Ballenas Senior Secondary Prom / Dry Grad

On behalf of the Ballenas administrative team and the Prom and Dry Grad Committee please find the following information to be reflective of the planning for this year's Grad events.

Events:

Parade, Prom and Dry Grad - Saturday, May 15th, 2010 - Ballenas Secondary School - hosted by parents.
Commencement - Tuesday, June 29th - Oceanside Place - hosted by Ballenas Secondary School staff

Grad Fees 2010:

This year's grad fees have been set at $200.00. The fees can be broken down as follows:

Commencement: $100.00 (Applied to the following)

Cap and Gown Rental
Yearbook
Diploma Folder
Certificates/Programs/Tickets
Reception
Facility Rental

Prom and Dry Grad:

Dry Grad/Prom Fee - $100.00 (turned over to parents to plan and organize this event)

It should be noted that the Prom Fee pays for the graduating student's prom ticket only. Should he/she be bringing a guest that is not part of the graduating class, a guest ticket must be purchased for an additional cost of $75.00. Please see Mr. Boyd about the guest application forms. The hope is to have all of the fees ($200.00) collected by the end of February so that we can take care of all of our bookkeeping. (If this deadline presents difficulties for any of our families, please phone Trudy, our accounting secretary and arrange for a schedule of payments.)

PLEASE NOTE THAT GRADS CAN COVER ALL OF THEIR GRAD FEES THROUGH ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT IN INDIVIDUAL FUND-RAISING EVENTS

Eligibility:

To be eligible to participate in our Commencement Ceremony, a student must"

Have completed all Graduation requirement, or …
Be taking courses that will satisfy the requirements set down by the Ministry of Education and be in a position where it is mathematically possible to successfully complete these courses

Students who are taking courses they require to graduate MUST be in a position to successfully complete them, as indicated by a Tuesday, June 1, 2010 grad check, in order to participate in the Commencement Ceremonies. (Correspondence courses must be at least 2/3 complete by June 1 to be eligible for inclusion in the Grade check.) There will be no exceptions to this rule. Parents should check Term 3 Report cards and discuss this issue with their son/daughter. If you have any questions please contact our grade 12 counsellor, Mr. Meredith, or Mr. Boyd.

Ballenas Prom and Dry Grad Saturday, May 15th, 2010

The parade will start between 5:00 - 6:00 pm. This year we will be commencing the parade from the parking lot at Springwood Middle School. Click Here view the route. Please note that students need to complete a parade application form (Coming Soon) if they are planning on participating in the parade. Doors for the prom open at 7:00pm. This is a formal Prom with a "Red Carpet" entry at Ballenas. Grads will be permitted one guest to the Prom. All students must complete a guest pass, even if they are attending with a current grad [ Click Here ]. If the guest is approved, a guest ticket may be purchased. You will receive written confirmation of the status of your application prior to April 16th, 2010 and "guest tickets" will go on sale the following week from the main office.

**Students are reminded that they must arrive at the prom by 8:00pm. If they do not arrive by that time they will not be allowed entry. Students and/or their dates will also not be allowed to leave the event until the breakfast has been completed.

Students may choose to bring a change of clothes to the Prom/Dry Grad. These will need to be dropped off at a given time and place and will be subject to a search by parent security volunteers.

Commencement Ceremonies:

Tuesday, June 29th at Oceanside Place

Ceremony Venue Opens to Public - 5:30 p.m.
Grad Ceremonies Begin - 6:30 p.m.

Students registered in Grade 12, who will not be graduating this year, may participate in the Prom and Dry Grad on May 15th but not the commencement ceremony.

Invitations:

Commencement Ceremony invitations will be made available to graduating students within the first couple of weeks of May. The number of tickets that a student can procure is limited, and will be determined by the size of the grad class (usually 4 tickets). Some extra tickets will be available. Students will need to listen for announcements outlining how to access these tickets.

Other Important Dates:

Grad Clothing 2nd order - due back by January 20th, 2010
Grad Photos
Spring Fashion Show - Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

Scholarships:

Scholarship information will start arriving as of January 2010. Entrance scholarships for the various colleges and universities are usually first to arrive followed by numerous provincial and national organization scholarships and bursaries. As well, students should check with their parents' employers as many companies and unions have their own scholarship programs. Students should monitor the Scholarship Board outside the counseling Centre where all scholarships are posted as they arrive. It is important that students start the application process early as many applications have several comp9onents that must be completed. As well, if students require transcripts and letters of reference, the school and the reference sources need sufficient amount of time to complete this requirement. Local scholarships and bursaries are posted on the BSS website and most information will be fully updated by February 1st, 2010. Information will be updated as it arrives. Students and parents should note the application deadlines.