Previous Story
Non-traditional graduations are a go
|
Posted on May 12 2020
The Public School System has decided to pursue a non-traditional graduation to provide some sort of recognition for the Class of 2020.
Education Commissioner Dr. Alfred Ada confirmed in an interview that the PSS administration, with help of principals, has been working on a way to promote graduating seniors and that they have settled for a motorcade or drive-in theater set up.
According to Vince Dela Cruz, Saipan Southern High School principal and coordinator for the graduations, schools will be pursuing a modified graduation.
“We’re still pursuing graduation but it is going to be modified, meaning not traditional. The other high schools are doing a motorcade and when getting their diplomas, it’s going to be a drive-thru,” he said.
Dela Cruz added that there will still be speeches from the PSS administration, the keynote speaker, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, and from the valedictorian and salutatorian.
“There’s going to be prerecorded speeches like from the commissioner and even the governor to congratulate the students. We’re still going to be doing valedictorian and salutatorian speeches and awards but they will be prerecorded,” Dela Cruz said.
Specifically for SSHS, Dela Cruz said prerecorded speeches and award presentations would be downloaded into a flash drive and they will be given out to students along with their diplomas on a drive-thru basis.
Dela Cruz said schools will be sticking to the initial PSS graduation calendar.
“Whatever is indicated there, that’s when we’re going to do the graduation. The times may be a little different but the date is still the same. The first graduation is on June 3 or 5,” he said.
On Saipan there will be four graduations—Saipan Southern High School, Marianas High School, Kagman High School, and Da’ok Academy and one on Tinian and Rota.
There will be close to 700 graduates. MHS is estimated to have over 300 graduates, SSHS has around 150, and Kagman is expected to have around 110. Da’ok, Rota, and Tinian will have around 30 to 40 graduates each.
“All the high school teachers and staff got together to plan this out because we really wanted to give our seniors a little recognition,” Dela Cruz said.
