June 1, 2016
Dear Parent/Guardian, This letter is to inform you about some changes that have been made to this year’s Grade 8 Promotional Exercises. Please read below and review with your child. The ceremony will be held on Thursday, June 16, 2016 at 6pm at the PCTA field house. Students should arrive at PCTA for 5pm fully dressed for the ceremony. Nobody will be allowed in the building before 5:00pm. There is no transportation provided to PCTA. Below is some necessary information that many parents wonder about regarding the ceremony: 1. Tickets: Wednesday, June 15th, each student will receive two (2) tickets for two family members to attend. Excelsior graduates, students who have achieved excelsior status, will each receive an additional ticket. Student participants do not need a ticket. Although we have moved to a larger venue, we are not using the entire field house. We will be blocking half of the field house off and using it for students to line up before the ceremony. For this reason, we don’t feel we can safely accommodate any more people than the amount planned based on our numbers. 2. Graduation Status: The district has mandated that all students be allowed to participate in the ceremony. We would like to explain how our students will be seated and what they can expect as they cross the stage. a. Excelsior graduates: These students have achieved all A’s and B’s cumulatively for the entire year. They have worn the school uniform for 90% of the school year and have not received more than 5 discipline referrals. These students are to be commended. They will have priority seating up front, get an additional family ticket and receive a gold ribbon with an excelsior medal and a certificate. b. Graduates: These students have no more than one failing cumulative grade and are passing all classes for the year. These students will receive a certificate and a maroon ribbon with a graduate medal. c. Promoted students: These students have not met the academic requirements to pass the grade but will be socially promoted to high school. They will be receiving a certificate. 3. Dress Code: For girls, a simple dress, skirt or nice pair of dress pants is appropriate. Girls do not need to wear gowns. Heels should not be worn unless your child is comfortable walking in them. Students will be required to walk on to the stage to get their certificate. For boys, khaki, black or blue pants and a nice shirt with a collar is recommended. BOYS SHOULD NOT SHOW UP IN GYM SHORTS. Please preserve the dignity of this occasion by having your child dress appropriately.
4. Ceremony: The ceremony begins at 6PM; however, students need to arrive by 5pm. It should conclude around 7:30pm. Participants will then be dismissed from PCTA at that time. Students are not to return to classes the next day. This is their last day of school. No grade 8 students should be in the building after the conclusion of the ceremony on June 16th. 5. Rehearsals: On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of that week (June 14-16), students will participate in rehearsals for this event. Please speak to your child about behavior prior to the rehearsals. Students who cannot follow the rules and rehearse with the group will not be allowed to participate. Your assistance in this matter is greatly appreciated. We feel strongly that students who achieve success in middle school are well on their way to achieving academic success in high school and beyond. This is a time to celebrate your child’s success. We hope to see you on June 16th. Sincerely,
Ms. Jennifer Vorro Principal, Roger Williams Middle School