Upper St. Clair High School INSTRUCTIONS FOR SENIOR YEAR-END ACTIVITIES 2017 This is to inform you of the Senior year-end activities sponsored and authorized by the high school and the responsibilities each student may need to fulfill prior to graduation. Please become acquainted with the enclosed information and cooperate with us in making these activities not only meaningful and enjoyable, but also safe and appropriate. Using, possessing or being under the influence of drugs and alcohol is strictly prohibited by school policy and State law. The administration will have detection devices to be used with students suspected of being under the influence of any banned substance. If a suspected student refuses to take part in any detection test, the school district s drug and alcohol policy as outlined in the Student/Parent Handbook will be enforced. Pennsylvania Statute 6306.1 prohibits students to possess or use tobacco on school property or any property under the control of the School District. The Senior Banquet held at Valley Brook Country Club and the Prom held at PNC Park, Pittsburgh are still under the control of the school district. Please refer to Appendix #5 of the Student/Parent Handbook that lists major infractions and administrative options as all school rules are in effect at these events. If there are any specific questions or problems concerning any of this information, please contact the Senior Class Sponsor, Mr. Holzer at 412-833-1600, ext. 2263/2264. TUESDAY, MAY 9, 2017 FINAL OBLIGATIONS DUE All debts for books, library fines, class dues, projects and sports equipment must be paid by this date. Seniors will be contacted prior to this deadline to remind them of any obligations owed. Failure to satisfy these obligations will result in Seniors being unable to participate in any Senior events. FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2017 SENIOR PICNIC Seniors will be treated to an outdoor picnic lunch during their scheduled lunch mods. Report to the hallway outside the small gym to receive your lunch ticket. The picnic will be held in the green space outside between the athletic and arts entrances. In the event of rain, the picnic will be moved indoors.
TUESDAY, MAY 18, 2017 SENIOR MEETING All Seniors are expected to attend a class meeting on May 18 in the HS Theatre beginning at 8:30 a.m. Early Graduates and Community Learning Seniors are encouraged to attend this important meeting. TUESDAY, MAY 23, 2017 ANNUAL SCHOOL AWARDS PROGRAM The program will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the High School Theatre. Parents, relatives, and friends of Seniors are encouraged to attend. Students will be notified in advance if they are being recognized. Participants should dress appropriately. THURSDAY, MAY 25, 2017 SENIOR BANQUET The banquet will be held at Valley Brook Country Club. Dinner 5:30 7:00 p.m.; Dance 7:00 10:00 p.m. Directions will be available in the Activities Office. D. J. music will be provided. All Seniors must arrive between 5:30 and 6:00 p.m. to be admitted. NO ONE WILL BE ADMITTED AFTER 6:00 P.M. A complete buffet dinner with drinks and dessert will be served. Seniors planning to attend must pick up a ticket in the Activities Office no later than Friday, May 12, 2017. Each Senior can obtain only one ticket. (Early Graduates and Community Learning Seniors should contact Mrs. Tarcson in the Activities Office.) There is no cost for tickets to students who have paid class dues. Valley Brook Country Club maintains a dress code that requires Seniors to dress-up for this event. Students will not be permitted to attend if they are not dressed appropriately. Recommended attire for the gentlemen is khaki pants, collared shirt, and dress shoes. Recommended attire for the ladies is a dress, dress pants, or a skirt with an appropriate dress shirt. No hats, no jeans, no shorts, no tennis shoes, no flip flops, etc., will be permitted. All school rules are in effect. Seniors are required to stay on the first floor of the country club and the rear patio. WEDNESDAY, May 31, 2017 SENIOR LOCKER CLEAN-OUT All Seniors must empty their lockers during homeroom; then report to their mod 1-2 class. Lockers will be inspected and fines assessed for any damage. Anything left in the lockers after June 1st will be discarded.
FRIDAY, JUNE 2, 2017 SENIOR LAST DAY / COMMENCEMENT PRACTICE All Seniors must attend mandatory commencement practice if they plan to participate in commencement exercises. There are NO exceptions. This is an officially scheduled day of school. Seniors must report to school by 7:30 a.m. and attend homeroom. A Senior breakfast will be held during mod 1 and then Seniors will report to the Theatre and locate their assigned seats. All Senior lockers are to be empty by this date. At the conclusion of commencement practice, each Senior will confirm that they have received an email to their uscstudents.org account containing four electronic tickets to be used for indoor graduation in the event of inclement weather. Seniors will be responsible for printing out tickets in the event of commencement being held indoors. All students with valid parking permits will be permitted to drive to commencement practice. All student parking permits will expire at the conclusion of the commencement practice on June 2, 2017. ALL DRIVING RULES WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS TIME. The school district will provide transportation from school immediately following commencement practice. All Seniors requesting transportation are to sign-up in the Activities Office or the Main Office by Thursday, May 25, 2017. Please board the bus in the lower parking lot by the Theatre entrance. FROM DISMISSAL ON JUNE 2 UNTIL JUNE 8, SENIORS ARE NOT PERMITTED ON CAMPUS DURING SCHOOL HOURS UNLESS THEY ARE CONDUCTING OFFICIAL BUSINESS WITH PRIOR APPROVAL. TUESDAY, JUNE 6, 2017 RED CARPET & PROM Transportation to RED CARPET & PROM: This year, prom attendees must choose between two options for transportation to all prom activities. No prom attendee is allowed to drive a vehicle to or from PNC PARK. School sponsored coach bus Cost will be $20 per person. Must reserve a spot by circling BUS on Prom Agreement form and make payment in the Activities Office by Friday, May 19, 2017 Arrive at RED CARPET by 4:30 p.m. in your own vehicle (follow limousine route) Bus will depart USCHS at 5:00 p.m. Bus will drop riders off on North Shore Drive, between Heinz Field and PNC Park. We recommend making dinner reservations at a restaurant on Pittsburgh s North Shore for 5:45 6:00 p.m. Bus riders will walk to the restaurant of their choice and walk back to PNC PARK after dinner by 8:00 p.m. No chaperones will accompany bus riders during dinner or the walk back to PNC PARK. All students will enter PNC PARK using the PRESS ENTRANCE on General Robinson Street, across from the Alco Parking lot. At 11:00 p.m. the bus will return all riders to USCHS parking lot arriving at approximately 11:45 p.m.
Renting a limousine service Cost paid for by prom attendee (no affiliation with USCHS). Limousine should arrive at USCHS between 4 4:30 p.m. with students already in the vehicle. Limousines will drop students off at second staircase leading to theatre parking lot to walk the Red Carpet and meet students in front of the Theatre entrance to drive to dinner. Limousines will deliver students to PNC PARK between 7 8:00 p.m. to the PRESS ENTRANCE located on General Robinson Street across from Alco Parking lot. Limousines will find a place to park during Prom. PNC PARK will not supply an area for any vehicles. Limousines will return to PNC PARK at 11:00 p.m. to pick up their riders at the PRESS ENTRANCE along General Robinson Street. We recommend the driver use a sign or marking on the vehicle, so students know where to enter. RED CARPET USCHS Theatre Parking Lot - See attached map All Seniors are required to attend the Red Carpet at USCHS starting at 4:00 p.m. before Prom. Prom Tickets will be distributed at the completion of the Red Carpet. Seniors should enter the High School Stadium entrance via Truxton Drive. o If you are taking the bus - park in the upper parking lot and walk to 2nd staircase. o Limousines should continue in front of stadium to 2nd staircase. All Prom attendees will walk down staircase towards spectators standing along the parking lot. Tickets will be distributed at the end of the Red Carpet walk. o Limousines - once attendees are finished walking the Red Carpet, they will receive their tickets for Prom and are free to leave in their designated limousine o School sponsored bus - the bus will depart USCHS promptly at 5:00 p.m. Please arrive at the Red Carpet by 4:30 p.m. We will make every effort to hold this event outside. If the weather is questionable, the Red Carpet will be held in the Large Gym. All vehicles can park in the main theatre parking lot if the event is held indoors. SENIOR PROM PNC Park - Downtown Pittsburgh The Prom will be held at PNC PARK in Downtown Pittsburgh from 7 11:00 p.m. Dinner will not be served. A dessert bar will be served starting at 8:30 p.m. Light snacks and refreshments will be available throughout the event. Entertainment will be provided from 7 11:00 p.m. NO ONE WILL BE ADMITTED AFTER 8:00 p.m. NO ONE WILL BE PERMITTED TO LEAVE BEFORE 11:00 p.m. You must have a ticket to enter the prom. The Prom ticket is free to all Seniors who have paid their class dues and will be distributed after walking the Red Carpet. Every person attending Prom must fill out a Prom Agreement and turn it into the Activities office by Friday, May 19, 2017. If you are bringing an underclassman or an outside guest, there will be a $50 surcharge for your tickets to cover the cost of their attendance. Outside guests must be registered with Mrs. Tarcson by Friday, May 19, 2017 using the enclosed green form. Please turn your form and your guest s form with payment at the same time. All purses and bags will be searched upon entering PNC PARKSENIOR PROM
SENIOR PROM (CONTINUTED) Beginning at 8:00 p.m., you can choose to have formal pictures taken by M and M Photography and interviewed for the USC local television channel. A flyer is enclosed describing the photo packages available. No parents/spectators will be admitted into PNC PARK to take pictures or view the Prom. Pennsylvania State Motor Vehicle code section 1503 (subsection c) prohibits driving between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. without possession of a Senior driver s license. Students will not be permitted to leave until 11:00 p.m. Anyone who does not possess a Senior driver s license will need to secure transportation after the bus or limousine returns them to USC. As stated in the Student/Parent Handbook, a student who violates substance abuse rules off school grounds will receive a three-day suspension from activity participation. Commencement would fall under those three days of suspension. Please see enclosed letter regarding prom procedures. THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 2017 GRADUATION Cap & Gown packages were handed out to seniors on April 25 and 26. Please remind your student to pick up his/her items in the Activities office asap. Shuttle bus service will run from the Township Building, Public Works Building (bottom of Truxton Drive) and Westminster parking lots beginning at 5:00 p.m. Seniors must report to the theatre by 5:00 if they will participate in graduation. Caps and gowns are to be worn. Don t forget the medallion! Baccalaureate will be held in the high school theatre beginning at 5:30 p.m. This will be a secular service with a motivational speaker. The reserved seating during Baccalaureate is for the Senior class. After Baccalaureate, Seniors will remain in the high school theatre in their assigned seat. Commencement will be held in the stadium promptly at 7:00 p.m. Do not bring personal belongings such as coats, purses, cameras, etc. You are not permitted to take them with you once you leave the theatre and they may not be left in the Theatre. Parents and relatives who wish to take pictures are asked to stay behind the fence. M & M Photography will be present at the ceremony to take a color photo of each graduate as he/she receives a diploma. A photo package will be offered to Seniors and their parents and is included in this mailing. Graduates will return to the small gym after the ceremony to receive their diploma and their copy of the commencement program. Anyone needing special handicap arrangements for commencement please call USC School District Police Chief Connors at extension #2560. Please adhere to the parking signs. Citations will be issued to those cars parked illegally.
THURSDAY, June 8, 2017 INDOOR GRADUATION (Rain Contingency Plan) In case of rain on this date, the commencement ceremony will be held in the High School Large Gymnasium at 7:00 p.m. Notice will be delivered as early as possible through the District s School Messenger system. All family and friends attending indoor graduation must enter the building through the theatre entrance. Only those in possession of a barcoded ticket will be permitted into the gymnasium to view the ceremony live. To access the gymnasium, please follow the instructions below: Families with a graduating student with a last name beginning with the letters A-K should enter through the nutrition center down the pool hallway and into the large gym. Families with a graduating student with a last name beginning with the letters L-Z should enter down the hallway past the small gym and into the large gym. Additional family members without tickets will be able to view the ceremony in the LGI, theatre, and nutrition center. Entrance into the theatre will be permitted once the Seniors have exited to begin their procession. Families may wait in the nutrition center or LGI until the theatre is available. Every effort will be made to hold the ceremony in the stadium and will be moved indoors strictly as a last resort. INDOOR GRADUATION TICKET INFORMATION Due to the limited amount of seating in the gymnasium, each Senior will be issued four (4) unique barcoded tickets. The tickets will be delivered electronically to the Senior s @uscstudents.org email account no later than June 2, 2017. If a Senior has not received their ticket email and were able to print the by June 2, please send an email request to eventbrite@uscsd.k12.pa.us. Tickets are only required in the event of rain and the ceremony is held indoors. Please remind your student to access his/her email and print the four tickets prior to graduation regardless of weather. Additional tickets will not be issued. Duplicate tickets will not be accepted. No admittance to the large gym will be permitted without a valid ticket. GRADUATION ATTIRE Graduation is a formal ceremony, and each student is expected to dress appropriately. Students must wear the standard cap & gown as issued by Josten s. No modifications can be made to the gown or hat no signs, slogans, etc. Gentlemen must wear a collared shirt, dress pants, and dress shoes. Ladies must wear light colored dresses, dress pants, or skirts with a dressy shirt, and dress shoes. (We suggest white or beige shoes and no spiked heels.) Students are not permitted to wear tennis shoes, flip-flops, sandals, jeans, or shorts. Sunglasses are also not permitted. Students not dressed appropriately will be sent home to change.
FRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017 Effective June 16, 2017, the graduating student s school-issued @uscstudents.org email account will be deactivated. This account and all associated content will be inaccessible by the student after this date. Action must be taken to save content such as emails and/or files in Google Drive that need to be kept. Finally, contacts should be notified as well as any services that may be using the schoolissued @uscstudents.org email address prior to the deactivation date. For information on how to export data, please visit: https://support.uscsd.k12.pa.us/kb/article/28.