With only a week left until graduation, Miami Trace High School (MTHS) is preparing to help send the senior class off properly on May 21 at 7 p.m.
“We were trying to be consistent with Washington High School and Tracy (Rose),” MTHS Principal Bryan Sheets said. “Outside graduation this year, we were originally going to use tickets, but we talked to the health department and determined for outside we were not going to have to use tickets this year.”
Sheets explained that the plan is to try and hold the graduation outside so that the senior class can invite whoever they wish to bring to the ceremony.
“The ceremony will be on the new football field, and we will have both sides of the bleachers open,” Sheets said.
However, Sheets explained that if the ceremony does have to be moved inside, it will have a ticket system due to the gym size and current restrictions with COVID-19.
“They will have to use tickets in order to enter the gym, and they will receive those on the day we have graduation rehearsal,” Sheets said.
Currently, there are different types of tickets with a gold ticket holder being permitted into the gym on graduation day if the event is moved inside. The other kind of ticket is a black ticket and will permit those into the building’s common area or the Quali-Tee Design Performing Arts Theater to view a live stream of the event.
“Those ticket holders will be able to view it on the big screen in the auditorium or the televisions in the common area,” Sheets said.
Sheets reminded the seniors and their families to wear a mask and to sit with their family to limit the potential spread of COVID-19.
“Still practice social distancing, using hand sanitizer as much as possible and everything we have been doing,” Sheets said. “There is handicap seating available on the gym floor and the football field is equipped with handicap seating at the bottom levels. If inside, one person can join those who need a handicap seat to sit with them. The gates or doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with no reserve seating. It is first come first serve in terms of seating.”
For Sheets, this is his first graduation as principal and he said he is a little nervous, but is also excited.
“This is the highlight of the school year and this is what it is all about,” Sheets said. “We always want to make sure everything is done correctly, and we want to put on the best ceremony we can provide for the students, parents and guests. It means a lot to these individuals and especially last year being different, we are trying to get it back to as close to normal as possible. I know how special it is to the families and graduates so we are just trying to make sure it is done right and everything is in place.”
Reach Martin Graham at (740) 463-9684 or on Twitter @MartiTheNewsGuy.
