According to ASD, the district does not have a set policy in place for memorials or recognitions at schools graduations.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - An Anchorage family, grieving the loss of their daughter, wants to make sure she is remembered during her senior class graduation this month.
Since January, the Zaro family has been in communication with Anchorage School District , attempting to have a memorial or recognition done for their daughter, Lilly Zaro, who passed away last year. Lilly, according to her family, was set to graduate this month from Service High School.
“That was a really big thing to her. She wanted to get past school and enjoy adulthood,” Andrew Zaro, Lilly’s father, said. According to Lilly’s mother, Breanna Zaro, after playing ‘phone tag’ with the district she was informed that the district would give Lilly a diploma.
“Which I was actually kind of shocked because she did pass away the year before,” Breanna Zaro said. “And then I was mainly asking, well, can we, what I first originally asked for was, can we say her name or do a moment of silence or something like that? And then when they finally got back to me with an answer, it was, we can only do the practice ceremony.
Her name will be in the program, but we cannot call her name at the actual ceremony. ” Breanna Zaro said she originally accepted the offer but later changed her mind. Since then, she said, they have not heard a lot back from the district.
“I mean, they’re telling us that their biggest roadblock is the possibility of an emotional disturbance, either on our part or how it affects the young minds of the graduating class,” Andrew Zaro said. “I just don’t see that as a viable excuse. ” “We just want her name called and somebody go up there with the cap and gown and celebrate,” Breanna Zaro said.
“Celebrate that it’s happening still for her and that she’s not forgotten. ” According to ASD, the district does not have a set policy in place for memorials or recognitions at school graduations, following the death of a student.
“There isn’t much on a policy besides that, you know, you have to honor the students that are there. It’s not meant for much disruptions. ,” Corey Young, a spokesperson for ASD, said.
“If you look at a graduation, it’s pretty structured in terms of flow and the amount of time. In ASD with the big eight, when you count the big 8 graduations, there’s a total, they do two a day from starting next week, Monday all the way through Thursday. And so, there’s just, there isn’t a lot of time to do beyond the actual graduation and receiving your diploma.
” Young confirmed with Alaska’s News Source on Tuesday that students will be allowed, if they choose, to wear a memorial pin for Lilly. In addition, Young said, there will be a moment of silence for Lilly during the graduation ceremony, her name will be included in the program, and her parents will receive her cap and gown.
“I think it’s important to honor, you know, the loss of your loved ones, your friends and your family,” Young said. “This allows the students that knew the young lady to be able to have that time during their graduation. ” According to Lilly’s parents, they were not aware that a moment of silence was confirmed until an interview with Alaska’s News Source on Tuesday.
“I heard that through my mom. So, I haven’t heard that from them,” Breanna Zaro said.
“It was a moment of, I’ll believe it when I hear from them. ” ASD said it is actively working on a policy to see how they can fit the needs of families moving forward. The Zaro family said they haven’t heard from the district in two weeks. The family adds that they hope a change in policy occurs, so no family ever has to go through what they did.
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HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION ASD MEMORIALS AT GRADUATIONS LILLY ZARO WHO IS LILLY ZARO HOW DID LILY ZARO DIE LILLY ZARO ANCHORAGE SCHOOL DISTRICT LILLY ZARO MEMORIA LILLY ZARO MEMORIAL ASD ASD MEMORIAL LILLY ZARO ASD GRADUATION MEMORIAL POLICY
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