Graduation 2014 Parent / Student Minutes

Graduation 2014 Parent / Student Minutes February 19, 2014, 7:00 PM Carman Collegiate Theatre

24 of 48 graduates represented, 3 sent regrets Mr. Phillips presented.

Graduation Exercises – Tuesday June 24, 2014 – 1:00 PM at the Carman Community Hall

Objective of meeting:  Presentation concerning Safe Grad Party.  Inform parents of what has been done to date.  Get people signed up on various committees.  Discuss finances.  Discuss dates and basics of ceremony.  Photographer

1. Welcome

2. Update of what has been done to date – Community Hall, Ladies Auxiliary Hall, and Arena booked Cater booked – Sylvia Janzen “Country Wide Catering”. Menu to be determined Clothing has been ordered and delivered Surveys have been collected, meeting with students next week.

3. Committees – descriptions and nominations  Executive Chairpersons – will be a process to determine at student meeting next week.  Hall Committee – responsible for all decorating for ceremony, banquet, and prom, menu, DJ, budgeting and other items associated with the hall.  Dry Party – help organize the event that will occur on Sunday, June 1  Safe Grad Party – organize and run the Safe Grad event.

4. Presentation concerning Safe Grad Party – Mr. Phillips discussed the concept of Safe Grad Party ensuring that all participants have an enjoyable day with their classmates, families and friends and get to enjoy the days to follow as well. The Safe Grad program has an information booklet that deals with everything to plan a safe graduation party - http://www.mbschoolboards.ca/safeGrad.php.

The school involvement has been to assist in establishing the committee. Once the committee is established, administration will remove itself from direct planning. Teachers and school personnel will not be involved in the actual Safe Grad event due to the possible issues that may arise when students and alcohol are combined. The school will assist with printing and selling Safe Grad tickets, and distributing necessary information regarding this event.

Safe Grad committees include: Set up, Prizes, Clean up, security, Bar/ticket sales, Entertainment, food, phoning, transportation, and medical. All parents with students attending the Safe Grad party are expected to have some level of involvement. The idea around the safe grad party is that alcohol is not the center of attention, that visiting with classmates and enjoying the activities is the focus. The arena has been booked.

It is also vital for all parents to adhere to the principle that the Safe Grad Party will be the only party that evening for students to attend. If other parties are arranged (alcohol or no alcohol) the concept of having a controlled event is lost and students could be at risk. 5. Financial Update Current balance for the 2014 Grad is zero. Most costs with grad are covered by ticket costs. Dry Party has a ticket price that covers the cost of food and other incidentals (toilets, tent rental). Banquet tickets cover cost of the meal, hall rental, and music. Safe Grad Party tickets cover the cost of the facility rental, entertainment, music man, and other incidentals. Pictures are covered by individual grads and what they decide to purchase. Only real expense that requires money is the Hall Committee decorating committee. Agreed by group to take amount budgeted by decorating committee and divide by number of graduates. This amount should be approximately $40 per graduate.

6. Discussion  Expectations – Mr. Phillips spoke to the importance of remembering that the Dry Party, Ceremonies, Banquet, and Prom are all school events and school rules will be enforced. Students must ensure that they do not attend any events under the influence as if they do they will be suspended with no reimbursements. Any purchases of grad related materials must have administrative approval.

 Student participation guidelines – A list of guidelines was discussed to the group regarding what full graduates can do, what students who do not graduate due to a June exam failure can participate in, and what students who have known prior to the month of June can participate in. This information is on the school “Graduation 2014” webpage.

 Fees – Cap and Gown is set, but other costs have yet to be finalized. o Cap and Gown $25, o Dry Party – last year was $10 / Grad and $5 per parent, need to review as we have been short over the past two years. o Photo’s – depends on package o Banquet – last year was $23.50, o Safe Grad – last year was $15, o Decorating fee – last year was $40

 Photography – Kathryn Reimer is booked for Grad Day and will do portraits at her studio (March 5 to 8, book in school office). Kathryn attends the ceremonies and takes pictures of the grads both coming down the isle and when receiving their diploma on stage. She takes the group picture at the Ladies Auxiliary Hall just prior to the banquet and is available for family portraits at that time as well. Information is available at the school office regarding prices, packages, location, and picture tips.

 Banquet tickets – Every graduate will be permitted a set number of banquet tickets (TBD, previous years has been 6). Graduates not requiring their full compliment of tickets must inform the school office. Graduates requiring more than their full compliment of tickets will inform the school office by a set date. The school office will then distribute excess tickets to those families requesting additional tickets in a layered fashion (everyone gets a ticket before second tickets are handed out). o The grade 11 class is responsible for the reorganizing of chairs and tables between the ceremony and banquet. Mr. Phillips will send out an email to grade 11 parents explaining this obligation.

 Guest Speaker – Information from surveys will be used

 Student Address – format of how person is selected. Students wishing to be considered for delivering the student address on behalf of their class must present to the executive chairs and administration in May. The successful applicant will be informed at that time.  Other speakers – Grace, Toast to Teachers, Reply from Teachers, Toast to Parents, Reply from Parents. Information from the surveys will be used.

 Dry Party location (parents and students invited) – No location has been determined at this time. It will take place on Sunday, June 1. Only students from the graduating class (former students are invited) and their parents can attend this event. Price still to be determined.

 Josten’s rings – There was no interest in having Josten’s come out and display rings.

 Dates and discussion about times – o Sunday, June 1 – 2 to 5 PM – Dry Party location to be determined. o Monday, June 23 – 1 PM – Grad Rehearsal and chair set up at the Community Hall o Tuesday, June 24 12:00 to 12:30 PM – Meet at Ladies Auxiliary Hall o 1:00 PM – Grad Ceremonies start (approximately 90 minutes) o 5:00 PM – Meet at Ladies Auxiliary Hall for group picture o 6:05 PM – Intro of Grad into banquet o 6:45 PM – Meal served o 7:45 PM – Slide Show o 8:30 PM – Prom dance o 9:00 PM – Grad Dance (tentative) o 11:00 PM – Safe Grad at arena (time not determined as yet)

8. Other

 Parents shown the Graduation 2014 website located on the sidebar of the Carman Collegiate homepage. All meetings, minutes, and other information will be posted there.

 Parents and students signed up for the various committees. Please check the website as meeting times and dates will be posted there. All meetings are open to any parents or students from the graduation class to attend.