For the first time in over a year, more than 400 people will gather on campus together to celebrate this year’s seniors. The Class of 2021’s graduation will take place at Parker on Saturday, June 12 at 1 p.m. 

This year the graduation will be in the Parker auditorium. Senior Gradeheads Emma Castaldi and Yadiner Sabir and Upper School Dean of Students Joe Bruno looked at other venues for graduation, such as Rosemont Theater, to find a venue that would fit COVID-19 social distancing guidelines but ultimately decided on holding graduation at Parker. 

“I think at the end of the day their decision to make it at Parker and then eventually choosing to make it the auditorium was really amazing that it’s normal,” senior Julia Polsky said. “That’s what they always do, and so there’s just something so comforting in that. Maybe we might not get the luncheon that they would normally do, but at least we get the auditorium experience which is very quintessential to the Parker graduation.”

Families will be in pods and in assigned seats to encourage social distancing. They will also arrive at Parker in waves to reduce risk. 

On May 13, the CDC announced that “indoor and outdoor activities pose minimal risk to fully vaccinated people.” Though the CDC says that vaccinated people are not required to wear masks, attendees will still have to wear a mask and follow social distancing podding procedures at Parker’s graduation. 

Those who are unable to attend in person will be able to watch a livestream of graduation. 

Sabir, Castaldi, and Bruno began planning graduation and other end of year activities in mid-January. They also began working with the medical subcommittee to figure out logistics in terms of restrictions for the coronavirus. “One of the first sentences that came out of one of the doctors’ mouths was ‘Our job is not to say no. Our job is to help you make it happen,’” Bruno said. “That set such a positive tone on all of the conversations with the medical committee. They have been beyond responsive and open.”

Polsky’s mom is one of the doctors on the medical subcommittee. “ I think for her, there was a personal aspect to it and she really wanted to make it special,” Polsky said. “I’m sure she would have wanted it to be special for any other grade as well but I think for her, it was probably more impactful.” 

Seniors will practice the day before graduation, on Friday, June 11. During the rehearsal, they will go through the logistics of graduation. “It is hard to do it before that Friday because we’re still working out details about graduation,” Sabir said. 

Traditionally, the Concert Choir performs at graduation. Since Concert Choir includes students from grades 10-12, only the seniors in Concert Choir will perform at this year’s graduation. Additionally, there will not be the traditional reception or luncheon after graduation. 

At the beginning of the year, Sabir knew that they would be able to do more than the class of 2020’s graduation. Last year’s graduation was a video with speeches recorded on campus. Students and families could not gather together so the video was steamed live and then sent to the rest of the school community. 

“I have enjoyed this class the most because of their attitude,” Sabir said. “This class already has seen what happened to the class of 2020 and from the beginning said that they had all intentions to make this year the best they could, and I think they did a great job. I think they have been resilient, they have had a great sense of humor, and they’re just great sports.”

Castaldi and Sabir also prepared students at the beginning of the year for possible changes such as no graduation. “To have a gathering like this, I’m very shocked and very pleased because I would have never expected it,” Castaldi said. “We did kind of have this conversation right at the beginning of the year like ‘This year might be entirely different from what you imagined.’ So after having those conversations it’s very exciting that we can be here, where we are.”

Additionally, Castaldi and Sabir have reminded seniors to continue to be vigilant with social distancing so that graduation can happen. “Graduation is the goal,” Castaldi said. “We want everyone to be there so we really had to have conversations with the senior class about, ‘hey, if you want to be at graduation and you want it to happen not virtually, these are the things you’re going to need to think about and consider.”

The seniors filled out a form about end of year senior events including graduation. Seniors marked whether they would be fully vaccinated by graduation as well as how many family members will be attending. Additionally, the seniors had two extra COVID-19 saliva screenings before graduation and other senior events such as Prom and the senior retreat. Any decisions regarding quarantining of any seniors will go through the medical subcommittee.

The commencement ticket request form also asked about vaccination status, saying that family members can attend regardless of vaccination status but the question was included in the form to calculate capacity. Each family is guaranteed two tickets but could request up to four more. Families could also ask to be podded in two groups. 

This year’s student speakers are Bodie Florsheim and Emme Silverman. Bruno will be doing the speech and Upper School English teacher Mike Mahany will be reading the poem. Students and faculty were nominated and voted on via a Google Form. “This is, in my years here, the first senior class I’ve really felt I know every one of their names. First and last,” Bruno said. “It feels so special, I could not feel more honored to take a few minutes on graduation day, to be able to speak to this class because they’re a really special group. These students have shown up for me in more ways than I think they will ever know and have taught me so much about myself.”

Castaldi, Sabir, and Bruno said that they think the seniors are excited for graduation. “I’m super excited for graduation,” Polsky said. “It’s not that it can’t come sooner, I’m gonna enjoy my last week of normal school and then finals, but this is probably what I’ve been looking forward to most.”

Sabir’s son will be one of the seniors graduating this year. “I am very excited for him and for the rest of the class,” Sabir said. “They’re going to many different places and it’s their time now to make their lives, whatever they want to make out of them.”

“I’m so excited because these students deserve to be celebrated and we are going to celebrate them in such a big way,” Bruno said. “This job comes with a lot of difficult components, but these are the times that make the job all worth it: celebrating students, watching them as they leave here and they grow, and seeing all the things that they accomplished and all the ways that they change the world.”