| PRESS RELEASE |
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| Wednesday, May 27, 2020Contact: John SasakiCommunications Director 510-214-2080[email protected] |
Oakland, CA — For the Class of 2020, this graduation season has been anything but normal. Because most schools are using online tools to hold their commencement ceremonies, OUSD wanted to do something additional to celebrate our graduating seniors and all students who are rising in grade despite our challenges. Oakland-based KTVU Channel 2 was eager to support our students, as well, so we came to an agreement that together, we are creating a special celebration for broadcast entitled, “Rising Together: OUSD Class of 2020.” |
 This special graduation/promotion celebration show will air on KTVU Channel 2 the day after all the individual school graduations and promotion ceremonies have concluded. It will include speeches from students from across the District, including our new graduates, and rising 5th and 8th graders who will be heading to new middle schools and high schools, respectively, in the fall. Despite the pandemic and shelter in place order, our students have done remarkable work to overcome the obstacles this situation has thrown in their way, whether they were kindergarteners or seniors, or in any grade in between. So, we want to make sure we celebrate all of them for their hard work and dedication for reaching the next level in their educational careers.“This time in our history has been unlike any other in the past century, so we need to celebrate our students in a historic way,” said Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell. “While we have no in person graduation and promotion ceremonies, a televised celebration will make our students feel special. We deeply appreciate this partnership with KTVU, and know that as Oakland’s TV station, it is uniquely able to support our community. This will be a great celebration that our students, families and staff will treasure.” Oakland is one of the most diverse cities anywhere in the country, as our families speak more than 50 languages at home. The list of student and adult speakers will reflect that diversity, and appeal to a broad range of viewers. “We know the messages shared by our diverse student body, our staff and our guest speakers will resonate with many students and adults across the Bay Area during these challenging times,” added Johnson-Trammell. Also scheduled to appear in this celebration are OUSD’s 2020 Teachers of the Year, Superintendent Johnson-Trammell, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, and other special guests. Additionally, there will be student performances and a tassel ceremony at the end. “Congratulations to the class of 2020,” said Mellynda Hartel, Senior Vice President and General Manager of KTVU/KTVU Plus. “We empathize with how difficult it must be to graduate under these circumstances, and hope that this televised ceremony will give students and their families another opportunity to celebrate all of the hard work they’ve accomplished to get to this important milestone.” “Rising Together: OUSD Class of 2020” will air on KTVU Channel 2 from 11:00 a.m. to noon on Saturday, June 6, and will be simulcast on KTVU.com, and KTVU’s Facebook page. Plus, KTVU will forward a link to the online version that OUSD will distribute to all families. |
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| About KTVU Channel 2 KTVU is part of the FOX Television Stations, which owns and operates 29 full power broadcast television stations in the U.S. These include stations located in nine of the top ten largest designated market areas (DMAs), and duopolies in 11 DMAs, including the three largest DMAs (New York, Los Angeles and Chicago). Of these stations, 18 are affiliated with the FOX Network. In addition to distributing sports, entertainment and syndicated content, our television stations collectively produce nearly 1,000 hours of local news every week. These stations leverage viewer, distributor and advertiser demand for the FOX Network’s national content. |
| ###About the Oakland Unified School DistrictIn California’s most diverse city, Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) is dedicated to creating a learning environment where “Every Student Thrives!” More than half of our students speak a non-English language at home. And each of our 83 schools is staffed with talented individuals uniting around a common set of values: Students First, Equity, Excellence, Integrity, Cultural Responsiveness and Joy. We are committed to preparing all students for college, career and community success. To learn more about OUSD’s Full Service Community District focused on academic achievement while serving the whole child in safe schools, please visit OUSD.org and follow us @OUSDnews. |
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