Grad Handbook Graduation 2014 ABBOTSFORD SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL

Grad Handbook Graduation 2014 ABBOTSFORD SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL

Message to Parents pg. 3 Grad Expectations Grad Committee Grad Assemblies Grad Standing Grad Application pg. 4 Grad Photos Grad Rings Grad Yearbook Quote/Baby Photos Grad Transitions Booklet Grad Gowns pg. 5 Grad Invitations Convocation Rehearsal Grad Quote Transcripts/Online Courses pg. 6 Scholarships and Bursaries Grad Costs Optional Grad Activities & Cost pg.7 Convocation the Details pg. 8 Grad Speakers Grad Banquet & Dance pg. 9 Grand March Banquet Guest Tickets Table of Contents Page 2 Page 11 Grad Clothing pg. 10 Important Dates pg. 11 Important Dates: September Sept. 18 Grad Assembly Sept. 20 Grad Cruise Sept. 23 Post Secondary Info. Evening @ Abby October Oct.. (TBA) Grad Parent Meeting 7pm library Oct. 30 Grad Fright Night November Nov. (TBA) Grad Fashion Show (with parent sponsor) December Dec. 5 Dec. 10 Dec. 21 Grad Winter Banquet UBC Applications completed for entrance scholarships School Fees due January Jan. 20-24 Grad Photos Jan. 28-Feb. 1 Study for your Provincial Exams! Jan 30 Grad Baby picture and yearbook quote due to Mr. Whitman February Feb. 6 Feb. 18-19 Feb. 7 Grads vs. teachers bowling Grad Photo Retakes Abbotsford Community Foundation Scholarships due March Grad Transitions books due before Spring Break Spring Break March 15 March 31 May May 15 May 30 Grad Quote Due (crossing the stage) Prom Guest Applications Due June Purchase extra Grad Ceremony Tickets (4 free, extras $10 ea) Pick up Prom Tickets & choose Table June 10 Grand March Rehearsal June 11 Convocation Rehearsal, Abbotsford Pentecostal June 12 Convocation 4-7 pm at Abbotsford Pentecostal June 13 Grand March 4pm at MSA Arena June 13 Grad Banquet @ Newlands 5pm June 13-14 Grad Lock In ARC midnight-5 am (if parent help) June Study for your Exams!

Page 10 Page 3 GRAD CLOTHING Grad Clothing will be available to order very soon. Hoodies $60 Sweat pants $35 See Mrs. Janzen and Mrs. Caviggia to pre-order. Message to Parents This is an exciting year for both you and your graduate. We encourage you as parents to get involved and help out with this year's Grad Activities. For Grad updates, check out our grad Facebook site and our school website. There will be a couple of Grad Parent Meetings and we look forward to seeing you there. Stay tuned for the first meeting sometime in November. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Janzen. Grad Expectations We expect our grad class to be leaders in the school and set good examples with the choices they make. Grade 12 students who choose to attend school or school events having consumed drugs or alcohol may not be allowed to take part in any or all school-based grad events. Grad Committee The Grad Council meets to organize various grad activities for the year. The Grad Committee will be responsible for the following: Meeting once every 2 weeks to plan and organize events Working with teacher sponsors to plan each grad events Communicating to grad class regarding events See Mrs. Caviggia or Mrs. Janzen for more information. Grad Assemblies & Forms Throughout the year there will be a number of grad assemblies where students will need to complete necessary forms towards graduation including PSI, transcript verification, and Abbotsford Foundation Awards program so listen to announcements, TV screens, Grad updates, or the Facebook group! Grad Standing Students will be sent home a copy of their Diploma Verification in their report card. This will show their present graduation standing. We will also include a handy how to read the transcript guide.

Page 4 Page 9 Grad Application The grad application form is to be completed in September. If you did not fill one out, pick one up from the Counselling Centre and return to the Counselling Centre. It is important that we know which events you are planning to participate in. If you change your mind, please let Mrs. Caviggia or Mrs. Janzen know right away and have them change the master list. Keep in mind that most graduates participate in all events so get your form in. Grad Photos Grad photos are separate from the regular school photos and will occur January 20-24, 2014 in the late afternoon and early evening. Students can sign-up for a sitting a week or two prior, so listen to announcements. The sitting fee is $40 (if you are purchasing a package) payable to the photographer, not the school. Retakes will be available on February 18-19 for those students who received photos but need the photo redone for various reasons. These are the photos that appear in the yearbook, so all grade 12 s MUST get this photo taken, even if you purchase your pictures from another photographer. Grad Rings Grad rings will be on display and available to order on Sept. 24 and 25. Grad Yearbook Quote/Baby Photos Grads will write a message of 50 words or less to be placed beside your grad photo in the yearbook. In addition, you may also submit a baby photo too. The deadline to submit your message and baby photo is January 30, 2014. Please give them to Mr. Whitman and the yearbook staff. Grad Transitions Booklet Students must complete the Grad Transitions booklet to fulfill grad requirements. This completed booklet is due by Spring Break. Final interviews with Counsellors or Administrators must also be completed to earn these 4 grad credits. Grad Banquet & Dance/ Prom/Lock In Grand March June 13 This takes place at the MSA Arena from 4:00 5:00 pm. This is an opportunity for grad s friends and families to enjoy a phototaking opportunity prior to the grads boarding the buses for the Banquet and Dance. Grad Banquet & Dance June 13 Buses depart MSA Arena at 5 pm. Prom is a formal event at Newlands where students get to dress up and spend a very memorable night together with a beautiful buffet dinner, a few speeches, and dancing till midnight. All grads and their dates MUST travel by charter bus (supplied by the school) to the venue as per district policy. All prom guest applications must be in by May 30, 2013. Students can sign up for tables, which seat 10, in June. You cannot sign up for a table without paying all your school fees. Grad Lock In With sufficient parent support we will run this event. Students are bussed from Newlands to the lock in site. We will potentially rent the entire MRC or ARC facility for a night of swimming, skating, air-brush tattoos, magician etc. What is a Banquet and Dance DATE ticket? Bringing a date from outside your grad class (either attending another high school, has graduated, or is in gr 11 at ASSS), requires you to complete a Prom Guest Application Form available in the office by May 30, 2014. Your guest must be approved by the Administration.

Page 6 Transcripts/Online Courses Students need to follow their post secondary institution s instructions regarding transcripts. Students enrolling in post-secondary schools need to complete the Online Post Secondary Institution (PSI) Selection form by March 1, 2014. Go to https://bced.gov.bc.ca/exams/trx_updates/ for instructions. We will send written instructions home with your report card. If you are taking an online course, make sure your work is done by the end of May so it will appear on your ASSS transcript. If the course the students is taking is required for graduation, the transcript will show as NON-GRAD on the Ministry website until the final mark has been entered by the Distance Learning teacher and submitted by the DL school in August. Scholarships & Bursaries Many students are anxious to earn money to ease the costs of postsecondary education. Below are some ways you can EARN $$$$ 1) Passport to Education recognizes students in Grade 10-12. If you have earned a stamp, your booklet will be given to you in your grad folder in August. 2) Provincial Exam Scholarship Program ( Ministry of Education) students earn $1000 to $2500 based on their provincial exam results top 5000 students in B.C. will earn scholarships. 3) District Scholarship Program students can earn $1000 for the Abbotsford School District by completing a district scholarship project in fine arts, applied skills, physical activity, or second language. See Mrs. MacKenzie in Oct. 4) Abbotsford Community Foundation The ACF generously provides thousands of dollars to district schools for bursaries or scholarships. Go to website www.abbotsfordcf.org in early February and applications are due early Feb.. See Mrs. MacKenzie for more information. 5) Secondary School Apprentice Scholarships The BC gov t provides trades scholarships of $1000 to any student who completes a SSA. See Mr. Peters for more information, applications are in February. 6) Provincial, National & International Scholarships - come see Mrs. Doan or Mr. Funk to learn how, when, etc to apply for the many scholarships that are available from outside agencies. Grad Costs Grad Fee Optional Grad Activities/ Cost Grad Cruise $70 Grad Fright Night $35 Grad Formal Dinner $20 $40(cap/gown, 4 Conv. tickets) Grad Fashion Show $5 Prom/Guest (Date) Ticket $110 each Grad Lock In $35 Date $50 Page 7 Grad Cruise Come on board as we cruise around Vancouver Harbour taking in the sights of the Fraser Inlet and more on the HSS Harbour Princess. Ticket price includes bus, boat rental, dinner, dessert, and dancing. Date: September 20 Grad Fright Night We will head by bus to the PNE and experience the Hallowe en horror at Playland. Prince includes bus transportation and ticket. Date: October 30 Grad Winter Banquet Grads are invited to attend a catered sit down dinner in the rotunda. Grade 12 students will provide the entertainment for this event. Date: December. 5 Grad vs. Teacher Bowling The teaching staff has challenged the grads in a bowling event which will be organized by Mr. Keeley. Date: February 6 Grad Fashion Show Parent help is required for this event to take place. Approximately 25 students will be models. Date: November TBA Grad Lock-In With sufficient parent support we will run this event. We will potentially rent the entire MRC or ARC facility for a night of swimming, skating, air-brush tattoos, magician etc. Date: June 14

Page 8 Convocation June 12 Grade 12 students who have satisfied the necessary graduation requirements by May 30 may participate in Convocation. Students enrolled in courses outside of ASSS (for example AVS) that are required for graduation must be 80% complete in order to be eligible to take part in the ceremony. If you are not sure if you have completed the requirements please see your Counsellor. In addition, all students must be in good standing in their current courses. This includes the completion of grad transition and work experience booklets. Date/ Time: June 12 th, 2014, 4 7 pm (grads arrive 3:15) Place: Abbotsford Pentecostal Assembly Things to Remember: 1) Take pictures with your family prior to arriving at the church. 2) Come to the ceremony already dressed in your gown with formal clothing underneath. 3) Car pool to the church as there is limited parking Grad Valedictorian/Grad Speaker Valedictorian/ Grad Speaker are members of the graduating class who speak on behalf of the graduates at Convocation. One of our top academic students will be the class Valedictorian. Students nominate a fellow outstanding grad (nomination forms will be available in April) for Grad Speaker. A teacher committee will review all nominations to ensure candidates for grad speaker meet the criteria (passing all grad requirements, be respected by the grad class, demonstrate school spirit, and have made a positive contribution to the grad class) and the final representative will be chosen by a Grade 12 vote. Page 5 Grad Gowns To cross the stage for the Grad ceremonies, we will need to order you a gown, which you will keep. To do this complete the GRAD APPLICATION form (given in Sept. to all grade 12 s & available in the Counselling Cente). All students will also receive a souvenir cap and Grad 2014 tassel. Grad Invitations Due to fire regulations and seating capacity, family and friends will require an invitation to watch you cross the stage. Each student will receive 4 invitations. You can only pick up your gown & invitations if you have paid your School Fees. Additional invitations can be purchased for a fee, with a four per day limit per student. Convocation Rehearsal/BBQ/Yearbook Signing All grads are required to attend this event. Please arrive at the church at 8:30 am and then we will bus you home if you are not driving yourself. At the rehearsal you will see what line-up you are in, where you walk and sit and get a synopsis of the event. Upon returning to the school, the Administration will sponsor a free BBQ and grads will have time to sign yearbooks. Date: June 11 th, 2014. Grad Quote (stage crossing) This inspirational quote is written by the graduate and will be read at convocation as they cross the stage. It is 20 words maximum and is due May 15 to Mrs. Doan. Forms are available in early May in the Counselling Center.