ROANOKE, Va. – We checked with all of our local school divisions to find out what plans they had to celebrate seniors under the current guidelines of limited gatherings and social distancing.

ALLEGHANY COUNTY

Waiting to hear back from the school division.

AMHERST COUNTY

Amherst County High School will host its commencement exercises on May 23rd at 6:00 PM at Amherst County High School called Commencement in Cars. Every senior will be given tickets for two cars (the senior-family car and the guest car). Families are encouraged to decorate their cars with positive and inspirational messages and/or school spirit. A jumbo screen will project the ceremony to the guests with speeches by seniors. At the conclusion of our speeches, the cars carrying the seniors will drive down Lancer Lane where their teachers will be standing and cheering every 10 feet leading them to the stage at the bottom of the junior parking lot where our stage will be waiting for them. They will walk across the stage and receive their diploma where they will have their picture taken and be cheered on by their friends, family, and everyone in the parking lot. When the students walk across the stage, a slide will be shown on the screen with their picture, accomplishments, and future plans.

Parade: After students receive their diploma they will drive out of the back exit of the junior lot where a police escort will lead them as a parade of seniors through the Town of Amherst. Friends, family, and community members will be encouraged to park along the parade route to honk and cheer our newest Amherst graduates through the Town of Amherst

APPOMATTOX COUNTY

Waiting to hear back from the school division.

BEDFORD COUNTY

Still finalizing plans.

BOTETOURT COUNTY

Botetourt County Public Schools will celebrate the Class of 2020 in two ways. An online graduation will be held already announced on the senior’s keepsake graduation announcement: Lord Botetourt High School, May 18 at 7:00 PM, and James River High School, May 19 at 7:30 PM. The online graduation will be accessible on the school and division websites; as well as; social media.

After the restrictions on large gatherings are lifted, an in-person graduation ceremony will be planned for both high schools. The previously announced graduation ceremony dates of June 13 for James River High School and June 15 for Lord Botetourt High School have been postponed. It is our plan to schedule graduation ceremonies in the fall.

BUENA VISTA

Waiting to hear back from the school division.

CAMPBELL COUNTY

Waiting to hear back from the school division.

CARROLL COUNTY

Carroll County wants a traditional graduation after the Governor's order has been lifted if at all possible. The high school is also making vinyl signs to stick in the senior's yards as well.

COVINGTON

Waiting to hear back from the school division.

DANVILLE

Tentative plans for graduation ceremonies include Galileo Magnet High School Commencement Ceremony - Friday, July 10, 2020, 7:00 pm - George Washington High School Auditorium and George Washington High School Commencement Ceremony - Saturday, July 11, 2020, 7:00 pm - Averett University North Campus

FLOYD COUNTY

Floyd County schools has an “Adopt a Senior” initiative going where staff picks a senior to write to them with congratulations, words of encouragement, and graduation gifts. The staff who adopted the senior will go and put the yard sign that we had designed in the senior’s yard. They will be asking for the seniors to take a short video of them beside their sign and Citizens, the local internet, telephone, and cable provider, will be putting these videos together.

We had Citizens also film our senior awards done virtually with just the high school administration. This will air on their cable station on May 7 and seniors will also receive a copy.

The school system is currently looking at different options for graduation from virtual graduation to individual graduations in person with social distancing. This all depends if the current situation changes.

FRANKLIN COUNTY

Waiting to hear back from the school division.

GILES COUNTY

Giles County schools plan to announce graduation plans after June 10.

HALIFAX COUNTY

Still finalizing plans.

HENRY COUNTY

High schools will have their traditional graduation ceremonies once gathering restrictions are lifted. They don't want previously scheduled graduation dates to go without recognition, so they are creating videos to share publicly honoring graduates on their previously scheduled graduation dates of May 22 and 23.

LEXINGTON CITY

Waiting to hear back from the school division.

LYNCHBURG

Still finalizing plans.

MARTINSVILLE

Martinsville faculty and staff distributed yard signs to seniors' homes. The names of three seniors each day, last name A-Z, are on the marquee outside of the high school. The three seniors' each day are also being highlighted on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

A video is in the works filled with congratulatory messages from MHS alumni and community leaders. This video is scheduled to air on social media May 23rd - the original date for graduation. For graduation and other end of year events and ceremonies, they plan to schedule them for later in the year but do not have dates at this time.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY

The Class of 2020 will graduate on Saturday, May 30, at Virginia Tech in the cage parking lot. Ceremony times are as follows:

Blacksburg High School - 8 a.m.

Eastern Montgomery High School - Noon

Auburn High School - 2:30 p.m.

Christiansburg High School - 5:30 p.m.

This style of ceremony will allow students to graduate as a senior class while still following social distancing guidelines.

NELSON COUNTY

Nelson County is still planning to host a traditional ceremony this summer. High School administrators are receiving feedback from a senior survey to see what other options they may want them to explore if things do not allow a traditional ceremony in June. The High School has posted yard signs, honored senior athletics via social media and they are working with the local newspaper to produce a special edition. Nelson County High School is also planning to recognize graduating seniors on the school's electronic marquee from May 18-29.

PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY

The Director of Secondary Education and the high school principals met and made a recommendation to hold graduation exercises in July at Averett’s Grant Center in Danville:

  • July 17 7:00 p.m. CHS
  • July 18 9:00 a.m. DRHS
  • July 18 1:00 p.m. THS
  • July 18 6:00 p.m. GHS

PULASKI COUNTY

Still finalizing plans.

RADFORD

Radford High School rescheduled graduation to Friday, June 26 at Bobcat Stadium (rain date is July 3), pending the lifting of stay at home orders and social distancing requirements. If social distancing and stay at home orders remain in place, they have a virtual graduation option that they will share after June 10. The school system partnered with Radford City and local businesses to make senior yard signs and t-shirts for each student. Senior banners will be hung throughout the City by the second or third week of May. Belle Heath Elementary staff made a senior tribute: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5fI9tIKMAo>.

ROANOKE CATHOLIC

Each senior in a cap and gown is coming with family one at a time to Roanoke Catholic to receive their diploma outdoors on their mall. They are recording each family and then will edit them all together to form a virtual graduation broadcast that will air on June 6, which is the scheduled graduation date, on the video live-streaming service, www.CelticsLive.com. They have also invited lower school students, alumni and parents to send in video tributes which will go into the broadcast as well.

ROANOKE CITY

Roanoke City has not officially canceled an in-person graduation, saying it is impossible to set a date for one right now. There will be virtual ceremonies for the graduates of Patrick Henry High School, William Fleming High School, and Forest Park Academy on the District's Facebook page on the following dates and times:

Forest Park Academy's ceremony will take place on Tuesday, June 2, at 6 p.m.

Patrick Henry's Graduation will take place Thursday, June 4, at 10 a.m., and William Fleming's will take place on June 4 at 2 p.m.

ROANOKE COUNTY

Roanoke County Public Schools is planning to celebrate the Class of 2020 in multiple parts. Part one will take the form of online graduation ceremonies that will premiere on May 19 and 20. Part two will be in-person celebrations to take place later this summer or fall. These events will be scheduled once the current restrictions on large gatherings have been lifted. Online graduations will be streamed via the Roanoke County Public Schools website at www.rcps.us/graduation

ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY

Rockbridge County plans to have a virtual graduation that mimics the actual graduation as closely as possible. Using social distancing measures, they will follow the traditional graduation program with all of the pomp and circumstance, including graduates walking across the stage, speeches, and presentation of diplomas. A professional videographer will produce the video and every student will have access to it through the website and YouTube. They are currently working with a local venue to show the video on the night of May 22nd; which, was the original night of graduation. They will soon release the plan to video the graduation ceremony, and a limited number of family members will be invited to see their graduate receive their diploma in person. They have ordered yard signs for each graduate and they will be personally delivered very soon.

SALEM CITY SCHOOLS

The Salem High School Annual Scholarship Ceremony will be in a Streaming Format. In addition, the Salem Civic Center displayed the names of every Salem High senior on the marquee for several weeks.

The Salem Civic Center is also doing this for all Roanoke County graduates and Lord Botetourt graduates, since they normally hold their ceremonies in the Civic Center arena.

WYTHE COUNTY

Wythe County will be having graduation on the following dates: Rural Retreat High School on June 18, George Wythe High School on June 19, and Fort Chiswell High School on June 20. Times are all TBD. Schools are working on one of two scenarios: Traditional graduation or a ‘drive-thru’ graduation. It will depend on social distancing guidelines and any possible state orders. Schools are providing seniors with yard signs and there are banners at the schools as well. Some schools may be planning other recognition.