May 12, 2021
AHS Class of 2021 Graduation
Friday May 28, 4pm
10778 CR 120 in Hesperus

We are awaiting final approval from La Plata County, but hopeful that our graduation plans are coming together!

Thanks to the magic of local event producer John Oakes, alongside a ridiculous amount of generous community partners who are rallying to volunteer their time and talents, it looks like will be able to pull off a special tailgate-style graduation ceremony for our seniors at a beautiful piece of property John owns, near the Old Fort in Hesperus, complete with live radio coverage on 92.9 the Point and, potentially, live streaming via Facebook.

It's all happening! Cap and gown orders are coming in daily and filling my office, Alyssa Nicoly and Lindsay Levine are working on their rendition of the National Anthem, Lori Fisher and Steve Smith are crafting their faculty speeches and we'll select student speakers in the next week. I'll check in with seniors tomorrow to confirm what song each graduate want playing when they walk for their diploma and what they'd like the radio announcers to share about them (future plans, high school highlight, etc.).

Many folks have been wondering about how many guests you can invite. Each graduate will be assigned a spot for one vehicle.

Please RSVP here by next Friday May 21, one form per graduate, to let us know if you plan to attend.

Once you're parked, you can set up your tailgate area--think lawn chairs, picnic blankets, decorations. To follow COVID safety guidelines, we'll have families stay in their tailgate zones to maintain social distancing and ask everyone to wear masks throughout the ceremony, with the exception of when graduates have their photos taken by our professional photographer, Karen Skelly.

After the ceremony, which should last about 60-90 minutes, we'll invite families to parade by car from the venue to Main Avenue in downtown Durango. Folks who can't attend the ceremony due to limited space will be invited to line the parade route to show their support and love for the class of 2021.

It's going to be a special celebration! And speaking of celebrations, seniors, remember to save the date for Senior Supper the night before graduation, 6-8pm at AHS. This is when we'll hand out caps and gowns. A crew of parents is putting together a plan for a tasty meal and a vision to transform our outdoor classrooms into a special event venue; parents, look for a sign up coming your way soon with opportunities to help out with food prep, decorating, set up, serving and clean up.

I'll keep everyone posted as the plans continue to fall into place, and please send questions my way!

Best,
Libby
Animas High School prepares all students for college and postsecondary success by creating critical thinkers and engaged citizens through an innovative, student-centered, project-based curriculum. We accomplish this through:
Rigorous academics, where all students are prepared for college success
Culture of excellence, where students are held to high expectations
Strong student-faculty relationships, where students are well known.
Engaging learning, where students see the relevance in their education