Education

Riverhead High School changing its graduation time

For the first time, Riverhead High School plans to host an evening graduation ceremony in 2019.

High school principal Dr. Charles Regan announced the change in a letter welcoming parents and students back for the school year. A school district calendar shows the high school commencement scheduled for Wednesday, June 26, at 5:30 p.m. on the high school football field, weather permitting.

“The graduation celebration will not only mark the start of a new journey for our seniors, but also for our school district,” Dr. Regan wrote in the letter.

Typically, graduation exercises have been held on the first Saturday following the final day of school.

According to Dr. Regan, several factors drove the decision to change the commencement date and time. If the district followed past tradition, graduation would not have been held until Saturday, June 29. He said that leaves seniors with “a large gap between completing their classes and exams.”

“Furthermore,” he wrote, “an evening graduation ceremony allows for potentially cooler weather conditions for an outdoor ceremony.”

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