April 23, 2020 update from the EGUSD

The EGUSD sent out this email today

Sent on behalf of the Superintendent of Elk Grove Unified School District

April 23, 2020

Dear Elk Grove Unified School District Seniors and Families,

Thank you for your understanding, determination, and integrity during this very difficult time that we all are facing. Your willingness and ability to make distance learning work so you can complete your courses and the sacrifices you have made show all of your underclassmen/women and our community the great leadership potential and perseverance you all possess. Normally, your closure to your K–12 education is spent with classmates, friends, school and having fun in a variety of end of the year activities. Clearly, all of those events and expectations changed with the onset of the COVID-19 global pandemic. You deserve more recognition than ever for all you have done throughout the years and for how you have brilliantly managed this current situation. 

In an effort to bring back some normalcy and celebrate a major milestone in your life, we would like to invite you all to participate in the following graduation plan so we can honor your accomplishment and memorialize your senior year. After close evaluation of many scenarios and not knowing if restrictions to social distancing will be eased, together with each high school’s activities directors and ASB teams, we are moving forward with the following:

• First, we have asked sites to begin planning for a virtual graduation ceremony. Given the restrictions tied to social distancing, we want to make sure that our seniors have something in place, should guidance from our government remain the same. In order to create a virtual graduation ceremony, work must begin soon, including making sure our graduates have items like caps and gowns, chords, and other items tied to graduation. Sites have begun setting up schedules in order to begin this process, and they will contact you with more details for what you can do.

• Secondly, we continue to plan and prepare for a live graduation ceremony should restrictions change. This would be in addition to the virtual ceremony. For example, we still have our reservations for the Golden 1 Center for comprehensive high schools, and our Performing Arts Center for alternative education high schools. If those are not allowed to continue, we are ready to adjust to other potential means of a live graduation ceremony in June or July, depending upon the situation. This may not be the same as in the past, but finding a way, in whatever way is possible, is still important to us.

To help quarterback each element, we need your help and cooperation to get many logistical things done quickly and specifics from each site will be forthcoming. We will need everyone’s flexibility and understanding that however this situation evolves, everything depends on circumstances that may be beyond our control. Please remember that the health and safety of all of our students and their families will be our first consideration in our decision making. 

My goal and the commitment from our graduation planning team is to honor you and your accomplishment in the best way we can and with as much pomp and circumstance we can muster because you deserve nothing less.

Sincerely,

Christopher R. Hoffman

Superintendent

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