PRINT ARTICLE

April 30, 2020  

 

Dear Heights High Class of 2020 and Families,

 

I hope that you all are feeling well and healthy. This has certainly been a difficult several months for Tiger Nation, especially for our students who have long been anticipating senior year celebrations, traditions, and fun. I’m writing today to update you on the latest news regarding two of those culminating events: commencement and prom.

 

 

The Heights High 2020 graduation ceremony will be held virtually on Tuesday, June 23. All details including time, format, and streaming information will be communicated as soon as possible. You will have the opportunity to pick up your diploma (along with senior mementos) on Monday, June 22 so that you have it in hand for the virtual event. 

 

This decision, while heartbreaking for us to make, was informed by recent guidance from the Ohio Department of Education and Governor DeWine’s reiteration yesterday that Ohio continues to ban gatherings of more than 10 people, including in-person, mass graduation ceremonies. From the ODE:

 

 

A virtual ceremony will allow your educators and loved ones to honor you without compromising public health and safety. We will be working with student representatives to be sure this alternative graduation ceremony includes elements that are meaningful to your cohort and allows for a beautiful, memorable experience.

 

We appreciate the ideas that many of you have shared for alternative ceremonies; we have read and considered them all. Creativity in the face of adversity is certainly ingrained in the Heights. 

 

Cap and gown pickup will take place at Heights High on May 11 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. It will be scheduled alphabetically. You will be asked to pull up and open your vehicle’s trunk for the items to be placed inside. You will also receive any other items that you ordered from Jostens, such as announcements, at this time. Further details to come.

 

The Senior Awards ceremony will also be held virtually with the date to be determined, likely at the end of May.

 

 

As of today, prom is still scheduled for Friday, July 24 at Landerhaven. We continue to plan for this tradition and hold out hope that it can be made a reality. However, it’s becoming clearer with time that this event may not go on as planned. We will communicate any changes as soon as possible.

 

 

Yard signs for seniors are currently being produced and are scheduled to be delivered to each senior’s home starting Wednesday, May 6. Please note that it will likely not be possible to deliver them all in one day, but we will do so as quickly and safely as possible for our staff and volunteers. You will see that there is white space on the sign for you to write your name or a positive message. Feel free to share your photos with your sign-on Twitter and tag us @CHUHSchools or @CHUHSupt so we can share with our community.

 

I respect and acknowledge that your class is learning firsthand about crises and tough decisions much earlier in life than many people. I am extremely proud of the maturity you’ve shown in the face of disappointment and uncertainty. 

 

Please know that we will continue to work hard to recognize you in creative ways and make your senior year as joyous as possible.