Pomp and circumstances

The West Milford Township High School graduation ceremony was pre-recorded on the beautiful, sunny and slightly breezy afternoon of June 10 at McCormack Turf Field.

Graduates and their families then gathered together on the evening of June 15 for the “Car Parade of Graduates” to the “Official Graduation” (ceremony viewing) at the Warwick Drive-in Theater.

At the time by which Graduation Plans needed to be finalized, New Jersey State restrictions limiting the number of attendees permitted for both indoor and outdoor gatherings were still in place.

The West Milford Township High School and School Board administrators held a special meeting at the high school to explain the options available to the Graduates, and for the Class of 2021 to vote for their Graduation Ceremony of choice.

Option one

If they chose Option one - to hold a Traditional Graduation Ceremony at the McCormack Turf Field - the state’s ongoing Coronavirus Pandemic Restrictions at the time (with future restrictions unknown) would limit each graduate to only one family member permitted to attend the ceremony.

In the event of rain on the day of the ceremony (which would traditionally move the Graduation indoors to the Gymnasium of the High School building) those attendee numbers would possibly need to be further reduced, as per state limits for indoor gatherings.

Option two

The second option presented to the Class of 2021 was to pre-record the Graduation Ceremony one week prior - on the afternoon of the graduation rehearsal; and then hold a Graduation Viewing Ceremony at the Warwick Drive-in on the Graduation Date, as they did the previous year for the Class of 2020.

Option Two would permit the graduates to have one carload of family members attend the Graduation Viewing Ceremony, since the venue provides a larger outdoor area with a higher attendance limit, and rain would only gather attendees with their own family members in their own vehicles.

More than 80 percent of the Class of 2021 chose option two.

Each graduate was mailed an admission ticket for one car load of family members and/or friends to view the pre-recorded ceremony together on the big screens at the Warwick Drive-in Theater on June 15.

Police escort

The West Milford Police Department escorted the Class of 2021’s Car Parade of Graduates from the High School Senior Parking Lot to the Warwick Drive-in for the event.

As the car parade made it’s way along the designated route through the Township, residents of the West Milford community, as well as teachers, administrators, business owners and employees, and members of West Milford Township’s Fire Departments and Ambulance Corps Units, gathered roadside spread out all along the parade route, in support and celebration of the Class of 2021.

From their decorated cars, the graduates and families waved out their windows and honked their car horns as they were escorted through town. The community of parade-goers lining the streets waved back, as they cheered, held up congratulatory signs, and honked their car horns. Emergency responders along the route also waved as they sounded their sirens, honked their horns, and flashed their emergency lights for the grads.

A true community celebration

There were few dry eyes left among the parade participants by the time the graduates and their families arrived at their destination ... even the toughest in the crowd couldn’t prevent their eyes from welling-up with tears, even for just a moment. The tremendous outpouring of support shown for them by their community, and the shared feeling of hometown and personal pride for their children, was an intensely emotional and amazing experience for the Class of 2021 and their families.

Many parents later even commented that they hoped the “Car Parade of Graduates” could somehow continue to be held each year for future graduating classes of West Milford Township High School.