Gwinnett County School Board

To Whom it may concern.

We as a collaborative group of concerned parents, are writing you to ask that the Graduating class of 2020, be allowed to have their Graduation occur later in the year. We anticipate and hope that this will be a possibility.

We are fully cognizant of what is going on right this very minute in not only the United States, but around the World with this deadly virus. We are fully aware of the seriousness of this right now. The whole world is affected and some more than others. Every single person’s life Adult, children and babies’  have been affected. Jobs lost, families destroyed, schools closed, parks closed, movie theaters closed, restaurants closed, basically any sense of normalcy gone. This is and will be very difficult for some adults to transition through and come out relatively ok after this is over. In knowing that, we can just imagine how this will affect Generation Z.

Quoting a psychologist Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development, identity vs confusion is the fifth stage of ego. This stage occurs during adolescence between the ages of 12-18. During this stage adolescents explore their independence and develop a sense of self. One of the main elements of Erikson’s psychosocial stage theory is the development of ego identity. ‘It is the conscious sense of self that we develop through social interaction, which is constantly changing due to new experiences and information we acquire in our daily interactions with others.’ Transitioning from childhood to adulthood is already challenging enough, confusion sets in, who am I? What do I want to do? It’s time to think about our future, but an important part is our social interactions with peers, friends, family, neighbors, and society, these all play a role in shaping and forming an identity.

These young adults don’t have that right now. No social outings with friends, No visiting family, No school, No eating out with friends, No studying at the library, No vacation, No Sports, No prom, No Graduation. No Nothing.

So many of our high school seniors develop cases of depression and fall victim to outside forces which takes their path in a different direction. This situation we all face is depressing to us adults; we want to give our children something to look forward to. Let them use this time at home to prepare to “One Day” walk across that stage that they have spent the last four years of their lives preparing for and feel the success and achievements from all of their hard work.

An important part of moving on to the next stage of development in our lives is the ability to persevere from circumstances that may arise, this unknown entity that is affecting us all. As parents our primary responsibility to our children is to give them the tools that they will need for their continued growth and development, which will prepare them to be productive members of society.

In these difficult times, we just want to give our children something to look forward to, a tiny glimmer of happiness that at the end of all of this they will have their chance as many before you, to complete this milestone in their life!