Published April 22, 2020

By DAN TOMASELLO

LYNNFIELD — With uncertainty surrounding the end of the school year, officials have held preliminary conversations about hosting certain celebratory events in order to recognize students’ accomplishments.

Superintendent Jane Tremblay told the School Committee on April 14 that the Administrative Leadership Team has begun discussing which end-of-the-year events can or cannot be held if schools remain closed for the rest of the spring due to the COVID-19 virus pandemic.

“We have been brainstorming about things that traditionally happen now through the last day of school,” said Tremblay. “That’s concerts, fine arts nights, Senior Awards Night, Underclass Awards Night, high school graduation, moving on for grade 4 and moving on for grade 8.”

Tremblay said school officials made a list of events that could take place in a different manner as well as a list of events that might need to be canceled. She said it’s highly unlikely the town’s schools will be able to host traditional concerts and fine arts nights this spring.

The biggest event school officials have begun planning for is Lynnfield High School’s graduation for the Class of 2020.

“That is very much on our minds,” said Tremblay. “To us, that is the most important event because the students who leave us in June are not going to get a mulligan on this. They are not going to be able to come back next year or in two years to have that celebration.”

Tremblay also said school officials want to celebrate the eighth-graders graduating from Lynnfield Middle School and the fourth-graders moving on from the elementary schools.

“The eighth-graders are not going to get another chance to celebrate graduating from the eighth grade and the same is true for the fourth graders who are moving on,” said Tremblay. “Those big celebratory moments need to be acknowledged in one way, shape or form.”

Tremblay said the format for the different graduations is “still in the planning stages.”

“The Administrative Leadership Team has started planting the seeds in the ground now so that we can see what we can grow just in case we need to go in that direction,” said Tremblay.

Tremblay noted the high school’s Music Department is trying to find a way to host a virtual coffeehouse sometime in May.

“If they can pull it off, we will definitely throw it on cable TV,” said Tremblay. “It will definitely brighten the hopes of our families in Lynnfield.”

Tremblay said the situation gives school officials, educators and students “a great opportunity to be creative.”

“We are going to be working diligently behind the scenes to start the foundation of talking about it and seeing what we can do with this,” said Tremblay. “We are possibly going to branch out and talk to students about it. We also want to talk to the faculty about it, especially at the high school.”

School Committee Chairman Jamie Hayman said Tremblay’s preliminary ideas “sound reasonable.” He stressed that “it’s a fine balance right now” because no one knows when students will be going back to school.

“I think we are all working under the assumption that we are not going to go back on May 4,” said Hayman. “I know there is a lot of anxiety amongst parents, teachers and kids.”