Schools present end of year celebration information to board

On May 17, Milford School District Board of Education heard from each school regarding their plans to celebrate the end of the school year. Schools have planned the events using Department of Health guidelines amid the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Kevin Dickerson reminded all board members they were invited to attend, but they needed to contact any school they planned to visit during the celebrations so they could get an accurate count.

“We are excited to welcome students and family to our campus for the first time this school year, even if it is unfortunately at the end of the year,” Jen Hallman, Principal at Morris Early Childhood Center, said. “We will be holding our celebration over the course of four days, doing just two classes at a time with outdoor celebrations. Families can attend and there will be activities for everyone in the playground area and around the campus. This will be a fun, interactive opportunity outside on June 10 and 11 and again on June 14 and 15, from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM and again from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM.”

In addition to the outdoor celebrations, Hallman stated that there will be a virtual celebration for those who do not feel safe attending the outdoor event as well as a drive-by gift pickup on June 14 and 15 in the afternoon.

“We have a virtual National Honor Society Induction on May 25, 2021 at 6:30 PM,” Lisa Alfaro, Assistant Principal at Banneker Elementary, said. “Our promotion for fifth grade will be held Thursday, June 10 and Friday, June 11 with a rain date of June 14. To ensure safety, each student will be able to have two people in attendance at the in-person event. These will be outdoors. All attendants will be required to wear masks and maintain social distance. Students who have remained in a virtual-only environment will have the opportunity to attend an in-person celebration on Tuesday, June 15 or a virtual celebration the same afternoon. The rain date for the virtual only students will be on June 16.” Times have not been established for the outdoor celebrations at Banneker, but parents will be notified.

Cindy McKenzie, Principal at Ross Elementary, explained that they will also hold a virtual National Honor Society Induction on May 26.

“On June 5, we are holding a Girls on the Run 5k with two different groups of girls taking part in a 5k at Milford High School on June 14 from 8 to 10 AM,” McKenzie said. “We actually had a Girls on the Run event a few years ago at the Boys and Girls Club, but this will be much smaller. We are really looking forward to that.”

Ross will hold their fifth-grade promotion outside on June 14 with a rain date planned for June 15. The school has six fifth grade classes and they plan to break the ceremony up into different sections. All participants and visitors must wear masks and the ceremony will be abbreviated from past years as students will not be performing songs this year.

“We held our virtual National Honor Society program last week,” Teresa Wallace, Principal of Mispillion Elementary, said. “Our fifth-grade ceremony will be on June 11 with three classes in person. Of course, social distancing and masks will also be required with students allowed to have two people at the event. We are doing our rotations so we can clean in between each session. We will have opportunities for remote families to either attend or have remote sessions either on the same day or on the rain date which is June 15.”

Milford Central Academy will hold eighth grade promotion on June 14, holding three separate ceremonies for each of the eighth-grade teams. The ceremony will be held at Brigg’s Stadium at 9:30 and 11:30 AM as well as one at 1:30 PM.

Milford High School held a CTE Awards Program on May 18 and Band Night of the Arts on May 19. The Senior Prom was held on May 22 with the last senior day June 4. Senior Awards will be held June 7 at 6 PM in Brigg’s Stadium with a rain date of June 8. Seniors who will be receiving awards and their families will be sent special invitations to attend the ceremony which will be live streamed as well.

“Senior Cruise is June 9 with students lining up at the high school at 5:30 PM and launching at 6 PM,” Jesse Parsley, Principal of Milford High School, said. “We will travel the same route as last year, ending at Ross Elementary. This was a huge success in the community last year, so we are doing it again. Graduation is June 10 at 7 PM in Brigg’s Stadium. Right now, we are looking at four guests per graduate, but will revisit that in the next few days based on new guidance from the Department of Public Health.”