CLYMER — Several Clymer Central School events are coming back this spring, though district officials are making some changes to remain within the state’s COVID-19 guidelines.

Leading the way is the school’s annual May Day celebration on May 14. Typically, May Day brings the entire Clymer community to the school building for a celebration. Beth Olson, district superintendent, said she approached the Clymer Tulip Festival Committee about hosting the May Day event, but committee members were unable to do so, leading Olson to ask board members how important it was to have the community be involved in the school’s commemoration of May Day.

Carole Silverling, Clymer Central School board member, was quick to state her opinion that the district should have a May Day event that involves the community even if it meant having the event on the football field and having a limited number of tickets for the community to attend. District officials also plan to stream the proceedings on the internet so community residents can view the event.

“That’s exactly what we’re planning,” Olson said. “The principals and I are meeting with our senior advisors because they usually do a majority of the planning. So we will put together our program for May Day that will include limited participation from the community, but again we will stream it so we can still put out what is happening.”

Prom and graduation will happen, according to Brianne Fadale, high school principal, and Olson. Dancing will be limited to dancing with those at a student’s table, Olson said, but the school’s small size makes holding a prom possible depending on what the school’s Prom Committee decides.

“They’re working on it,” Fadale said. “They’re looking at different options they can use for social distancing and those type of things. They’re definitely going to be eating a meal. They’ve been talking about how to do so court. They’re on it. Everything is in process.”

Graduation will be held Friday, June 28, outdoors with a rain date of Saturday, June 29. Tickets will be limited to four tickets per student for the outdoor ceremony with tickets then limited to two per graduate if the ceremony has to move indoors due to rain. Board members also decided on a July 8 date for graduation if four seniors or more contract COVID-19 and have to quarantine.

Clymer High School students in June are scheduled to take the Gettysburg trip, the senior trip, prom and then graduation, all in consecutive weeks. Having so many events for the district’s high school students has Olson cautioning students participating in events to make sure they take COVID-19 protocols seriously, because a student contracting COVID-19 could lead events to be canceled or graduation delayed.

“If we have any positive cases in those classes or those groups of kids it could wipe them out of the next event,” Olson said. “So we’re really going to hammer if you’re showing any symptoms, stay home. Don’t take everybody else out with you. We need to be prepared, and I’m hoping it doesn’t happen because we’ve been very lucky with cases up to this point, but if there is a case and something gets wiped out I’m sure we’re going to have an angry parent or parents as a result.”

In addition to May Day, elementary and high school concerts are on the spring agenda. Joshua Tedone, elementary school principal, said there will be a virtual concert for the elementary school as well as a kindergarten graduation ceremony on June 11. Brianne Fadale, high school principal, said a high school chorus and band concert is planned for June 22, with a rain date of June 23, on the parking lot near the softball field.

“What we think we’re going to do is set up stands for kids to separate the chorus and band and at the same time utilize the parking lot to have spectators,” Fadale said. “So we have to work on the logistics.”

Olson said the state limits outdoor event attendance to 200 people so district officials are figuring out how many band and chorus family members, though in-person attendance will likely be limited to parents. Again, the district plans to stream the concert on the internet so the community can watch.

“We have a lot of things planned for the spring,” Olson said. “We’re trying to keep things as normal as possible. We will follow the guidance wherever it’s applicable in order to make these things happen. This is where size works in our favor. However we’re also cramming a lot into a short period of time.”