A Special Graduation Day

Last month, more than 400 seniors graduated from Staples.

Yesterday, 1 did.

In a special ceremony in principal John Dodig’s conference room, Eitan Dror — who missed the June ceremony due to illness — received his diploma.

And more.

Principal John Dodig hands Eitan Dror his diploma, and a DVD.

Dressed in a cap and gown, Eitan marched in to a recording of “Pomp and Circumstance.”  As superintendent of schools Elliott Landon — and secretaries, vice principals, a nurse, Class of 2010 salutatorian Morgan Patrick and Eitan’s parents all smiled broadly — Dodig presented the better-late-than-never grad with a DVD of the baccalaureate and graduation ceremony he’d missed.

Eitan turned the tassel on his cap.  He tossed it in the air.  He thanked everyone for coming.

Then they all dug into a celebratory cake, baked by the school’s attendance guru Patty McQuone.

This fall Eitan joins 3,000 other freshmen at Binghamton College, .

He’ll be the only one, though, who had his own graduation ceremony.

(Click on this YouTube clip of Eitan’s ceremony.)

Patty McQuone baked this special cake -- shaped like a graduation cap, complete with tassel.