Fairfield High School graduation Sunday

FAIRFIELD — School officials hope they will be outdoors Sunday afternoon for Fairfield High School’s commencement ceremony.

The graduation will be at 2 p.m., tentatively planned for Trojan Stadium, but could be moved indoors to the gymnasium if the weather does not cooperate.

“We’ll do whatever we can to make it a great graduation,” Fairfield Principal Brian Stone said. “We didn’t have this opportunity last year, and we’re looking forward to honoring our students for their hard work earning a diploma.”

Fairfield High School canceled its graduation ceremony last year because of the pandemic. The school initially delayed it to late June of that year before canceling the ceremony altogether.

Stone said there will be no limitations on seating whether the graduation is held indoors or out, so students can bring as many of their friends and relatives as they wish. He said masks will be strongly recommended.

School Superintendent Laurie Noll and school board president Christi Welsh will address the graduating class. The senior class has selected Kevin Kretz to give the student address. Kretz is the son of Andrew and Elisa Kretz.

Before their final trip as students through the doors of Fairfield Sunday, the seniors will gather for a breakfast Friday morning in the band room. They will load into buses and visit students at the other buildings, Washington and Pence elementary schools and the middle school. The younger students will have a chance to bid them farewell and wish them luck on their future endeavors during the seniors’ “walk throughs” at each building.

A tradition the high school began doing five years ago is to invite the kindergartners to the high school for a painting project known as “Handprints today, footprints tomorrow.” The seniors put paint on the kindergartners’ hands and have them press their hands onto a ceiling tile. Meanwhile, the seniors put paint on their feet and also press them onto a ceiling tile. The tiles are then put in the high school commons for all to see. Stone said the purpose of the art project is to show how students have left their mark on the school.

Stone said he talked to Washington Elementary Principal Evan Hammans about the possibility of having the kindergartners do the handprints outside their own building, but they decided to keep the tradition intact of the kindergartners visiting the high school.

“I want those kids to come here to the big building and have a chance to interact with our students in a fun and safe environment,” Stone said.

Though the seniors are done with classes, the rest of the school will attend classes through Friday, May 28. Summer school will begin June 2 and ends on June 30.