In-Person Graduations Planned By Alexandria High Schools In 2021

ALEXANDRIA, VA — High school graduations are almost upon us, and graduates in Alexandria will be able to celebrate the milestone in person with family and friends.

Alexandria's high schools are starting to release details on graduation. Gov. Ralph Northam previously released guidelines for in-person graduations for K-12 schools and colleges.

The tentative guidelines allow the lesser of 5,000 people or 30 percent of the venue capacity for outdoor graduations and the lesser of 500 people or 30 percent of the venue capacity for indoor graduations. Masks and social distancing measures are required for attendees.
Below are the initial plans for high school in Alexandria to celebrate 2021 graduates.

T.C. Williams High School

Alexandria's public high school will celebrate the class of 2021, the last senior class while the school is named T.C. Williams High School. The school will be renamed Alexandria City High School in the next school year.

Alexandria City Public Schools confirmed there will be an outdoor ceremony on June 12 at 9:30 a.m. at Chinquapin Park, and more details will be announced at a later time.

Bishop Ireton High School

The Catholic high school is planning an in-person ceremony on May 27 at 10 a.m. The ceremony will be held in the football field at 201 Cambridge Road in Alexandria.

"In-person graduations are a mark of the resilience of the graduates and of hope for a continued gradual return to the norms and traditions of school life going forward," said Dr. Joseph Vorbach, superintendent for schools of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington. "We salute the Class of 2021!”

Each graduate will be allowed to have up to four guests. In the event of rain, Catholic high schools will move their ceremonies indoors with contingency plans ranging from decreasing the number of guests to livestreaming the ceremonies in various areas of the schools.

Episcopal High School

The private boarding school will hold Commencement Weekend on May 28 and 29. The baccalaureate and awards ceremony is scheduled for May 28 at 4:30 p.m. tentatively at the Chapel Quad, while commencement will be held on May 29 at 9 a.m. at the Hummel Bowl.

Each senior will get up to six tickets for the commencement ceremony. Each graduate's guests will be grouped together and socially distanced from other groups. A livestream ceremony will also be available. Following the commencement will be a reception and opportunity for photos.

St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School

St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School, an Episcopal day school, will host the Upper School Baccalaureate on June 10 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Virginia Theological Seminary. The Upper School Commencement is planned for June 12 from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Upper School's Moss Field.