Coronavirus: Plymouth Schools Address 'Disappointing' Closure

PLYMOUTH, MA — Gov. Charlie Baker's announcement Tuesday afternoon that Massachusetts schools will be closed through the end of the school year due to the new coronavirus health crisis hammered home with a thud the reality that had become more and more apparent to most high school seniors in recent weeks.

All the proms, the awards nights, the senior athletic dinners and state tournaments, the pomp and the circumstances involved with the lead up to graduation and the ceremony itself, and the celebrations of putting a punctuation mark on one chapter of life will all either be canceled, or take place in a foreign, remote and perhaps pared-down, socially distant way that was never part of the plan.

On Tuesday, it became the unfortunate reality.

"For the past few weeks I have received a great deal of email correspondence from seniors and parents about senior activities and graduation," said Superintendent of Schools Gary Maestas. "This is an even more meaningful year as this is the Class of 2020. I want to assure the graduates and their families that was are committed to recognizing the Class of 202 with something special to mark the culmination of their education within Plymouth Public Schools.

"On a personal note, I want our senior class to know that this is also a special year for me as superintendent. I had purposely planned for the Class of 2020 to be my final graduating ceremony as the first year as Superintendent of Plymouth Public Schools was when these students were in first grade."

For those who are not seniors, Maestas said they are working to compile a list of events that were scheduled across the district and "each building will be creating a plan to continue these activities in a model that will follow the appropriate direction from the state."

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