A few high school students said they’re thankful the administration gave them as normal a school year as they could during the coronavirus pandemic. Although it’s been hard to plan unconventional versions of these traditional events, the students are glad to make some memories at the end of this year.

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Graduation

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Lake Placid usually has an outdoor graduation at the Olympic Speedskating Oval in front of the high school, but the state Olympic Regional Development Authority is doing construction on the oval this year, so they’re moving it to the school athletic fields by the North Elba Show Grounds.

The school is organizing a 250- to 500-person event, which means each graduate can bring up to eight guests. Senior Deidra Kellerman said she’s glad about this because in earlier plans they could only bring two each. Attendees will need vaccination cards or negative COVID-19 tests to attend.

High school Principal Tammy Casey said the school will work with Good Guy Productions of Bloomingdale for large screens and livestreaming.

Seniors have been meeting with the school administration every Monday to plan commencement. They spoke highly of Casey and the work she’s been putting into the event.

“Mrs. Casey is really putting in hard work and making it all happen,” Kellerman said.

“Mrs. Casey does most of the dirty work,” said Rylee Preston, salutatorian for the Class of 2021.

Although it’s not going to be a normal graduation, seniors said they don’t mind.

“For me, as long as I’m having a graduation and getting my diploma I don’t really care where it is,” Preston said. “Just bringing us all together is what really matters to me.”

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Prom

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The prom will have more changes to it. They’re calling it a “reimagined prom.”

“If it quacks like a duck, walks like a duck, it’s a duck,” high school adviser and musical director Taylor Prosper said.

It just can’t dance like a duck. Dancing is still regulated because of the pandemic.

“Having a prom, it kind of stinks that you can’t dance, but just being able to hang out with your friends is fine,” junior class President Tristan Spotts said.

The event will essentially combine the prom with the after-prom. They’ll have food and entertainment — including a hypnotist — and play lawn games in semi-formal attire at the North Elba Show Grounds on June 5.

“Two years ago after prom we had a hypnotist, and it went really well. Everyone seemed to really enjoy it,” Spotts said.

The junior class officers have been planning the prom with class advisers. Prosper gave a lot of credit to the students, who have had a harder year than most planning the prom.

“Every single step is met with a little more work,” Prosper said. “They’re really on top of it. This is possible because of the effort they put in.”

Asked how it feels to have the fate of prom resting on their shoulders, junior and class Treasurer Aubrey Hayes said, “I’m confident.”

Spotts said he hopes this will be a memorable experience at the end of a bad year.

Prosper said this is an important event for seniors, who missed out on their junior prom last year because of COVID-19.

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School year

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All students thanked the school administration for giving them as normal a year as they could.

The Lake Placid Central School District planned a five-day-a-week in-person school year, which was interrupted at times by quarantines and COVID-19 cases.

“It has not been without its pitfalls,” Superintendent Roger Catania said, but he also said it has not been disruptive.

Spotts said he got quarantined twice, but his school year felt more normal than he imagines it has in other districts.

Preston said she had COVID during the year and that teachers did a great job of accommodating in-person and remote students at the same time.

Kellerman said she had no complaints about her senior year.

“It could be a lot worse,” she said, acknowledging her school has the advantage of being small.

Kellerman and Preston said some of their peers are taking a gap year after they graduate, which they said is a good idea. They’re not, though.

Kellerman said she’ll go to Georgia College in the fall, and Preston said she’ll attend SUNY Oswego to play hockey and major in biology.