SHELBY — Life in the Shelby City Schools district will soon return to some semblance of normal, starting with graduation this weekend.
Shelby High School Principal John Gies announced at Tuesday night’s Board of Education meeting that the 2021 graduation ceremony will be held inside the high school gymnasium at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 21.
The ceremony’s location was originally planned for W.W. Skiles Field, but the venue was changed due to less-than-ideal conditions at the field, plus new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) states fully-vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing. Those who have not been vaccinated should still wear a mask and socially distance.
All attendees at Friday night’s graduation ceremony will be required to wear a mask, in accordance with the state of Ohio’s mask mandate that is not lifted until June 2.
“Masks are what allow us to have graduation indoors,” Gies said.
“Right now we have 138 members of the class of 2021 walking at graduation, which is on the low side of some classes we’ve had, so there should be plenty of seating for all family members who want to attend.”
On May 12, Gov. Mike DeWine announced all statewide COVID-19 health orders would be lifted June 2, including a mask mandate, limits on gatherings and implementation of social distancing. Many health orders have been in place since March 2020.
Then, on May 14, DeWine announced the Ohio Department of Health would amend the remaining health orders to comply with the new guidance from the CDC through June 2.
“However, not all Ohioans have been vaccinated yet; the June 2 date I announced for the removal of health orders provided time for those who had not yet gotten their vaccine to get it,” DeWine said. “While our order will be amended to reflect the new CDC guidance, it will remain in place until June 2.”
Students who will be returning to Shelby City Schools this fall will also return to a pre-COVID way of life, with the district planning for full in-person learning to return for the 2021-2022 school year.
According to Assistant Superintendent Paul Walker, 95 percent of families surveyed in the district said they wanted their kids back inside the classroom next school year.
“We want kids back in school learning and getting back to a sense of normalcy,” Walker said.
With the district returning to in-person learning, the criteria for remote learning will be more strict – only in cases that include credit recovery, schedule conflicts, medical referrals or disciplinary measures. Walker said building principals and counselors can meet with students on an individual basis to determine remote learning needs.
“We thank the teachers who stepped up to help with remote learning … families had a lot more put on their plate, protecting their child or loved one, and we thank them as well,” he said. “It was a whole community effort, and now we can hopefully get back to the regular school year.”
Two people who won’t be returning to in-person learning next year are Linda Durkin and Pamela McKown — two teachers who were recognized for their retirements at Tuesday’s meeting.
Durkin is retiring from teaching the second grade at Dowds Elementary. She began her education career with Shelby in August 1999.
“I have lived in Shelby probably more than half my life now, so I am a true Shelbian and I appreciate the opportunities it has given me,” Durkin said. “Not that I wanted to do this right now, but it’s the time to do it.”
McKown has been a teacher in Shelby for 34 years, the last 15 years as the special education teacher at Shelby High School. She fought a lump in her throat as she admitted it has been difficult for her to start the retirement process.
“I’ve really enjoyed working at the high school and all the opportunities Mr. Gies has afforded me,” McKown said. “We’ve come a long way and made great strides, and I’m pretty proud of that, but I guess it’s time.”
