Published in the June 12, 2020 edition.
WAKEFIELD — The Wakefield Memorial High School Class of 2020 will graduate this weekend, but due to COVID-19 and the response to the virus, it will not be the traditional graduation ceremony of recent years, with the entire class and guests inside the Charbonneau Field House. Instead, graduates will receive their diplomas in smaller group ceremonies on Landrigan Field on Saturday and Sunday. Seniors received their caps and gowns last week.
Each student will be allowed to bring to the ceremony immediate family members with whom they have been in direct contact throughout the “stay at home” order.
An outdoor stage will be set up on the cement track at Landrigan (near the bleachers). Arriving students and families will be directed to get out of their cars, one family at a time, head up the ramp, and walk onto the Landrigan Field to stand in an assigned spot with their family on the field.
All participants will be required to wear masks while outside of their cars on school grounds, except while crossing the stage and at the photo station when families can remove masks to take a photograph. Graduates will be provided with masks designed specifically for the Class of 2020 (purchased by an anonymous donor).
Students will be welcomed to the ceremony by one of the four Senior Class Officers.
Winnie Mylan will offer the Saturday morning welcome, and Katie Pearl will welcome graduates at the Saturday afternoon ceremonies. Retta Carroll will welcome graduating seniors on Sunday morning and Olivia Lucey will offer the welcome at the Sunday afternoon sessions.
After the welcome, each students’ name will be announced by the Senior Class Officer. The student will cross the stage and pick up their diploma from a table. The diploma will be placed on the table by the School Committee Chairperson or the Superintendent.
The student’s family will meet the student at a photography station (located next to the stage on the field) and then return back to their original spot on the field.
Students and families on the field will be encouraged to cheer and support the graduates all the way through the ceremony (instead of holding applause to the end).
Each student will be filmed as they are walking the stage and getting diplomas. This portion of the event will be live-streamed by WCAT (and also recorded).
WCAT will put together a video of the entire ceremony – including pre-recorded speeches and all students walking the stage to receive diplomas – to be shared with students and the community.
Rain dates Monday, June 15 and Tuesday, June 16 have been scheduled, if needed.