Final Graduation Information
prin...@sethigh.org
Dear Seniors, Parent of Seniors, and anyone else who might be interested in graduation,
We're only one week away from graduation! And it's a real graduation! Whoever thought that we would get here during this crazy year??? The purpose of this email is to give you a brain dump of what we know so that you can feel as comfortable as possible about graduation. As always, I'll bullet point the important points first.
- Graduation is on Saturday (6/12) at 9:00 at the Legacy International Center
- Unlimited audience numbers
- But, only 2 per graduate in the front-of-house seating
- Everyone must wear a mask through the whole ceremony regardless of your vaccination status
- Parking is $5 if you pre-pay (or bring a $5 bill)
- Anyone is welcome to come to graduation, but unless you are one of the 2 guests, you must be in the back-of-the-house seating
Graduation is on Saturday (6/12) at 9:00 at the Legacy International Center
Address:
International Legacy Center
875 Hotel Cir S
San Diego, CA 92108
Parking can be found up the hill and to the right after you enter the facility. Please see below for information about the cost of parking. Here is a map that will help you know where to park:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QQV1MVsVi69xYqQfOd3eVfAgzPlmR7QR/view?usp=sharing
Unlimited audience numbers, But, only 2 per graduate in the front-of-house seating
Our biggest challenge to holding a graduation during COVID-19 is accommodating everyone in a COVID-safe setting. I know that it feels like we are close to being at the end of this COVID crisis, but please help us follow the laws and set a safe environment for those who are either unable to be vaccinated or who have not yet been fully vaccinated. Our primary responsibility is to make sure that all those who are in attendance feel safe. To that end, we will be requiring all of those in attendance to wear face masks and to maintain 6 feet of social distancing from those who do not live in the same household at all times. We have purposefully chosen an outdoor venue that can accommodate our predicted audience size in a socially-distant setting. While we cannot guarantee that everyone who wants to attend will be able to have an unobstructed view, we are confident that everyone will have a good time, be able to hear or see most of the ceremony, and will be able to have a front-row view of the parts of the ceremony that are most relevant to them. Please know that while we are used to having everyone have an unobstructed view of our ceremony, because of the restrictions imposed by COVID-19, we, along with every other school in the country have had to make accommodations in order to safely hold a graduation ceremony. My daughter is only allowed to invite three people to her graduation, so I am proud of the fact that we have been able to accommodate all who want to witness this milestone event.
You will be as comfortable as you want to be at this event. Think of it as a celebration at the park or a beach. Bring your own beach chairs and blankets, and wear clothing to protect yourself from the sun. Depending on the weather that day, you may want to bring water, as well.
We will be restricting the front-of-the-house seating to two people per graduate on a first-come-first-served basis. This means that the graduate's guests will have a space that is large enough to accommodate 2 people that is 6 feet away from other audience members. If you can fit more than 2 people into the space that typically holds 2 people, that is fine. For example, if you have young kids who want to sit on your lap, you are welcome to do so. Think about the space that is taken up by two beach chairs. If you can reasonably fit more people into that space, please feel free to do so. Please do not make us police this, though. We would prefer to spend our time trying to make sure that the ceremony is a memorable one for your students.
For those who are not in the front-of-the-house seating, do not fret. I am pretty sure that everyone will have the view and the experience that they want. I would personally choose the back-of-the-house seating because I would feel more comfortable being able to stand up and walk around. People who are not in the immediate bowl will still be able to see just fine, and regardless, anyone who is immediately interested in a person who is being recognized during the ceremony will be able to walk down the stairs and stand in a prime viewing/photographing area right in front of the podium. Everyone will be able to have prime viewing for the parts of the ceremony that they care about.
Everyone must wear a mask through the whole ceremony regardless of your vaccination status
Everyone must wear a mask throughout the whole ceremony regardless of your vaccination status. You will not be permitted to enter the ceremony if you are not wearing a mask, and you will be asked to leave if you are not wearing the mask during the ceremony. This is not a big ask. We are all used to wearing masks. The school staff has been wearing masks 8 hours a day at school, so I think we can all handle wearing a mask for a few hours during this ceremony. The only exception will be for those who are at the podium, actively speaking to the audience. I ask that we all commit to what we do at school: make a concerted effort to follow the mask-wearing rules and be respectful when reminding (or being reminded) that masks must be worn. A simple "thank you for reminding me" is the only acknowledgment that is needed when being asked to put on your mask. We will have masks available for you if you forget to bring your mask.
Parking is $5 if you pre-pay (or bring a $5 bill)
One of the consequences of us having to find a new venue for the ceremony is that parking is no longer free. We felt that this was a small price to be paid for having such a beautiful venue for graduation. Our hosts have graciously given us a validated discount of $5 for parking, but unfortunately, the process for getting that rate is a little cumbersome. We are providing you with the following options:
- Pre-pay $5 per vehicle by going here, and then validate your parking ticket by giving it to Ms. Heath when you arrive
- Bring a $5 bill (no change will be provided) on the day of the event, and validate your ticket by giving it to Ms. Heath
- Pay the full price of parking by paying for your parking upon exit ($5/hour). Note that graduation is expected to last roughly 2 hours, but we will not be rushing the graduation in order to meet an arbitrary deadline
- Do a drop-off and find alternate parking. Please know that there is no obvious street parking nearby; that's probably why the venue feels confident with charging for parking
In case you missed it above, parking can be found here.
Anyone is welcome to come to graduation,
but unless you are one of the 2 guests, you must be in the back-of-the-house seating. It does not matter how early you arrive. If you are not one of the two identified guests, you will have to wait until all identified guests are seated before choosing a location to set up your chair. Again, do not worry about this. I am sure that the back-of-the-house seating will be just fine and we will make sure that the volume is loud enough to be heard by everyone. Please make sure that you are considerate of those who are around you. You may not care about social distancing, but those who are around you may do so. We all have learned a new definition of social space. Please adhere to it!
What I hope is that the atmosphere will be one of a day at the park or beach. Everyone will have everything that they need to be comfortable, and there will be a natural spacing between family units. As long as everyone adheres to the "only move forward when my loved one is being graduated", everyone will be able to have the optimal experience.
We will ask the graduates to identify the two guests who they would like to have priority seating.
Thanks everyone! We are so privileged to play a part in this milestone celebration and cannot wait to see you all there!
Dr. McCurdy
