2021 Graduation/Promotion Statement


2021 Graduation/Promotion Statement

April 19, 2021

Dear Sweetwater Community,

Since March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant challenges to our education system. Campuses were closed to in-person instruction, athletic programs were paused and for the Class of 2020, in-person graduation and promotion exercises were canceled.

This month, we have reopened schools across the District to more students. This year’s seniors, the Class of 2021, have been invited to return to schools for these last weeks of in-person instruction.

On April 6, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued new guidance regarding graduation and promotion ceremonies for schools. This guidance provided recommendations to help us properly celebrate the momentous milestone of graduation and promotion, while also preventing the spread of COVID-19. The guidance from state and local agencies will be monitored on an ongoing basis and we will make adjustments to our planned ceremonies, as needed.

We are excited to announce that beginning on June 2, should the COVID-19 conditions allow, we will host modified in-person graduation ceremonies for our 12th graders and in-person promotion ceremonies for our 8th graders.

 In order to minimize large crowds, these ceremonies will be scheduled in small cohorts of 200 students or less. Each school will schedule a sufficient number of small cohort ceremonies to ensure that all eligible graduating and promoting students have an opportunity to participate.

Please note: These in-person graduation and promotion ceremonies must follow all COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Specifically, the current guidelines require us to limit the number of guests invited to the ceremonies. As such, the spectator limits and protocols are as follows:

  • Each graduate or promoting student is allowed to have FOUR (4) guests. These four guests are expected to be from the student’s primary household and may NOT be transferred to another student. Further, the guests MUST arrive with the graduating or promoting student in order to be admitted to the venue.
  • All students and guests must sign a District waiver prior to entering the graduation/promotion venue.
  • All students and guests must submit to a health screening and temperature check prior to entering the venue.
  • All students and guests must wear a mask (covering both the mouth and nose) at all times— before, during and after the event.
  • Prior to entry into the ceremony, the student and guests must wait together, maintaining at least six feet of distance from other groups.
  • Once in the venue, students will be seated together (six feet apart) while guests will be seated in the stands or other observation area. Guests from the same household will be expected to sit together, maintaining six feet of distance from other groups while seated in the stands.
  • There will be no concessions within the venues.
  • Each cohort session is expected to last 30-45 minutes.

These are the initial guidelines for the District’s graduation and promotion ceremonies. In mid-May, your individual school will provide more information, such as the specific dates, times and locations of the ceremonies, as well as other important protocols.

Please contact Student Support Services at 619.691.5564 or student.services@sweetwaterschools.org, if you have any questions.