Diploma and picture day is Monday, June 15, 2020

2020 Graduates, Parents, and Guardians,

As we move closer to closing out the school year, I wanted to make sure you understand some of the most recent adjustments to our graduate photo opportunity on Monday, June 15, 2020.  As communicated prior, June 15^th will be a busy day for Bryant High School graduates while returning laptops, picking up diplomas and transcripts, and taking advantage of the photo opportunity we are making available to students and families.

As restrictions are slowly being lifted in regard to the COVID crisis, we are happy to inform you that there continues to be adjustments made to the photo opportunity on June 15.  Please note that we will now have a mini-stage and backdrop for graduates to process across that day located under our main portico.  Student names will be announced as students and families take their final opportunity to be photographed by a professional photographer as well.  Please note additional changes below:

• Family members may exit their vehicles if they desire to accompany their graduate to the platform/stage to have their picture taken with the graduate.
• Family members may use their own phones to take a picture of the graduate on the platform/stage.
• Family members are reminded that the professional photographer “session” will last 3-5 minutes. However, families are welcome to use additional exterior places at the school to take their own personal photos of the graduate.

 

Please continue to monitor these communications and updates as additional changes may be offered.  We look forward to seeing you on Monday, June 15.  Just make sure to bring your cap and gown that day!

 

Sincerely,

 

Dr. Christopher S. Larrick, Principal

 

May 26, 2020

Class of 2020 Graduates, Parents, and Guardians,

We are excited to be sharing information concerning our final plans for senior celebrations and closing activities across our schools as we end the 2019-2020 school year.  We recognize that this has been an extremely challenging time this spring for our schools, staff, students, and families but particularly difficult for our graduates.  As you may know, FCPS has been working on the guidelines for these opportunities over the last several weeks which we will work to share as we get closer to each event.  In the meantime, we would like to provide information regarding a variety of topics associated with our graduates and closing out the school year:

Senior Dues:

FCPS has reduced all senior dues to $50 this year.  The adjusted senior dues help pay for the following:

• Cap/Gown/Tassel                                        
• Diploma Cover and Seals                             
• Graduation Program (5 copies/student)         
• Senior T-shirt

You can mail a check to Bryant High School or bring a check, cash, or money order to any event mentioned below.  If paying for senior dues is a hardship for you and/or your family, please reach out to Ms. Wellons or Ms. Lisenby, Ms. Moore, assistant principal, or Ms. LoMonaco, our student leadership sponsor.

 

Cap and Gown Pick-Up: May 29 & June 1:

We will begin distributing Caps and Gowns starting this Friday, May 29 and Monday, June 1.    Our goal is to get these in the hands of our graduates as soon as possible considering they will need these for the Senior Celebration Video which they will receive information about in the coming weeks.  This is a drive-up event with students and families remaining in cars.  For the few graduates who did not pick up their senior t-shirt prior to the closure, we will have those ready to distribute as well.  Pick-up times are as follows at Entrance 1:

Friday, May 29:            9:00 – 12:00 or 1:00 – 4:00

Monday, June 1:           9:00 – 12:00 or 1:00 – 4:00

We are hoping that we can accommodate most of our graduates with these options for drive through pickup.  If for some reason, none of these times will work, please contact your senior sponsors.

Senior Awards Announced the Week of June 8:

As we would during the regular school year, our graduates are recognized for a variety of awards, honors, and scholarships.  We are planning on a virtual announcement/ceremony during the week of June 8 with login information provided before to our graduates before the ceremony.

Graduation Day: Thursday, June 11, 2020

Your original graduation date of June 11, 2020 will be a time to celebrate with friends and family!  To honor this date, we will hold a brief, virtual session with all of our graduating seniors that evening to confirm your diplomas, to have you move your tassels over, and to proclaim you June, 2020 graduates of Bryant High School!  Time of this virtual opportunity and the necessary login information will be sent prior to the event.  Please save the date!

Individual Graduate Photo Opportunity, Laptop Return, and Diplomas: Monday, June 15:

As communicated by our superintendent, each graduating senior will have the opportunity to come to Bryant High School on Monday, June 15, to take a photo wearing their caps and gowns along with appropriate cords.   This will be a drive-thru event (3-5 minutes per student) following the health department’s guidelines.  A professional photographer will be provided.  Families are invited to come to the school at another time for a more self-directed photography session at their discretion.  A detailed schedule, county guidelines for the photo opportunity, as well as, the health questionnaire will be sent as we near the date.

*Please note that we will collect graduating senior laptops and power cords that same day so please make sure all items are accounted for and placed in the bag that contained the computer when distributed earlier in the year.  Please reach out to Mike Hardy, our Technology Support Specialist, at @email if you have any questions or concerns about this.

**After laptops have been collected, students will be directed to another station to pick-up their diploma and diploma cover, any earned cords, an official transcript, and any other awards and/or certificates for the graduate.  They will then proceed to the photo opportunity mentioned above.

 

Virtual Graduation/Ceremony: Thursday, July 2:

The Senior Celebration/Graduation Video, produced by Herff Jones, will take place on July 2, 2020 and will be live streamed on multiple sites.  Each graduating senior will have an opportunity to upload a picture to this digital platform in their cap and gown that will be a part of this virtual celebration.  Additionally, graduating seniors will have a chance to add an informal, 15 second video “to offer thanks and words of wisdom” to be available through this virtual platform but not a part of the formal presentation.  Graduating seniors should be receiving a communication through email within the next week with directions on how to access this platform and the Bryant High School graduate page.

We greatly appreciate your patience over the past month and hope that all of our graduates participate in these varied opportunities to celebrate your graduation, accomplishments, and this special moment and time in your life.  Please continue to look for more information about these events and activities each week and reach out if you have any questions.  Our website will be updated regularly as well.

Important Calendar Dates Summary:

Friday, May 29 & Monday, June 1:       Cap and Gown Pickup

Week of June 8:                                    Virtual Graduate Senior Awards Ceremony

Thursday, June 11:                               Virtual Senior Celebration and Graduation Session

Monday, June 15:                                 Laptop Drop, Diploma Pickup, and Photo Opportunity

Thursday, July 2:                                  Virtual Graduation Celebration Video goes “live”

 

We look forward to these next several weeks and excited to recognize and celebrate each one of you over the coming month!  Please share this information with your family and friends.

Sincerely,

Keana Wellons and Tracell Lisenby, Senior Class Sponsors

Dr. Christopher S. Larrick, Principal

Ms. Amy Marta, Director of Student Services

Ms. Marilyn Moore, Assistant Principal

Ms. Karen Hertel, Assistant Principal

May 28, 2020

Dear Bryant High School Graduate,

Congratulations for being a member of the Bryant High School graduating class of 2020!  Through all the stress and challenges that have been presented by the COVID19 pandemic, you have persevered and arrived at one of the most important milestones of your life so far.  As I am sure you are aware, Fairfax County Public Schools and Bryant High School will be honoring and celebrating you via a pre-recorded Virtual Graduation and Celebration Video, which will stream on Thursday, July 2, at 1:00 pm. The Virtual Graduation and Celebration Ceremony will also be broadcast on FCPS Channels 21, 25, and 99 at a time to be determined.

If you wish to participate in this Virtual Graduation and Celebration, there are a few items that you will be responsible for to allow us to properly recognize you.  In the very near future, you will receive an email from the FCPS virtual graduation vendor and asked to submit images and information that will be a part of the virtual graduation ceremony.

If you agree to participate, here is the list of items you will need to submit by Saturday, June 13:

Personal Slide Photo

• This photo will be displayed in the video at the time your name is read during the presentation of diplomas. 
• A Cap and Gown photo is preferred.
• For uniformity, your photo should be a portrait style image of your face, head and shoulders with a solid background and must be compatible with the K-12 educational environment and with good citizenship.
• If you do not want to participate, please email Dr. Larrick at @email by June 9. 

• Text that will accompany your Personal Slide Photo

• Up to 150 characters will be allowed.

Text options:

• Thank you message to family and/or school staff; or
• Official school-sponsored activities/awards/achievements (Honor Grad; IB Diploma, etc.); or
• Future plans (college admission, military enlistment, employment).

Audio Submission of Your Name

• This will allow the announcer to pronounce your name as you would like to have it pronounced.

Optional, Personalized Video Clip with recorded message (10-15 seconds) 

• Cap and Gown or other appropriate graduation attire

Suggestions include:

• a fond reflection of your time at Bryant High School
• congratulatory message to your classmates
• thank you to family and/or teachers
• This clip is optional and will not be included in the Virtual Graduation Celebration Video but will be available to you through a unique URL, which the vendor will email to you. 

All student submissions (including name, photo, and student biographical information for official, school-sponsored activities and awards, and other student message) must be consistent with the K-12 educational environment and with good citizenship and will be subject to review by school officials.

You will receive communication from Herff Jones, Marching Order, and Stage Clips through your fcpsschools.net (Naviance) email account with specific details concerning your required submissions and the timeline for submitting the required items.  Bryant High School has a point of contact working with Herff Jones who will also be available via email to answer questions you may have concerning your submissions.  Our point of contact is Mr. Ross who can be reached at @email.   

The goal for our school is to have participation by all graduating seniors who wish to do so in accordance with the above information.  We want to ensure that every such student is represented so they have a lasting memory and keepsake that can be revisited for years to come. We look forward to celebrating you and your achievements as a school community and we are excited about having you participate in this celebration!

Sincerely,

Dr. Christopher S Larrick, Principal 

 

May 28, 2020

 

Dear Bryant High School Families:

I am pleased to write with information about the production of our Class of 2020 Virtual Graduation and Celebration Video.  Our current streaming date for the pre-recorded Virtual Graduation and Celebration Video is Thursday, July 2.  More details will follow on how to stream and watch the video.  The Virtual Graduation Ceremony also will be broadcast on FCPS Channels 21, 25, and 99 at a date and time to be determined.

The purpose of this video is to celebrate our seniors, acknowledge their achievement of earning their high school diploma, and create a keepsake memory for them.  The format of this video will be a hybrid between a traditional graduation ceremony and a celebration of our seniors’ accomplishments.  We hope to include some of our graduation traditions and speeches, as well as highlights of what makes our school and Class 2020 special.  Although the video does not replace an in-person graduation, we are excited about this opportunity to honor our seniors as safely as possible. 

Your senior will receive communication from Herff Jones and partners Marching Orders and Stage Clips in addition to Bryant High School in his or her Naviance and fcpsschools.net accounts.  The emails will detail both how to upload the student’s photo (preferably in cap and gown) and the text that will be shown when the student’s name is announced.  For uniformity, the photo should be a portrait-style image of the face, head and shoulders with a solid background and must be compatible with the K-12 educational environment and good citizenship.  The photograph and text must be submitted by Saturday, June 13.

To participate, your student must reply that he or she wishes to do so. If your student confirms that he or she wants to participate, be reminded that they must upload a photo in cap and gown for use during the ceremony.  If your student does not want to participate, please email Dr. Larrick at @email by June 9, 2020.  This will allow the school adequate time to ensure that we have accurate information for participation of this video opportunity.

Please review the email with your senior to ensure that the necessary timelines are strictly met.

Your student may also choose to upload an optional individual student video clip. This 10-15 second clip will not be included in the virtual graduation and celebration video.  Instead, the optional video clip will be made available only to the individual student through a unique URL that will be sent by the vendor’s email to each student.  Each student may then download his or her individual clip to personal social media and digital platforms, if they so choose.

All student submissions (including name, photo, and student biographical information for official, school-sponsored activities and awards, and other student message) must be consistent with the K-12 educational environment and with good citizenship and will be subject to review by school officials.

After the streaming of the Class of 2020 Virtual Graduation and Celebration Video, students and parents will be given directions on how to download the video as a personal keepsake.

The goal for our school is to have participation by all seniors who wish to do so in accordance with the above information.  We want to ensure that every graduating student is represented so they have a lasting memory and keepsake that can be revisited for years to come. We look forward to celebrating our seniors as a school community and we are excited about having your senior participate in this celebration!

Sincerely,

Dr. Christopher S. Larrick, Principal

 

May 28, 2020

 

Dear Class of 2020 Students, Parents, and Guardians,

As you know, plans to celebrate the Class of 2020 have been developed with a photo opportunity being made available to our graduates at Bryant High School on Monday, June 15. We know how important a graduation photo is for students and their families to mark this important milestone. This process was developed based on current data and guidance from the Fairfax County Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  It includes specific practices for social distancing and steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

We ask for everyone’s cooperation to make sure all graduating seniors and their families have a safe and enjoyable experience during their scheduled time. The photo op event will be hosted outside. It will be facilitated in an expedited drive-thru fashion (5 minutes per student) on the same day we are collecting laptops and delivering diplomas to our students. Graduates (dressed in cap and gown) and their families will remain in their vehicle until it is time to be called to the photography set-up area.  All photographs must be taken within a 5-minute time frame to allow for seamless transition to the next student. Graduates and their family who choose to walk to the school will be accommodated.   We will be reaching out to provide more details about scheduling a time for your family and more logistics for your photo opportunity as we get closer to this event.  In the meantime, please review the following guidelines and safety reminders:

Health and Safety Requirements: 

We will follow all health guidelines as provided by the Health Department.

• Students and family members (in one vehicle) will have a health survey completed by a staff member on the scheduled day of their photo op.
• Social distancing of 6 feet or more will be maintained at all times.
• Photo-op will last no more than 5 minutes.
• Per CDC guidelines, students and family members will wear facial masks until the time that they have their photo taken.  
• Per CDC guidelines, there will be no more than 10 persons total permitted at the photo location including FCPS staff.
• Persons over the age of 65 will not be permitted at the photo op UNLESS they are currently residing within the student’s household. 

Staff members (1-2) will be present at the informal photo opportunity.  However, for the safety of our graduates, families and staff, we will not be able to shake hands or engage in physical interaction. A professional photographer will be available to take a photo of graduates/families.  Families will be able to order photos and purchase through the photographer at a later date.

We will continue to provide updates and information about this event and other graduation activities and we look forward to honoring the senior class in the weeks to come!

 

Sincerely, 

 

Dr. Christopher S. Larrick, Principal