Getting ready

It’s time for the test.

Jay County High School’s drive-in graduation ceremony is still about a month away.

Saturday’s Senior Honors Day, to be held in the same style, will serve as a trial run for the big event on the first weekend of June.

Honors Day will begin at 2 p.m. in the “driving range” parking lot that sits between the softball and soccer fields at Jay County High School. It will be the first time a large portion of the senior class has been together since school let out March 13.

“I’m pretty excited about it,” said JCHS senior class president Devan Bennett. “Just to get out of the house will be really nice, and to see everyone win their awards … Like graduation, it won’t be the same, but it will still be pretty special.”

Seniors — limited to one vehicle each — may begin arriving for the event at 1 p.m., entering through the main driveway off of Indiana 67 and going to the main student parking lot that will serve as a staging area. Students are asked to sit in the passenger seat with a parent/guardian driving and immediate family only (those who live in the same household) in the vehicle.

About 1:30 p.m., vehicles will begin being moved to the “driving range” lot as directed by school employees and law enforcement officers. The event will begin at 2 p.m. or shortly after all of the vehicles are in place.

Timing, JCHS principal Chad Dodd said, is a key detail he wants to monitor Saturday.

“For us, the parking, getting everybody staged and in their spots, is going to be big for graduation with 250 cars,” said Dodd, noting that about half of the seniors are expected to take part in Honors Day. “I’m hoping that Saturday can give us a little bit of an idea … of how long it’s going to take, how many people we’re going to need to facilitate it.”

The ceremony itself will be similar to the traditional event that is held each year in the JCHS auditorium, with the exception that students will not be stepping forward to receive their certificates and other awards.

Honors will be announced live by JCHS guidance counselors or by community presenters in pre-recorded videos.

Everyone will remain inside their vehicles with windows rolled up during the event, which will be streamed live on the high school’s YouTube and Facebook pages and will be broadcast on all three of WPGW’s radio stations. A short pause is planned between each award, and parents are encouraged to honk horns and flash headlights in celebration.

Attendees are asked to use the restroom before arriving for the event. Portable restrooms are on site, but their use should be limited and social distancing will be required while waiting in line.

“It’s important kids stay in the car, that they abide by the rules, because if we don’t set a good example this time that may affect our ability to do graduation in June,” said Dodd. “I just encourage them to follow the instructions … and give us a good look at what this is going to look like next month.”

After all of the scholarships and awards have been announced, vehicles will parade in front of the stage to receive a certificate. That process will serve as a practice run for handing out diploma jackets next month.

Vehicles will then be directed out of the parking lot and exit the high school property onto county road 200 West.

In preparation for the event, the “driving range” parking lot has been lined for the first time in years to allow for easier parking. The stage will go up Friday, and an LED video screen will be delivered Saturday morning.

If necessitated by inclement weather, the event would be moved to Sunday. However, Saturday’s forecast currently calls for partly cloudy skies with a high temperature of 54 degrees and no rain.

While there will be no hugs, quiet conversations of shared laughs on stage that are staples of the event, the seniors are still looking forward to simply being together.

“I think everyone has definitely been in high spirits about that,” said Bennett. “We’ve all been talking about how we’re excited to see each other even though it’ll be from our windows.”