Brookwood announces plans for graduation and other senior events

On Friday, Watts announced to seniors and their parents that graduation will take place in person on Saturday, May 30, public health conditions permitting. Baccalaureate, a tradition that normally takes place the night before graduation, will be combined with the graduation ceremony.
As the school year comes to a close, 37 Brookwood seniors bid farewell to their school in unusual circumstances. Recent months have led to many decisions and event cancellations, but Headmaster Dr. Randy Watts was committed to sending off the class of 2020 in proper fashion. 

On Friday, Watts announced to seniors and their parents that graduation will take place in person on Saturday, May 30, public health conditions permitting. Baccalaureate, a tradition that normally takes place the night before graduation, will be combined with the graduation ceremony. 

The ceremony will take place in the school’s Beverly Athletic Center, a 38,676 square foot space with a seating capacity of 760. Students will be seated on the floor at ten foot intervals in order to ensure proper social distancing. Handshakes and distribution of diplomas and Bibles will be replaced with receipt of these items underneath each student’s seat in a no-touch plastic bag.

Several additional health safety precautions will be in place for the ceremony. Upon arrival, all will be screened for fever by a Registered Nurse or a Medical Doctor. Anyone whose temperature exceeds CDC guidelines or is experiencing any of the symptoms (shortness of breath, coughing, fever) will not be admitted. Signs with current CDC guidelines will be posted at various points of entrance. All graduates and guests will arrive at scheduled, staggered intervals, and they must receive hand sanitizer prior to entrance. Guests will wear face coverings until they are seated and must be at least ten feet apart from the closest person other than those in their household. 

At this time, the only guests permitted to attend the event will be parents (including biological, step-, or adoptive parents). For those who choose not to or are not permitted to attend, a Livestream of the ceremony will be available. 

In keeping with tradition, the ceremony will include speeches from the co-salutatorians Thompson Miles and Mollie Vick and co-valedictorians Lilly Jackson and Holland Walker. 

Prior to graduation, seniors will have the opportunity to participate in two new traditions for the school: a senior parade and final “walk the halls.” On Saturday, May 16, seniors will arrive at Brookwood in cars decorated by their parents. They will then parade with a police escort in a designated route around town as their friends, family, and teachers wave and cheer. For a final “walk the halls,” seniors will be asked to create memory boards with their favorite photos and memories throughout their years at Brookwood. Their parents will drop off the boards at designated times, and on the two days leading up to graduation, students will be able to schedule a time to walk around Crozer Hall, the Upper School building, with their parents for a final time as Brookwood students. 

All events have been planned with extreme thought and care to adhere to current CDC guidelines and in consultation with public health and medical professionals. In the event that circumstances change, event details will be taken into consideration and potentially changed to a virtual format. 
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Located in Thomasville, GA, Brookwood School is a private school for grades JK-12. Students benefit from a challenging academic program, fine and performing arts, competitive athletics, and a wide selection of extracurricular activities.