the Class of 2020! These landmarks
include the roundabout, clock tower, and something unique downtown at the
Village Green in early June!
Families of our seniors can participate in the fun as well. This
past weekend, one of our Raccoon Ambassadors stopped by each graduate’s house
with a special gift recognition. This gift includes a gold light bulb for your
porch or a lamp by your window. Between the city and your homes, this town will
shine Purple and Gold for our beloved Raccoons!
Club, Athletic, and Organization Specific Recognition Events
Virtual and alternative celebrations honoring your participation
in activities and athletics will be held in the coming weeks. Your coaches and
advisors will communicate details about these events directly with families and
students. These events include a special Senior Night for our athletes and a
recognition event for our students in theater, band, choir, and orchestra. Be
on the look-out for information from your advisor and coaches regarding exact
dates and times.
Sunday, May 31: A Tribute to the Students of the Class of 2020
We are currently designing a special tribute to each member of the
Class of 2020. This includes a special tribute at the village green. In
addition on Campus, we will highlight the stories behind each senior. We hope
to be ready to display this tribute by Sunday, May 31 (perhaps earlier). Either
way, plan to swing by OHS and check out this cool tribute!
Monday, June 8: Future Selfie Day!
We invite all seniors to take a photo with a shirt, logo, or
note highlighting their next journey in life. Families are welcome to be as
creative as possible, and decorate their front door with photos and logos, use
sidewalk chalk, post a sign in the yard. Be creative! Take a picture of
your senior, and share it using #OconPride2020 and we will share them with the
community throughout the day!
Tuesday, June 9: Cap and Gown Pick Up & Chromebook Return-
Raccoon Style!
We will host a drive-thru Cap and Gown pick up on Tuesday, June 9.
During times outlined below, students will report to Main Campus to pick up
their cap, gown, awards, and special mementos to celebrate their time at OHS.
After picking up their materials at the Main Campus, students will drive to
East Campus and return their Chromebooks. You should report during your
assigned window of time. These assignments are listed by counselor below:
- Bakkum
(Last Names: A-Fe) from 9:00-11:00 a.m.
- Fisher
(Last Names: Fi-Kr) from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
- Verhagen
(Last Names: Ks-Ro) from 2:00-4:00 p.m.
- Black
(Last Names: Ru-Z) from 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, June 10: Ocon Pride Live! A Livestreamed Communitywide
Celebration (7:30-9:30 p.m.)
On what would have been our last day of school, our entire
community is invited to tune in for a live-streamed celebration to recognize
each member of the Class of 2020. A link to the event and details will be
shared in early June!
Thursday, June 11: Honk and Wave at a Senior (7:00-7:30 p.m.)
Families are invited to do what they do best and embarrass their
seniors! We are encouraging every senior to go out in their front yard and put
on their cap, gown, and regalia so that your neighbors and those passing by can
salute your achievement and hard work!
Friday, June 12: Raccoon Family Night!
We encourage families to take the evening of June 12 to celebrate
their graduates with each other. Whatever your family traditions are, we
encourage you to enjoy time with each other. Feel free to wear your purple and
gold and share the photos of your dinner, bonfire, or game night using
#OconPride2020.
Saturday, June 13: Celebrate the Class of 2020 (10:00 a.m.)
Acknowledging that this would have been the date and time of our
Commencement Ceremony, we will do something special to honor the Class of 2020.
We have some ideas, but we want to wait as long as possible to finalize them in
hopes that some of the current restrictions are eased.
Finally, we have worked with our yearbook vendor and arranged for
a later publication date so that all these events, including the Commencement
Ceremony in August, are part of the 2019-2020 yearbook. You can click
here to order a yearbook. The deadline to order a yearbook is May 31,
and we anticipate that you will be able to pick them up by early January.
You can find a listing of these events on our website at www.oasd.org/Graduation. Please feel free to email me at CurtisJ@oasd.org if you have any questions.
For now, stay focused! You still have about one-month of classes left. I look forward to celebrating with you soon!
Jason
