Friday, May 12, 2023
Hello Class of 2023 Graduates and Families!
Graduation day is less than one month away! As we begin to celebrate the senior class, I want to provide a few reminders and additional information regarding all the events scheduled for late May and early June. For more specific details, please remember to check out the Class of 2023 Graduation Website, which can be found by clicking here.
Please review the information listed below and feel free to email me at CurtisJ@oasd.org with any questions.
I look forward to seeing you soon!
Jason
NEW INFORMATION
- Community
Parades and Senior Send-Off Assembly: On Tuesday, June 6, our graduates
will participate in a city-wide parade honoring their legacy and inspiring
a future generation of Raccoons. Below are the details for the day:
- Graduates
will assemble in the Field House at 8:30 a.m. and put on their caps,
gowns, and cords.
- Click here to view a schedule of our
parade visits. Last year, families gathered at the entrance of various
schools and downtown to cheer on the graduates and add to the fun. It was
the start of a new tradition and brought so much pride to our community,
our seniors, and our future Raccoons.
- Lunch will be
provided while we are at Nature Hill.
- Graduates
will return to OHS at 1:30 p.m. for our community-wide Senior Send-Off Assembly.
At this event, we will honor our graduates, reflect on their time at OHS,
and share memories that will define the legacy of the Class of 2023.
Families and friends are welcome to attend and should enter through the
Gale Douglas Field House entrance beginning at 1:30 p.m.
- Personalized
Caps and Dress: Seniors are invited to tell their individual
stories at the Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, June 10. One way we
allow this is by giving graduates the opportunity to personalize their
caps and attire for the ceremony. Requests to alter or change from the
standard ceremonial robe and cap must be made directly to Mr. Curtis at CurtisJ@oasd.org
for approval by 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 8.
- Decorating
your cap: Students can personalize their cap and we
will approve designs that reflect a positive message or your career,
college, and life plans. Please include a design image/photo in your
request to Mr. Curtis.
- Alternate
Cap: Students entering the workforce, apprenticeship,
or becoming a first responder are welcome to replace the traditional cap
with a helmet or headgear reflective of their commitment. For example, a
student in the Fire Explorers program may request to wear their helmet to
the ceremony instead of the purple cap.
- Military
Dress: Graduates enlisted in the military are
welcome to wear their dress blues or other appropriate uniforms based on
your rank. Please confirm with your recruiter or direct supervisor on the
appropriate attire.
- Commencement
Ceremony Dress Code: The Commencement Ceremony is a formal event.
We encourage graduates to dress in a way that reflects the importance of
this special day. While there is no formal dress code, traditionally
students have worn business casual attire under their robes. Also, since
the ceremony is on the soft surface of the track and field, we ask that
participants avoid wearing heels.
REMINDERS (INFORMATION SHARED IN APRIL)
Below
is a reminder about the most important information that was previously sent in
the letter to graduates and families on Wednesday, April 12. You can click
here to access that communication if you want to review all the
details.
- Celebrate Your
Future Week: Families and friends are welcome to attend
all our events during Celebrate Your Future Week! As a reminder, we will
honor the commitments of our graduates at the following ceremonies:
- Tuesday, May
30 at 8:55 a.m. (Rux Stadium): Military Commitment Ceremony
- Wednesday,
May 31 at 8:55 a.m (Little Theater): Workforce and Apprenticeship
Recognition Event
- Thursday,
June 1 at 9:15 a.m. (Raccoon Runway): 2- and 4-Year College Parade
- Accessible
Seating Requests: Reservations for guests who need
handicap-accessible seating must be made by Wednesday, June 7. Please
email Christine McCartney (McCartnC@oasd.org) to make a reservation.
In addition, golf carts will be available to transport any guests to the
stadium.
- Commencement
Ceremony Essentials: The ceremony will start at 10:00 a.m. on
Saturday, June 10. Seniors are asked to report to the Gale Douglas Field
House by 8:45 a.m. Keep in mind, seating in the bleachers is first come,
first served and the gates open at 6:00 a.m. so that our team can begin
setting up. A special pre-ceremony video show will begin at 9:30 a.m. on
the jumbotron. Please keep the following in mind:
- In the event
of inclement weather, the ceremony will be delayed. If the day is a total
washout, the ceremony will be postponed to 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 11.
In the event that the weather is bad again on Sunday, the ceremony would
still occur but will be moved to the Gale Douglas Field House. However,
don’t worry… it’s going to be 70 degrees with partly cloudy skies and no
wind!
- The
air-conditioned OAC will be open for guests to view the livestream of the
ceremony.
Pre-Order Flowers and Gifts: Click here to pre-order flowers for your
graduate. All pre-orders can be picked up at Rux Stadium on graduation morning.
It will be a busy morning, so cross one thing off your to-do list now!
