SPOTSYLVANIA, Va. — Some high schools in the region are still holding in-person graduation ceremonies for their seniors. Schools in Spotsylvania and Fauquier counties held modified versions of in-person graduation ceremonies.
In Spotsylvania County, Monday, the Cofers watched their son, Darius, graduate from Riverbend High School.
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Darius' mother, Roxanna, said at first she was worried her son's in-person ceremony would be canceled like many others across the commonwealth.
"Being my first child, I was just like, 'Oh, I'm not going to get that joy to see my child get his accomplishment,'" she said.
But Darius' school held personal ceremonies for each of its students, according to the Cofers. Students could only have a few family members present. On top of that, the Cofers said relatives were tasked with handing out diplomas as a safety precaution.
"Once we saw how they were handling everything, it did alleviate all the fear that we had," Darius' father, Tyrone, said.
Darius said he enjoyed the ceremony as well.
"Mom was pretty excited," he said. "Dad was also proud."
Fauquier County Public Schools also held its first day of in-person ceremonies, outdoors, at its high schools.
FCPS spokesperson Tara Helkowski said the school district ran its graduation plans through a doctor at the Fauquier County Employee Wellness Center to ensure the safety of participating families and students.
Fauquier students did not have to wear masks as officials reasoned graduates would only walk near their family members. At Fauquier High School, the principal, while gloved, also did not wear a mask. However, the school system said it worked to social distance administrators from students while on stage.
Few school districts in the area have yet to proceed with in-person graduations like Spotsylvania and Fauquier counties have. Helkowski said FCPS has yet to be approached by other school districts for tips on what it has learned through the post-COVID-19 graduation process
However, she added the school district is willing to help any other school systems that ask.
"We would be happy to share our successes and lessons learned with other school divisions," Helkowski said in a statement. "We designed our ceremonies to be very similar to graduation ceremonies at Louisa County High School. We are grateful that they were willing to share their experiences with us."
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