Richmond Community Schools 35276 Division * Richmond, Michigan 48062 * (586) 727-3565 * www.richmond.k12.mi.us Margaret Teltow, President Kristine Furtaw, Vice President Sarah Gillies, Secretary Kyle Simmons, Treasurer Traci Bartell, Trustee Ryan Edberg, Trustee David Wirth, Trustee Brian J. Walmsley, Ed.S. Superintendent Richmond Early Childhood Learning Center & Will L. Lee Elementary School 68399 Forest Richmond, Michigan 48062 David Kochan, Principal Richmond Middle School 35250 Division Richmond, Michigan 48062 Keith Bartels, Principal Richmond High School 35320 Division Richmond, Michigan 48062 Deborah Michon, Principal April 12, 2017 Dear Parents of Graduating Seniors: Your child s graduation time is fast approaching! Your senior is in the midst of completing his or her last weeks of high school. There is some important information in this letter, so please note all that applies to your situation. Attached you will find a calendar of events, senior activities, and graduation information. On May 17 th, after exams, seniors will be participating in graduation practice preceded by a senior breakfast sponsored by the senior parents. Practice will begin promptly at 10:30 and should take roughly an hour. At the conclusion, seniors are released for the day and are expected to remain off campus for the duration of the school day. Any disruptions to the school day, including senior pranks, will result in disciplinary action and students will be prohibited from participating in the commencement ceremony. Parent support is appreciated. Any seniors enrolled in coursework outside of the normal school day (Online, Correspondence, Credit Recovery etc.) are STRONGLY encouraged to have ALL course work for these classes completed by May 17 th. Richmond High School will not be responsible for 3 rd party reporting of grade/course status for graduation. Your students graduation status will be affected if this deadline is not met. Commencement will be conducted at Macomb Center for the Performing Arts in Clinton Twp. on Wednesday, May 24 th, beginning promptly at 7:00 p.m. Please make sure your graduate arrives no later than 6:15 p.m. for line up and final instructions. Reserved seating tickets are required for each guest in attendance. Seating for those with disabilities is available but limited. Contact the high school office to substitute a general seating ticket for a handicapped accessible ticket. In order to accommodate everyone with disabilities, it will be necessary for families to split up between the general seating area and the disabled seating area. If you need any other information, please contact the high school office at 586-727-3225. Sincerely, Deborah Michon Principal
Class of 2017 - Calendar of Events May 1 May 5 May 15 May 16 May 17 Cap/Gown & Ticket Distribution - During all lunches in the RHS cafeteria. At the end of the day, seniors will be dismissed to dress in their caps/gowns and meet in the cafeteria to parade, as an organized group, to the Lee School and through their building. Upon return to the high school, seniors will be excused for the day. Junior/Senior Prom Prom is at Alexander s Premier Banquet Facility, 1200 Gratiot Blvd., Marysville. Tickets are $50 each and will be sold during student lunches 4/19 4/20. Guest forms are available in the office and need to be turned in by 4/19. 5 th & 6 th Hour Final Exams Normal hourly schedule: Seniors will attend 1 st -4 th hour regular classes. Final exams will be given in 5 th & 6 th hours in the afternoon. 3 rd & 4 th Hour Final Exams Normal hourly schedule: Seniors will attend 1 st -2 nd hour regular classes. Final exams will be given in 3 rd & 4 th hours followed by senior dismissal. 1 st & 2 nd Hour Final Exams Normal hourly schedule: Final exams will be given in 1 st & 2 nd hours. Senior students will be dismissed to Graduation Practice at 9:45 a.m. Graduation Practice - Please report directly to the cafeteria immediately following 2 nd hour exams. A senior breakfast will be provided for all seniors to enjoy, sponsored by the senior parents, in the cafeteria. This is a senior/parent only event. No siblings or additional students are allowed at any time in the breakfast or practice areas. May 18 May 24 June 3 All seniors who plan on participating in our graduation ceremony must report, after breakfast, to the gym for practice. This is mandatory and should last roughly an hour. At the conclusion, seniors are released for the day and are expected to remain off campus for the duration of the school day. Senior Awards 7:00 p.m. RHS Auditorium - Participants should arrive by 6:30 p.m. Recipients will be notified by letter. Graduation Ceremony At Macomb Center for the Performing Arts in Clinton Twp. at 7:00 p.m. Graduates should arrive no later than 6:15 p.m. for line up and final instructions. Reserved seating tickets are required. Seating for those with disabilities is available but limited. Contact the high school office to secure handicapped accessible seating tickets. Senior All Night Party Doors will be open at 8:00 p.m. at the High School. No tickets will be sold at the door. The bus will leave promptly at 8:45 p.m. Dismissal from Warren is 5:15 a.m. All students will be riding the bus back to the High School, with return time being approximately 6:00 a.m. Parents, if you are picking up your senior please be there at 6:00 a.m.
Senior Activities Caps/Gowns and Tickets Caps and gowns will be distributed to seniors on May 1 during all lunches in the cafeteria by Jostens. Before receiving his/her cap & gown each senior must clear all school obligations and pay all student debts in the office. Receiving a Cap and Gown does not mean that you will graduate. All requirements and obligations must be met. 6 Commencement Ceremony tickets will also be distributed to students. Families requesting additional tickets will be notified by email regarding availability and pick up. Senior Exams/Last day of classes for Seniors Senior exams will begin on May 15, which is a full day of school for seniors; exams will be given in 5 th & 6 th hours. On May 16, seniors will attend regular 1 st & 2 nd hour classes, take their 3 rd & 4 th hour exams during the appropriate hours and then be released for the day. On May 17 seniors will take their 1 st & 2 nd hour exams during the appropriate hours and then be released to report for graduation practice. Graduation Practice Practice will be held in the RHS gym on May 17 at 10:30 a.m. Attendance is mandatory for all seniors planning to attend the graduation ceremony. Senior Awards Night Senior Awards Night will be held on May 18 at 7:00 p.m. Seniors receiving departmental or individual staff awards of academic excellence will be honored. Seniors awarded college scholarships will also be recognized. The program will take place in the RHS Auditorium. Students participating in the ceremony should arrive by 6:30 p.m. Seniors to be honored will be notified prior to Awards Night. If a student thinks he/she should be receiving an award and has not been notified, he/she should contact the office. Junior/Senior Prom The prom will be held at Alexander s Premier Banquet Facility, 1200 Gratiot Blvd., Marysville, on Friday, May 5 from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. with dinner being served at 6:45 p.m. All students and guests must be checked in by 6:30 p.m. Students must abide by the Zero Tolerance policy in the student handbook. There is NO smoking inside or outside the Banquet Center by any student, guest or chaperone. All school rules apply at Prom. Students suspected of drinking may be given a breathalyzer, and the police/parents may be called. Senior All Night Party The Sr All Night Party is scheduled for Saturday, June 3 rd. If your student has not yet registered for the All Night Party, please do so as soon as possible. Registration is $50. Mail your payment to RCS-Project Graduation, 3101 Church, Casco MI 48064 or send in to the school office. Make checks payable to RCS Project Graduation. No tickets will be sold at the door. Every effort has been made to contact all seniors parents to participate in and help make the Senior All Night Party a success. The party is completely planned and fundraising is done, we just need parents for the night of the party to sign up for work detail. Please contact Jennifer Niebauer at email: kevjen70_5@comcast.net for information about how you can help.
GRADUATION INFORMATION Seating and Parking The commencement ceremony will be held at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts in Clinton Twp. on Wednesday, May 24, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. Seniors need to arrive by 6:15. There is no charge for parking. Every guest, regardless of age, must have a ticket for entry into the facility. Attire Boys are required to wear dress shirts, ties, slacks, dress shoes and socks. Girls are required to wear dresses, skirts, or dress pants and tops. Shorts are not permitted for either gender, neither are flip-flop sandals or tennis shoes. Students will keep their caps and gowns after graduation. One tassel is enclosed with each cap and gown package. Lightly iron your gown. Graduates are warned NOT to add anything to their cap and gown (no corsages, taped signs, etc.) Only RHS cords and other school distributed medals and honor cords are allowed. Please leave all purses, handbags, cameras, sunglasses, cell phones, etc. with your parents. No gum chewing. Also, no cell phone use (texting, posting, etc.) during the ceremony. Behavior Every effort is being made to ensure that our commencement is a dignified, memorable occasion that the Class of 2017, parents, and friends will be able to remember with pride. Remember, the graduation ceremony is a privilege-not a right. Between now and the event, if you make poor choices, you risk not walking the stage at the ceremony. This includes participating in senior pranks. They will not be allowed. Guests and graduates are expected to conduct themselves in a dignified and courteous manner. Anyone in the audience with air horns or other noise makers will be asked to leave. Seniors whose conduct distracts from the ceremony will be excluded from the graduation ceremony. Tassels You may wear only the blue and white tassel issued with your gown on your cap. Your tassel should hang on the right side of your cap until you receive your diploma. The senior class will be instructed for the turning of the tassels. Processional The procession into the arena will be led by those to be seated on the platform, followed by the members of the graduating class. Once you are in your rows, you will remain standing. Males are to take caps off during the National Anthem. The principal will instruct you regarding when to be seated. Awarding Diplomas Teachers will signal one row at a time to come toward the platform. Students will line up (holding their name cards) and wait to cross the platform. When you reach the announcer, give the index card to the announcer. Keep walking, as your name is read, and proceed across the stage. Shake hands with your right hand and accept the diploma cover with your left hand. You will exit down the far ramp and have your picture taken.
Recessional At the conclusion of the ceremony, you will be dismissed row by row to meet spectators outside of the facility. Graduate Photographs Portrait and handshake photographs of each graduate will be taken during and after s/he crosses the stage at commencement by Lifetouch. Images will be posted online within ten days after commencement and a proof will be mailed to each students home. A large selection of products can be viewed and ordered online following the event. Visa, MasterCard, Discover and check payments are accepted. Orders will be shipped with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. There is no obligation to purchase. The school is not responsible for any photography issues, questions, or concerns. Video Tape of Graduation The City of Richmond will be videotaping the graduation ceremony. Copies may be purchased by contacting City Hall at 596-727-7571 or going to cityofrichmond.net/149/richmond-tv and click on the email link below the contact information for Jason Robbins. Ordering and Sending Transcripts to Colleges Richmond High School utilizes Parchment by Docufide (http://www.parchment.com or select the Electronic Transcript link from the RHS website) to send transcripts directly to the colleges you choose. It s easy, it s secure and it s available 24/7. Macomb Center for the Performing Arts 44575 Garfield Road Ph: 586-286-2141 www.macombcenter.com Clinton Township, MI 48038-1139 Box Office: 586-286-2222
Driving Instructions: From Grosse Pointe/Detroit I-94 East to Exit 240, which is the M-59/Hall Road Exit. Proceed west six miles. Macomb Center is located on the southwest corner of M-59/Hall Road and Garfield Road. From Port Huron I-94 West to Exit 240, which is the M-59/Hall Road Exit. Proceed west six miles. Macomb Center is located on the southwest corner of M-59/Hall Road and Garfield Road. From Downriver I-94 East to I-75 North to I-696 East to Groesbeck Highway. Proceed north on Groesbeck Highway to Utica Road. Proceed west on Utica Road to Garfield Road. Proceed north on Garfield Road. Macomb Center is located on the southwest corner of M-59/Hall Road and Garfield Road. From Flint/Saginaw I-75 South to M-59/Hall Road East. Proceed east on M-59/Hall Road. Macomb Center is located one mile past Lakeside Mall on the southwest corner of M-59/Hall Road and Garfield Road. From Ann Arbor/Farmington/Livonia I-275 North to I-696 East to Groesbeck Highway. Proceed north on Groesbeck Highway to Utica Road. Proceed west on Utica Road to Garfield Road. Proceed north on Garfield Road. Macomb Center is located on the southwest corner of M-59/Hall Road and Garfield Road.