Graduation season kicks off Friday

MOSES LAKE — Graduation ceremonies for the class of 2021 at most local schools will look a little more normal, after a year when school was anything but normal. Schools will hold graduation ceremonies in the next three weekends.

Graduation at Ephrata, Royal and Othello high schools is scheduled for Friday, and all three schools have opted for an in-person ceremony. Attendance will be limited, however.

Ephrata High School seniors will receive their diplomas at 7 p.m. Friday, in the traditional location, Kiwanis Field. The field is behind Ephrata High School, 333 NW Fourth Ave. Each senior has been issued four tickets, and only people with tickets will be admitted. People attending graduation will be required to follow social distancing protocols. Graduates and families are required to leave the field immediately after the ceremony.

The Royal High School class of 2021 will graduate at 7 p.m. Friday at David Nielsen Memorial Stadium, adjacent to the high school at 955 Ahlers Road. Royal, too, is limiting attendance and each senior will get four admission tickets. Attendees will be required to hand in the tickets as they enter the stadium. The ceremony will be live streamed on the district’s social media site.

Royal seniors will start the evening with a car parade at 5:30 p.m., with cars assembling in the football stadium parking lot. The car parade was a major part of graduation 2020 and was such a hit school officials decided to bring it back for a second year.

Graduation ceremonies for Othello High School will be at 7 p.m. Friday at Huskie Stadium adjacent to OHS, 340 S. Seventh Ave. Each Othello senior will receive six tickets and attendance will be limited to people with tickets. Othello graduation will be live streamed at www.OthelloSchools.org/graduation.

Soap Lake High School seniors will end high school at 2 p.m. Saturday at the SLHS football field, next to the high school, 410 S. Ginko St. Attendance will be limited, with each senior receiving six admission tickets. A car parade is scheduled to follow the ceremony, starting in the SLHS parking lot.

Moses Lake High School officials have opted for a drive-thru ceremony, with students receiving their diplomas at six locations around town. Graduation is scheduled for 4 p.m. June 11. Students will assemble at 3:30 p.m. at the Grant County Fairgrounds, 3953 NE Airway Drive and roll down various parade routes at 4 p.m. Seniors will pick up their diplomas at Chief Moses Middle School, Lions Field, MLHS, Columbia Basin Technical Skills Center, Midway Elementary or Peninsula Elementary. The actual ceremony will be limited to seniors and the people in the car, but other family and friends are encouraged to line up along the route and watch the parade.

The Quincy High School class of 2021 finishes high school at 10 a.m. June 12 with an in-person ceremony at the QHS stadium, 403 NW Jackrabbit St. Like other schools, attendance will be limited, with each senior issued up to four tickets. Only people with tickets will be allowed in the stadium, and attendees will be asked to observe social distancing and mask guidelines. The ceremony will be live streamed on the district’s social media site.

Wilson Creek seniors will graduate at 11 a.m. June 12 in the Wilson Creek City Park, at the intersection of Railroad and Third streets. The only limit on attendance is the park capacity, which is 200 people. District officials will ask attendees to observe social distancing protocols.

Wahluke High School seniors will graduate at 6 p.m. June 18 at the WHS football field, 505 N. Boundary Road. Each senior will be allowed to invite two people. Graduation will be livestreamed on WHS’s social media site. Wahluke seniors also will get a car parade, which will follow the ceremony. Vehicles will leave from the WHS parking lot, drive down Government Road to Portage and Fourth streets and back to the high school.