Providence School bid adieu to 20 members of the Class of 2020 during an in-person graduation on the evening of June 12. Held in the outdoor courtyard of the school’s San Roque campus, 3225 Calle Pinon, each graduate was able to invite up to three family members to witness the completion of their high school career.
The ceremony began with a physically-distanced procession by 17 faculty members and the 20 graduates, who sported custommade Class of 2020, Providence School face masks.
During the ceremony, Frankie Harman was named valedictorian of the Class of 2020 and delivered a speech for her classmates and assembled guests. Chloe Herdrich was named salutatorian.
As each graduate was handed a diploma cover by principal Rodney Meadth, and a faculty member of the graduate’s choosing spoke for two minutes with a personalized speech and charge for the graduate. The speeches are a highlight of the Providence experience.
Another tradition, a choral performance of the Irish folk song “Parting Glass” was upheld with a remotely recorded version produced by Matthew Roy, the school’s director of performing arts.
The representative board members, school leadership, faculty, graduates and families making up the 100-person gathering were pleased to have the opportunity to gather to celebrate the students. Two of the students — Julia Biedeman and Cameron Bleecker — had attended the private independent Christian school since kindergarten.
Some people asked if every future graduation ceremony could be kept this small and intimate.
The school live-streamed the event to make it available to those unable to attend; a video recording that will be forthcoming as well.
Providence campuses closed on March 16 with students finishing the academic year via remote instruction. The school plans to reopen for personalized, in-person full-time instruction five days per week on Aug. 19.