Delaware schools closed through end of academic year

After Gov. John Carney officially closed schools through the end of the academic year, Cape district officials began planning a virtual graduation ceremony and have updated remote-learning expectations for all grade levels.

Cape Superintendent Bob Fulton said the virtual graduation will take place Tuesday, June 9. Officials are also looking into possibly having a traditional, in-person ceremony at a later date.

“We know how important graduation is to our seniors and their parents, and it is equally important to us,” Fulton said in an April 24 letter to families. “We are doing everything we can to make sure that this year’s graduation, although different, is equally as special as it has been in previous years.” 

Cape High Principal Nikki Miller has been in contact with class officers, and students will be surveyed to help determine when the in-person ceremony will be held, Fulton said.

Reached by email April 27, Miller said school officials are planning new ways to celebrate seniors.

“We are working to finalize all the details and the schedule of events we hope to communicate toward the end of the week,” Miller said. “As you can imagine, we have been planning and brainstorming ideas. I promise we will do more than just the virtual graduation. Our students are a No. 1 priority for us, and this is new for us all.”  

Cape High senior Daniel Adili-Khams said he was at a loss for words when he learned he would not walk at graduation; he called for an in-person ceremony at a later date. 

“A virtual graduation does not suffice or come close to the traditional graduation at any level,” Daniel said in a letter to the editor. “It does not give a proper goodbye to the class that marks the end of a decade at Cape.”

Cape High senior Wyatt Fruehauf started a petition on change.org calling for a live ceremony. “As a senior, I have already been stripped of many of the memories that I was supposed to hold dear for the rest of my life, for the rest of the Class of 2020’s lives,” Wyatt stated in his request for signatures.  

In the April 24 statement to families, Fulton also said students were provided with updated guidance regarding remote-learning efforts and expectations for the fourth marking period, which began April 14. 

Teachers will provide students at least one graded assignment per week through the end of the year; there will be no final exams. 

On April 24, Carney announced the closure of all Delaware schools for the remainder of the school year.

Earlier, on March 13, Carney directed all Delaware public schools to close from March 16-27 to allow schools to prepare for potential spread of coronavirus COVID-19. On March 22, he updated his order, closing schools until May 15, or until the COVID-19 virus has been contained.