FALLS VILLAGE — Plans for the Thursday, June 17, graduation at Housatonic Valley Regional High School have been finalized, Principal Ian Strever told the Region One Board of Education Monday, June 7, at the regular monthly meeting (on Zoom).
The ceremony will be held outside, in front of the school, under a tent, at 6:30 p.m.
Strever said that after consulting with health officials, the seniors will be seated as a class, with appropriate social distancing. Each senior will be given three tickets. The tent will accommodate about 250 spectators. The general public is not allowed in. However, the seniors have purchased a live stream, which is available to anyone. The link is: https://livestream.rossmedia.com/graduation2021/
Region One School District Superintendent Lisa Carter discussed the reopening plan for schools in the fall. The plan takes into account three factors: A decreasing COVID-19 positivity rate in the state, especially in the Northwest Corner; the increasing number of fully vaccinated people; and the “extremely low probability” of in-school transmission of COVID-19.
The plan is preliminary, and can be changed if circumstances warrant. However, the plan “assumes the continuation of current COVID-19 patterns and therefore provides for the opportunity to return to more normal school operations in late August.”
Schools will continue to take mitigation measures, including: mandatory wearing of masks for all students and staff; students and staff will maintain social distancing of 3 to 6 feet, with 6 feet being maintained when possible; hand sanitization will continue to be practiced throughout the day.
There will be greater flexibility with respect to cohorting in the pre-k to grade eight schools, meal service for all students, and after-school activities.
Carter told the board that the biggest change is that all students will be expected to attend school in person. There will be no distance learning option.
She said “we feel confident” about not offering distance learning because of the low case rate in Region One, the effective mitigation measures taken in Region One throughout the pandemic, and the increasing number of vaccinated people.
Carter added that this is also the position of the state education department.
