Grad is upon us this week and below is some information from DCSS on the events:

Graduation Ceremony: June 24. The graduation ceremony is a public event.  No tickets are required to enter the event. Grads are asked to be at the event by 6:00 pm, dressed in their gowns and ready for the Grad Class Composite picture.   Doors will open to the public at 5:45 pm.  There is seating for approximately 2500 people; no tickets are needed to gain entry to the Graduation Ceremony.

*Two backdrops will be set up at the end of the arena floor for parents, family members and friends to get pictures of grads with their certificates.  As each row of grads is called for the presentation of certificates, we will call parents, family members and friends to the floor who wish to take pictures.  We will ask all non-grads (and DCSS staff) to clear the floor at the culmination of the certificate presentation.   A musical presentation by Levi Germain and Monty Durrant will follow the certificate presentation, the Grad Class of 2016 will be announced and the grads will exit via the end of the arena floor. 

Click HERE for a Digital Copy of the Program and Grad List!

Photographer:  A student photographer will be taking pictures during the various grad events.   The pictures will be made available to all grads in early July.  Grads are encouraged to check the Grad Facebook page for information regarding access to the pictures through SmugMug.  The SmugMug account will be login and password protected.  The SmugMug account will be open throughout the summer through the end of September.  *The Grad Class of 2015 had access to over 600 pictures through the SmugMug account last year.   

Grad Fest (Dry Grad): June 24.  Grad Fest is a parent organized and community-supported event that will take place after the graduation ceremony.   Entry to the Grad Fest event will take place between 10:00 PM and 10:30 PM, Friday evening.  Students and their guests are asked to enter Grad Fest through Entrance A at the Encana Events Center. NO ONE WILL BE PERMITTED ENTRY TO GRAD FEST AFTER 10:30 PM.  Students were required to pre-purchase tickets by June 1st from the office at the South Peace Campus.  Grad Fest is a ticketless event.   An entry list of students and guests’ names was created as students paid for the event.  Students who do not have their names on the list will not be permitted entry to Grad Fest.  Graduates will have an opportunity to verify the accuracy of the entry list during the Grand March Practice slated for Thursday, June 23 at 12:30.

Red Carpet: June 25.  The Red Carpet Event is the entry event for the Prom.  Students will gather in the Soccer Park parking lot beginning at 5:00 PM.  Students have preselected their parking spot at the park by signing up with administration at the school prior to June 1st.  Students will gain entry to the parking lot by displaying their green Number Card.  An organized procession will begin leaving the soccer park parking lot at 6:00 PM.  Students will drive up to the Red Carpet set-up outside the Encana Events Center and will walk the carpet into the building!

The Red Carpet Event will be projected inside the upper lobby of the events center.  There will be a number of backdrops set up in the upper lobby for more formalized photography opportunities.  New this year, the Encana Events Centre will provide a live stream via Facebook Live on the Encana Events Centre Facebook page - www.facebook.com/encanaeventscentre -  for the arrival of grads during the Red Carpet event! Join us Saturday on Facebook starting at 6:00PM!

For the DCSS 2016 Graduation ceremony and the Red Carpet Event, these events will be videotaped.  Both of these videos will become available to the Grad Class and parents in a number of ways.  The video will be available to be viewed via Eagle Vision Video Productions Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/EagleVisionVideoProductions) after the weekend and a download link will also be available for anyone to download the videos.  The download link will be provided at a later date.

The Encana Events Centre will be live streaming the Red Carpet arrivals through Facebook Live and can be viewed on the Encana Events Centre Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/encanaeventscentre) at the time of the event and after the event as well.  A download link will be available for anyone to download the video.  The download link will be provided at a later date.

There is no charge to view or download these videos.

Dawson Creek Secondary School has applied for and been granted road closures for 122 Ave. and a portion of 4th St. during the Red Carpet Event.  A flagging company has been hired to ensure the road closures are followed.  Signage will be posted along 122nd avenue and 4th street asking the public to refrain from parking on the sides of the streets to allow vehicles connected to the event to move unencumbered.   The road closures will be in affect from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm.  We ask the motoring public to give yourself time in advance of our events to navigate the roads

Prom: June 25 The Prom will begin at 7:00 and run through to midnight.  Doors will close at 9:00 PM.    Once students have entered the Prom they will not be permitted re-entry.

It is important to note that drugs and alcohol are prohibited at all DCSS events.   DCSS administration and Encana Events Center staff reserve the right to deny entry to any person who is under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

A number of students have selected to invite non-DCSS students to the Prom this year.  It is important for students and parents of students to understand that a guest who is asked to leave our event for behavioural infractions will also result in the DCSS student being asked to leave the event as well.  Parents of DCSS students who are asked to leave our events will be contacted and arrangements for the students to be picked up will be made. 

For more information on Grad, please visit DCSS at www.dcss.sd59.bc.ca