Dear 8th Grade Parents/Guardians,
The last trimester of the year is upon us and this letter is to inform you of important dates and expectations for the 8th grade Graduation Ceremony, Graduation Party, and other activities surrounding these events.
The 8th Grade Graduation Ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday, June 1st. At this time our location and time are to be determined, as we monitor and adhere to guidelines in Phase 4 of Illinois Department of Health and local metrics. Information related to both location and time of our ceremony is a priority and will be communicated as soon as we have more information. Please note your child’s name for the graduation ceremony, diploma and program book will be used as it is recorded in PowerSchool.
Additionally, we are asking families to submit their feedback regarding an interest survey for 8th grade graduation by March 1st. This is crucial for our planning. You can access the 8th Grade Graduation Preference Interest Survey by clicking here.
The 8th Grade Graduation Celebration is scheduled for Friday, May 28th. At this time our location and time are to be determined, as we monitor and adhere to guidelines in Phase 4 of Illinois Department of Health and local metrics. The 8th Grade Activities Committee is responsible for hosting the Graduation Celebration. Parents may contact the 8th Grade Graduation Committee members if they are interested in helping with the evening.
This year has created challenges for students intending on completing their 8th grade service hours. While service hours are highly encouraged, they are not mandatory. For those students attempting service for the President’s Volunteer Service Award, there are different stipulations than that of the DPM service requirements. Please read the literature on the website to determine if your child’s service qualifies for the President’s Volunteer Service Award. The reporting period for the President's Volunteer Service Award is March 7, 2020 - May 2, 2021. All other community service hours can be submitted up through the end of day on May 31st, 2021.
Due to social distancing and safety protocols, we are unable to host an all class photograph at DPM. However, the graduation activities committee is asking for families to share photos of their 8th Grader. Please choose two photos of your student - one current and one from kindergarten - and submit a digital copy to Lisa FlorJancic at DPM2021@outlook.com. Please write your child's name in the subject line. A jpeg format is preferred. If you have a physical photo, please take a screenshot of it with your phone and submit it to the email address above.
If you have not paid your 8th grade Activity Fee; payment of APT 8th Grade Activity Fee can be made by clicking on this link. When you registered your child for 8th grade, you had the opportunity to pay this $45 fee (per student, if you have multiples). The additional APT fee is the only source of funds available to cover all graduation-related expenses, and/or alternative celebrations dependent on COVID-19 guidelines. If you are unsure if you have paid this fee for your 8th grader, please contact Natalia Martinez at nmartinez@lfschools.net If you have not signed up for the Friday Flyer, we encourage you to go to our DPM homepage and sign up using the “E Newsletter” button that can be found on the bottom right hand side of the page. We will be communicating any updates on the graduation activities through these messages.
Lastly, please join the APT with CROYA on Monday, February 22nd, from 5:30 - 7:30p.m as we celebrate the hopes of our DPM graduating class of 2021. Each 8th grader was asked to decorate a luminary bag with their Hopes for 2021. These bags will be displayed among 600 luminaries in front of DPM in the 7/8 circle. We ask that families stay in their cars and abide by all COVID- 19 guidelines when on the DPM campus. We look forward to seeing all of our 8th graders HOPES lighting the way! If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Missy Walsh missywalshlf@gmail.com or Kate Rappel Katerappel@me.com with any questions.
Sincerely,
Thomas Herion & Renee Fitzsimmons
In conjunction with the Class of 2020-2021 Graduation Activities Parent Committee: Katie Donovan, Lisa FlorJancic, Missy Walsh, Amanda Lamberti, Kate Rappel, Kristen Lee, Dez Witte
