The Forrest County School District is looking at the possibility of holding a commencement exercise for graduating seniors at its North Forrest High School but will lean on the advice of local health officials before officially arranging a ceremony.
Superintendent Brian Freeman said following the district’s May 12 Board of Directors meeting that it’s his hope North Forrest’s 47 seniors can later this month celebrate their achievement and receive their diploma in an exercise at the school’s football stadium, which he said provides ample room to achieve social distancing measures not only for graduating students but family members and friends seated in the stadium.
Each student would be allotted a limited number of tickets for family and friends to attend on their behalf to that would meet guidelines for event gatherings.
An announcement would be made at a later date. Meanwhile, the soon-to-be graduates will participate in a drive-up Senior Night ceremony May 15, with the students receiving awards from a safe distance, and a senior video will be shown on an outdoor screen that will include images from throughout the school year.
During the board meeting, Freeman discussed the parameters for awarding final grades for students throughout the district, following a model that will award the grade they received for the third nine weeks to serve as their grade for the fourth nine weeks, with four points added for those who engaged in distance learning. Another grading model would average first, second, third nine weeks’ grades together, if the third nine weeks alone were deficient.
Freeman said the district wants to be fair to its students with respect to the constraints placed on them due to the closure of schools ordered statewide by Gov. Tate Reeves.
“We don’t want this situation to be detrimental to them (academically),” Freeman said. “It’s not their fault.”
Freeman and the board also praised school district staff and volunteers who helped with the delivery and distribution of meals normally served to students at school sites during the time of the school closures. Approximately 24,000 meals were delivered each week.
“It’s just amazing what they did in getting these meals to our students,” Freeman said. “I think it was as much a joy for them as the kids.”