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The Class of 2015
Panther Creek
High School
Senior Bulletin
Revised May 4, 2015
Table of Contents
Graduation Information …………………………………………………………………...3
Calendar of Events ………………………………………………………………………..4
Commencement Details………………………………………………….………………..5
Graduation Etiquette…………………………………………………….………………...6
Graduation Speeches ………….……………………………………………….……...….7
Ceremony Conduct………….……………………………………………….……...…….7
Attire for Commencement ……………………………………………………………………….....8
Financial Responsibility ……………………………………………………………………….........8
Directions to the Convention Center………………………………………………………9
Downtown Area Map……………………………………………………………………..10
Dear Seniors and Parents/Guardians of Graduating Seniors:
Congratulations on the achievements that have prepared you for graduation from Panther Creek High
School on June 7th. In preparation for this special evening, there are a number of important matters
for you to consider and share with your invited guests.
The Commencement Program will be held at the Raleigh Convention Center (RCC) Sunday, June 7, 2015
at 4:00 p.m. Admission to graduation is by school-issued ticket only. At the mandatory rehearsal for
graduation on Tuesday, June 2, at 1:00 p.m., each graduating senior will be issued eight (8) tickets for
family and guests. A ticket admits one person into the facility. Due to fire code and seating capacity
regulations, every person entering the RCC must have a ticket, including babies and small children.
Seating is first-come, first-served. Parent and guests may not reserve or hold seats for others. The only
reserved sections are the seating for seniors, faculty, and aisle seating for guests using wheelchairs.
The school does not handle requests for additional tickets. We encourage students and parents to
contact each other in terms of securing additional tickets. Please note that graduation announcements
are NOT tickets to the ceremony, and every person who enters the Convention Center must have a
ticket.
Strawbridge Studios, the school’s official photography company, will photograph graduates as they
receive their diploma covers. Graduates will be provided pre-pay envelopes at the June 2 rehearsal.
More information may be obtained at: http://www.strawbridge.net
Families of students who do not complete graduation requirements will be notified of their student’s
graduation status by their school counselor no later than 12:30 p.m. on Monday, June 1, provided the
student takes his/her exams as scheduled.
While graduation certainly is a joyous occasion, our students, their families, and our staff deserve a
dignified ceremony that honors our graduates. Each graduate, the graduate’s family, and guests
should be able to hear the graduate’s name called during the presentation of diplomas. Help us in this
respect by reviewing the following pages with your family and guests.
We are proud to salute the Class of 2015. The administration and staff look forward to seeing you at
the ceremony at the RCC on June 7. Congratulations!
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Senior Exams
Senior Exams May 28 & 29
Make-up Exams June 1 & 2
Link to 2015 Senior Exam Schedule
MANDATORY Graduation Rehearsal
Tuesday, June 2, 1:00-3:00 p.m., at the RCC
Seniors should meet staff in the lower lobby near entrance C no later than 12:45 p.m.
Graduation Ceremony
Sunday, June 7, 4 p.m. at the RCC
Seniors should arrive by 3:00 p.m.
Families and guests will be admitted at 3:15 p.m.
Senior Awards Assembly
Wednesday, May 27
Panther Creek Auditorium
The assembly is for seniors and guests invited by PCHS and is not open to the public. Invited guests
should arrive and be seated no later than 10:15 a.m. Parking space is limited and guests invited by the
school will be provided directions regarding parking when they receive their invitation.
Senior Class Picnic
Wednesday, May 27, immediately following the Senior Assembly until 2:18 p.m.
Panther Creek High School Stadium
This special time allows seniors to sign yearbooks and spend a relaxed time with classmates prior to
exams and graduation. Seniors whose parents wish for their students to be released early from the
picnic must provide written parental permission. Seniors are responsible for submitting the written
parental permission to the staff members on duty at the gate to the stadium before exiting.
Administration determines the release time. Seniors will not be permitted to call parents to get verbal,
emailed, or faxed permission for release from the picnic. Failure to honor this expectation may result
in disciplinary action, including but not limited to denying the senior permission to participate in the
June 7 graduation ceremony.
MANDATORY GRADUATION REHEARSAL
Date: Tuesday, June 2
Time: Begins promptly at 1:00 p.m.
Place: The Raleigh Convention Center
Seniors should arrive by 12:45 p.m. and enter the building through the doors off Cabarrus Street.
Seniors will meet PCHS staff and line up in the assembly inside entrance C.
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 All graduating seniors must be lined in the assembly area no later than 12:45 p.m.
 Do not bring or wear cap and gowns at rehearsal.
 Do not bring personal items such as yearbooks; you will need to keep your hands free
 Honor the WCPSS/PCHS Dress Code for rehearsal (including no caps, other head gear, or
sunglasses).
 Seniors must be present at this one and only rehearsal. NO EXCUSES!
 Enter the Convention Center from the Cabarrus Street doors.
 Once inside the Convention Center, meet PCHS staff near entrance C.
 There will be teachers to assist you with your line order. Once in line do not leave your line.
 You will enter the ceremony arena quietly in your processional line promptly at 1:00 p.m.
 Seniors should pay close attention to the instructions provided during the rehearsal so that the
ceremony goes smoothly and the rehearsal ends on time.
Follow the marshals as they lead you in the processional, distribution of diplomas, and the
recessional.
 Each senior will be issued 8 tickets for graduation. Tickets will be distributed at the end of the
rehearsal. Lost tickets may not be replaced.
 To save on the parking fee, please carpool as much as possible. The parking fee will be $7 per car
for rehearsal and $7 per car for graduation.
 Students will be responsible for their own transportation to the rehearsal and the ceremony.
 Parking areas are designated on the map at the end of this booklet.
 Seniors who are absent from the practice or who are non-compliant and disruptive during the
rehearsal might NOT be allowed to participate in the commencement ceremonies.
COMMENCEMENT
Date: Sunday, June 7
Time: 4 p.m.
Place: Raleigh Convention Center
SENIORS: Plan to arrive no later than 3:00 p.m.
 Be on time. Plan for traffic, parking, and other delays.
 There is a designated drop-off area under the “Shimmer Wall” on McDowell street for seniors and
those guests who have difficulty walking distances.
 Enter the Convention Center through entrance C. This will be reviewed at rehearsal.
 All graduating seniors will report to the Raleigh Convention Center by 3:00 p.m. Go directly to the
assembly area (Area C behind the stage) upon arrival. We will make sure you know of this location
during rehearsal. All seniors are to remain in the assigned areas to prepare for the processional.
 Check in with the PCHS staff member who is assigned to your row.
 Parents and guests will be admitted at approximately 3:15 p.m. through all entrances. Seating for
guests is first come, first served. Parent and guests may not reserve or hold seats for others.
 THE PROCESSIONAL WILL BEGIN AT APPROXIMATELY 3:50 P.M. WITH THE GOAL OF BEGINNING
THE PROGRAM AS CLOSE TO 4:00 P.M. AS POSSIBLE.
 Be sure to wear your graduation cap and gown to graduation.
 Be especially careful NOT to lose your tassel; it falls off easily and cannot be replaced.
 Write your full name inside your cap. You will need to show your cap to receive your diploma.
 Be sure your gown is pressed and wrinkle-free. Follow instructions for use of a cool iron on the
garment. Females will not wear the white collar. (continued on the next page)
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**LATE STUDENTS (ARRIVING AFTER 3:00 P.M.) MAY NOT
BE ALLOWED TO JOIN THE PROCESSIONAL.
Additional RCC Reminders
1. The convention center will not allow anyone to enter the facility with flowers in glass vases, signs,
balloons, noise makers, food, drinks, or wrapped packages. Unruly or intoxicated guests will also be
prevented from entering.
2. Handicap guests are encouraged to park in parking area under the Marriott Hotel and enter the RCC
from the underground parking. Only 1 person will be allowed to accompany wheelchair guests in the
reserved wheelchair section of the ceremony.
3. Due to fire code, strollers & tripods cannot block aisles and will have to be stored at the entrance.
4. During the ceremony, individuals should remain seated and should not be out of seats to take
pictures or move closer to the stage. Camera tripods cannot block aisles. Guests may videotape from
their seat but tripods may not be set higher than eye level or block the view of other guests.
5. Everyone will need to exit the Convention Center immediately after the ceremony.
GRADUATION ETIQUETTE
1. Caps and gowns should always be worn in a dignified way. Be sure the gowns are neatly pressed.
Please remember to use a cool iron as the gowns will melt easily if the iron is too hot. DO NOT WASH
OR DRY CLEAN THE GOWNS. Females will not wear the white collars.
2. Both males and females always wear caps STRAIGHT on the head, parallel to the floor. A teacher
supervisor will adjust the cap for you if you are not wearing the cap correctly. No cap decorations or
alterations will be permitted. Tassels are to be worn on the right side of the cap until the changing of
the tassel near the conclusion of the graduation ceremony. You will then be instructed as a group to
move the tassels to the left side to signify your graduation. Graduates are expected to hold their caps
at the end of the ceremony.
3. Seniors will graduate in alphabetical order. Upon hearing his/her name called, each senior will walk
across the stage and receive his/her diploma cover from the school’s principal. A senior’s name is
called approximately every 5 seconds, and the audience will be asked to refrain from applause or noise
in order for the next senior’s name to be heard. Times for applause will be built into the program at
various points. Diplomas will be distributed immediately after the ceremony in Room C, the room
seniors assembled in before the ceremony. Graduates will show his/her name written inside of his/her
cap to the staff member distributing diplomas after the end of the ceremony. All unclaimed diplomas
will need to be picked up by the graduate at PCHS the week following graduation.
4. A professional photographer from Strawbridge Studios will take a picture of each senior during the
presentation of diploma covers. Pre-pay envelopes will be distributed at rehearsal on June 2.
The Security Staff of the Wake County Public School System and the Staff of the Raleigh Convention
Center do NOT allow parents and guests to leave their seats and disrupt the ceremony by being in the
aisles to photograph graduates. As mentioned above, professional photographers will be at the
ceremony to take pictures at the time each student receives his/her diploma cover.
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GRADUATION SPEECHES
Panther Creek tradition allows the seniors with the top ten weighted grade-point averages to place
their names on a ballot to allow their class to choose the senior to deliver the farewell address at
graduation.
Qualified seniors may apply to audition to deliver the welcome address at graduation. The application
and criteria for selection may be found the PCHS website. Welcome Speech Link
Completed application materials must be submitted to Mrs. Hamblen in Room 1316 no later than
11:24 a.m. on Tuesday, May 12, 2014. The audition date will be Wednesday, May 20 at 3:00
p.m. Seniors with questions may contact Mrs. Hamblen at lhamblen@wcpss.net.
CEREMONY CONDUCT
1. We want graduation to be a happy time for you, but we also want to have a dignified ceremony to
honor years of hard work.
2. Cat-calling, yelling, and pranks during graduation will distract from the ceremony. If necessary,
diplomas will be withheld, and students will have to make arrangements to pick them up at Panther
Creek High School at the principal’s discretion. Community service may be required.
3. No gum and no smoking once you enter the grounds of the Raleigh Convention Center. Also refrain
from bringing food and beverage into the convention center.
4. Seniors should not have electronic devices in their possession during the ceremony. Staff members
and administrators may confiscate electronic devices and may return them at a time convenient for
administration. The school is not responsible for lost or damaged personal items. Students who violate
this expectation may have their diplomas held until the administration chooses to issue them at a date
after the graduation ceremony. It is requested that audience members place electronic devices in a
silent mode during the entire ceremony.
5. All school and school system policies apply to all graduation activities. If you do not abide by the
rules, you may be prohibited from participating in the ceremony and/or your diploma may be held and
issued at a time decided by the principal. (This includes the dress code!)
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ATTIRE FOR COMMENCEMENT
WOMEN
MEN
1. Simple light weight dress
under graduation robe (not to
exceed the length of the gown).
1. Collared white dress shirt
and dark necktie or bowtie.
2. Black shoes with heel strap or pump.
(no tennis shoes, boots, sandals,
flip flops or strapless shoes).
2. Dark, preferably black dress pants
and dark socks (no blue jeans).
3. Minimal jewelry, no white collar.
3. Dark dress shoes (no topsiders,
tennis shoes, cowboy boots, flip flops).
4. NO cell phones, purses, handbags,
cameras, or other electronic devices.
Nothing is to be carried into the
ceremony.
4. NO cell phones, cameras or other
electronic devices. Nothing is to be
carried into the ceremony.
No one is allowed to alter attire or add decorations to their cap or gown. Graduates who do not wear
appropriate attire or who violate any WCPSS or PCHS standards of conduct, including guidelines in this
bulletin, may be removed from the line and may not be allowed to participate in commencement
activities. Honor cords will be worn only by members of the National Honor Society.
FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
1. Senior transcripts will be finalized June 22, 2015. Transcript requests for in-state colleges and
universities must be submitted through CFNC.org. Transcript requests for out-of-state colleges and
universities must be made through https://wcpss.scriborder.com
2. All fees and fines must be paid in full by 2:00 p.m. on Monday, June 1. Personal checks will be
accepted in the main office until May 22. After that time, fees/fines must be paid by cash, money
order, or certified bank check. All other outstanding debts must be cleared (returned books, uniforms,
equipment, etc.). The senior is responsible for having a receipt as proof of clearance if the receipt is
requested. (continued on the next page)
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3. Seniors should check with teacher for any fines and fees. Be sure to understand that additional
fines and fees could be added as late as the last days of class depending on when seniors return
books and other materials to staff members.
SENIORS WHO FAIL TO CLEAR THEIR FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO PANTHER CREEK HIGH SCHOOL
CANNOT PARTICIPATE IN THE GRADUATION ACTIVITIES.
The entire content of this booklet may be found on the PCHS website.
(http://panthercreekhs.wcpss.net/studentlife/graduation2015.html). Direct your additional questions
regarding graduation to Mrs. Lara Hamblen, Graduation Coordinator, at lhamblen@wcpss.net.
DIRECTIONS TO THE RALEIGH CONVENTION CENTER
Raleigh Convention Center, 500 South Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC 27601
From I-40:
Take exit 298B South Saunders Street toward Downtown Raleigh. Turn right onto South Saunders
Street. Stay in the right hand lane. South Saunders splits and the right lanes becomes McDowell Street.
Turn right onto Lenoir Street. Raleigh Convention Center will be on the left. Entrance to parking is on
right immediately after the turn onto Lenoir (Performing Arts Center Deck) OR one block ahead on
Lenoir on left (Raleigh Marriott City Center Garage).
The convention center website is http://www.raleighconvention.com. The site contains additional
information about parking, directions, and a detailed downtown city map.
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