May 14, 2021 May 14, 2021
Dear Parents/Guardians and Members of the Class of 2021:
A major milestone in your lives and another chapter in the action-packed story of Daniel Hand High School is nearly upon us. I thought a letter at this time would serve to answer some popular questions and also allow you an opportunity to plan for the busy days ahead.
Final Assessments Assessments for seniors will be given in Career and Technical Education, Art, Music, and World Languages classes on June 2. English, Math, Science, and Social Studies assessments will be given on June 3 and 4. The schedule for these assessments will be posted in classrooms and on the DHHS website.
Senior Awards Night The annual awards and scholarships presentation will be held on Wednesday, June 2, 2021 in the Dining and Assembly Hall. Due to space limitations, only Class of 2021 students are invited to attend. We are in the process of notifying the students, and their parents/guardians who will be receiving awards and/or scholarships at this event. The event begins at 6:00 p.m. and will be livestreamed and recorded.
Obligations and Food Service Balances In order for seniors to receive graduation tickets and their caps and gowns, all financial obligations must be cleared up. This includes such things as lost or damaged texts or Chromebooks, library fines, parking tickets, class dues, and activity fees. If there is a question regarding this, please contact Mrs. Evans in the Main Office at 203.245.6350 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. To check your child's obligations, parents/guardians can log in to Infinite Campus and find this information within the Fees category. Please be advised that diplomas will not be mailed home to seniors with outstanding negative balances on their lunch accounts. If you are not sure of your account balance, visit our District website Food Service Page or go directly to the MyPaymentsPlus website to login to your account.
Cap and Gown Distribution/Graduation Name Caps, gowns, and tickets for admission to graduation will be distributed at Daniel Hand to those seniors who have no obligations on June 8 between 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. Please note, that seniors who have any obligations will not receive their cap and gown or graduation tickets. At this event, students will also meet briefly with Mr. Bodner and Mrs. Whitcher to ensure the correct pronunciation of their name for the graduation ceremony. Students can also share as to how they would like their name read. For example, "Robert" may prefer "Bobby" or a student may wish to have their middle initial or full middle name read aloud during the ceremony.
Senior Brunch The annual senior brunch is scheduled for June 11 at Woodwinds in Branford from 9:00-11:00 a.m. Seniors will assemble in the Dining and Assembly Hall at 8:15 a.m. prior to boarding the buses. No students are permitted to drive to this event. Upon arrival back at DHHS, students will report to the Madison Green for graduation rehearsal.
Graduation Rehearsal Rehearsal is scheduled as follows:
Friday, June 11 Madison Green Approximately 11:30 a.m.
This is our only rehearsal and is mandatory for all seniors to help ensure a pleasant and meaningful graduation ceremony.
Graduation Graduation will take place on Friday, June 11 at 6:00 p.m. on the lawn of the First Congregational Church. Each student will receive three (3) tickets for seating. These tickets will ensure you have a seat in the gated area. Reserving seats during the afternoon of June 11 is prohibited. Gates will open at 5:15 p.m. Graduates should report to the Green by 5:15 p.m. Special handicapped seating will be available. Please call Mrs. Marino at 203.245.6350 to make accommodations in advance.
In the unfortunate event of thunderstorms, graduation will take place on Saturday, June 12, at 4:00 p.m. If the weather forecast predicts thunderstorms during the evening on June 11 and during the day on June 12, graduation may take place earlier in the afternoon on Friday, June 11. In either case, parents/guardians will be notified by an E-Notify message and an additional notification will be posted on the DHHS website at www.danielhand.org.
Our goal for this special evening is to present our graduates to the Madison community in a ceremony that is both festive and dignified. The expected dress for students participating in this special event includes collared shirts, ties, long pants, dresses, skirts and blouses, or a pants outfit, and appropriate footwear. Students may decorate their mortarboards, but must refrain from vulgar or offensive expressions and from articles that protrude from the surface of the mortarboard. Students' gowns may not be decorated in any way. Students who do not comply with our guidelines may be prohibited from participating in the ceremony.
Toys, noisemakers, silly string (extremely flammable), cigars, and other articles/items, which detract from the ceremony, are prohibited. I ask your assistance in assuring compliance with these guidelines so that the ceremony is enjoyable and memorable for everyone.
Photography and Video Taping Our TV production students do an outstanding job in recording, editing, and broadcasting the event on local cable television. The event will be livestreamed on the NFHS network (link will be provided) and after the conclusion of the event, broadcasted on local Cable TV. In addition, Prestige Portraits by Lifetouch will provide professional photography services for each graduate as they receive a diploma. We have found that providing these services for families allows everyone the opportunity to enjoy the event from the audience and minimizes the need to get to the front, which often blocks the view of others. Register to be notified when event images and proofs are available at www.events.lifetouch.com. Simply click on Find your Event, complete the Search Criteria, and enter your information. Complimentary proof sets will be mailed home within 14 business days. You may place an order or obtain answers to questions at www.events.lifetouch.com or 1-800-426-9533. For your information, as a gift from the Class of 2021, all graduates will be receiving a 5 x 7 photograph from the graduation ceremony.
Nite-In-Hand Nite-In-Hand is organized and run by a dedicated group of parent/guardian volunteers. The tentative start time is 7:00 p.m. on June 12. This is a community-sponsored party for the graduates. Only those members of the Class of 2021 who graduate may attend.
I trust this letter has provided you with helpful information. Mr. Bodner, Mrs. Whitcher, and I look forward to sharing these joyful events with all of you.
Sincerely,
Anthony R. Salutari, Jr. Principal
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Calendar at a Glance . . .
June 1 - Senior Assembly, 1:00 p.m, DHHS GYM June 2, 3, 4 - Senior Exams, DHHS June 2 - Senior obligations due, DHHS June 2 - Senior Yearbook Distribution, 2:00 p.m, DHHS DAH June 2 - Senior Awards, 6:00 p.m., DHHS DAH June 5 - Senior Prom, 6:00 p.m., Anthony's Oceanview June 7 - Senior Make-up Exams, DHHS June 11 - Senior Brunch , 9:00 a.m., Woodwinds June 11 - Graduation Rehearsal, 11:30 a.m., Church Lawn June 11 - Graduation, 6:00 p.m., Madison Green June 12 - Nite-In-Hand, 7:00 p.m., DHHS
DAH=Dining and Assembly Hall
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