School planning to reward seniors with graduation ceremony that is 'larger than life'
By
Maria Antonieta Valery Gill, AccuWeather Staff Writer
Published May 8, 2020 4:30 PM EST
Despite everything going on, the Hanover Area School District in Hanover Township, Pennsylvania, has found a unique way to send off seniors.
With thousands of graduation ceremonies being canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, many high school seniors around the country won't have the chance to walk across a stage and receive diplomas this year in celebration of their achievement. However, students at a school district in northeastern Pennsylvania will still be treated to a commencement ceremony -- and it will be one for the books.
The Superintendent of Hanover Area Schools, Nathan Barrett, is working hard to ensure that students at his school district are still being honored for their hard work, even if traditional commencement celebrations are not feasible. His solution? Hosting the ceremony at a drive-in movie theater.
An aerial view of the Garden Drive-In movie theater in Hunlock Creek, Pa. (AccuWeather)
According to Barrett, this will be “a massive event that would probably be more memorable and bigger and larger than life, than if it were a normal, traditional ceremony.”
Barrett's idea is to have the students decorate their cars, put on their caps and gowns and get into the car with their families. From there, they will create a parade of vehicles that will travel from the high school all the way to the drive-in movie theater. Once there, graduates will park their cars and, as the sun goes down, the screen at the theater will display a slideshow of pictures of the graduating seniors, along with their achievements.
Doug Barbacci, the owner of Garden Drive-In movie theater in neighboring Hunlock Creek -- where the ceremony is scheduled to take place on June 4 -- is on board with this idea.
“We have the infrastructure,” he said. “We have the microphones and speaker systems, and certainly we have the place to park.”
Although students from the school district are sad about their senior year ceremonies being canceled, they are thrilled they will still get to experience graduation, even if it will be a little different to what they expected.
Abby Korba, a graduating senior from the area, said that she was just excited to end her high school journey with her friends.
"Just being able to see them and say, 'Hey, I’m so happy that I was able to be your friend throughout the years. Thank you for everything and the memories you’ve provided me with,'” Korba told AccuWeather's Lincoln Riddle, will help her experience the graduation tradition.
Not only has this event created buzz with the students, but it has also been praised by the whole town, including the area's fire and police departments, which will block off the routes from the high school to the drive-in theater, and will be leading the parade of cars.
As Barrett put it, executing the plan "became a community effort" after he presented the idea to the school district.
Due to the event being held at an outdoor venue, weather will play an important role in its success, but it seems like there are clear skies ahead for the students and their families.
On the night of June 4, AccuWeather predicts a mainly clear sky with a RealFeel temperature of 58 F and a 1% chance of rain, which is normal for that time of the year in the Hanover area.
However, rain or shine, warm or chilly, this will be a very special night for everyone involved.
Reporting by Lincoln Riddle.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Weather News
School planning to reward seniors with graduation ceremony that is 'larger than life'
By Maria Antonieta Valery Gill, AccuWeather Staff Writer
Published May 8, 2020 4:30 PM EST
Despite everything going on, the Hanover Area School District in Hanover Township, Pennsylvania, has found a unique way to send off seniors.
With thousands of graduation ceremonies being canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, many high school seniors around the country won't have the chance to walk across a stage and receive diplomas this year in celebration of their achievement. However, students at a school district in northeastern Pennsylvania will still be treated to a commencement ceremony -- and it will be one for the books.
The Superintendent of Hanover Area Schools, Nathan Barrett, is working hard to ensure that students at his school district are still being honored for their hard work, even if traditional commencement celebrations are not feasible. His solution? Hosting the ceremony at a drive-in movie theater.
An aerial view of the Garden Drive-In movie theater in Hunlock Creek, Pa. (AccuWeather)
According to Barrett, this will be “a massive event that would probably be more memorable and bigger and larger than life, than if it were a normal, traditional ceremony.”
Barrett's idea is to have the students decorate their cars, put on their caps and gowns and get into the car with their families. From there, they will create a parade of vehicles that will travel from the high school all the way to the drive-in movie theater. Once there, graduates will park their cars and, as the sun goes down, the screen at the theater will display a slideshow of pictures of the graduating seniors, along with their achievements.
Doug Barbacci, the owner of Garden Drive-In movie theater in neighboring Hunlock Creek -- where the ceremony is scheduled to take place on June 4 -- is on board with this idea.
“We have the infrastructure,” he said. “We have the microphones and speaker systems, and certainly we have the place to park.”
Although students from the school district are sad about their senior year ceremonies being canceled, they are thrilled they will still get to experience graduation, even if it will be a little different to what they expected.
Abby Korba, a graduating senior from the area, said that she was just excited to end her high school journey with her friends.
"Just being able to see them and say, 'Hey, I’m so happy that I was able to be your friend throughout the years. Thank you for everything and the memories you’ve provided me with,'” Korba told AccuWeather's Lincoln Riddle, will help her experience the graduation tradition.
Not only has this event created buzz with the students, but it has also been praised by the whole town, including the area's fire and police departments, which will block off the routes from the high school to the drive-in theater, and will be leading the parade of cars.
As Barrett put it, executing the plan "became a community effort" after he presented the idea to the school district.
Due to the event being held at an outdoor venue, weather will play an important role in its success, but it seems like there are clear skies ahead for the students and their families.
On the night of June 4, AccuWeather predicts a mainly clear sky with a RealFeel temperature of 58 F and a 1% chance of rain, which is normal for that time of the year in the Hanover area.
However, rain or shine, warm or chilly, this will be a very special night for everyone involved.
Reporting by Lincoln Riddle.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo