East and West Bladen high schools will offer two opportunities for seniors to participate in graduation: One will be a drive-in ceremony and one will be an inside, individual ceremony. Details of the inside ceremony released on May 8, and found on the Bladen County Schools website, will be followed with the exception of the date being changed.
Inside, individual graduation for West Bladen seniors will be Thursday, June 11 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. East Bladen’s inside, individual graduation will be Saturday, June 13 beginning at 1:00 p.m. West Bladen is asking seniors to RSVP to the ceremony of their choosing; either inside or drive-in.
On June 12 and 13 beginning at 8:00 a.m., each high school will host a drive-in graduation ceremony, during which graduating seniors and their families will drive to their respective school campus. Seniors must be dressed in graduation cap and gown. West Bladen will conduct their drive-in ceremony on Friday, June 12 and East Bladen will have theirs on Saturday, June 13. Both schools will begin their ceremony at 8:00 a.m.
Vehicles will be instructed to park in the student parking lot and must arrive no later than 7:30 a.m. Each senior will be given one car pass for a closed vehicle (no RVs, buses, Jeeps with no doors or tops, convertibles with tops down, or trucks with people in the bed). Families are encouraged to decorate their vehicles in celebration of their graduates. Graduates and family members/guests will remain in their vehicles during the entire ceremony.
Following greetings and remarks given by the class Salutatorian, Valedictorian, and school Principal, vehicles will be directed one at a time to drive up to a designated spot for the senior to exit their vehicle and walk across the stage to pick up their diploma. Family members and guests are to remain inside their vehicles. The graduate will return to their vehicle and exit the school campus or return to their original parking spot for the conclusion of the ceremony.
Any graduate with transportation concerns should contact his/her school prior to the scheduled graduation date. Any graduate unable or uncomfortable participating in either ceremony should contact the school to pick up their diploma Both ceremonies will adhere to the CDC guidelines for COVID-19 and recommendations for social distancing.
COVID-19 is an emerging respiratory disease and there is more to learn about its transmission, clinical course, and populations at increased risk of disease and complications. Everyone can do his or her part to help plan, prepare, and respond to this emerging public health threat.
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