Leon County School begins in-person graduations this week
and last updated 2021-06-01 23:42:21-04
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. WTXL â Leon County Students, parents, and even district administrators can hardly hide their excitement to participate in near-traditional graduation ceremonies this year. Concerns over COVID safety prompted drive-in graduation ceremonies last year. Last year, that s all we heard, my baby can t walk across the stage, I. You know, that type of thing, so we re elated, said Leon County Schools assistant principal Dr. Michelle Gayle.
Gayle shares the sentiment with Leon High School parent Tia Walton-Walker. I m excited. I m ecstatic, said Walker. Because they have worked so hard, they ve followed all the rules, they ve done such a great job, so this is a great way for them to celebrate all of their hard work.
Seniors in Leon County Schools definitely will have in-person graduation ceremonies this year, despite COVID-19.
Superintendent Rocky Hanna confirmed the announcement via an online video posted to social media that ceremonies will begin Monday, June 7 at the Gene Cox Stadium off Paul Russell Road. I know we re really excited. The message to our seniors: Finish strong, Hanna said. Don t do anything that will jeopardize you graduating from high school.
Ceremonies will include a stage for seniors to walk across, Hanna said. The superintendent stood on the Gene Cox field as he made the announcement, surrounded by local high school principals.
Students in Leon County Schools were clear at Tuesday night s School Board meeting: Middle school and high school restrooms need to stock tampons and pads.
The idea comes from Rickards High School student Amaya Waymon and was broached at the meeting by student School Board representative Arsha Harris and Student District Advisory Council Chair Layne Schulte, who asked Assistant Superintendent Alan Cox about the district s current efforts. Harris is a Lawton Chiles High School student and Schulte is a Leon High School student.
Cox said he was working with officials to find funds for the project and the machines that would house pads and tampons.
More than 5,800 people are still waiting on a COVID-19 vaccine from the Leon County Department of Health. We are not able to provide an approximate wait time for call backs and continue to ask our senior community for patience as we continue to manage a high volume of request forms, Pam Saulsby, Leon County health department spokeswoman, wrote in an email to the Tallahassee Democrat.
The local health department did not specify how many doses of the vaccine it currently has and noted that the vaccine doses it does receive are shared with local healthcare providers.
Saulsby added that if seniors miss a call from the health department or Leon County volunteers, their names remain on the department s master list. Volunteers will continue to call, but will not leave voicemails, she said.