There Will Be In Person Graduation For VRHS in 2021

ESSEX, CHESTER, DEEP RIVER, CT — According to a letter sent out by Valley Regional High School Principal Mike Barile and Assistant Principal Carolyn Gbunblee, graduation will be held in person (it will also be streamed by Valley TV on YouTube) on June 9th (with a rain date of June 8th) in the upper competition field, directly in front of the school building. It will be an RSVP event, and additional information about registration and scheduling of arrival times for guests will be published closer to graduation. There will be no congregating following the event and students and their families are being asked to leave graduation in an orderly fashion, after the ceremony, to celebrate and take pictures at home

“We are thrilled to announce that we have received approval from our two health departments to offer in-person graduation this year. This is very positive news for our graduates and families as we honor their hard work and commitment in person. As we are still in the pandemic, it is necessary that we limit graduation to a manageable size to ensure event and community safety. Therefore, this year's ceremony will be for students, families and their guests and not open to the general public,” Barile said, in a written statement.

He added, “This update will be one of many moving forward regarding graduation details and logistics. We will continue to implement effective mitigation strategies so everyone is safe and comfortable attending the program. We anticipate that the State of Connecticut will be providing additional guidance about event planning in the weeks ahead. We will advise our community about these details accordingly.”

The number of guests each student is permitted to have at graduation has not yet been solidified, however, guests will be limited and at this time it is expected that everyone in attendance will be required to wear masks.

Unlike in past years, the choir and band will not be playing at the ceremony, (instrumental and choral programs will pre-recorded music, which will be played at different times during the program) and refreshments will not be served. There will be two stadium bleacher areas set up for students, to ensure social distancing and there will be guest pods set up for families.

There are still several details of the event that are currently being ironed out, but the good news is that graduation will happen this year albeit different from years past.

“Our committee is working through a variety of considerations and variables in order to meet the needs of everyone,” said Barile.

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