Senior Scoop 2008

Graduation will be here before you know it!! On May 30, 2008, you will celebrate your final day here at Godley High School. The Senior Scoop is created to inform you of important dates and to answer questions about graduation announcements, etiquette, and attire. Please keep a copy handy for reference.

GRADUATION ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Graduation announcements, while not originally viewed as a request for gifts, unfortunately have become associated with forced gift giving. Graduation announcements should not be distributed to people other than close friends and family members, unless the notation “No gifts please” has been added.

HINT: Send announcements to those people who already know that you are graduating.

The same thing goes for invitations (which differ from announcements only in that they include a request for attendance at the ceremony as opposed to merely announcing the impending receipt of a diploma).

Graduation etiquette dictates that you do not send invitations to school staff or to any family or friend who also has a child graduating.

ENVELOPES:

The outer envelope, with the gummed flap, is the mailing envelope. It should be hand-addressed – as legibly as possible – using black or blue ink. Avoid using abbreviations in the mailing address. For example:

              Mr. And Mrs. John Jones

              114 Hillside Drive

              Dallas, Texas 77777

The inner envelope, without the gummed flap, holds the announcement. It can be addressed informally, such as Grandma or John and Kathy.

Place the announcement in the smaller envelope, folded edge inserted first, with the announcement front facing the flap. You may fasten the flap using a foil etiquette seal or leave it un-tucked.

Insert the inner envelope into the mailing envelope with its flap facing the mailing address side.

MAILING:

Send your announcements ten to fourteen days prior to the ceremony.

THANK YOU NOTES:

A short note of thanks – written by hand – must go to EVERYONE who has sent a gift. This note should acknowledge the gift and should be sent as promptly as possible.

CAPS, GOWNS, AND GRADUATION DRESS CODE:

Men: Wear dark trousers or khakis, dark socks, shoes, and a neatly pressed, light-colored dress shirt with dark tie underneath an academic gown. Neatly pressed dark jeans and polished boots are acceptable. Shorts, sandals, and tennis shoes are not to be worn. The cap is worn flat on the head. Tassels are worn on the left. Remove caps during the school song and National Anthem.

Women: Wear dark slacks, dress, or skirt, and a light-colored shirt with dark shoes. Tennis shoes and flip-flops are not to be worn. It is advisable to wear the shoes to practice that you plan to wear during the ceremony. The cap is worn flat on the head. Tassels are worn on the left. It is not necessary to remove the cap during the school song or the National Anthem.

Godley High School dress code is to be followed.

NOTES ON ETIQUETTE:

Seniors, please make sure that family members and friends are aware that a graduation ceremony is a

FORMAL OCCASION. There are some customs that should be followed:

--The audience should stand as the graduates enter and leave the auditorium

--Refrain from loud whistles, yelling, and inappropriate remarks for long stretches of time

   (remember, all parents want to hear their child’s name announced)

--As this is a formal occasion, we ask all attending to dress accordingly (shorts, caps, t-shirts are not appropriate)

At the end of the ceremony when all of the graduates have exited, family and friends are invited to meet with the seniors outside in the courtyard to watch the graduates toss their caps.

Seniors, you may want to write your names inside the cap so it is easier to ding after it has been tossed.

IMPORTANT DATES:

April 23                    Herff-Jones delivers caps, gowns, invitations and announcements

May 1                       Mail graduation invitations and announcements

May 16     9:00am    Senior pep rally

May 9       8:00am     Top Ten Breakfast @ Chisholm’s Restaurant

May 18      6:00pm    Baccalaureate Service @ First Baptist Church

May 29     12:30pm   Senior luncheon and Mandatory Rehearsal

May 30      9:00am    Senior Breakfast and Mandatory Rehearsal

May 30    7:30pm    GRADUATION; seniors must arrive at 6:30pm