By Toni Garrard Clay/AISD Communications Coordinator
As this is being sent out, there are 14 days left until the last day of school and 15 to graduation. 😳 It’s crunch time, with end-of-year ceremonies and celebrations throughout the district — but it’s ESPECIALLY busy for our seniors … and their parents and guardians. (Hang in there, parents and guardians. You’re heroes, and we see you!) In this 9-minute podcast, Principal Nicole Cornish touches on some of the highlights of particular importance to senior families, starting with commencement. In addition to the information covered in the podcast, seniors and their family members should bookmark this web page for detailed information on upcoming senior activities, including answers to frequently asked questions.
Highlights from the podcast:
At 0:48 — 🎓 Commencement is May 28 in the competition gym. “There were a lot of things we were able to do with graduation and keep within those COVID protocols while at the same time making it feel a little ‘normal’ for kids, which was exciting,” said Mrs. Cornish. After watching COVID-19 infection rates in the community over the past few weeks, the number of commencement tickets available per graduate was expanded recently from six to 10. “We’re pretty excited about 10 tickets,” she said. Many graduates across the state are limited to as little as two.
At 3:00 — Baccalaureate is also being hosted in the competition gym, May 17.
At 3:30 — Shout out to junior Micah Swann, who competed recently at the UIL State Track Meet in the 2-mile event. “If you don’t know Micah and you want to see Micah, if you drive around Athens, Texas, at 5:30 in the morning, Micah is out running.” (Often with his younger brother, Hardy.) Additionally, the AHS fishing team of Reed Allen and Caleb Bomer will compete this weekend at Lake Texoma in the Texas High School BASS Association State Tournament.
At 4:55 — The Evening of Excellence will be May 26, when seniors are recognized for many achievements throughout the previous school year, including scholarships, CTE certifications, military commitments and chords.
At 6:03 — The entrance to the high school is blanketed with yard signs bearing the names of graduates and their intended next steps, whether that be college, military or vocational schools. “We work really hard to help the students have a plan when they leave us. Whatever that plan looks like for them, we want to encourage that,” said Mrs. Cornish. “We don’t want anyone to get to May 29 and think, ‘Now what?’ We want everyone to have something they can do … after graduation.”
It's the most wonderful/busy/crazy time of the (school) year