Palmer High School
Weekly Update
Virtual Graduation
Today, the school closure and distance learning became even more surreal than everything else I've experienced during the pandemic. The student speakers were in their caps and gowns ready to deliver speeches. Mr. Evans (keynote speaker) and I were in our suits and ties. We stood at a podium and delivered all of the speeches using a teleprompter in the school district's board room. The lighting, sound, and video used are professional-grade, and I think we all felt like we were in a movie or a dream. As I said, it was all very surreal.
The results will be a professional-grade virtual graduation. This is the first virtual graduation Palmer High has had, and quite possibly the only. I know the tradition of Palmer High's graduation is an incredible family and community event. I am amazed at the turn out we have, year after year. Nothing can ever replace that event, and I can not begin to express how the Palmer High School family's heart goes out to our seniors and their family that this is the reality we are all facing.
With that said, I will tell you, the seniors that deliver their speeches, and performed music numbers delivered messages from their hearts. The speeches pulled with extra gravity on my heartstrings. While the moment may have felt surreal, the emotions and thoughts shared are genuine. My greatest hope is that our seniors, the families, and the community will appreciate the efforts of everyone involved.
The planned delivery of virtual graduation will take place on the same date and time as the original ceremony. Tuesday, May 12th, at 7:00 pm, a link will be shared with the public. Every year Palmer High packs the gym for graduation. I hope that the number of friends and family that get to take in this virtual ceremony will exceed the gym's capacity.
The class of 2020 deserves to be celebrated. Let us honor them like no other class before.
Go, Moose!