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Gloucester giving seniors individual appointment times in new graduation plan

Students will be able to walk a stage and receive their diplomas - but this year, the stage is at the high school, and the graduates will walk separately.

GLOUCESTER, Va. — Gloucester County graduates will get to walk across a stage and receive their diplomas in front of their parents, but this year -- with coronavirus restrictions in place -- the school division is setting individual appointments to hold those celebrations in the high school auditorium.

Students will be given an individual date and time to show up to the high school in their graduation regalia and receive their diplomas.

The individual graduation celebrations will stretch through the week of June 15.

To make time for all of the seniors to participate, the ceremonies will have to be quick, but there will be a photographer there to capture the moment for family members who cannot attend the intimate graduations.

Dr. Craig Reed, principal of Gloucester High School, announced the decision in a letter to the county's senior class.

"While this year’s Graduation ceremony certainly does not resemble graduation ceremonies of the past, we have an opportunity to create a legacy that is entirely unique to this year’s senior class," wrote Reed.

Students are being asked to wear formal wear under their caps and gowns for their ceremonies, and only invite parents or guardians to attend.

They'll also receive mementos from the high school as part of their graduations.

Carter Roane, like so many others, was looking forward to the end of senior year. So was his mom, Shannon Roane. She went to Gloucester High School, and so did her oldest son.

They got to experience the fun activities that came with senior year, but Carter will not because of COVID-19.

“It's surreal, it hit me all at once and it's sad,” Roane said.

He won't, however, miss out on graduation. But it won't happen like his mom and brother's ceremonies.

“The whole point of graduation is to have your whole family with you,” Roane said. “But they're trying their hardest to make it somewhat normal.”

Shannon Roane said both sets of her son's grandparents will miss out on seeing him walk across the stage.

“I would like to have them there, plus his brother and both parents there,” Roane said. “His grandparents and brother understand, but it won't be the same.”

“It's a win-win, lose-lose no matter what because they can't accommodate every situation so I think they're trying to do the best they can.”

A few school divisions have put out plans already. Newport News' ceremony is now at Todd Stadium.

Both Norfolk and Chesapeake will host virtual ceremonies. Later in the summer, they have tentative plans for in-person graduations.

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