Dear 8th Grade Parents, 

It’s hard to believe but the class of 2020 has officially begun their final two weeks of the school year. This is definitely bittersweet and maybe even more so this year. Last week, you received great news about the end of the year festivities and how we will honor and celebrate the completion of their MCS journey. More details will be shared including today’s exciting update.

Class of 2020 Grad Bag Delivery Caravan
Make sure your calendar is marked for a special delivery this Friday, May 15th. If you live in a gated community, please be sure to let the gate attendees know of our arrival at some point during the day. Just be listening for our arrival and send your 8th grader outside. 

Wrapping Up the School Year
The last day of school for 8th graders will be the same as all other students. 8th graders will attend classes through Friday, May 22nd. We hope to see all of them at the Great Drive Bye planned for that afternoon.

Commemorating the Class of 2020
This momentous time must be documented. We have planned special ways to commemorate it:

Spirit Rock Painted for the Class of 2020
One great tradition that will continue is the painting of the MCS spirit rock for the 8th grade class. From Monday, May 15th through graduation on Wednesday, May 27th you can bring your graduate by the school for a fun photo op with the painted spirit rock. Students can come in their graduation gown, MCS uniform, or even PJs (since that is likely their current “uniform”). 

Class of 2020 Picture  
Each year, prior to the graduation ceremony, we gather the 8th graders together for a class picture. Though graduation is different this year, we don’t want to miss the opportunity to capture a picture of the class of 2020. We want to be sensitive to the current situation and the comfort level of families in regards to gathering students together for a picture. Every effort to ensure the necessary safety precautions would be made but it is understandable that some may not feel comfortable participating. With that in mind, we ask that one parent, per student, responds to the survey provided below indicating whether or not you would feel comfortable with your child participating in a class picture. Parent responses will determine the next steps. Please respond by Wednesday, May 12th. 

Graduation Photography 
With a drive in graduation ceremony, it will be important to honor distancing guidelines including any requirement that attendees remain in their cars. However, we have secured a photographer who will capture the graduation ceremony including the moment your child receives his/her diploma (more details below). All pictures will be shared and families will have the ability to download, for free, all pictures provided. 

Alumni Spiritwear Pop Up Shop 
Brand new for the class of 2020! In partnership with BlackBoxMerch, MCS is launching an online MCS alumni pop up shop. If you are looking for a special graduation gift for your student or a gift to celebrate their time at MCS, check out the unique offerings provided in this pop up shop. We’ve even designed an MCS mask just for this time in history! The shop will be open exclusively for the 8th grade class from Monday, May 11 through Monday, May 18. BlackBoxMerch will process and ship all orders no later than June 5th and they are generously donating all profits to the MCS Relief Fund as well. Doubly blessed! To shop, click here.

Class of 2020 Graduation, Wednesday, May 27th
Planning continues for this year’s graduation and excitement is growing! Since the last communication, the following details have been confirmed: 

Ceremony Time Remains to be Confirmed: 
To provide the clearest and best visibility for the digital screen, the ceremony must be held later in the evening. As Mariners Church is still determining the appropriate screen technology, we are awaiting the final confirmation of the ceremony time. However, we do know the current thought is 8:00 pm start time and families will be invited to arrive one hour prior to enjoy pre-ceremony goodies (to be distributed to each car) and a “Celebration Video” containing footage and photos of the 8th grade class over the years as well as special messages collected just for the class of 2020.

Assigned Parking 
To facilitate the drive in ceremony and maintain social distancing, there will be a maximum number of cars permitted. To support and maintain this requirement, each family will be assigned one parking space. Families who have previously indicated a dual family household will be given the opportunity, at a later time, to request one additional parking space if necessary. Included in the Grad Bag to be delivered Friday will be your family’s assigned parking sign which is to be displayed in the windshield of your car upon arriving to graduation. Because of the size of the screen and layout there will not be a bad view in the “house”. 

Graduation Live Feed 
Attendance will be limited to the immediate family (or the number of people you are able to fit in one car). However, additional family and friends will be able to enjoy and view the ceremony via a live feed. It is possible that the ceremony may also be recorded and shared after the ceremony but this detail has not yet been confirmed. Information for the live viewing will be shared closer to the ceremony. 

Passing of the Diploma 
One important piece of the graduation ceremony is the moment each student receives his/her diploma. We hope to preserve and capture this moment this year. To do this will require students to be out of their car and in closer proximity to a staff member who will hand the diploma to the student. Just as with the class picture, necessary safety precautions would be taken. To gain an understanding of the comfort level of families with this component, including the exchange of the diploma, please share your preference by completing the survey below. 

Parent Survey: Response Needed by Wednesday, May 13th 
Please take a moment to complete this short survey indicating your preferences regarding the class of 2020 picture and diploma exchange at graduation. The survey can be found here.   
We look forward to celebrating this amazing group of young men and young women together! Praying for God’s abundant blessings over this time. 

Blessings, 
Heather Harrison 
Middle School Principal