Elba High School Class of 2020

Photo of the 20-member Class of 2020 at Elba High School, courtesy of Staci Ellingham.

Many schools are hoping to abide by tradition, while others are accepting that sometimes you need to adjust your course and start sailing in a new direction.

For the administrators at Elba Central School District (ECS), the need to adapt to the situation imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic is being embraced wholeheartedly. They are planning to switch gears as necessary.

“The traditions for graduation are the same, they have stood the test of time,” said Gretchen Rosales, principal of the middles school and high school. “How do we create new traditions that are meaningful?”

Community members, concerned that this is not a traditional year for the graduates, have offered their help.

Each graduating senior has been adopted by someone in the community and they have been showered with gifts and attention.

Another generous class supporter, Lori McClurg, gifted each teenager a “swag bag,” full of cookies, cake pops, hand sanitizer, bubbles and other fun items — plus a chance for one lucky grad to win all of the sweet treats they desire for their graduation party — the lucky winner will be announced soon.

“For us this is like family, we all know each other, there is a small population and it’s rural,” Rosales said. “Everyone wants to see these teens have a great send-off.

“I am a mom of a senior myself. It is hard to watch our students miss out on the most important events in their lives so far. I have been doing my best to frame this positively…it’s a huge part of history, it’s unique.”

With the support of senior class advisor Laura Williams, district reps have worked hard to do some great things for their close-knit group of 20 graduating seniors, including a variety of individualized activities to make each graduate feel special.

They celebrated their Top 10 students by inviting them to the school driveway to share a breakfast treat with school faculty, and presented them with a Party-in-a-Bag and their “Home of a 2020 Lancer” yard sign. It advertises their big accomplishment, setting the tone for a celebration at home.

Because the district is in the process of replacing some of the school lockers this year, the seniors were allowed to decorate their locker doors for 2019-2020. They were told they could keep the door to “take a piece of their school with them,” Rosales said.

Rosales herself has gone above and beyond by spotlighting each senior on social media with their photo in front of their own personally decorated front door at home.

She and other staff members have written personalized notes with words of encouragement to the teens, while they have facilitated virtual class meetings to help keep the classmates connected.

Cap and gown picture day was made memorable with individualized sessions for each senior where formal and candid shots were taken to be shared with their families.

Each teen was asked to create a sign that “advertised their plans for next year” and Rosales intends to compile them in a video. These, too, will be by shared on social media.

As for the graduation ceremony, no plans have been confirmed.

If it is necessary to change venue, or even move the ceremony out a couple of weeks to keep everyone safe, then that is what will happen.

“It may be what we need to do … I am cognizant of the sadness that the students and their families feel right now; what is meant to be a celebratory time has become a disappointment for many," the principal said.

"As a school leader, it is important for me to honor students’ achievements while keeping them safe and healthy, and I need to carefully balance that, with the need for closure.”