On Saturday, May 30, we held our graduation ceremony for the Class of 2020. Normally, graduation is part of our Evening of Celebration, an all-school event that we host at the Roswell Mill to honor our students of all ages. This year in deference to the need for social distancing and to host an event in the safest environment possible, we gathered with just our graduates, their families, and their teachers in front of our building at 9:00 in the morning.
To offer some peace of mind to our families, all seats were placed at least six feet apart and individuals were encouraged to wear masks. Grey Eaton devoted hours to measuring and arranging the chairs. Seats were assigned, and the graduation programs were laminated and sanitized.
For weeks we watched the weather forecast, fearing that the ceremony would be rained out. As they will, forecasts changed daily, but in the end, we had relatively cool temperatures and beautiful sunny skies under which to celebrate the Class of 2020.
Unfortunately, not all families could attend the event. However, through the efforts of Kim Watson and TJ Macy, we were able to live-stream the proceedings on our Facebook page (see below).
Live Stream from Eaton Graduation 2020
The following high school departmental award winners were announced:
- Math – Dylan Sherman
- Science – Alden Hadlow
- Social Studies – Sean Dunn
- English – Ellie Stickel
- ASL – Anna Patrick
The presentation speeches for these awards are available for viewing on our Facebook page.
Prior to the procession of our graduates, our annual major awards were presented by Marcia Hall and Kim Watson. Graduate Harrison Tew was awarded the Pro Merito award for academic growth and diligent effort. Rising senior Evan Boosel received the Distinguished Student Award, a recognition of his exemplary behavior, performance, and adherence to the values of Eaton Academy.
Brian Uitvlugt acted as Master of Ceremonies and recognized the hard work of Eaton’s staff. Particular thanks were given to Marcia Hall and Kim Watson
Two other awards of note were announced. The annual Distinguished Service award was given to Stephanie Griffith, a parent who has spent the better part of the last two years supporting Eaton’s teachers and students. Her son, Will Griffith, was presented with Eaton’s “plank award,” a recognition given to the member of the graduating class who has been at Eaton the longest.
The ceremony ended with the members of the Class of 2020 ascending the stage individually to make their speeches and to receive their diplomas. Many graduates spoke of the personal journeys that brought them to Eaton Academy and of the deep satisfaction that being able to stand in front of friends and family gave them – especially in the strange new world of 2020.
Everyone agreed that holding the event was very important. The graduates, all of whom had worked so diligently to earn their high school diplomas, deserved to gather (safely) and be recognized for their achievement. And their parents who had spent the last twelve years worrying about and helping and supporting their children, deserved it as well!
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