Above: Greg Dantas of R.I. Real Estate is behind the Congratulations sign at the corner of Frenchtown and Tillinghast roads.

This is it – countdown to graduation for the Class of 2020! We can’t erase the coronavirus pandemic and how it brought the in-person aspects of senior year to an abrupt end in March, but we can celebrate this class full of talent, creativity and verve.

First, mark your calendars for the EGHS Class of 2020 parade through parts of town immediately following the drive-in graduation ceremony at the high school on Saturday, June 6. The ceremony starts at noon and will last about an hour. Cars participating in the procession will leave from the high school and turn right onto Middle Road, following the course map at left. Residents and other well wishers are are encouraged to line the route. Wave signs, play kazoos, show some Avenger pride.

If you’re curious about where many of the seniors are going next year, check out EGHS seniors Bryn Shunney and Sabrina Neimark’s video. They got 108 students to submit photos of themselves wearing something from the school they each plan to attend. It’s a rite of passage (like many) that this senior class was not able to celebrate together this year.

“May 1 is deemed ‘Decision Day’ so traditionally we all come to school wearing our post-secondary apparel,” said Neimark of the date by which most student need to decide which school they will be attending post-high school. “I wanted to recreate that with the slideshow.” 

Because of the virus, colleges pushed back their deadlines to June 1, so Neimark and Shunney decided to wait too. It was a lot of work but the two seniors have complimentary skills. “Bryn’s good at the formatting and I did most of the communication piece,” Neimark said. Nice job!

For the past 12 years, seniors have had to complete a Senior Project, then present it to a panel of adults. This year was different, of course, with many seniors presented their projects virtually. Senior Project Coordinator Karen Lockhart, herself a member of the EGHS Class of 2012, compiled short clips and photos and put them into a video. Take a look: from the guitar player to the graphic artist to the tap dancer to the sushi chef and so many more, it’s fun to see the diversity of interest and excellence in execution. Thanks for sharing, Ms. Lockhart! Find the link HERE.

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