Dear Seniors and Families of the Class of 2023,
Graduation day and your final days at SSIS are rapidly approaching. Congratulations! If you haven’t done so already, please mark your calendars for the graduation ceremony on Saturday, May 27, 2023, at 4:00 pm at Landmark 81.
To help Seniors and their families navigate all of the details that go into finishing this final year strongly, we have created a convenient “Countdown to Graduation” timeline for you, with all of the upcoming events and deadlines.
Other Important End-of-Year Information
ATTENDANCE EXPECTATIONS: AP and IB students are expected to attend all of their classes until April 28 (Full IB Diploma) or May 12 (for all other seniors). Teachers have planned meaningful lessons to prepare students for their exams. Attendance is MANDATORY (not optional). Students that choose to not follow these rules will jeopardize key senior privileges like attending the Graduation Ceremony.
EXAM DAY ATTENDANCE: On days when Senior students (Grade 12) have an IB or AP exam (morning or afternoon) they may choose to only come to campus to write their exam. Also, if preparing for a morning exam the next day, students may take the last block of the day before to study. Seniors must be in uniform and may only be in the HS building while on campus. They are to be working quietly and studying.
IB and AP COURSE STUDENTS: Exams for the AP and IB begin on May 1 and run until May 19. Students must familiarize themselves with the exam schedule so they are ready for their exams. IBDP and AP students may leave after their third block to study at home the day before a morning exam. If an exam is on Monday, students ARE expected to attend school on the preceding Friday. IBDP and AP students who write an afternoon exam can choose to stay home during the morning to study. On exam days, students may arrive late and depart early from school at their leisure, based on the above rules. AP students will attend all of their classes prior to writing their exams. Senior students who are taking non-IBDP or AP courses are still required to come to school until Friday, May 12.
Semester 2 final grades for Year 2 IBDP and AP courses will not include the AP or IB exam grades as they are not made available until early July. Senior students do not take final exams for their SSIS courses in Semester 2. Their coursework will constitute 100% of the Semester 2 grade.
GMAIL & GOOGLE DRIVE CONTENT: On April 14, Mr. Galvez emailed important information to all students about preparing your Gmail and Google content for transfer to a personal account. Your SSIS Google account will be disabled on September 1, 2023. You will not be able to access your email or Google Drive after that and all content must be transferred before then. This process often takes longer than you think. Start early (preferably before June 1) so that you can get help from Mr. Galvez in person should you have questions or need assistance.
Graduation Information
REHEARSAL: The graduation ceremony is a formal event. We will have two rehearsals prior to the ceremony: Thursday, May 25 at 9:00 am at SSIS and Saturday, May 27 at 11:00 am at Landmark 81. Both of these rehearsals are mandatory for grade 12 students as we want to ensure a smooth and memorable event on May 27. Lunch will be provided for students during both rehearsals.
DRESS and ATTIRE: All seniors should dress formally for the graduation ceremony. Tennis shoes or flip-flops are not appropriate and are not to be worn during the ceremony. Gentlemen are expected to wear a white collared shirt with a tie, dark-colored pants, and black dress shoes. Ladies are required to wear the same shoes for rehearsals that they plan on wearing at graduation, and dresses need to be appropriate for a formal school event.
CAPS & GOWNS: Seniors will purchase and keep their own caps and tassels for 100,000 VND. The graduation gown, yoke, and chord require a 1,000,000 VND deposit (which will be returned to students after graduation). All money, 1,100,000 VND is due by April 28 and paid in the HS Office to Ms. Huyen or Ms. Anh.
PHOTOGRAPHY: A professional photographer will take pictures of the ceremony. Private photographers are not permitted into the graduation ceremony. We ask that all personal pictures be taken with respect for the personal space of others and do not detract from the event. Within a week after the ceremony, SSIS will provide graduates with the link to a Google Drive folder with all of the photographs from the ceremony. Additionally, a video of the ceremony will be available for families. There will be professional backdrops for graduates and families to take their own pictures together before the ceremony.
LIVE STREAM: A live stream of graduation will be available for your family and friends who are not attending in person. We will share information about how to view the livestream closer to the event.
GRADUATION INVITATIONS: Graduation invitations may be ordered from Ms. Huyen by each graduating senior. We expect the invitations to be available in early May. The first invitation is free. Each subsequent invitation ordered is 60,000 VND and must be paid to Ms. Huyen in the high school office by April 21.
GRADUATION TICKETS: Each student is limited to 5 guests.
GRADUATION CEREMONY: Graduation will begin promptly at 4:00 pm on May 27, 2023. Please tell your family and friends to arrive early to ensure they are seated for a prompt start time. We will open the ballroom at 3:15 pm for seating.
This is an exciting time for our seniors. The information provided here and in the timeline linked above is meant to help our seniors and their parents navigate these final events with ease. Should you have questions about any of the items included here, please contact the HS office.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Mendes
High School Principal
