General Information for Parents & Graduates of 2012
September 2011
GRAD WRITE-UP AND BABY PHOTO: For the yearbook, all grads are to write, in 100 words or less, a summary of their experiences at SLSS and your hopes and goals for the future. Use proper English grammar and keep them classy, as all messages will be edited for content. Text/Instant Message language will not be included. You may use quotes but note that we are unable to format full poems properly. Email submission address: slss.yearbook2012@gmail.com and subject line should be: Last name, First name, and Student number (e.g. Doe, John - 12345). Please put your baby photo in an envelope with your name and drop it in the office or room 602.
GRAD PHOTOGRAPHY: Artona will take our grad’s photographs in sitting appointments booked from January 31 to February 6. Grads will sign up online for a photo sitting. The photos will be taken right at the school, in a mobile studio. All grads need to be photographed for the composite and yearbook, even if they will not purchase a package of grad photos. Parents can call Artona account manager Willy Bortoluzzi directly at 604-317-0707 if they have questions. www.artonagroup.com.
GRAD SKATE: Your student Grad Committee has been busy since the summer planning many great events for the grads of 2012. We kicked off the year at the grad info session on September 9, followed by a fun & free grad barbecue! The next big event will be the grad skate & pizza lunch on the afternoon of November 25. Tickets will go on sale later in the fall.
WINTER FORMAL: The “Winter Formal” is a semi-formal dinner that is scheduled for the Riverside Palace Ballroom in Richmond on Saturday, February 4. A buffet dinner, DJ, music and dancing are included. School administration, staff and professional security personnel will be in attendance. The purpose of the Winter Formal is to allow our grad class an opportunity to create memories with their classmates at a special mid-year grads-only event; however, we need to sell enough tickets – so buy early. If we do not sell enough tickets, the event will be opened to Steveston-London Grade 11 students.
BOAT CRUISE: The boat cruise will be held Thursday, May 10. The tickets are usually pre-purchased by grads in their grad fees but can be purchased before the event. Dress is semi-formal or better than casual. The “cruise ship” departs from downtown Vancouver (at the foot of Denman) and the grads sail around the spectacular sights of Stanley Park and English Bay for 3 hours. Included in the ticket price is a buffet dinner, DJ, music and dancing. Students are responsible for transportation to and from the boat and there is a pay-parking lot at the location.
COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY: The Commencement Ceremony will be on Saturday, June 16 at 1 pm. This formal school graduation ceremony will be held at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at the University of British Columbia. Grads receive their graduation ceremony certificate (not their actual Ministry of Education Dogwood certificate) as they walk across the stage. Scholarships are also presented at this event. The students wear a graduation gown (rental) and mortarboard cap, which are distributed at the grad rehearsal at the school. The gowns must be returned, but students keep their caps and “Graduation 2012” tassels. Each graduate will be able to invite 2 guests and possibly more, depending on the maximum number of tickets/seats available. All guest tickets are $10 each and the graduates may buy them a few weeks prior.
DINNER & DANCE: The Dinner & Dance is the formal school graduation celebration and it will be held on June 29, 2012 at the Westin Bayshore Hotel in downtown Vancouver. The tickets are usually included in the Grade 12 school fees or can be purchased weeks before the event and include a formal dinner, soft drinks, DJ, music & dancing. Graduates traditionally dress in formal wear – suits or tuxedos and evening gowns, as this is a “classy and formal” grad event.
DRY AFTER GRAD PARTY: For the past 11 years, Dry After Grad (DAG) has been an after-hours (1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m.) event immediately following the formal Dinner & Dance. It is held at the school and organized exclusively by volunteer parents. The purpose is to provide a safe, sober, fun, inclusive and awesome time for our graduating students. All students MUST ride in the air-conditioned, chartered buses to and from the Dinner & Dance to attend the Dry After Grad. Grads will need to confirm their attendance by paying the full ticket price to the Business Assistant. Ticket price includes: return transportation in a deluxe motor coach, spectacular activities such as inflatables (e.g. sumo wrestling), casino, temporary tattoos, caricature artist, balloon artist, karaoke, D.J. & music, mocktail bar, chocolate fountain & tons of food and door prizes. An urgent note to parents – this event will only happen if you step up to volunteer and currently we need more parents. Contact parent Sue Eder at eders@telus.net if you are willing to help make DAG 2012 a reality. Without parent volunteers, there will be no DAG.
OTHER GRAD EVENTS? Grade 12s can join the student Grad Committee to help plan the events that celebrate their graduation year at Steveston-London. The Grad Committee offers input into all school-sponsored events and may choose to organize other activities such as the “Grad Fashion Show,” etc. The Grad Committee meets in room 411 (Mr. Mah). Please note – events such as camping, ski trips, Mexico trips or house parties are NOT sponsored by nor sanctioned by the school in any way. When in doubt, parents should phone the principal and ask.
POST-SECONDARY, SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION and FAQs by GRADS : Most Grade 12s & parents have many questions about what to do next year and how to do it. We will host a special Grade 12 Parent Info Night on September 28 at 7pm in the theatre. Grade 12s are urged to attend the lunch time sessions with various post-secondary schools (see calendar) and to check out the info board by the Career Resource Center and book a time to meet with your counsellor and our Career Information Advisor Ms. Kerr. All Grade 12 students must complete an SLSS application form by April 19, 2012 to be eligible for any SLSS scholarship. Also, bookmark and check out the Career Center Web Site regularly: http://public.sd38.bc.ca/~ccnews/
TVRs, PSI FORMS and GRADUATION TRANSITIONS: Grade 12s will check their Transcript Verification Report (TVR) carefully to be sure they have all the courses they need to graduate including Graduation Transitions. TVRs are distributed in November and early spring. Students must also fulfill all the prerequisite course requirements of the post-secondary pathway they are interested in (e.g. sciences at UBC; broadcasting at BCIT; etc.). The PSI form is completed to allow the Ministry to send school marks to the Post Secondary Institutions grads choose. The PSI form will be completed online in January at a secure Ministry web site. Grads are encouraged to see their counsellor early in the year if they have any questions about their TVR or PSI forms or see Ms. Sullivan in room 603 if they have any questions about Grad Transitions.
REFUNDS and FINANCIAL AID: Once students buy tickets to grad events, the school confirms venues and pays non-refundable deposits. You may get a refund up to 4 weeks before an event, minus all deposits and fees paid by the school. Closer than 4 weeks before an event and you will not get a refund as payments have been committed. If your family will find it difficult to fully afford tickets or formal wear related to graduation, please contact your Steveston-London counsellor or vice-principal. Every effort will be made to ensure that every Steveston-London Grad who wants to attend a grad event is included.
ALL SCHOOL RULES APPLY:
Inappropriate or offensive behaviour or grad stunts or the consumption or possession of alcohol or other substances at any school or graduation event will lead to the student being denied attendance at that event and all subsequent Grad activities. STEVESTON-LONDON SECONDARY SCHOOL GRADS of 2012 – CLASSY IN ALL WE DO!