Parents Committee organizes parade for JA Williams 2020 graduates

At 2:00pm today, there will be a parade for the 2020 JA Williams (JAWS) graduates as they drive down Beaverhill Road for the final time as high school students. 

Due to COVID-19, the JAWS students weren’t able to have a normal graduation this year, so 75 parents got together to form a graduation parent committee, in which they organized a parade for their children before the online convocation ceremony at 5:00pm. 

One of the parents involved is Shantelle Manca, Aiden Manca’s mother, who said the parent’s created a group chat four weeks ago.

They wanted to do something for all of the graduates so they didn’t feel like they were missing out.

“This was a way for them to get the acknowledgement and the celebration that they deserve,” said Manca.

There are 104 students in the 2020 graduating class, which means they weren’t able to have an outdoor graduation event as the COVID-19 regulations prohibits more than 100 people.

The parade was a way to have everyone celebrate their achievements together, while still obeying the COVID protocols.

The parents chose for the parade to take place on Beaverhill Road, where the County and the school had strung up banners along the street of all of the graduating students.

“They look amazing, so I suggested that we use that route for the parade,” said Manca.

“It’s kind of like their last drive to school.”

The 5:00pm convocation ceremony will be live streamed, and will involve speeches from teachers, staff, and the valedictorian Lara Birkill.