Cobb schools graduation ceremonies

Cobb schools targeting late July for graduation ceremonies

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East Cobb seniors caps gowns

Following up an announcement earlier this week from Cobb schools about what had been student-only graduation ceremonies comes this update, with a substantial change reflecting the district’s desire for parents to attend:

As of today, Friday, June 5th, strict guidance from state and local public health officials, which is specific to Cobb County, allows for a ceremony with graduates only in attendance.

Current examples of public health recommendations for Cobb County graduation ceremonies include:

  • Only allowing graduates to be in attendance
  • Observing strict social distancing guidelines as defined in the Governor’s most recent Executive Order
  • Performing temperature checks and symptom screenings of all attendees
  • Recommending all attendees wear face masks
  • Providing multiple hand hygiene stations

 

The District continues to work with state and local public health officials to pursue every option to allow parents and graduates to celebrate together. We are targeting late July for the graduation ceremonies. This will hopefully allow more flexible guidance to be provided by state and local public health officials.

Graduates and parents should monitor communications from their respective high schools and check this page often for updates.

Once confirmed, graduation information for both graduates and parents will be provided which includes:

  • Schedules
  • Directions to venues
  • Graduate arrival, parking, and entry instructions
  • Video players for the live stream

For the most up-to-date information from the District related to COVID-19, please visit www.cobbk12.org/covid

 

When the student-only announcement was made earlier this week, that decision was roundly panned on a Facebook page devoted to Cobb schools topics.

If a late July window is enacted for graduation ceremonies, that would run close to the start of a new school year, scheduled to start on Aug. 3.

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Cobb schools to hold graduation ceremonies for students only

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East Cobb seniors caps gowns
Wheeler High School seniors cheer on their classmates at cap-and-gown pickup.

The Cobb County School District announced Monday that it’s in the process of scheduling in-person graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2020, following new COVID-19 health guidance in Georgia.

But those commencement exercises will be for students only, “with strict Department of Public Health protocols in place,” and at only two venues: Wheeler High School in East Cobb and Harrison High School in West Cobb.

The district said in a release Monday afternoon more details will be announced by Friday, and did not indicate when the graduations will take place. Each ceremony will be livestreamed for parents and the public.

The district said 3,000-seat gyms at Wheeler and Harrison “will allow for proper social distance protocols, predictable weather, and technical ability to livestream.”

Health protocols include temperature checks and symptom screening for all students before they’re allowed entry to the gyms. All attendees will be asked to wear masks and there will be multiple hand hygiene stations.

The district postponed physical graduation in late April, and said it was still hoping to have ceremonies depending on health guidance.

Most Cobb high schools had some sort of cap and gown and diploma pick up event over the last couple of weeks.

Cobb schools has held most of its graduation ceremonies at the KSU Convocation Center. Wheeler has been one of the few schools to hold commencement at its own gym, Wildcat Arena.

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