To our Benicia High School Class of 2020 Graduates and Families:
The Benicia Unified School District is excited to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of the Senior Class. To that end, Benicia High School is proud to announce our alternative plan for our 2020 BHS Graduation Commencement. I appreciate the suggestions and support we have received from our school community. We all want to provide the best experience and memories for our students. It is important to include and honor all of the special traditions of a Benicia High School graduation that we have enjoyed for many years. To accomplish that goal, we will create a polished and professional graduation ceremony that we will broadcast on June 6th so that every Benicia High student and family, as well as family and friends across the country, will be able to watch the graduation together. After the graduation ceremony has ended, we invite all of our graduates, with their families, to drive to Benicia High School to receive their diploma and other items.
It is necessary that we graduate our Seniors at the close of their academic year and cannot hold their diplomas beyond that time. Also, many of our Seniors have plans to move on after June 6th, to military service or other relocation. Keeping this in mind, we will provide an inclusive and traditional graduation ceremony on June 6th and then, when state and local guidelines allow for gatherings, we will strive to provide a special celebratory event for the Class of 2020 to come together as we recognize that they have missed many important events.
Please read the following plans carefully as there are some changes from the previous letter and many additional details about our graduation ceremony program:
On Monday May 11th and Tuesday May 12th, each Senior and up to four family members (parents and/or legal guardians or siblings only) will report to Drolette Stadium during their scheduled time. Please note that this limit will be enforced as we must adhere to strict guidelines in order to provide this plan. Seniors should wear their cap and gown for this appointment. They will be filmed having their name announced, walking to the podium/presentation area, and receiving their diploma cover. Next, they will walk to a designated area to have their graduation photo taken by a professional photographer. Seniors may decorate their graduation cap and can submit a photo or video of their decorated graduation cap and/or tossing their cap for a special video montage to moreilly@beniciaunified.org before May 8th. Benicia High School will purchase and provide a graduation picture for each Senior as a token of appreciation for all you have accomplished. The picture will be given to you when you pick up your diploma.
We will record each segment from our traditional graduation program. This will include the Pledge of Allegiance, National Anthem, Senior Class President’s Welcome, performance from our Panther Band Seniors, speeches from the Valedictorian and Salutatorians, Presentation of the Class, and Summit Awards. Each segment will be professionally filmed and edited in order to showcase each of our Seniors and all of our traditional ceremony elements. This will be available to view on Saturday, June 6, 2020 at 11:00 a.m., the traditional graduation date and time, via YouTube (link will be provided) and on the Benicia Government Access Television Channel (Comcast channel 27 or AT&T U-Verse channel 99). Students will be able to watch their own graduation for the first time ever while in the presence of their family, and it will also be available to the entire Benicia community as well as family and friends around the world. It will remain available for you to watch after that time as well.
LINK TO GRADUATION BROADCAST: https://www.youtube.com/c/BeniciaUnifiedSchoolDistrict
At the conclusion of the ceremony’s broadcast, we invite our graduates in their cap and gown, along with their family to drive to Benicia High School where we will distribute diplomas, graduation pictures, and Summit Awards from 1:00 to 2:00pm in a drive-thru style event. We encourage students to decorate their cars and ask our Benicia Community members to come outside at that time to cheer, wave, and show their support for the Class of 2020!
While this process will take many hours and the cooperation of our staff, students, and families, we feel this will best capture the true celebration of this significant accomplishment in your life and continue the great traditions of the Benicia High School ceremony for the Class of 2020. We want to thank our staff, volunteers, and many others for their time and generosity in support of the Class of 2020. A special thank you and recognition of the team at Northgate for their partnership and their donation of the production of the ceremony with film, editing, and creation of this special graduation program for us. Now is the time for us to come together as a school community to celebrate the Class of 2020, remember the amazing times they have shared, the difficulties they continue to overcome, and the incredible adventures ahead of them.
Go Panthers!
Brianna Kleinschmidt
Principal, Benicia High School & Proud BHS Alum, Class of 1997
Please Note On Your Calendar:
May 11th & 12th: Taping of the BHS Graduation at Scheduled times ONLY - Please park in the upper parking lot, entering from Plaza De Oro (like parking for a football game). The baseball/tennis driveway gate will be closed to cars. Follow all signs and directions from staff. We will have a line formed as needed, with proper spacing of 6 feet between each family. No signs, balloons, or other items will be permitted as this is not a gathering or a celebration - please save those items for June 6th. At the conclusion of the appointment, we ask that you promptly depart so that we can keep the area as clear and safe as possible. Campus will not be open.
Your final day of school is Thursday, June 4th. You do not have school on Friday, June 5th so that your teachers have time to finalize and submit grades.
Seniors - Plan to return all textbooks, BUSD Chromebooks, and other school materials on Thursday, June 4th from 3:00 to 5:00pm or Friday, June 5th from 1:00-3:00pm. When you drop off your items, you will also be able to clean out your school locker and PE locker.
On June 6th, the graduation ceremony will be broadcast on Youtube and on the Benicia Government Access Television Channel (Comcast channel 27 or AT&T U-Verse channel 99). After the ceremony, at 1:00pm, students will come to Benicia High School for a drive-thru distribution of their diploma, and graduation picture. You are welcomed and encouraged to decorate your cars for this event. Link to Graduation Broadcast: https://www.youtube.com/c/BeniciaUnifiedSchoolDistrict
Important Notes:
- If a student has a conflict with their scheduled time due to AP exam, transportation, or other issue, please have the student email bkleinschmidt@beniciaunified.org to let us know of the conflict and two possible times to reschedule on May 11th or May 12th. We ask that this be kept strictly to conflicts so that we can complete this portion of filming on schedule.
- If a student does not attend their scheduled appointment, and is not filmed in their cap and gown, we will not be able to provide a picture and will not be able to film their announcement to be included in the ceremony. Instead, we will use their Senior picture from the yearbook with a voiceover of their name to make sure to include every student in the Presentation of Students portion of the ceremony.
