Thursday high school graduation will be drive-thru ceremony

Modify and adjust.

It’s a common mantra in education and one the La Conner School District has tapped often while developing its graduation format amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The newest – and final – high school graduation plan allows the most people to hop along for what has been a wild ride navigating the uncertainties of the virus crisis.

After first opting for virtual commencement exercises, school officials and senior class members have decided to instead hold a drive-thru graduation ceremony tomorrow (June 11) at 5 p.m. in the parking lot adjoining Landy James Gym and Whittaker Field.

A downtown vehicle serpentine will follow.

“It’s an adjustment,” La Conner Middle and High School Principal Todd Torgeson told the Weekly News last week. “We went from a virtual graduation to one where the parents can witness it in real time.”

Torgeson said that option only allowed five people inside Landy James Gym or the Tim Bruce Performing Arts Center at any one time due to COVID-related restrictions in place.

“If you have a couple school employees, two people filming, and the graduate,” Torgeson explained, “that means the parents wouldn’t be able to watch.”

It was a La Conner High senior who suggested the drive-thru option, said Assistant Principal Kathy Herrera.

Coincidentally, Herrera earlier this spring had attended a drive-thru graduation in Colorado in which her niece was a participant.

“I can tell you from experience that it’s a good way to do it,” she said. “It’s an opportunity for the parents to see their kids and for the classmates to see one another.”

Herrera said she hasn’t received permission to name the La Conner senior who promoted the drive-thru alternative but was able to share the idea with class members.

“We talked to the class officers and the seniors,” she added, “and they were all on-board with it. This way people won’t be on their couches at home watching graduation.”

Herrera said school staff will begin staging each senior’s family vehicle in the parking area around 4 p.m.. One-by-one, graduates will be dropped off in front of the gym entrance across Sixth Street from the baseball field. From there, they will walk up stairs to a platform, receive their diplomas, pause for pictures and then return to their respective vehicles.

“Everybody will be able to see the platform,” Herrera said.

Parts of the ceremony will be virtual, she and Torgeson said.

Senior speeches and scholarship presentations have been pre-recorded. The awards portion was shared via Zoom Tuesday night with La Conner Middle and High School Counselor Lori Buher serving as emcee.

La Conner Schools Technology Director Ryan Hiller is in the process of uploading the student speeches onto a YouTube channel.

“There have been a lot of moving parts with some heavy pieces in motion,” Herrera said.

Torgeson agreed.

“There’s been a lot of talking, planning and researching that’s gone into this,” he said. After all, we’ve never done this before.”

Despite obstacles posed by COVID-19, Herrera doesn’t anticipate any major bumps in the road for La Conner High’s mobile graduation.

“We’re excited,” she said. “We’re going to make it work.”