Westville High School Registration and Honors Day Update
The online registration for the 2020-21 school year at Westville High School has been slightly delayed as final scheduling issues are being worked out. It is anticipated that online registration will begin for returning WHS students and graduating eighth grade students in the next week. Please stay tuned for more information to come shortly.
Additionally, the online virtual Honors Day production for Giacoma, WJHS, and WHS has been delayed. The virtual honors day is now set to be released the week after Memorial Day to allow for final Remote Learning Activities to be incorporated into the presentation.
If there are any questions about graduation, high school registration, and/or honors day – please contact your building principal for clarification. The district Facebook page is a place where information is going to be shared, but is not a venue the district will use to address questions and/or issues.
Westville High School Graduation Plan
Dear Westville High School Parents/Guardians and School Community,
Westville School District would like to congratulate you on the occasion of your son/daughter’s graduation from Westville High School! The graduation commencement ceremony is the culmination of every graduating student’s high school career. Although this current health crisis has disrupted school normalcy, Westville High School will conduct a graduation program that is safe and significant for the Class of 2020. There are two plans that district has put into place to accomplish this:
Plan #1 – A Live In-Person Ceremony If Permitted
The first priority is to have a live graduation ceremony where students and family members participate in person. At this time the current date for graduation (May 17) has been postponed due to the restrictions in place. If restrictions are relaxed to allow for an in-person graduation event before July 13, ceremony will be announced and all graduating seniors will have an opportunity to participate if they choose. Due to anticipated construction at WHS and WJHS a final location and time will be determined if an in-person ceremony is an option.
Plan #2 – An Alternative Virtual Ceremony
In order to have an alternative back-up to a live graduation ceremony, the district will be conducting a recorded graduation ceremony for all graduating seniors. This video compilation will be produced to highlight every participating senior in a way that captures the significance of their accomplishment. In the event an in-person graduation ceremony is not possible to accomplish prior to July 13 all students will be provided access to the video for viewing and celebration with their families. In the event a live ceremony can take place, the video would still be released to capture the unique circumstances of this year’s ceremony.
Graduation Expectations
Just as with a normal graduation, participation in the graduation ceremony is a privilege, not a right. Students who have earned the right to graduate and wish to participate in the graduation ceremony will have that opportunity provided they follow the protocol and procedures that reflect the significance of this special annual event. Participation in the graduation ceremony is NOT required for any student to receive their diploma and/or school transcript.
Procedure and Instructions for Filming Virtual Graduation
Date and Time
Tuesday May 19
Students Last Name A – G (8:30AM)
Students Last Name H – O (10:30 AM)
Students Last Name P – Z (12: 30 PM)
Students with Speaking Parts – Hunter Lange, Dalton Rolinitis (1:30 PM)
Dress Code
The dress code expectations for the virtual ceremony will be the same expectations that would have been in place for the traditional in-person ceremony.
- Participants are not allowed to wear jeans, tennis shoes, shorts, or t-shirts.
- Boys must wear dress shoes (no sandals or flip-flops).
- Girls may not wear flip-flops.
- Girls may wear appropriate dresses covering the neck through mid-thigh.
- No decorations are allowed on the graduation cap or gown.
- Participants are not allowed to wear jeans, tennis shoes, shorts, or t-shirts.
- Boys must wear dress shoes (no sandals or flip-flops).
- Girls may not wear flip-flops.
- Girls may wear appropriate dresses covering the neck through mid-thigh.
- No decorations are allowed on the graduation cap or gown.
Westville High School administration will have the final say on matters related to dress code.
Students need to arrive in their cap and gown ready for filming upon entry.
Procedure
Students will be admitted into the building one at a time to be filmed at four separate stations. Students will be socially distanced outside the building before entry for filming.
In the event of rain, students will be allowed to wait in socially distanced lines within the school cafeteria before being filmed at the four stations.
Station #1 WHS Media Center
Students will be filmed in the media center where they will respond to two questions:
- What is the thing you will remember most about your time from Westville High School?
- What will you remember most about the way your senior year ended at WHS?
Students need to come with an idea of how they would like to respond to these questions in advance.
Station #2 WHS north hallway or main gymnasium
Students will be filmed walking in the graduation processional. These individual clips will be connected together and set to the traditional graduation entrance processional, Pomp and Circumstance.
Station #3 WHS graduation stage in the main gymnasium
Students will be filmed walking across the stage to receive their diploma as their name is read aloud by Mr. Goodlove. Students will pause into the camera and cross their tassel over before leaving the stage.
Station #4 WHS Graduation photograph
Student will be photographed with their diploma against a backdrop
When students have been filmed doing their stations they will exit the building and may take their diploma, commemorative graduation programs, and senior videos with them.
The students giving short graduation speeches (the Summa Cum Laude addresses and the Class President tassel ceremony address) will be filmed individually.
Final Zoom Family Ceremony for Alumni Pronunciation and Boom-stick/Hat Toss Ceremony
Mr. Goodlove will schedule a final zoom meeting with seniors during which he will formally announce the Class of 2020 as official WHS alumni. During this zoom meeting, students will have an opportunity to release their boom-stick, throw their cap and gown, and be surrounded by their family and friends. This zoom session will be recorded and integrated into the final video production. The final date and time of the zoom meeting will be announced during the day of filming at WHS.
Conclusion
It has been a pleasure to have your son/daughter at WHS. We wish the best for all our graduating seniors in the years ahead. May they be happy and fulfilling for you and your family.
The final release date of the virtual graduation ceremony is dependent on the amount of time it takes the videographer to compile the presentation. It is anticipated to be released on the district website and social media in early to mid-June.
Westville Junior High School Graduation Plan
Dear Westville Junior High School Parents and Guardians and School Community,
Westville School District would like to congratulate you on the occasion of your son/daughter’s graduation from Westville Junior High School! The graduation commencement ceremony is the culmination of every graduating student’s high school career. Although this current health crisis has disrupted school normalcy, Westville High School will conduct a graduation program that is safe and significant for the Class of 2020. There are two plans that district has put into place to accomplish this:
Plan #1 – A Live In-Person Ceremony If Permitted
The first priority is to have a live graduation ceremony where students and family members participate in person. At this time the current date for graduation (May 17) has been postponed due to the restrictions in place. If restrictions are relaxed to allow for an in-person graduation event before July 13, ceremony will be announced and all graduating seniors will have an opportunity to participate if they choose. Due to anticipated construction at WHS and WJHS a final location and time will be determined if an in-person ceremony is an option.
Plan #2 – An Alternative Virtual Ceremony
In order to have an alternative back-up to a live graduation ceremony, the district will be conducting a recorded graduation ceremony for all graduating eighth grade students. This video compilation will be produced in a way to highlight every participating student in a way that captures the significance of their accomplishment. In the event an in-person graduation ceremony is not possible to accomplish prior to July 13 all students will be provided access to the video for viewing and celebration with their families. In the event a live ceremony can take place, the video would still be released to capture the unique circumstances of this year’s ceremony.
Graduation Expectations
Just as with a normal graduation, participation in the graduation ceremony is a privilege, not a right. Students who have earned the right to graduate and wish to participate in the graduation ceremony will have that opportunity provided they follow the protocol and procedures that reflect the significance of this special annual event. Participation in the graduation ceremony is NOT required for any student to be promoted to high school.
Procedure and Instructions for Filming Virtual Graduation
Date and Time
Wednesday May 20
Students Last Name A – D (8:30AM)
Students Last Name E – L (10:30 AM)
Students Last Name M – R (12: 30 PM)
Student Last Name S – W (2:30 PM)
Parents may wait in the WHS parking lot while students are being filmed.
It is anticipated that once entering the building to be filmed students should not wait much longer than 10 minutes to work through their different stations to be filmed.
Dress Code
The dress code expectations for the virtual ceremony will be the same expectations that would have been in place for the traditional in-person ceremony.
- Participants are not allowed to wear jeans, tennis shoes, shorts, or t-shirts.
- Boys must wear dress shoes (no sandals or flip-flops).
- Girls may not wear flip-flops.
- Girls may wear appropriate dresses covering the neck through mid-thigh.
- No decorations are allowed on the graduation gown.
Westville Junior High School administration will have the final say on matters related to dress code.
Students need to arrive in their gown ready for filming upon entry.
Remember, there are no graduation caps for the eighth grade ceremony, only gowns.
Procedure
Students will be admitted into the building one at a time to be filmed at three separate stations. Students will be socially distanced outside the building before entry for filming.
In the event of rain, students will be allowed to wait in socially distanced lines within the school cafeteria before being filmed at the four stations.
Station #1 WHS Media Center
Students will be filmed in the media center where they will respond to two questions
- What is the thing you will remember most about your time from WJHS?
- What are you looking forward to the most in high school?
Students need to come with an idea of how they would like to respond to these questions in advance.
Station #2 WHS north hallway or main gymnasium
Students will be filmed walking in the graduation processional. These individual clips will be connected together and set to a processional entrance.
Station #3 WJHS graduation stage in the main gymnasium
Students will be filmed walking across the stage to receive their certificate of promotion as their name is read aloud by Mr. Ellison.
Station #4 WJHS Graduation photograph
Students will be photographed with their promotion certificate against a backdrop
When students have been filmed doing their stations they will exit the building and may take their promotion certificate and souvenir graduation programs with them.
Conclusion
It has been a pleasure to have your son/daughter at WJHS. The district extends its best wishes to them as they continue their education at Westville High School over the next four years
The final release date of the virtual graduation ceremony is dependent on the amount of time it takes the videographer to compile the presentation. It is anticipated to be released on the district website and social media in early to mid-June.