A group of seniors chat and snap photos outside of Wyoming Area Secondary Center Friday as they wait to enter the auditorium for individual pictures and videos while crossing the stage. The district is making a virtual graduation ceremony to stream online next week.
                                 Mark Guydish | Times Leader

A group of seniors chat and snap photos outside of Wyoming Area Secondary Center Friday as they wait to enter the auditorium for individual pictures and videos while crossing the stage. The district is making a virtual graduation ceremony to stream online next week.

Mark Guydish | Times Leader

Tired of ads? Subscribers enjoy a distraction-free reading experience.
Click here to subscribe today or Login.
<p>Jade Reid and her dad Jamarra pose while waiting in the Wyoming Area Secondary Center parking lot for Jade’s turn on stage as part of a virtual graduation video.</p>
                                 <p>Mark Guydish | Times Leader</p>

Jade Reid and her dad Jamarra pose while waiting in the Wyoming Area Secondary Center parking lot for Jade’s turn on stage as part of a virtual graduation video.

Mark Guydish | Times Leader

<p>The Wyoming Area Secondary Stage was decorated for graduation videos of students in their caps and gowns this week. ‘It’s actually nicer than we can decorate in the stadium,’ where most commencement pictures are taken during a traditional ceremony, Superintendent Janet Serino said.</p>
                                 <p>Mark Guydish | Times Leader</p>

The Wyoming Area Secondary Stage was decorated for graduation videos of students in their caps and gowns this week. ‘It’s actually nicer than we can decorate in the stadium,’ where most commencement pictures are taken during a traditional ceremony, Superintendent Janet Serino said.

Mark Guydish | Times Leader

<p>Mary Katherine O’Brien poses with a diploma case for photos on the Wyoming Area Secondary Center stage Friday. The district has let students walk across the stage for a virtual commencement ceremony video.</p>
                                 <p>Mark Guydish | Times Leader</p>

Mary Katherine O’Brien poses with a diploma case for photos on the Wyoming Area Secondary Center stage Friday. The district has let students walk across the stage for a virtual commencement ceremony video.

Mark Guydish | Times Leader

<p>Sara Pettit moves her cap tassel as she walks to the center of the Wyoming Area Secondary Center stage. Principal Jon Pollard, who announced each student’s name for a video, claps in the background.</p>
                                 <p>Mark Guydish | Times Leader</p>

Sara Pettit moves her cap tassel as she walks to the center of the Wyoming Area Secondary Center stage. Principal Jon Pollard, who announced each student’s name for a video, claps in the background.

Mark Guydish | Times Leader

<p>Jade Reid poses with a diploma case on the Wyoming Area Secondary Center stage Friday.</p>
                                 <p>Mark Guydish | Times Leader</p>

Jade Reid poses with a diploma case on the Wyoming Area Secondary Center stage Friday.

Mark Guydish | Times Leader

<p>Ryan Petrucci poses in a balloon arch with a diploma case at Wyoming Area Secondary Center Friday for a virtual commencement video, one week before the actual graduation will be held as an automobile parade.</p>
                                 <p>Mark Guydish | Times Leader</p>

Ryan Petrucci poses in a balloon arch with a diploma case at Wyoming Area Secondary Center Friday for a virtual commencement video, one week before the actual graduation will be held as an automobile parade.

Mark Guydish | Times Leader

EXETER — Jade Reid and her father Jamarra smiled broadly while getting their photo taken outside Wyoming Area Secondary Center, but dad admitted he wasn’t exactly giddy.

“I’m so emotional that she’s graduating!”

The family waited with others outside the school for Jade’s turn to walk across the stage, move her graduation cap tassel from one side of the mortar board to another, and hold up a diploma case. The district has been scheduling such stage walks for all seniors this week, taking photos for parents and a video for a virtual graduation ceremony to be posted online next Friday.

Like districts across the state, Wyoming Area has struggled to figure out how to handle commencement in a state and county where the COVID-19 pandemic has shut schools since mid-March and barred any large scale gatherings. Wyoming Area has scheduled an auto parade for seniors and their families next Friday, the official graduation, but has decided to make the video and post it the same day.

After taking her turn walking across the decorated stage, Mary Katherine O’Brien said it was nice that the district was making such an effort, adding: “It’s been hard for all seniors.”

Sara Pettit also praised the opportunity, but conceded: “I’m still sad because of the quarantine.” Ryan Petrucci noted this was the first time he had seen some of his classmates in person since school closed.

“It’s good to kind of see everyone,” he said, agreeing the district effort was valuable at such an uncertain time.

“It’s a kind of guarantee things will be OK,” he said. “Everything changes every day.”

Superintendent Janet Serino sat through it all, face mask on, applauding when each student took the diploma case.

“It’s actually nicer than we can decorate in the stadium,” she said.

The district is still hoping to stage something close to a more traditional ceremony Aug. 1, she said, but there is no way of knowing what restrictions will be in place then. Thus the video.

“At least they’ll have this.”

Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish