OUTDATED INFORMATION -April 24, 2020
Dear Seniors,
I hope you are all safe and doing well as we continue the school year with remote learning. Last Friday, we received the news that Illinois schools would remain closed for the remainder of the school year. While this news was certainly disappointing, this decision was made to protect the health and safety of you and your family. I know that you never imagined finishing the school year at home and not getting to experience all of the normal senior accolades. My heart sincerely breaks for you. Despite all of the disappointment, I want you to know that there will always be something good that comes out of any tragic situation. Sometimes we have to wait for it, but in the end we can look back and know that we had the opportunity to experience new things and learn from the situation.
With that being said, thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to develop a plan to honor the Class of 2020. Much of what has been planned however, will depend on any news that we receive from the Governor and the Douglas County Health Department.
Reschedule Graduation Ceremony: If the current restrictions are lifted this summer and we are allowed to host an event, we will make every effort to conduct a traditional Graduation Ceremony at Arcola High School. In fact, you will be the first class to have your graduation outside on the football field! We have selected two different dates for this summer to hold the graduation ceremony. In the event the June date is not an option, we will reschedule graduation for the July date.
Saturday, June 27, 2020 7:00 p.m. Thomas-Bradford Field
Saturday, July 25, 2020 7:00 p.m. Thomas-Bradford Field
Virtual Graduation Ceremony: In addition to rescheduling the actual graduation ceremony, we are currently developing a plan to create a virtual graduation ceremony. We want to move forward with the virtual graduation ceremony in the event we are not allowed to hold any events during the summer months. The virtual ceremony will include pictures, short video clips, and other information about each graduate. We are currently waiting to receive information from our local health department to find out if we will be allowed to have each graduate and their immediate family come to the school for a scheduled opportunity to take pictures and videos. If this is not possible, we will be asking each graduate to submit their own pictures and videos. More information about the virtual graduation ceremony will be shared with you soon.
Cap and Gown Delivery/Pick-up: Jake Romano will be contacting me soon with a date and time for the caps and gowns to be delivered and picked up. We hope that will happen next week. Once a date and time has been determined, detailed information will be sent out to all seniors and their parents.
Graduation Car Parade: We are also planning to schedule a day and time for the students to dress in their caps and gown, decorate their cars, and participate in a graduation car parade through town. This would be similar to the car parade that the teachers held earlier this spring.
Reschedule Prom: If current restrictions are lifted and we are allowed to host events, we will make every effort to reschedule your senior prom.
In closing, please remember to take care of yourself and your family members. While this situation is inconvenient, it continues to be very serious. It is very important that everyone practices social distancing and stays home, because in the end the health and safety of your family is what matters the most.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Sigrist