Quaker Valley High School to hold in-person graduation

Quaker Valley High School seniors will be able to celebrate the ending of a chapter together in person at Chuck Knox Stadium.

Graduation will be held 7 p.m. June 10. Principal Deborah Riccobelli said 157 seniors will be graduating.

All students, guests, staff and administration must wear a mask and seats will be socially distanced, according to a press release. Students will be able to remove their masks as they walk across the stage to receive their diplomas.

“Because the governor has not lifted the mask order, we will require people to wear a mask,” Riccobelli said.

Riccobelli and Jennifer Bebout, a Quaker Valley teacher and one of the other organizers of the ceremony, will continue to monitor covid protocols as the day approaches.

“We will continue to be flexible in these upcoming weeks as things pop up that maybe we didn’t think about or couldn’t have foreseen,” Bebout said.

Last year’s graduation was canceled because of covid, Riccobelli said. The high school held a virtual graduation instead. In late July, small ceremonies were held for seniors to celebrate.

“Even when we did the summer one, it was the best we could make it and we made it as special as we could, but it still wasn’t the same,” Riccobelli said.

This year’s graduation proved to be a challenge with planning as well.

Bebout said the first-come first-served seating basis will be the biggest issue because of the limited parking spaces at the school as tickets are not required. Parking passes will be issued to seniors and shuttle buses will run from Edgeworth Elementary School for all other guests.

Despite the obstacles, excitement is buzzing for an in-person ceremony.

“It’s such a relief to be able to celebrate students in the manner that they deserve,” Riccobelli said.

Bebout shared the same sentiment, expressing her happiness for the seniors after a tough year.

“To be able to give them this is the least we could do,” she said.

Senior Maggie McManus, one of the speakers at graduation, will be reading a poem titled, “Gratitude for Change” at the ceremony.

“I felt very honored to be chosen,” McManus said.

She is also excited to be able to gather with her peers on their special day.

“I’m excited we are having it at our home stadium,” she said. “It is extra special for seniors because we had the most bizarre ending to our junior (year) and senior year has been different. It is very fitting we got something different and special to close out our senior year.”

The graduation will be live-streamed at qvsd.org.

Rain dates will be June 11 at 7 p.m., June 12, at 5 p.m., or Saturday, June 12 at 7 p.m.

Sewickley Academy graduation set

Sewickley Academy will celebrate the class of 2021 by hosting a traditional in-person graduation ceremony on June 10. The ceremony will begin promptly at 6 p.m. in Means Alumni Gym in the Events Center. All attendees must wear a mask, although the graduates will have an opportunity to have a photo taken without a mask. Of the 68 members of the Class of 2021, nine will receive a Global Studies Certificate in recognition of completion of the Global Studies Program at Sewickley Academy.