Tiger Tale May 8

SENIOR INFORMATION

SENIOR CHECKLIST:

Seniors must pick up a “Senior Checklist” from the front lobby or Mr. Hurt. It is also loaded onto Schoology. Seniors must complete the checklist to receive their cap & gown on May 21^st.

FEES:

Please make sure you have paid all fees and your account is clear. All fees must be paid before graduation. If you have questions or if you need to check your account, you may email Bonnie Venezia bonnie.venezia@hsv-k12.org

PROM:

Friday, May 14, 2021
8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Grissom’s 2021 Senior Prom is scheduled for May 14^th. Tickets are on sale now and will be available until the day of Prom. Ticket prices are $45 couple, $25 single. In person purchases may be made in Mr. Hurt’s classroom (CC2583) with cash or check, or payment can be made through MySchoolFees on the Grissom website. Virtual students may purchase tickets online, and we will create a list of invitations from the in-person receipts and from the MySchoolFees reports. Invitations can then be picked up in the front office at scheduled times to be announced.

Only Grissom Seniors are eligible to purchase tickets, but their dates may be from other Grissom grades, or from other schools. If the date does not attend Grissom, there is a permission form that must be completed prior to the ticket sale. If the guest is not currently enrolled in school, the form is still required, as it includes the guest’s parent permission and contact information.
This form is available now in Mr. Hurt’s classroom (CC2583), or you can download the form by clicking on the link below.
Grissom High School Prom Guest Permission form.

https://www.huntsvillecityschools.org/schools/sites/default/files/Prom%20Guest%20Form_0.pdf

The completed form and proof of payment must be presented in order to receive your invitation.

CLASS OF 2021 HONORS AND AWARDS CEREMONY

Thursday, May 13, 2021 at 1 p.m. (Students Only)
Grissom Auditorium

The Honors & Awards Ceremony for the Class of 2021 will be held in the Grissom Auditorium on May 13th at 1p.m. All seniors, including HVA, should arrive by 12:30 p.m. to find their seat and prepare for the program. Dress is business casual (church attire). The ceremony will be streamed live and taped for future viewing as capacity limits prevent us from allowing parents to attend. HVA students will be dismissed to go home after the ceremony. Traditional students who want to leave campus after the ceremony must turn in a check-out note to attendance on the morning of May 13th.

This ceremony is optional. If your senior would like to participate, they must complete the following survey so that the person reading their name can include all their honors and awards. Students should answer the questions honestly and thoroughly as the awards listed will be verified. If your senior does not plan to participate, please have them indicate that by answering the first three questions of the survey.

Note: This Honors & Awards Survey is NOT the same as the Senior Exit Survey found on the Naviance platform. Seniors should complete both surveys as soon as possible. This Honors & Award Survey will close at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 12th. If a senior has not completed this survey by that time, they will not be able to participate in the Honors program.
Honors and Awards Survey: https://forms.gle/CyZB11nvDaHnM3m26

SENIOR EXAMS:
Senior exams will be virtual for all seniors. Seniors will turn in their computers beginning May 20^th. ALL SENIOR EXAMS WILL BE VIRTUAL FROM HOME.

GRADUATION PRACTICE MAY 21^ST at Grissom Main Gym:
Last name A-L             10:00 a.m.
Last Name M-Z           1:00 p.m.
Bring all items to turn in and money for all fees. Caps, gowns, and graduation tickets will be distributed once all accounts are clear.

BACCALAUREATE:
GHS PTA sponsored Baccalaureate (voluntary) will take place Tuesday, May 25th, at 7pm at Trinity United Methodist Church. Doors will open at 6:15. There will be limited seating. the main sanctuary will be first, starting with the Seniors and once full, we will direct attendees to "The New Room" where there will be additional seating and the program will be streamed. The program will also be streamed online. There will be a photo area and grab and go style reception following the service.

HCS GRADUATION LETTER:
Dear Graduates and Parents/Guardians of Graduates,
We are excited for the opportunity to host a graduation ceremony in your honor. Since we received the new guidance a few weeks ago, we have been planning for your ceremony.
While we are excited to conduct the ceremony, we are making some necessary accommodations to host the event. With the safety and health of our students and guests being the absolute priority, we planned this event with the Von Braun Center and the Alabama Department of Public Health. The purpose of the letter is to provide important information regarding the ceremony. Please read it carefully as it provides details as well as some rationale behind some of the decisions made during these unprecedented times.
Location
The graduation ceremony will be held at the Von Braun Center located at 700 Monroe Street, Huntsville, Alabama, 35801. This wonderful venue provides the necessary seating to allow for social distancing while limiting exposure to heat and weather.
Ceremony Dates and Times

May 27
1:00 p.m.                     New Century High School
3:00 p.m.                     Lee High School
5:30 p.m.                     Huntsville High School (first cohort)
7:30 p.m.                     Huntsville High School (second cohort)

May 28
1:00 p.m.                     Jemison High School
3:00 p.m.                     Columbia High School
5:30 p.m.                     Grissom High School (first cohort A-L)
7:30 p.m.                     Grissom High School (second cohort M-Z)

Tickets
Each graduate will receive ten (10) non-transferrable tickets for family members and guests. Each person must have a ticket.
While it is our preference to not require tickets and to allow as many guests as needed, we must follow all established guidelines to maintain the safety of our students and guests.   The venue is only allowed to host any event at 50% capacity while observing the 6-ft social distancing requirement. Thank you for your support in making this accommodation to host this in-person event.
Entrance Times, Seating, and Permissible Items
Gates will open one (1) hour prior to the ceremony start time. We recommend that families and guests arrive together with tickets in hand. Families and guests will report to the main area entrance and will be seated at the direction of the ushers. Seat selection is very limited and is left to the ushers. The ushers will seat guests in a way that all allow for social distance rules to be followed. Please do not remove any seating barriers.
All guests must follow the Von Braun Center search, security and prohibited items policies which are available on their website.
Graduates
Graduates should arrive at least one (1) hour prior to the ceremony start time and use the Von Braun Center’s Box Office entrance to East Hall 1 & 2. Graduates should wear a mask in the staging area and arrive dressed for the ceremony. Each graduate will check-in and adhere to the COVID19 screening protocol which includes a temperature assessment. Graduates must pass the assessment to participate in the ceremony. Graduates will line up according to the directions of their school and the VBC to enter the ceremony.
Each school will send appropriate dress requirements to participate in the ceremony.
Program and Time
Each ceremony will last no more than sixty (60) minutes. To be efficient with time, the ceremony will consist of the following: Pledge of Allegiance/National Anthem, Welcome, Calling of Names, and Graduate Walking Across the Stage.
Parking
Parking is available throughout the arena parking areas. Please view the Von Braun Center’s website for details. The cost for parking is $10 in most locations.
Live-Streaming of the Ceremony
The ceremony will be live on ETV and the Huntsville City Schools Facebook Page to allow family members and friends to watch the ceremony live from the safety of home. We will also rebroadcast each ceremony to include speeches from each principal and student leaders.
COVID 19 Safety Information
Any family member or guest who is symptomatic or has been exposed to COVID-19 is not allowed to attend. Further, family members and guests should take the same precautions used when going into public places. Masks are highly recommended. Live-streaming services are available specifically so that vulnerable guests can still witness their loved-one walk across the stage from the safety of their homes. Family members and guests should not attend this ceremony if it is against the Center for Disease Control and /or Alabama Department of Public Health guidance for them.
All graduates and guests should always follow social distance rules.   We are limited in our ability to enforce social distance rules, so it is important that only guests who follow these rules are in attendance.
While we know there are some things about this ceremony that are not ideal, we believe we are able to put in place things that are most important which includes having an in-person ceremony in a safe manner.
Congratulations to our seniors and their family members. We look forward to seeing you soon on your big day.

EXAMS:

Senior exams will be virtual for all seniors. Seniors will turn in their computers beginning May 20^th. 9^th – 11^th graders will take exams May 25^th – May 28^th. Underclassmen will turn in computers after their final exam.

EXAM EXEMPTIONS:

The student must obtain an Exam Exemption form from the teacher of the class they want to exempt. Exam exemption forms will be available at the beginning of May. Please see exam exemption requirements below.
*To qualify for exam exemption:

Minimum 85% semester average in the class
No unexcused absences in the class
No more than 3 unexcused tardies
Students may exempt up to 2 exams per semester
An exam in a course may only be exempt once each school year

REMINDERS:
Students may not receive deliveries at school. This includes delivered lunches from parents, DoorDash, etc.

PROM for Seniors will take place on May 14, 2021, from 8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. at Grissom High School.

Graduation will take place on May 28, 2021, at the VBC.

The times are as follows:
Last Names A-L 5:30 p.m.
Last Names M-Z 7:30 p.m.

A GHS senior schedule of events should be posted next week.

9^th Grade Counselor – Amy Langford, amy.langford@hsv-k12.org
9^th Grade Assistant Principal – Timothy Wyant, timothy.wyant@hsv-k12.org
10^th Grade Counselor – Chanda Futey, chanda.futey@hsv-k12.org
10^th Grade Assistant Principal – Mac Howard, mac.howard@hsv-k12.org
11^th Grade Counselor – James Vasquez, james.vasquez@hsv-k12.org
11^th Grade Assistant Principal – Tanya Belanger, tanya.belanger@hsv-k12.org
12^th Grade Counselor – Taleshay Gray, taleshay.gray@hsv-k12.org
12^th Grade Assistant Principal – Heather White, heather.white@hsv-k12.org

Wednesday is A Day