Hello,

Earlier this week Mr. Hopmayer, our high school principal, shared a message with all of our seniors that something they and we had hoped for would just not be able to occur. We won’t be able to hold an in-person graduation for all 430 members of the Class or 2020. That’s because the updated guidance from the governor and state Department of Health continued to bar gatherings larger than 150 people. So, the on-the-field graduation ceremony has been canceled. Instead, we will share our Herff Jones Virtual Graduation Celebration next Friday, July 31, at 7 p.m. on the high school page of the district website, www.pinebushschools.org.

While some other districts have scheduled a series of 4, 5 or 6 smaller ceremonies to meet the 150 limit, that format would fail to meet the goal our graduates told us they wanted most – to be all together.  We came closest to accomplishing this with our parade of graduates, and we have also been staging something far more individualized – a set of personal graduation ceremonies that allow the graduate to cross a mini-stage with a Pine Bush backdrop and have photos taken with their family and either an administrator or board of education member. Nearly two thirds of the class of 2020 has already taken advantage of these personal graduation ceremonies, and we have another batch of them scheduled for the first week in August.

This second round of personal graduations is scheduled for the week of August 3 through 6.  Graduates from the Class of 2020 can sign up for a personal graduation time, on the high school page on the district website, and use the “pick a time” link. Graduates who haven’t yet picked up their diplomas can do so during these scheduled personal graduations or by calling the Pine Bush High School main office.

Graduations in Pine Bush have always been a community affair, so I encourage you to visit our website beginning next Friday night to watch our Virtual Graduation Celebration.

Tomorrow I will be back with an important message about what we are calling our Return to Learn Plan for September.  

Have a great day!

Tim O. Mains, Pine Bush Superintendent