Grad Info (Valedictory Ceremony)

These are events arranged for by parents and grads, separate from the school ceremony and photography.  Parents and caregivers, the Facebook group for Grad 2026 is "DP Todd dry grad/prom 2026".  You can also contact Lacey Ralston and Emily Dial through email at [email protected] .  

Due Friday, March 13th (just before Spring Break)

Payable by Interac, cheque or cash to the school office.  Credit card not available. 

Please pay sooner than later because we have upfront costs and deposits that need to be paid. 

Fees cover the following costs:

   - Gown rental

   - Keepsake cap & tassel

   - Keepsake individual ceremony booklet with grad photo and participation certificate

   - Civic Centre rental

   - 8 guest tickets per grad (more available upon request)

   - Professional photography, sound and lighting

The Graduation Registration form is about the grad ceremony and is due at the end of November.  Students will receive it at the first grad meeting, but it will also be available at the grad photo appointments. Please fill it out even if the grad is not participating in the ceremony because we use it for tracking.   This form asks you for:

   1. Student name information.  Print the grad's name as you want it to appear during the ceremony, on the ceremony slide show, and printed in the ceremony keepsake booklet. 

   2. Grad gown size.  The gowns are intended to reach below students' knees, based on their height.  The gowns are roomy, so most students will not require special sizing.  See below for more details. 

   3. Ceremony tickets.  Each grad is guaranteed 8 tickets, but you can request fewer or more if you like.  See below for more details. Yes, you can change how many tickets you ask for, but please make sure it is before the May grad meeting.

 

Please have this form submitted online or to the office by November 28, 2025. 

 

During the school year, we have several grad meetings for students.  The first is near the end of September to give grads general information and let them know which school staff are associated with grad.  We also suggest grads form a separate committee (with parents/guardians) to plan dry grad and prom events.

The second meeting happens after Spring Break and provides Valedictorian info and other reminders for gowns, tickets and ceremony.

Our third meeting (in May) is a detailed breakdown of the Valedictory Ceremony and our expectations of grads for preparation.   We also distribute ceremony tickets.  If any grads can not attend at lunch, Mrs. Appler will have a repeat meeting after school the same day.

The Valedictorian race is a friendly competition.  Students must be nominated by peers or staff and must be willing to compete.  Once students are nominated, they prepare their speech and submit it to the principal (Mrs. Barnes).  After speeches are reviewed and approved, competing nominees participate in a speech-off in mid-May that grads and staff attend so they can vote on their top choices.  This is an event we love!

 

Perk:  The Valedictorian's family is seated in the front row for the ceremony!

8 tickets are guaranteed, but you can request fewer or more if you like.  These tickets are for floor and bleacher seating at the ceremony in the Civic Centre.  You do not need a ticket for your grad, only your guests.  Generally, people are not assigned seats and guests are not required to sit as one group. 

If a guest(s) has mobility considerations or requires a seat near the doors, please let us know so we can make reserved seating. We generally seat all the guests together in reserved seating (ie. "Reserved Seats for the Barnes Family" would be indicated on 8 chairs together).

If your ticket number requirements change, you should let Kristin Appler or Pamela Benwell know before the grad meeting in May.

The grad gowns and vee stoles are high quality rentals paid for by grad fees.  Yes, other schools choose to purchase gowns (paid for by grad fees like ours), but they are not the same quality and are eventually discarded in many cases. They are also a slightly higher cost. The Grad Registration form (a.k.a. Intent to Participate) is where you tell us the grad's height so we can order correct sizes.  Gowns are very roomy, but special sizing is available as well.  

Caps (mortarboards) and tassels are for grads to keep and are included in grad fees.  The tassels include a pendant with the year of graduation.

 

Indigenous grads: please speak to Shawn, Suzanne, or Tom about a special cap and vee stole!

 

Tues, June 9, 2026

3 pm @ school gym - Grads get their lineup arrangements and practice walking in their rows.  Last minute reminders.  Cap and gown distribution.  This rehearsal takes less than one hour.

 

Wed, June 10, 2026 (tentative date)

3:00 @ Civic Centre - Grads practice their lineups several times from side halls to stage.  They should wear the shoes they intend to wear for the ceremony so they are familiar with the staircase and ramp.  This rehearsal takes one hour.

 

If a student misses a rehearsal, it is very difficult to work them back into the ceremony.  It has a domino effect on the slideshow, seating plan and actual ceremony order.  Make every arrangement necessary to attend both rehearsals and the ceremony.  There are no do overs!

Civic Centre 808 Canada Games Way

 

Timeline:

 

11:00 - Grads should have a bite to eat before coming to the Civic Centre.  There won't be any meal opportunities until after 2pm.

 

11:30 - Grads must arrive and be in caps and gowns.  Phones are silenced and pocketed and purses are given to family for safekeeping.  Vee stoles must be adjusted and possibly pinned in place.  The long vee goes to the back.  Caps may be attached with bobby pins with the point at the forehead and the gathers at the back.  There will be a few staff available to help.  On the spot training for any parents who would like to help!  

 

11:45 - Auditorium bleachers, grads and select staff only, doors closed to avoid interruptions.  Grad class photo with school administration and grad coordinators.  No seating plan.  After the group photo is done, grads stay in the closed auditorium and arrange their lineups.  Last chance for water and bathroom breaks before the ceremony.   Water is available in side halls and on backstage.

 

12:15 - Auditorium doors opened, guests seat themselves.  A separate door is available for reserved seating guests.

 

1:00 - Valedictory Ceremony!  Doors close promptly and grad procession begins.  Guests who arrive late will need to wait until grads are seated on stage.  Ceremony lasts a little more than an hour.

 

2:00-4:00 - Gowns and vee stoles must be returned and signed off by the grad who used them.  This is our tracking system to return gowns.  Any gowns not returned are the grad's responsibility and are a costly charge.  Remember, the grads have their gowns most of the week, so make the most of photo opportunities before the ceremony too!