Class of 2021: Update

 

February 2021

Dear Parents and Guardians of the Class of 2021:

It goes without saying that this year has been fraught with challenges, from a number of different perspectives. To say that families and students have been patient with many variables, from the class schedules, to athletics, to student activities, is a complete understatement. However, we have turned the corner into 2021, are seeing the impact of vaccines in the community, and starting to plan for some of the events that culminate our school year.

It is in that spirit that this letter is being shared, because we know there is significant interest in the end of the year events that are being planned for the Class of 2021. This letter may be lengthy, but we want to be clear with some of our plans at this point. Please know that details can change, particularly as information and direction from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts come to us from the Governor and our Public Health partners.

A recording of this email is also linked on our podcast site:

Limitations from the State

We will be obliged to follow any limitations from the state in terms of attendance. The current number of individuals permitted to attend an outdoor event is only 25 individuals. We are hopeful the trends for the virus, which may have hit a peak in recent weeks, will descend, both as herd immunity and vaccinations become more prevalent. In addition, we are hopeful that the Commonwealth will ease some restrictions for outdoor and indoor gatherings. We will be monitoring this information closely and adjusting accordingly.

Prom

All Prom plans are contingent on our ability to host a social gathering of up to 200 individuals, with the class, guests, and chaperones all taken into account. Should state restrictions not allow that to occur, we obviously will be beholden to those requirements.

Our Prom is scheduled for early May, and we have tentatively reserved Pleasant Valley Country Club as our venue for the event. We will have to secure the event by early March, at which point we may not yet have direction from the state. As such, we may have to make arrangements to have our prom at a different location, with the flexibility of booking later into March or even April. Our senior class advisor, Mrs. Christine Prior,  and I have been in contact with the Class Officers and have been in frequent communication about providing some kind of prom-like event - even if that means limiting numbers, food/meal, and changing locations.

In addition, the Prom this year will be solely a Senior Prom, not a Junior-Senior prom. We do not believe that there will be the latitude to host an event with 300-plus individuals, which is typically the number of attendees for the junior-senior event.

With respect to any event, we anticipate having the attendees all complete a COVID-19 certification, consistent with what we use for a check-in for athletics. While unfortunate, a student who is symptomatic the day or week of the event - or who tests positive for the virus - could compromise the entire group should he or she attend, so we would obviously tell students who are symptomatic to stay home.

There is always the possibility that no event will be scheduled. Again, we will reflect on the guidelines from the Commonwealth as they are provided to us.

Awards Night

We are working on a few alternatives for awards night, specifically that would allow some family members and the seniors to attend something at UHS. Again, we will be monitoring the metrics and any requirements for attendance and adjusting accordingly.

Our seniors and staff enjoy this night as an opportunity to celebrate the class’ many accomplishments. As a result, we would like to make sure we reinstate this as an in-person event, but it may mean changing the venue from the auditorium, limiting time, and adjusting attendance requirements.

Graduation

Right now, we are working on several plans for graduation, most of which will be outdoors. We developed a model last year that used a “drive-in” model, which was, for the most part, fairly successful. It enabled us to keep with most of the program, and, being in the evening, it was a more reasonable temperature, even when compared to indoors.

We are also looking at the potential of using our turf field, but that has a number of logistical challenges that we are evaluating. We want to make sure that no plan that utilizes the turf field compromises the field itself, particularly should chairs be used on the field. Additionally, whenever we look at outdoor venues, particularly in early June, we have concerns about climate, weather, and temperature. In particular, we may be recommending a different day and/or time, to accommodate for any potential weather conditions. 

Historically, we have had the ability to offer families up to nine tickets for graduation. Using that number as a minimum, with 100-plus graduates, plus staff, it will not likely be feasible for us to provide nine tickets per family, even if we use the outdoor space of the turf field. We will likely be limiting the number of attendees to 5-6 per family, and using a more formal ticketing process, particularly should there be a need to contact trace. Again, we will be following up with more details when we have them, both in terms of time, place, and attendance restrictions. We will also do our best to be flexible around the specific needs of families and any necessary accommodations, as always.

The graduation ceremony and celebration of a graduating class remains one of the most important events of our entire school year, as it culminates so much for our school, community, families, and students. We promise to do our best to communicate with you as to any scheduling adjustments and requirements that are imposed, and to do our very best to provide ample time for families and our graduates to plan.

Thank you in advance for your continued support and patience.

Sincerely yours,

Michael D. Rubin

Principal

Uxbridge High School