SOUTH LAKE HIGH SCHOOL

Principal Benson: “The Class of 2020 is most near and dear to my heart, as the first group that I had the privilege of leading for their entire four-year high school career at SLHS.  In fact, for those that also attended Clermont Middle School, I have had the incredible opportunity to serve as their principal every year since the 6th grade. The Class of 2020 is a phenomenal group of students. They have achieved so much academically, socially and through all of their various extra-curricular endeavors at South Lake. They are going to do great things for themselves and our community in years to come.  I am so incredibly proud of them!”

Introducing the Valedictorian and Salutatorian and Senior Class President of South Lake High School.

South Lake High School Valedictorian is Kristopher Ganesh. Kristopher will be attending the University of Florida, majoring in Business Administration.

Salutatorian is Christopher Spangler will soon be attending the University of Florida, while majoring in Chemistry for a pre-med track with the goal of a career in Endocrinology.

The South Lake Senior Class President was Gretchen Faraci. Gretchen plans to attend Florida Southern College with a double major in Environmental Studies and Marine Biology as well as with a minor in political science on a track for pre-law.

South Lake High School graduation will take place on Friday, June 12 starting at 9 AM on the SLHS Eagles Football Stadium, following Lake County School District guidelines.

(Article compiled by Larry Oskin)

The post Congratulations To The 2020 South Lake High School Graduates appeared first on South Lake Tablet.

For a time, everyone wondered if this year’s 2020 graduating class would have a live ceremony with cheering spectators in spite of the COVID-19 virus pandemic. With a sigh of relief, great joy, and a few precautions, graduating ceremonies have been scheduled to take place on Thursday, June 11 at 9 am at Lake Minneola High School; Friday, June 12, at 8:30 am at East Ridge High School; and Friday, June 12, at 9 am at South Lake High School. (subject to changes. Contact school to confirm)

For the health and safety of all in attendance, there will be a limited number of invitees and a few additional precautions.

• SOCIAL DISTANCING: Guests will be seated by household with 6 feet of space between each family.
• MASKS: Students will have masks provided to them. They will be expected to wear them during the ceremony, except for when they cross the stage and take their official photos. Guests are strongly encouraged to bring and wear masks. A limited number of masks will be available for those who need one. 
• SANITIZER: Students and guests are asked to bring a small bottle of hand sanitizer and use it frequently. Small quantities will be available at the schools for those who need some.
• RESTROOMS: To help us avoid small-space gatherings, restrooms will be available for emergency use only. They will be cleaned frequently. 
• STAGGERED ARRIVALS/DISMISSALS: Student arrivals will be staggered so we can avoid large crowds at the gates. Students will be kept in small groups until the ceremonies begin. Dismissal of guests will be staggered as well. 
• CELEBRATIONS: Students and staff will be asked to avoid shaking hands and hugging during the ceremony, and no guests will be allowed on the field to mingle with the graduates.
• HEALTH: Those who are sick or in a high-risk health category are respectfully asked not to attend. All of the ceremonies will be livestreamed so supporters can watch in real time. 

This is a voluntary event and all attendees and participants are assuming their own risk of potential exposure during this pandemic. 

This is a voluntary event and all attendees and participants are assuming their own risk of potential exposure during this pandemic. 

Congratulations to the Class of 2020!  We wish you much success and happiness!

The post Congratulations To The 2020 High School Graduating Class! appeared first on South Lake Tablet.

DeSantis said local governments can put restrictions in place, but the state would not preempt them. “We trust parents to use common sense,” he added.

The district announced last week plans for ceremonies that would have kept spectators in their cars while graduates walked across a stage in their caps and gowns to receive diplomas and awards and have their photos taken. The idea was crafted in alignment with safety guidelines that recommended social distancing and advised against large gatherings in an effort to slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Now, with new information from the governor and strong support from county leaders, the district is opting for more traditional ceremonies instead.

“We have always wanted to give our students a traditional graduation experience, but I had to work within the boundaries of the safety information we were given regarding large group gatherings,” Superintendent Diane Kornegay said. “Thanks to the governor lifting the restrictions, we can now give our students the experience we all want them to have.”

Shortly after the press conference, Kornegay met with leaders from the School Board, County Commission, Department of Health, Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Operations Center, all of whom said they would support a decision for traditional graduation ceremonies in Lake.

“I was so excited to learn that Gov. DeSantis is allowing local communities to decide how to handle high school graduation ceremonies,” said County Commission Chairman Leslie Campione. “Once we learned of this news we immediately convened a meeting between the School District, Health Department and the County’s Emergency Management Team to formulate a plan to accommodate traditional graduation ceremonies combined with safety protocols, including live-stream opportunities for vulnerable and high-risk family members. I’m so glad graduates and families will be able to celebrate this milestone together.”

The district will continue working with the county’s health department and other agencies to work out the details. The graduation dates are expected to stay the same, but locations will change to outdoor football stadiums, which may require capacity limits. Schools will work with district leaders to determine stadium capacity and how many guests will be allowed to attend. The district will maintain its plan to livestream the ceremonies so that physically vulnerable family members can watch from the safety of their homes.

Other questions have been raised about hand sanitizer stations, entry and exit protocols, and restroom cleanliness among other topics. Answers will be shared in the coming weeks. But the big question has been settled, much to the satisfaction of county leaders, students and families: Lake County’s Class of 2020 will have traditional graduation ceremonies surrounded by their loved ones.

“I’m just so happy we’re doing this,” Lake County Property Appraiser Carey Baker, a former state representative and graduate of Tavares High School in Lake, said during Friday’s meeting. “Everything we’re talking about doing here is very reasonable. The kids are going to be happy, parents are going to be happy… it’s all going to work out.”

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