Celebrating the class of 2020

KENNEBUNK – The school and wider community are pulling together to make sure graduating seniors at Kennebunk High School have a celebration to remember.

Dan King photo

Restrictions remain, given the COVID-19 pandemic, but there’s a virtual class night, a wall of memorabilia, and more, all leading up to a live, outdoor, in-person, (with proper precautions) commencement, set for 2 p.m. Sunday, June 7.

At first, the plan was to have graduation ceremonies indoors, in the gym, with never more than 50 people in the room.

But there was a sense of disappointment among the students, said Principal Sue Cressey.

Even though the ceremony would be live-streamed and made into a video, students told the principal they wanted to see their classmates graduate in person.

“The administrative team held a Google hangout meeting with the Class of 2020 Executive Council,” Cressey, who said the team wanted students’ voices to be heard. “The result was a survey which the students developed and sent to the rest of the class. They provided three options: indoor ceremony at KHS as described at the (recent) school board meeting; outdoor ceremony at KHS adhering to state guidelines; or a ceremony in a large venue where family members could watch from parked cars, also following state guidelines.”

Dan King photo

“Students chose an outdoor ceremony at KHS, adhering to the 50-person guideline by the state with social distancing in place,” Cressey said. ” We are now working with the students on the logistics of the ceremony.”

She said traditions associated with Seniors’ Last Assembly and Class Night have been recorded and will be made into a video student plan to watch together, virtually, on the evening of June 5, which would have been Class Night.

Laura Snyder Smith, mother of senior Charlie Smith, said she is working on Senior Spotlights biographies for each of the graduates and will be posting five a day on the Chamber of Commerce Facebook page.

“Just another little way we are getting creative in honoring our kids,” said Snyder Smith.

Throughout the communities there are lawn signs celebrating graduates and there will be other expressions of joy and congratulations.

Annie Watts, whose son Oliver graduates this year, said banners will be going up on a chain link fence in front of the high school in the next week or so, celebrating seniors, and parents will be invited to attach items, like senior photos of their graduate (laminated, against the weather), sports jerseys or other memorabilia.

“It will be a happy wall of celebration,” she said.