Graduation

Graduation 2024 - Winston Churchill High School

The date for Winston Churchill High School graduation is Thursday June 27, 2024.

A reminder that our Grad Directorate is hosting a Grad Luncheon tomorrow. Students are invited to arrive between 11:00 and 11:15am to pick up pizza compliments of the committee. We will then gather in the gymnasium for important student announcements about Grad. We will also answer student questions at that time. Please encourage your graduates to attend the Grad Luncheon on Tuesday June 4th. 

Below you will find a lot of information for you regarding Grad 2024. Please feel free to share with anyone who you believe will need this information for our graduation ceremony!

• • • Date: Thursday, June 27^th, 2024
       
    • Venue: ENMAX Centre, Lethbridge Alberta
      2510 Scenic Drive South, Lethbridge
       
    • Parking: Parking at the ENMAX Centre on the day of grad is FREE. If you DO pay for parking accidentally, the ENMAX Centre cannot issue refunds. Remind yourself, your graduates, and your guests that parking is free on June 27^th at the ENMAX Centre.
       
    • Grad Gowns & Pickup: The cap and gowns have now arrived and are being organized! Pick up will be on June 18^th and 19^th from 8:30am – 3:00pm both days. Pickup will take place in the band room.  If your child cannot pickup their gowns during those 2 days, they will need to arrange pickup in the office. Students will keep their gown and caps after grad, their stole does need to be returned and we will have a bin for them to drop these after the ceremony.
    • Grad Social Media & Website:
      Website - https://wchs.lethsd.ab.ca/student-life/graduation
       
    • Livestream:
      The livestream of our Grad 2024 ceremonies will be posted to our school website and emailed to families closer to the day of grad.
       
    • Grad Timelines (June 27):
      • CONVOCATION
        • Students arrive at 8:30am with their cap, gown, and stole.
        • Please arrive no later than 9:00am – we assemble all graduates for a group photo before we begin organizing ourselves for the Convocation processional
        • Parents, guardians, guests, and friends may enter the ENMAX Centre to seat themselves as soon as the doors to the facility open (which will be no later than 9:30am…typically much earlier than that)
        • Convocation ceremony begins at 10:00am, and lasts about 2 hours, although it may run a bit longer. Planning to be seated between 9:30am – 12:30am is appropriate.
        • Convocation is a traditional process where students are crossing the stage one at a time to receive their diploma. This is a commemorative diploma that we create at the school – their diploma is mailed to them from Alberta Education during the summer. During this process, students are acknowledged when Administrators read a prepared “one-liner” written by the students’ Advisor, and the student will meet their Advisor on stage for a “handshake photo” (students will pause for a photo with their Advisor [taken by Life Touch]), after having their tassel moved. Students then exit the stage and go back to their seats.
        • Guest seating: In the general seating provided at ENMAX. There are accessible seating spaces available for guests using mobility aids and wheelchairs. ENMAX can offer one chair to a support person sitting in an accessible seating zone; all other guests in the group are asked to sit in the rows immediately next to the zone if they want to be close to their loved one. Please have your student indicate if your family requires special accommodations on the form link below.
        • Graduate and Staff seating: This will be on the floor (ice level) at the ENMAX Centre.
        • Cap Toss: Should students take their tassel off their caps before they toss them (if they choose to toss their cap)? Yes. If you would like to keep your specific cap (i.e. you decorated or beaded your cap and you want to keep it), you should not toss it high or far…or at all! If you want to keep your tassel, take it off before the cap toss.
        • Decorating my Cap: Can I decorate/adorn/bead my cap in the days before graduation? Yes. Please make sure whatever embellishment you choose is celebratory and appropriate for the ceremony and we will look forward to seeing it!
        • What do students wear underneath their graduation gown?
          We suggest that students are comfortable because they will be hot in the gown. Consider wearing something cool and comfortable. Some students dress formally underneath their grad gown, and some students dress casually. We will see your footwear, and the bottom 1/3 of your legs, so keep this in mind when you choose what to wear that morning.
      • EVENING CEREMONY
        • Students arrive between 5:30pm – 5:45pm (please arrive no later than 5:45pm)
        • Students are asked to wear whatever makes them comfortable and expresses themselves, although traditionally this is a formal event. Students typically choose to wear suits, ties, dresses, gowns, traditional clothing, or other more formal attire that matches their self-expression.
        • Guests and staff will sit in the general seating area (just as in the morning) for the evening program. Only graduates will be seated on the floor (ice level) for the evening ceremony.
        • 6:30pm – Grand Entrance…students will be sitting at tables when the ceremony starts. When it’s time, 2-3 tables at a time will make their way behind stage. One at a time, students will have their name called and walk across the stage. Students will pause for a photo (taken by Life Touch) after the exit the stage. Once their photo is done, they make their way back to their tables.
        • 7:00pm – Evening Program…This includes speeches and replies, recognition, and announcements from Administration. It usually takes a couple of hours.
           
    • Grad Invitations for Family and Friends:
      At this time, we do not have a set limit on the number of guests who can attend either Convocation or the Evening Program. We ask that you are reasonable about the number of people you invite, knowing there will be a livestream during the event and a download link for anyone hoping to save a copy of the recorded livestream to their files.
       
    • Photography:
      There will be space at the front of the rows of seats (near “the boards” at ice level) for guests to come forward to take a photo. You will be in front of other families and guests if you proceed to take a photo, so we ask that you are mindful of sightlines for all guests at our events. Please know if you are blocking the view of another guest.
      Life Touch will be in service at our event. The talented team at Life Touch will take the following photos on June 27^th: All Graduates Group Photo (in the morning before Convocation); the “Handshake” Photo (in the morning at Convocation; Advisor and Graduate shaking hands on the stage); and the “Fairy Light Backdrop” Photo (at the evening ceremony, after students cross the stage). Each photo will be available to purchase over the summer from Life Touch. A note on the cap toss photo: We will not take a “cap toss” photo this year. The photo did not turn out well last year, so if you would like a photo of the student’s tossing their caps at the end of Convocation, please take this photo on your camera or phone.
       
    • Grad Fees:
      The Grad Fee is now payable, and it has been added to School Cash Online for Grade 12 students. If your student is not graduating, please contact our office at 403-328-4723 so that we can remove the fee. The fee for graduation this year is $100.00, and it includes: Cap and Gown fee; Diploma covers; Rental fee at the venue; and decorations.
       
    • Baby Photos:
      We are featuring a very popular aspect of graduation at our 2024 Ceremony – the Baby Photo Slideshow. If your graduating student has not yet submitted a baby photo for this special slideshow, please send a digital copy of the baby photo to Jenna.Johnson@lethsd.ab.ca so that we can include it in our slideshow. If you’re not sure if you have submitted a baby/toddler photo, please contact Jenna so that we can double check for you!
       
    • Concession:
      The Concession at ENMAX will be open for light snacks and beverages at our Graduation. You are also welcomed to bring in your own outside beverage or water bottle if that is more convenient for you and your guests. Please note that there is no formal meal or drinks at Grad.
       
    • Student Seating for Evening Ceremony
      Students will arrive between 5:30 – 5:45pm to find a table to sit at. Student may choose who they would like to sit with. PLEASE NOTE: each table has 8 chairs. Chairs cannot be added or taken away. ALL grads will have a table to sit at and our Churchill staff will be there to ensure everyone has a place to sit.
       
    • Special Request for Graduation
      Here is the a link to a Microsoft FORM to fill out for any special accommodations your family might require for graduation (e.g. accessible wheelchair seating). Please  fill out this form if you have special requests and needs and we will do our best to accommodate.
       
    • How many graduates do we have?
      This year, we have about 227 grads!
       
    • My student has told me their Advisor cannot make it to graduation. Who will give my student their diploma?
      Tracy Wong, Principal, will stand in for any Advisors who are unable make it on the day of graduation. This is a regular working day for staff, but some of our staff are called away for things like Diploma Exam marking in Edmonton during this time.
       
    • Further Questions or Concerns?
      If you have any further questions or concerns related to Grad 2024, please give us a call at the WCHS Office: 403-328-4723. You can email Aaron Becking (aaron.becking@lethsd.ab.ca) or Jenna Johnson in the front office (jenna.johnson@lethsd.ab.ca) with any follow ups you might need. Thank you!
      
      

MyPass

Students are required to sign up to the Government of Alberta MyPass system to access their official student transcripts. Students will also use the MyPass system to gain quick access to diploma exam results. 

Please follow the instructions here for accessing MyPass.