Believe and Achieve Times
Student and Parent Edition: July 14, 2020
5% Banquet is July 15, 2020 at 6pm
Arrival
- Doors will open at 5:45pm.
- Students and guests are to enter through door 31 and proceed to the cafeteria. Students and guests will check in upon entering the cafeteria.
- Students and guests will then proceed to their assigned tables.
Program Overview
- Students and their guests will be seated and served dinner by the members of the Spa catering team. Servers will wear masks and gloves during this process.
- After dinner we will begin the presentation of the students. All speakers, including the students, will be required to wear a mask as they give their speech. This is because of the sharing of the microphone.
Senior Banquet on July 17, 2020 is cancelled
Due to the difficulty in maintaining social distancing and the stage of the pandemic in Porter County, we have decided to cancel the Senior Banquet scheduled for Friday, July 17 at Chesterton High School. Maintaining social distancing with over 175 students in attendance will be extremely difficult in our current environment and circumstances. We are determined and set to have a live graduation ceremony for the Class of 2020 on Friday, July 24 at 7pm, and we believe that the structure of graduation will allow for us to maintain social distancing. Next week we will release a virtual senior banquet with pictures of the class of 2020 and the senior superlative recipients.
Graduation Ceremony is July 24, 2020 at 7pm
The Big Day: July 24, 2020
Commencement is scheduled for July 24, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. at the CHS Stadium. The weather
back-up day will be July 25, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. at the CHS Stadium. The day will be here soon! The CHS faculty and staff congratulate all graduates and their families and look forward to celebrating together. Congratulations, Class of 2020!
Ceremony Overview
This year’s service will be modified in many ways for safety while also honoring several features and characteristics of traditional graduation ceremonies we’ve held. We are very excited to see our graduates and their families on this special day. As a reminder, the ceremony will be streamed live on the CHS Facebook Page
The Program
Date: Friday, July 24, 2020
Time: 7:00pm
Location: CHS Stadium
Tickets Required for Admittance: 4 per student
Gates Open for Guests: 5:30 pm
Streaming: CHS Facebook Page
Presiding: Brent Martinson, Principal
Security: CPD, SRO Sgt. Chris Swickard
Music: CHS Wind Ensemble
Student Speaker: Paige Fowler
Faculty Speaker: Adam Tenbarge
Graduate Instructions
Graduates will report to the field house appropriately dressed for the ceremony no later than 6 pm. For the ceremony, graduates will be spread out around the football field for proper social distancing. A chair will be placed on the football field for each graduate. Graduates will be provided a face covering on the day of the graduation service. Graduates may also wear their own, solid colored face mask. All staff and graduates must wear the face covering during the processional into the football field and while getting their diploma except for the picture taken by a professional photographer immediately after they receive their diploma.
In the field house, chairs will be separated according to social distancing guidelines in the same arrangement as they will be on the football field.
Staff will take attendance, hand out the protective face masks for any student who does not have one, and check that each student is complying with the graduation dress code.
All graduates are expected to wear the traditional cap and gown (no decorations) with appropriate attire under the cap and gown. Examples include: dress shirt, tie, slacks, dresses, skirts, and blouses, are all appropriate for a formal ceremony. No shorts, cut-offs, tennis shoes, or flip flops.
No shoes with a separated heel, like high-heeled shoes, are permitted in order to protect the turf field.
Students may also wear other school-sponsored embellishments at graduation such as the maroon and gold honor cord, 5% medal, IB stole, military honor cord, academic ring, or state championship ring. Please ask an administrator if your student has any questions about attire.
Seniors who do not comply with these standards and/or who dress in a way that could potentially disrupt the ceremony will be asked to change or not participate. The ceremony will not be delayed for the student to return from home in order to change clothes.
During the processional into the stadium, the graduates are expected and to wear masks and socially distance themselves.
During the ceremony, as the graduate's name is read over the PA, the student will walk to the stage with their mask on to be greeted by the principal. As the graduate walks across the stage a central office administrator or school board member will give each graduate their diploma cover which will be used in the picture. The graduate will pause as they exit the stage for a photograph with the photographer. The student will remove their mask to take the picture and place it back on when they return to their seat.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, graduates will stand and conduct a recessional back into the school building in order to pick up their diplomas in the cafeteria or the field house. Students are expected and required to wear their mask during the recessional. Music will play over the PA as the graduates exit the stadium. The graduates are expected to socially distance during the recessional.
After receiving your diploma in the cafeteria, graduates are asked to exit the CHS property as the stadium will be closed immediately after the ceremony.
General Information
Parents/guardians and graduates will receive four (4) tickets per graduate for this year’s ceremony. Family groups will be expected to sit together to allow for proper social distancing. While we realistically and regretfully have to limit the number of attendees at this year’s graduation in order to ensure pandemic safety measures, we are grateful that we are able to have an in-person ceremony for the graduates to walk the stage.
Guests must have a ticket in order to attend the ceremony.
Gates to the stadium will open at 5:30 pm.
Guests will sit in the bleachers on the home and visitors’ sides of the stadium. Please note that the stage will be on the south end of the field and so both sides will have the same view of the graduates as they walk across the stage. Also, because some graduates may not be at graduation due to the change in the schedule, the exact placement of each graduate on the football field is not finalized. As students pick up their tickets, we will have a better idea of who will be in attendance.
Handicapped seating is available on both sides of the track. If a guest requires handicapped seating, two of the regular admission tickets must be exchanged for two handicapped seating tickets no later than Friday, July 17.
In order to maintain social distancing, family groups of four must only sit in the designated areas identified by tape on the bleachers.
After the service, guests will remain in the stadium until the graduates have completed the recessional out of the stadium.
After the graduates have completed the recessional back into CHS to receive their diploma, guests will be dismissed over the PA by section starting with the handicapped seating first. It is necessary for everyone to exit the stadium to comply with social distancing practices.
Parents/guardians are encouraged to arrange a meeting place with their graduate that is outside the stadium since it is necessary to clear the stadium. Greetings and pictures can happen at nearby parks, public spaces, etc. and social distancing is encouraged. Guests and graduates will not be permitted to hang around the stadium after the ceremony.
Can't Make it to Commencement?
We recognize that the date change to the commencement ceremony has caused a disruption to some of our students' schedules and/or summer plans. The ceremony will be streamed on the CHS Facebook Page so that family members can view the ceremony live at home. If you are not able to attend graduation, please let an administrator know as soon as possible.
Parking
Guests and graduates will be able to park anywhere in the CHS parking lots. There will be limited handicap accessible parking in the parking lot outside Entrance 34, nearest the northwest corner of CHS. Handicapped parking will only be available on a first come, first served basis and vehicles must have handicap placards in order to utilize this parking area.
Trojan Charge is set for August 3, 4, 5, and 6!
August 3: Students with the last name A-F: 8-11am
August 4: Students with the last name G-L: 8-11am
August 5: Students with the last name M-R: 8-11am
August 6: Students with the last name S-Z: 8-11am
We are requiring all students to bring a mask in order to wear if you are in a situation where you cannot properly practice social distancing. If you do not have a mask one can be provided for you upon your students arrival.
The schedule of the day detailed below:
8-8:20am: Students register and meet in the Auditorium. Students will sit 3-6 feet from each other. Students will be introduced to teachers, counselors, and administrators.
Students will placed in groups of 15-20 and will have an upperclassmen as a mentor. Students will report to three 'expectation stations' so they are prepared for high school.
8:25am - 8:40am: Expectation Station: Positive Choices
8:45am - 9:00am: Expectation Station: Tips on how to be successful in the classroom
9:05am - 9:20am: Expectation Station: How to practice social distancing at CHS
9:20 -10:00am: Students will walk their schedule from class to class to help them become acclimated to CHS. Below is how the schedule will be followed:
9:20 - 9:25am: First period
9:25 - 9:30am: Second period
9:30 - 9:35am: Third period
9:35 - 9:40am: Fourth period
9:40 - 9:45am: Fifith period
9:45 - 9:50am: Sixth period
9:50 - 9:55am: Seventh period
9:55 - 10:00am: Eitght period
Students will then head to the field house where they will receive their school issued device for the 2020-21 school year. Students will return their school issued IPAD at the time of registration.
2020-21 Student Government Executive Board
President - Abigail Winland
VP of Public Relations - Barbara Holsclaw
VP of Student Affairs - Celia Faroh
Treasurer - Madelin Billings
Secretary - Sofia Portugal