Today is the last day of classes (minus a few AP classes and all the AP exams) for our Class of 2020. This is definitely not how we thought their St. Francis tenure would end, but we are truly excited at the ways we’re finding to celebrate them in the coming weeks. In addition to the “We Love the Class of 2020” yard signs delivered a couple of weeks ago (and an upcoming surprise delivery!), we’ve been working on additional plans, with their input. Senior Luncheon will become a filmed event with a watch party at noon on Tuesday, May 26th. This special event showcases faculty giving individual speeches for each student while a slide with a baby, kindergarten, and senior picture of that student is shown in the background. Graduation itself is still on Friday, May 29th at 4:00 p.m. but is moving to the Sauerbeck Drive-In, where it will resemble a regular St. Francis graduation as much as is allowable with precautions and distancing. Unfortunately, we cannot have guests outside of the graduates’ families because there will not be room. However, we will be streaming it on Facebook Live and will share that link with all of you in case you’d like to tune in!   

Another important end-of-year ceremony, Awards Day, is being shortened and will be a Google Hangout with the students on Tuesday, May 19th at 12:30 p.m. This event is always just for students and faculty/staff, but parents, if you like, you can look over your teenager’s shoulder this year! Only the major awards (Book Awards for the 11th graders, some athletic and artistic awards for the 12th grade, and a few other items) will be given during our live all-school session; the classroom awards that normally comprise the bulk of the ceremony will be handled in each class. 

“Exam Week” is May 18th – 22nd. The schedule is listed in the School Notes of this week’s newsletter and has been shared with students as well. We have modified our usual end-of-semester two-hour exams for all academic subjects; there are a couple of assessments and a couple of projects for most students.  

Locker Clean-Out Days, during which students will be picking up belongings and also bringing any books they’d like to sell back (for the Used Book Sale in August), will be Friday, May 22nd and Thursday, May 28th. Each student will have a designated time in order to ensure appropriate distancing with small numbers in the building and each area at one time. I will email the schedule out to students and parents early next week. I am so looking forward to getting to say hello – and goodbye for the summer – to each student!