NAUGATUCK — Naugatuck High School will hold in-person graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2020 on July 24 at the school.
Due to state guidelines limiting gatherings to 150 people, five separate ceremonies will be held with about 40 graduates at each. Ceremonies will be held at 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. Graduates will be assigned a ceremony alphabetically, except to accommodate family members who want to be grouped in the same wave. Families that want to be grouped together can call Deb Bradley at 203-720-5656.
Each graduate is allowed two guests. All graduates and guests are required to wear masks.
Each ceremony will feature a performance of the national anthem, remarks by a school or town official, an address by a student speaker, and the roll call of graduates. Professional photographs of each graduate will be taken, and prints will be purchased for each family using funds left in the Class of 2020 account. An empty diploma case will be provided for the photos. Families that want to take photos after the ceremony with diplomas should bring the ones given out before the end of school.
If there’s inclement weather, the ceremonies will be July 25 at the same times.
Schools officials in Region 16, which is comprised of Beacon Falls and Prospect, decided not to hold a graduation ceremony for Woodland Regional High School graduates that was planned for July 23 after receiving feedback from students, parents and staff. Instead, officials are planning an event for only students in August. The details of the event are still in the works.
If a live ceremony was held, officials said three ceremonies would be needed and each graduate would only be able to invite two people. Of the 84 people who responded to a survey asking if they prefer the graduation ceremonies or an event in August, 50 preferred the latter and 19 people said they wouldn’t attend either. According to the survey, 53 students, 29 parents and two staff members responded.
