Estrella Warbirds Join In The Ceremony
Due to the restrictions put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Templeton High School treated its graduates to a drive-in style graduation ceremony at the Athletic Park at Vineyard Elementary School on Thursday, June 4.
The event started at 6 p.m. and was accompanied by a flyover from the Estrella Warbirds who flew two planes over the ceremony — a Stearman biplane and a C-47 cargo airplane.
“We wanted to do something as close to a traditional ceremony as we could, given the circumstances with social distancing and the restrictions that are in place from the health department and the CDC,” THS Principal Josh Aston told The Atascadero News.
Along with the flyover, Templeton brought in a large LED screen that displayed what was happening on the stage up front for those parked in the back as well as broadcasting the ceremony live on the school’s Youtube page.
The graduates pulled in and parked like they were seeing a drive-in movie and cheered their friends as they accepted their diplomas and strolled happily across the stage into the next phase of their lives.
Once everyone was parked, Templeton kept their traditional ceremony. Salutatorians Austin D’Acquisto and Blake Fardamesh, Class President Rachel Stockwell, valedictorians David Magie and Peyton TenEyck, and Principal Aston, addressed graduates.
Following the speeches, over 170 Templeton seniors grabbed their diplomas, crossed the stage, and then turned their tassels in unison as Eagle of the Year honoree Evan Asplund led the ceremony ushering his 2020 classmates into the future.
