Like a lot of graduates this year, Schlomo Amdur will not be having a traditional graduation ceremony because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But this does not mean that Amdur did not get the chance to walk across a stage in a cap and gown to pick up his diploma.

Officials at the Center School in Somerset organized an effort to bring the stage and graduation to each of the school’s students’ homes. Principal Ron Rinaldi and Director Maryellen Grabowski spend the day traveling to the homes of 10 members of the special education school’s graduating class. There was a makeshift mobile stage and each student was able to walk across and get recognized.

“They can’t come to school for a stage, so one day I was out in my yard looking at my trailer…that was about it,” Rinaldi says.

The stage was decorated with banners and other items of school spirit and the students’ parents could sit out in front and cheer on their graduate.

It was a great example of educators and parents going above and beyond for their students during a crisis.

The Center School has about 90 students and serves students from kindergarten up to 21 years old.