Lansing High School Principal, Mr. Rob McKim, delivers at home graduation ceremony for graduate leaving for Army Reserves (VIDEO)
Due to the restrictions on large gatherings and our graduation ceremony for Lansing High School being pushed into the summer months, several of our seniors who have to leave earlier than our planned graduation date (June 27th) were possibly going to miss out on the ceremony.
Principal Rob McKim felt it was important to allow these seniors to have the opportunity to be recognized and walk across a stage in a cap and gown to receive their diplomas among family and friends. Once the district was forced to move the original graduation date, Mr. McKim started researching alternative ways to bring a graduation ceremony to seniors having to leave before June 27th.
"We knew we wanted to do something a little out of the ordinary for those students that would not be able to attend our scheduled graduation ceremony at the end of June," said Mr. McKim. "Graduation is a big accomplishment, and we wanted to provide an opportunity for the student and their friends and family to celebrate that accomplishment."
A parent of one of our graduating seniors reached out to him about a story on-line where a school district had turned a trailer into a make-shift stage, and the principal traveled to the senior's home to perform the graduation ceremony. Mr. McKim loved the idea and went to work to make it happen.
He first sent an email to the senior class asking them to fill out a short survey in order to get a head-count on how many students would need to have individualized ceremonies. The next step was figuring out how to make it happen. Thankfully he found a community member, Chase Fletchall, willing to lend the district his trailer, and Mr. McKim was able to put together a team of district employees to design and build a stage on the trailer. In a matter of days, the stage was built and the first ceremony was scheduled for Miss Shannon Jessup, who will be leaving for the Army Reserves the evening of Monday, May 25th.
Several of Shannon's teachers, as well as family and friends, were able to attend the ceremony that took place in the family's shed due to inclement weather on Friday, May 22nd. Scroll down to watch the ceremony.
Lansing USD 469 wishes Shannon the best of luck in her life's next adventure. The next individualized graduation ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday, May 26th.
A heartfelt thank you to the following people for making this important event a reality for our seniors:
- Principal Rob McKim for organizing the ceremony
- Superintendent Dan Wessel for helping gather supplies and build the stage
- Teachers Nick Flynn and Brian Malm for building the stage
- Chase Fletchall for lending the trailer
It's another great day to be a Lion!