School announces end-of-year plans

Spring is a time for students when seasonal sports are played, senioritis kicks in, folks dance at Prom, and seniors remember those last moments of high school before graduation. 

Of course, the pandemic has put all that on hold.  On Wednesday, April 15, the school made clear how the end of the 2019-2020 school year would be affected by the worldwide crisis. 

After hearing news of Governor Reeves confirming that all Mississippi public schools will remain closed for the rest of the semester, Prep reacted swiftly and came out with a letter informing families what their plan of action was for these uncertain circumstances. The school will end in the first half of May, without regular exams, and graduation ceremonies will be postponed.

Seniors’ last day of school will be on Wednesday, May 6 ( a C day on the school’s rotating schedule), with their books being collected the following day. Students in grades 6-11 will finish their final day of class on Tuesday, May 12th. That day is scheduled to be a “Z day,” a special schedule debuted at the beginning of Prep’s remote-learning experience that lets every class meet in a single day. 

In what may be pleasant news to many students, there won’t be any semester exams held. Student grades for the second semester will be determined by averaging the 3rd and 4th terms. Advanced Placement students will take their exams online from their homes between May 11-22, in modified forms that the College Board has developed.

The Class Day ceremonies that generally conclude the 9th and 12th-grade years will be broadcast this year, with the seniors’ Class Day available to view on Friday, May 8th, at 1:00 pm, and for 9th grade, Tuesday, May 12, at 1:00 pm. The awards generally given out in the junior and senior high Honors Forums (6th-11th grade) will be posted on Patriot Communications on Tuesday, May 12, at 5:30 pm.

Jackson Prep has reluctantly decided to postpone graduation, originally scheduled for May 21,  but has asked seniors and their families to save the dates of Thursday, June 18th and Thursday, July 23; the exact date and location of graduation will be finalized later on when the school has a better sense of the pandemic conditions. 

Seniors won’t have to wait, though, to be a Jackson Prep graduate, as diplomas will be conferred to them on May 18th and available for pick up along with other awards sometime that week.

Other events such as summer school, elections, athletics, and tryouts have been looked at and the school has made dates for them as well. Summer school will start on June 1st and time will tell if the class is taught remotely or in-person. Student council elections will be held before the last day of school. The week of May 18 is currently being reserved in case there is a need for audition or tryouts for things such as Spirit, junior high cheerleaders, Pacers, and show choir.