File/VECC graduation 2020
By NANETTE LoBIONDO GALLOWAY
VENTNOR – Anxious for a return to normal following a year of learning that was anything but…parents of Ventnor’s eight grade class petitioned the Board of Education Monday evening to return to a traditional graduation ceremony.
Ventnor Middle School graduations are usually held in the Ventnor Educational Community Complex auditorium, but last year, the district held an outdoor service where students were socially distanced, but separated from their families.
Superintendent Carmela Somershoe said that although students will be enjoying some of their traditional eighth grade events, such as the trip to Great Adventure on June 14, a pizza party and yearbook signing, and an eighth grade dance on June 18, their graduation ceremony would replicate last year’s pandemic version, with parents watching students receive their diplomas from their vehicles or standing on the other side of the playground fence.
Somershoe said the district would be providing the funding for the eighth grade class activities this year because the Home and School Association was unable to raise funds due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Graduation will be planned similar to last year,” Somershoe said. “We got nothing but positive feedback from it. Parents were able to get right up front with their children when they were acknowledged and received their diplomas. It allowed us to have a staggered graduation while keeping everyone together.”
School board President Douglas Biagi said the district is working to ensure student safety as the pandemic wanes.
“If I was a parent with an eighth grader, I would probably want to shoot for the moon too, but I would also want to keep my child and all the children’s safety in check,” Biagi said.
Parent Scott Hennis noted that Gov. Phil Murphy recently lifted all restrictions on outdoor gatherings as long as social distancing can be maintained, which would allow a more traditional ceremony to be held on school grounds.
“I think we can figure out a way to have a platform in which it’s a more traditional graduation, even if families need to be podded if necessary, or limited to immediate family members. To be able to do a graduation ceremony in a more formal, traditional way would mean a lot to folks,” he said.
He said conducting a graduation ceremony like last year’s event would be “So 2020.”
He requested an outdoor ceremony similar to what the Margate schools did last year, with parents and family members seated in socially distanced pods marked out on the recreation field.
Another parent, Jim Marota, who works in convention sales and organizes large gatherings, said he would offer his expertise to help the district safely organize an outdoor graduation.
“I feel the square footage of (fields) is ample enough to do a traditional graduation safely with social distancing,” he said.
Somershoe said the district would inform parents later this week about graduation procedures.
In other business, the board announced the end of virtual board meetings held via the Zoom online meeting platform.
The Board of Education’s next meeting will be held in person in the Ventnor Educational Community Complex auditorium 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 23.
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