BELTON â The crowd of parents, friends and loved ones roared on May 28 as the Copperas Cove High School band began to play the traditional graduation tune âPomp and Circumstance.â
The crowdâs roars drowned out the periodic loud rumbles of thunder that shook through the Bell County Expo Center in Belton.
In total, 450 seniors filed into their seats on the floor in preparation for walking across the stage.
Several of the Class of 2021âs seniors offered their thoughts on the excitement about having an in-person graduation.
âThis year, at first, it was kind of disappointing with football season having games canceled left and right, especially because Iâm a cheerleader and thatâs one of my happiest moments of the year,â said Isabella Dickson. âBut Iâm actually very excited we got to have a normal prom, a normal graduation. Iâm really happy.â
Copperas Cove graduating senior Isabella Dickson said she is excited to participate in the 2021 baccalaureate service at 3 p.m. Sunday in the Lea Ledger Auditorium on the campus of the high school.
âIâm excited, because itâs an opportunity for my class, as a whole, to celebrate this big accomplishment that weâve achieved throughout these four years,â Dickson said Wednesday. âAnd we all get to celebrate through God, which I think is very interesting. It doesnât discriminate against anybody; itâs open for everyone, with it being non-denominational.â
The baccalaureate service is a worship service put on by the Copperas Cove Ministerial Alliance. This yearâs service is being coordinated by Brent Sanders, pastor of NorthPointe Church on North Main Street.
In-person graduations for local high schools and colleges are taking place in the coming weeks with spaced out graduation times and limited capacity at some ceremonies.
Texas A&M University-Central Texas will be holding graduation at 10 a.m. Saturday in Warrior Hall for the College of Education and Human Development. The College of Arts and Sciences graduation will begin at 11 a.m. and the College of Business Administration graduation will begin at 1 p.m.
âWe offered a walk-through graduation last semester, and we were happy to learn that our graduates enjoyed it,â A&M-Central Texas President, Dr. Marc Nigliazzo, said.
During a nearly hourlong address Monday at Cove Highâs Lea Ledger Auditorium, Copperas Cove Independent School District Superintendent Joe Burns gave an update on the happenings of the district during the 2020-2021 school year.
Many of the points Burns emphasized fell under the teaching and learning theme, including the district beginning to offer training for all pre-K, kindergarten and first grade teachers in the science of reading.
âMany of you will probably ask, âWell, why is that important? Teachers have teaching certificates, wouldnât they already know that?ââ Burns said. âIâd share with you that more than half of all people entering the education field now are entering that field under alternative certification requirements, and they may not have had that very sound instruction in teaching reading, even at the early elementary grade levels.â