Seniors at Campbell High School — Hawaii’s largest public school — have been picking up their caps and gowns this week as the first step toward their “virtual” graduation ceremony in the era of COVID-19.

The traditional mass lei giving and hugfest that make graduations so memorable in Hawaii won’t happen this year due to social-distancing requirements.

Instead, most public school graduates and their families will partake in online celebrations, watching ceremonies from home. Rather than walking across the stage, graduates will hear their names read as their photo is displayed on-screen along with the honors they’ve earned.

Despite being stuck at home, Campbell’s graduates, clad in white caps and gowns with black-and-orange tassels, expect to have their biggest audience yet for a graduation ceremony. The first public high school graduation of the season, on May 15, will be both live-streamed and televised statewide, according to Principal Jon Henry Lee.

“This is the first time any school or Hawaii television affiliate has partnered to broadcast a virtual graduation ceremony,” Lee wrote in a letter to the senior class. “We are making history!”

“This time will solely be dedicated to you, our awesome Saber Seniors, and will broadcast commercial free,” he added. “We are so fortunate to have this opportunity and while it is not what we all originally had planned for, we hope to make it a special and memorable moment for you!”

Campbell’s ceremony for its 687 graduates will be televised on KHII (Channel 5 or 1005) as well as live-streamed on KHON2’s App and its YouTube Channel from 5 to 7 p.m. May 15.

The graduation for the Ewa Beach school is the largest of the 50 public high schools, including charter schools, whose plans and dates were posted online Thursday at hawaiipublicschools.org.

Each school is developing its own plans and informing its students and families directly, according to Phyllis Unebasami, deputy schools superintendent.

“It’s going to be accessible to families so they can watch their loved ones and celebrate with them, always using social distancing,” she told the Hawaii Senate Special Committee on COVID-19 on Thursday.

Along with online ceremonies, many schools are scheduling drive-by pickups so students and a subset of household members can collect their diplomas at a separate time, she said.

Campbell’s seniors are being asked to take and submit photos of themselves in their graduation garb to their school. Family members may also offer a congratulatory photo of themselves holding a sign for their graduate, which could be screened at the end of the ceremony.

Film crews have been taking video for the program as well.

“They’ve already started filming to get ready for this celebration,” Unebasami said. “There are going to be people coming into their celebration virtually and giving them a congratulations, and some of them are surprise speakers.”

Kaiser Principal Justin Mew told students he hopes to include “as many traditional graduation components as possible” in their ceremony, which will be livestreamed “via select media outlets” at 6 p.m. May 22, with drive-thru diploma distribution May 26.

“While we are disappointed that traditional commencement ceremonies cannot be held due to COVID-19, the thoughtful innovation and care with which our schools and community partners have come together has been inspirational,” Unebasami said.