Dury High School Graduation Vehicle Parade Tomorrow…Ceremony Broadcast on 1230 AM WNAW

The first of two graduation ceremonies will be held tomorrow by way of a Graduation Vehicle Parade.  WUPE’s sister station will broadcast the reading of graduate’s names, awards and speeches beginning at 5:30 Thursday while the parade gets underway.  You can listen to the ceremony on 1230 AM WNAW, online at www.wnaw.com and on the WNAW App available by download in the Google Play and App Store.

Below is information posted on the Dury High School website…

Information about the Drury Graduation Parade and Summer Commencement Event: As indicated in previous messages, we are planning to hold two senior events this year: (1) a graduation parade on June 11th that will feature many elements of our traditional “Class Night,” and (2) a late-summer commencement celebration. The Drury administration has worked with the senior class officers to schedule the summer commencement celebration for August 5, 2020 (with a rain date for August 7th). As we cannot predict the future of the Coronavirus pandemic, please note that this summer commencement celebration is dependent on local health and safety requirements at that time and has the risk of being cancelled if the restrictions are not lifted.

For the June 11 Graduation Parade Students should wear their caps and gowns to the parade event. Families should feel free to decorate their vehicle for the parade! Only one vehicle is permitted per family. If a student has a second immediate family requiring a second vehicle they may request permission to include another vehicle in the parade by emailing Mr. Callahan (tcallahan@napsk12.org) and Mr. Caproni (ccaproni@napsk12.org). It is recommended that students do not drive the vehicle. Families who do not have access to a vehicle for the parade should also email Mr. Callahan and Mr. Caproni and we will make sure to provide transportation. Students participating in the parade must arrive by 5:00 PM on June 11th in the Price Chopper parking lot in North Adams. Mr. Caproni will check in with each vehicle and distribute gold tassels and honor sashes for the students who qualify. The parade will begin from the Price Chopper parking lot, travel through North Adams (with a route to be verified by public safety), and conclude at Drury High School where vehicles will be directed by staff to line up in the school parking lot. During the parade, we will broadcast speeches to the Class of 2020 from the salutatorian, valedictorian, principal, superintendent, and mayor. Each vehicle, in order, will be directed from the lower lot, up through the parking lot and will enter the bus loop as directed by the dean of students. Once in front of the Drury building, the student will step out and pick up any awards, scholarships, and a gift to the class that will be arrayed on the table. We will announce the student name and awards and scholarships via our public address system. The student’s diploma will also be available on the table. The student may pose for photos with the diploma and take it home with them or leave it on the table for later pick up at the August commencement celebration. A professional photographer will be on hand to take photographs at Drury on June 11th, and parents/family may also step out of their car in the bus loop to take photographs of their student. Teachers may also be in attendance, seated in a socially-distanced fashion on Drury grounds to wave at cars waiting to move through the bus loop. After stopping in the bus loop to pick up awards, scholarships, and/or the student’s diploma (for those electing to receive their diploma that night) and taking photos, the student and family will drive down the Drury hill and off Drury grounds. We plan to have the reading of names and awards/scholarships broadcast on the local radio station as well, so students may listen as the family drives home. Note that the June 11th parade and scholarship/awards and/or diploma photo opportunity will occur rain or shine, but we will provide umbrella covering for the students stopping at the bus loop at Drury if it rains. Students who wish to pick up their diplomas in June but are unable to attend the parade can contact Mr. Callahan to make special arrangements.