Sulphur Springs High School Principal Derek Driver and sponsor Mylissa Bailey Wednesday night held a Facebook live event on the SSHS Student Council Facebook Page to provide additional information for seniors and parents regarding graduation and end of the year information. While an honors breakfast and awards program are not possible this year, SSHS seniors will receive scholarship and honors recognition at graduation.
Each of the 292 seniors will have the opportunity walk the stage at a different designated arrival time, to be filmed, with the entirety to be compiled for one full “graduation ceremony” to be played on the school website, the videographer’s site, KSST’s Channel 18 and potentially other media outlets, at 8 pm. May 22.
Students are to arrive 15 minutes ahead of their designated time, with family members or others who will attend the graduation. Due to recent orders from the governor, seniors will be allowed to have up to 15 people with them. All should arrive together. They will park in the student parking lot and check in with the SSISD Police officer on site. They will direct the graduation party to the Civic Center.
The graduates, if they choose to purchase graduation photos, will bring the envelope they received with their camp and gown, with exact change in it for their package and their name on the outside of the envelope, to hand over at the designated spot prior to taking the stage. The school will provide for each senior free of charge, one 8×10 photo, as well as a DVD if desired.
If the student is an honor student, a blood donor or other distinction that would be denoted with a cord or stole, such as Student Council officer, the student will receive it at that time. Instead of an honors breakfast, the student will receive the honors designation, then receive a small gift following their graduation.
Also, students who have received scholarships or are military-bound are encouraged to get that information to the principal at [email protected]; that information, if possible, will scroll at the bottom of the video, as the student takes his/her walk on the stage to received a diploma certificate.
The teacher each honors graduate would have recognized at the honors breakfast is also invited to attend the graduation ceremony with that honor student’s family; the teacher does not count in the student’s 15 people. The student is responsible for contacting and making sure that teacher is ready with their family.
The family will go to a designated area to cheer their graduate as their name is called and witness them walk the stage. They will have about 10 minutes afterward in the ballroom at the Civic Center to take photos against a backdrop. Overall, each graduate has been allotted a total of 15 minutes for graduation.
In families with more than one student graduating, arrangements will be made on a case by case basis to allow each graduate to attend the other sibling’s ceremony, according to Bailey.
Any SSHS seniors who have yet picked up the caps and gowns may do from 9-11 a.m. during the week. Any senior who does not have a cap and gown should contact Principal Driver by email, [email protected], to make sure you get one.
Diplomas won’t be in until about May 26, depending on regulations and other factors related to state and COVID-19 regulations.
Families should have received information via their Skyward account regarding purchasing professional photos.
Any additional questions seniors and their families may have should be directed to Driver at SSHS at 903-885-2158 or [email protected].
