Cardinals flock back to GHS for their caps, gowns
Senior class preps for drive-thru graduation ceremony Tuesday Petition calls for car parade for Greenwich High School grads
GREENWICH — After nearly three months away from school due to the coronavirus pandemic, the members of the Class of 2020 were happy to return to Greenwich High School to pick up two treasured items — their caps and gowns.
On Friday, the 701 seniors were invited to get their graduation attire, which they will need for Tuesday’s drive-through commencement ceremonies.
For about four hours, cars lined up either at the front entrance of Greenwich High School or in front of the Performing Arts Center.
Faculty members wearing masks, due to COVID-19 safety precautions, brought out caps, gowns, yearbooks, a Cardinals baseball hat and senior awards to the each of the GHS seniors, as they remained in their automobiles.
“We are doing our best to provide the students with as much of a graduation ceremony and celebration as we can, while following the safety guidelines of the governor,” said Karen Foster, head of student services at GHS.
While the state is beginning to reduce its COVID-19 restrictions, a sense of normalcy is slowly starting to return and the GHS graduates felt that on Friday as they returned to campus for the first time in months.
“I definitely feel that things are starting to feel normal, especially once we got everything today,” said senior Jessie Marzullo, who received her cap, gown and other items. “The whole process of being home has been kind of tough, especially the first couple of weeks. As I began getting used to it, it became much easier.”
Marzullo, who played on the girls ice hockey team, will attend the University of New Hampshire, where she plans on majoring in sports management.
“My experience at Greenwich High School was memorable,” Marzullo said. “I enjoyed it so much. I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that I’m graduating on Tuesday. I’m so happy with my four years at Greenwich.”
Senior Christopher Genaro said he learned plenty during the coronavirus crisis.
“This experience has taught me not to take anything for granted,” said Genaro, who played baseball and basketball for the Cardinals. “I never thought I would be saying that I miss taking tests and quizzes. No one could have ever imagined this was going to happen, but I know there’s a bigger picture.
“I could be disappointed about losing a baseball season, or part of my senior year of high school, but it’s not as big as what some others have lost, or gone through,” he said.
The Fordham University-bound Genaro is looking forward to Tuesday’s commencement exercises.
“With all the senior events being canceled, it was really nice of the town and Greenwich High School to put something together for us seniors to get our diplomas and do one more lap at GHS, before we go on to college,” Genaro said. “We are all grateful.”
Senior Michael Connerty said the past two-and-half months has put things into perspective for him.
“It was tough, first we lost the hockey season and then school was shut down,” said Connerty, who played on the ice hockey squad and will attend Colgate “But as a whole, I realized how lucky I am to live in a suburban home here in Greenwich.”
Added senior Jack O’Gorman: “I learned anything can happen in a blink of an eye. I was happy to be at Greenwich High today and have the opportunity to talk to so many teachers. I forgot the coronavirus was around.”
Under guidelines issued by Gov. Ned Lamont that urges residents to maintain social distancing, GHS will hold three graduation ceremonies on Tuesday — at 9 a.m., noon and 3 p.m.
The five houses will be split across two stages — outside the entrance to the Performing Arts Center and around the school’s front circle.
Bella House will graduate at the PAC and Cantor House will have its graduation at the school’s front circle. Clark House (PAC) and Folsom House (front circle) will have their ceremonies at noon, followed by Sheldon House at 3 p.m. (school’s front circle).
A virtual graduation ceremony, which includes speeches from students and administrators, begins Tuesday at 7 p.m.
“I loved it here at GHS, it was the best four years I will ever have,” said O’Gorman, who will attend Roger Williams University. “The people, the energy at the school and the community feeling you get while playing sports — it was the best feeling in the world.”
GREENWICH — The Class of 2020 will graduate from Greenwich High School on Tuesday — with five separate drive-through daytime ceremonies and an evening of live-streamed speeches.
But an online petition is gaining support that calls on the town to hold a car parade to celebrate the town’s graduating seniors.
Greenwich High School will have a drive-through graduation, which must follow social distancing guidelines due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tuesday’s graduation exercises at GHS will take place at 9 a.m., noon and 3 p.m., with students from the school’s different houses receiving their diplomas at certain times. A virtual ceremony, which will include speeches, will be held at 7 p.m.
Even though the school is holding the day of graduation events, the petition wants the community to gather at some point to host a car parade to celebrate the students and their accomplishments.
“Our graduating seniors have worked so hard to reach this huge milestone. Let’s show them that even in these very difficult times we care enough to celebrate them the best way we can. While we are having a drivethrough graduation at GHS, we should come together as a community and celebrate them,” the online petition says.
“Many towns are celebrating their 2020 grads with car parades — this is a great way for us to cheer them on as a community while staying safe. Graduates get to decorate their cars, police and fire trucks lead the parade and we can as a community show them we celebrate their accomplishments. The Class of 2020 deserves some fun and recognition. A Greenwich car parade is our chance to cheer them on in a safe way — together,” it says.
First Selectman Fred Camillo said he had been advised by the Greenwich Police Department that a car parade was not logistically possible with about 700 seniors. He then passed that information along to Superintendent of Schools Toni Jones.
But Camillo said he believes the graduates deserve public recognition — and he pointed to Gov. Ned Lamont’s statement on Wednesday that said some outdoor graduation ceremonies — with up to 150 people — will be permitted after July 6.
“I really would love to see them have a chance to be honored,” Camillo said on Thursday. “It’s a nice memory and people have already been robbed of so many memories (because of the coronavirus) in the last three months. If there’s any way possible to get this done and have something for them, then I think we really have to make every effort.”
Jones noted the size of a parade would be difficult for the Greenwich Public Schools and the police department to safely handle.
“A parade with 700-plus cars is far beyond the scope of what GPS would be able to safely manage,” Jones said. “The police department has logistical, traffic management and security concerns with a proposed car parade of that magnitude, and given that this parade would take place on public streets, we understand and respect the concerns raised by local officials.”
Brunswick School held a car parade to celebrate its graduates last month on its King Street campus. Brunswick plans to hold a commencement ceremony next month. Greenwich Academy also held a parade on its traffic circle. It also plans to hold a graduation ceremony in July.
As of Friday morning, nearly 500 people had signed the petition, which can be found at www.ipetitions.com/petition/ ghs-2020-parade.