ConGRADulations: What Seniors Need to Know for Their Upcoming Graduation

With the end of the year approaching, seniors will be finishing high school and moving onto bigger and better things, starting college and careers. 

Senior graduation will take place on May 22 at 10 a.m. at Ameris Amphitheatre in Alpharetta with a mandatory rehearsal on May 17 at 1:15 p.m. Guest tickets are limited to five per graduate. 

Masks are compulsory, and graduates will sit four feet apart on all sides to maintain physical distance. Visitors will be seated in clusters, two to four seats apart. 

For students who are unable or who don’t feel comfortable attending graduation, the event will be live streamed online. The orchestra, chorus and band recorded performances that will be played during the event. 

“We’re going to send out an RSVP form to find out who’s coming, so we sort of know the numbers of the graduates, so we can figure out what do we do for the graduates who don’t feel comfortable,” said Principal Ashley Agans. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, last year’s graduates were celebrated in a virtual ceremony. Agans said the school has worked to make this year’s event as similar to the class of 2019’s graduation as possible. 

“My son graduated at Ameris in 2019, so obviously we didn’t have masks, and there was no social distancing, but I think then every graduate got eight to 10 tickets, so there were considerably more people,” said Agans. 

Other than the COVID-19 precautions and live musical productions, the graduation should flow as normal, said Agans. Graduates will still walk across the stage and receive their diploma, but Agans is not allowed to shake hands with the graduates, she said. 

Senior Alliana Darby said she is optimistic about how graduation will turn out. 

“I feel like the way they set up the graduation event is very organized and set up well, and hopefully there will be no flaws, especially with weather,” she said. 

“I am happy to graduate and move on with my life,” Darby said.  

Counselor Virginia White said she advises seniors “to finish up their Fulton virtual classes on time,” turn in any incomplete work and do what must be done to pass their classes before graduation. 

She offers her congratulations to the class, as well. 

“This is a really, really big deal and for everybody to be able to get across the finish line in such a strange year and such challenging year,” she said.