Information you need to know:
The Commencement Ceremony will be held on June 23, 2020 at 5:00 pm at Pacific Academy’s Chandos Pattison Auditorium, 10238 168 Street in Surrey.
Student Arrival:
Students arrive at 3:00 pm to prepare for the processional and ceremony. Theatre doors open at 4:15 pm for families to select their seats. Tickets must be presented at the door.
Cap and Gowns:
Graduates will receive their caps and gowns immediately after rehearsal in the MPR. The date for the rehearsal is still to be determined. These caps and gowns are yours to keep. Grads who receive a gold scarf to wear to indicate they are an Honours student must return this scarf after the ceremony.
Tickets:
All family and guests must have tickets. Grad ceremony tickets are $10 each with a maximum of 6 per grad during the first allocation. Grads do not need a ticket. Ticket sales through the GT Class.
Audience notes:
As this is a formal ceremony that can last up to three (3) hours it is not suitable for small children.
Accessible Seating:
Chandos Pattison Auditorium has a beautiful, large theatre and there are plenty of seats for everyone. If anyone in your party has mobility issues, and requires special seating reserved, please email Administrative Coordinator Jacquie Montgomery at jmontgomery@sd42.ca to make these arrangements.
Wondering what to wear?
Graduates, you will be wearing a traditional cap and gown for the ceremony. Please remember that this is a formal occasion, and that your attire will be seen as you cross the stage. The gowns zip up in front, but your neck area and legs will be visible, so please consider the formality of the occasion when you choose your outfit. You should not need to purchase a new or expensive outfit for the day, but please dress for the occasion. Your shoes will be visible to the audience as you cross the stage, so black shoes are recommended.
Your gown will be black and the “hood” around it will be green.
The gown, hood and cap are yours to keep.
When selecting shoes, please keep in mind that you will be walking up and down a very large staircase during the processional and recessional. It is important for you to be wearing appropriate shoes for this. Flat shoes or VERY low heels are strongly recommended.
Your attire should include:
-Your cap. This will be given to you at the graduation rehearsal and is yours to keep. You will be given the tassel for your cap immediately before the ceremony.
-Your black gown and green hood. This will be given to you at the graduation rehearsal.
-Your gold Honours stole (if you have been given one). Note that stoles must be returned after the ceremony as they belong to the school.
– Gentlemen: We suggest dress shirt with a collar and tie, as the top of your shirt can be seen above the gown and this looks nice in photos. Suit jackets aren’t necessary; it gets quite hot on stage under the lights. Black pants look best with the black gown.
-Ladies: We suggest a nice shirt/dress (many female students tend to choose a neckline that is not visible above the gown, so the colour is not important). Black pants or a knee-length skirt/dress look best with the black gown.
-Black shoes
-Black socks (or neutral/black nylons if you are wearing a skirt/dress)
Ceremony Tickets:
2020 CEREMONY TICKET SALE dates will be announcements in the New Year.
Each grad may purchase 6 tickets at $10 each. Students must purchase tickets during the specified time. To purchase tickets students must complete a form and submit together with payment. CEREMONY TICKET ORDER FORM
Remaining tickets will be available through a lottery LATE March. Additional seats will be allocated in pairs. Recipients will be notified after the draw. Forms for the lottery ARE ON THE CEREMONY TICKET ORDER FORM ABOVE and must be returned to the school with payment.
Ceremony Rehearsal Date: TBA here at PMSS, time to be announced.
The rehearsal will take place in the multipurpose room at Pitt Meadows Secondary, NOT Pacific Academy. Attendance is mandatory. Please do not schedule work or make any appointments for this date and time.
After the rehearsal, ceremony tickets, caps, and gowns will be distributed.
The main purpose of the rehearsal is to determine the seating arrangement on the stage at Pacific Academy and do a walk through of the processional and the recessional.
At the rehearsal, you will also be given important information about the ceremony itself and what you can expect when you arrive. At the end of the rehearsal, you will be given your cap, gown and stole. Students purchase the gowns and caps so they may keep them after the ceremony. The gown would benefit from a gentle pressing before the ceremony.
Award Information Needed
As students cross the stage at the graduation ceremony, the Masters of Ceremonies will read the names of any awards that they have received. School and District awards are generally a surprise for the recipients; we receive a list from the school district regarding these. If you have been awarded any community or university entrance awards that the school might not know about, please email your full name, the full name of the award, and the scholarship amount to jmontgomery@sd42.ca
A Note About Photographs at the Theatre
We will have a professional photographer backstage to take pictures of all grads with their folders and any awards they receive. We ask that guests remain in their seats during the ceremony; please do not approach the stage for photos as it disrupts the proceedings and blocks the view of other guests.