The fact over 1,200 8th graders in Manteca and Lathrop were unable to enjoy the traditional trappings of promotion ceremonies due to the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t stop teachers, families and even complete strangers from making sure students would remember the occasion.
Hundreds of vehicles — most decorated with balloons in school colors, congratulatory signs and even large photos of students being promoted — streamed through neighborhood schools Tuesday and Wednesday.
In many instances, nearby neighbors of elementary schools stood in their front yards — some posted with congratulatory signs — and waved as promoting 8th graders drove by with their families. Other relatives and friends sometimes lined nearby sidewalks as well.
Teachers made sure the day was special in numerous ways. Several schools set out chairs — one for each student with giant photos all the classmates placed individually in in each one — for 8th graders to drive past before and after collecting their promotion certificates with all of the prerequisite social distancing protocols in place.
Among the events was McParland School where 137 students representing the class of 2020 were recognized during a drive-thru promotion on Tuesday night.
And there were137 cardboard cutouts of the honorees, head shots of each student propped up on chairs lining the course through campus. The parade of cars entered through the back gate off London Avenue and meandered its way to the front of the administration building where students were greeted by Principal Dale Borgeson and Manteca Unified Board member Stephen Schluer.
Twenty-one students finished with 4.0 grade-point averages.
Earning special awards: Derrick Tejeda, DeAngelo Martinez, Mackenzie Weber, Morgan Yslava, Rylie Cuevas, Henry Sicat, Kailyn Soriano, Hector Ledezma Ulloa, Trinity Pacheco and Mayra Rubalcava Rodriguez with the Teacher Award; Breeani Rattanasack with the Leadership Award; Kailyn Soriano with the Principal's Service Award; Faith Bane with the Delmer Drrick Award; and Isabel Mendoza with the George McParland Award.
The McParland School 2020 promotion class: Payton Abrew, Gustavo Aguilar, Karyme Alvarez, Quincy Amaral, Jai Remy Aquino, Ricardo Arreguin, Sebastian Arrizano, Aniah Azevedo, Yamilet Banderas, Faith Bane, Robert Bettencourt, Jasman Brar, Andrew Brooks, Bianca Buciom, Katie Cabeceiras, Braeden Campbell, Jenna Campbell, Alex Cervantes, Tallon Cervantez, Christoval Chaparro, Hunter Concepcion, Rosemary Cosio-Zepeda, Tristan Crowe, Evanna Cuellar, Rylie Cuevas, Skylar Davis, Chloe De Bem, Antonia DeGuzman, Alyssa Domiknguez, Nolan Douma, Damian Duenas, Trinity Duenas, Amiyah Fernandez, Mateo Garcia, Laci Gaston, Devin Graber, Landen Gray, Melissa Gutierrez, Sophia Gutierrez, Jayden Hampton, Edward Hensley, Harley Hensley, Jacqueline Hernandez, Carson Hughes, Angel Ivers, Ainsley Johnson, Tori Johnson, Matthew Kain, Gracie Kallstrom, Gurleen Kaur, Macey Kays, Noah Keifer, Weizemin Khan, Nicholas Kirsch, Gavin Larios, Hector Ledezma, Michael Lee, Blake Little, Anthony Lopez, Antonio Lopez, Alejandrina Lozano, Ethan Mamorno, Samantha Marasanov, Tyson Marden, DeAngelo Martinez, Emma McBroom, Brandon McCullough, Kevin Medrano, Linda Medrano, Ariella Mejia, Jasias Mejia, Isabel Mendoza, Jose Mendoza, Matthew Meninga, Matthew Miller, Devon Montalvo, Kimberly Morales, Ricardo Morales, Oscar Moreno, Olivia Morgan, Zachary Mortenson, Victor Naranjo, Bryson Nielsen, Chase Niven, Ruth Okeanya, Alex Ortega, Madison Oyarzabal, Trinity Pacheco, Elijah Palacious, Jessica Partney, Arjun Patel, Joseph Perez, Daniel Philip, Damien Propes, Doniven Propes, Adrian Ramirez, Kenneth Ramos, Breeani Rattanasack, Jillian Ryne, Celina Ring, Heavyn Rivera, Ana Roblejo, Jose Rodriguez, Maicah Roldan, Andrew Romero, Mayra Rubalcava, Marline Rubio, Carson Sanders, Andrew Santana, Moses Segura, Espn Semas, Aniket Sharma, Caanen Showers, Henry Sicat, Grace Silva, Kailyn Soriano, Aubrie Strickland, Tristan Sullivan, Ivett Tafolla, Adam Tavares, Drrick Tejeda, Esmeralda Trejo, Victoria Uhls, Kyle VanArsdell, Kaiden Vautour, Francisco Verduzco, Arik Vivians, Aris Vivians, Mackenzie Weber, Kyle Wlodarczyk, Alayna Yandris, Morgan Yslava, Oscar Zavala, Ruben Zavala, Ezra Zermeno.
