Save the date! The Norwalk La Mirada School District announced that the seniors at John Glenn High School will get an in-person graduation ceremony on June 2nd at John Glenn High School Stadium at 7:00 PM. Seniors, you might want to start ordering your cap and gown now!
What other details do we know apart from the date, time, and location? In a recent short interview, assistant principal Ms. Choi was kind enough to discuss some of those details with us. We now know that JGHS is planning on only having one ceremony instead of breaking it into a series of different ceremonies the day of graduation. Given that all of the graduating students will be at the same ceremony, each student will only be allowed to bring four guests with them. As far as we know, the graduation ceremony will be a traditional one, as graduates will have the honor of walking up to the stage and receiving their diploma as their names are called.
Will the class of 2021 have any other senior activities such as senior awards, prom, and grad night? With Covid cases decreasing, students are hopeful for additional senior events. Unfortunately, at this time, the school administration along with the district have not yet completely decided if seniors will have any other events other than graduation. We hope to be updated with a decision soon, but for now don’t forget to purchase your cap and gown at www.socalgrad.com.
It has officially been a year since every student in California went into quarantine on March 13, 2020. We were all told it would only take two weeks for everything to return back to normal, but it has been over a year, and we have not returned to school yet.
Multiple school events were completely cancelled, the graduation for the class of 2020 included. Now, seniors in the class of 2021 are starting to wonder if their graduation will be cancelled as well; or if, since schools are slowly opening, they will figure out a way for us to have an in-person ceremony. The school administration has been open to answer any questions the students have about the graduation or any other senior activities through scheduled interviews or via email.
After interviewing Mrs. Choi, one of the Vice Principals of John Glenn High, it was concluded that the school administration has not yet been determined if the class of 2021 will have an in-person graduation ceremony or any other senior activities. During the interview, Mrs. Choi said, “I would like to know what the students would prefer, and based on their votes we would go with that option, if it’s possible. This ceremony is for the seniors and their families, so I would like to hear from students and then go from there, obviously keeping safety in mind.” She is encouraging students to express their ideas with the school administration, since they are considering what the students would prefer, but they are also keeping their safety in mind (Feel free to add your voice here in the comment section).
Mrs. Choi also mentioned that they are planning on honoring the seniors with a Senior Awards Night. “We are planning on honoring the seniors with a Senior Awards Night. In terms of a format, we are not sure, but it probably won’t be anything in person.”
Based on the information Mrs. Choi gave to me, it is still possible for the seniors to have an in-person graduation and some of the senior activities, if they plan everything thoroughly and are allowed to do so. They could have the usual ceremony in the stadium, keeping all the students and staff six feet away from each other, and allowing only one or two family members per student. They could also split the class of 2021 graduation ceremony into two or three different groups so there are fewer people present in the stadium. The school administration could do a live stream during the ceremony so that the family members that were unable to witness the graduation in person could watch at home.
Several schools are opening once again with certain precautions, as well as theme parks such as Disneyland, and our local MLB stadiums. Local grocery stores, such as Stater Bros., have a limit of 195 people in the store, not including all their employees. The number of Covid-19 cases has drastically decreased in the past few months, and the amount of people getting vaccinated keeps increasing more each day. All of these examples are giving the seniors hope.
Ed. Note: The Bugle will update the graduation possibilities as soon as we hear anything new. Stay hopeful!
During these tough times, we have all been challenged in one way or another. It has affected everyone, from the elderly to young children. Not only mentally, but physically and emotionally. One of these obstacles has been online school, which has been a challenge for students. When attending online classes, many students are expected to behave and act as if there were no problem and continue working, while they see those around them worry and stress. This has resulted in a drop of grades and quality of work that the students have done.
On Tuesday, January 26, the Norwalk La-Mirada School Board members decided to take action in order to help students. After a 6-0 vote, board members decided to eliminate the 2.0 grade point average graduation requirement in hopes that it would reduce the stress of the students. This discussion was first brought up to the board members after seeing a noticeable change in the data and reports of the schools and district over the course of a year that COVID-19 has been going on. It was talked about with principals and administration, in which a majority spoke that it was agreeable.
This change will not be a permanent one, but it is only temporary in order to help the students in this challenging time; which means that the grade point average graduation requirement will resume to normal when everything else returns to normal.
From the movie The Perks of Being A Wallflower
Although this decision may not be a grand change, it will nonetheless help students. The Superintendent of the NLMUSD District, John Lopez, stated, “This year we anticipate that number [of students] being higher, given the restrictions on being able to bring students back for in-person instruction.” This will give aid to students who are struggling with reaching the graduation requirement and give them motivation to work harder even when faced with such a large obstacle.
School Board member Jose Rios adds, “This will help reinforce, motivate, and give a positive outlook to students.”
However, there are still a number of people who do not support this change. Some may say that this decision is lowering the standards for students. Others say that students do not deserve this opportunity, because they did not put in the effort and dedication in their first 3 years of high school. But, one must understand the struggles and lack of motivation that students have during these times. “Challenging the kids, it’s a big positive plus for everyone; yet these are not normal circumstances,” says Rios. “Students are facing challenging times, not only dealing with grades but with death.”
As the school year is coming to an end, it is crucial that any support be given to the students. Mr. Lopez stated, “During the pandemic, some students have been impacted disproportionately as the support services become difficult to deliver remotely. It is for that reason that we felt it necessary to temporarily modify our 2.0 GPA graduation requirements.”
Although it is unclear when this pandemic will come to an end, it is important to continue staying safe and avoiding any contact. In order to prevent any more hardships through the pandemic, Mr. Jose Rios would like you all to remember to stay safe and follow the requirements and regulations set in order to return to normalcy sooner than later.
The Shoemaker Bugle 