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Graduation Information
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Graduation is an exciting time for seniors, their families, and the Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists staff. The purpose of commencement is to recognize students, publicly and formally, who have met the high school graduation requirements of the Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists and the State of Minnesota. The event is dignified and memorable for all those attending. Please review the following details pertaining to graduation.
- Tickets are required to attend the graduation ceremony.
Each graduate (not parent) is guaranteed six tickets which will be handed to the student at graduation rehearsal on May 23rd. Students also have the option of picking up their tickets from Ms. Joseph in Landmark 501A beginning Wednesday, May 16th. Students will need to sign for their tickets; we will not be distributing tickets to parents or guardians. Seniors should have received an email confirming the number of tickets we have reserved in their names. We will not be issuing additional tickets. Graduates do not need tickets. - Caps and gowns will be available for students to pick up beginning Wednesday, May 16th.
Seniors will need to turn in their senior exit surveys to Ms. Joseph in Landmark 501A to receive their caps and gowns. Senior exit surveys will be distributed to students the first week of May. - Graduation rehearsal on Wednesday, May 23rd from 12:15 PM – 3:30 PM
Rehearsal will begin at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, 345 Washington Street, St. Paul, 55102 with lunch, which is provided to all seniors, faculty, and staff. Please note that senior pictures will be taken during rehearsal and dress appropriately. We anticipate the rehearsal ending at approximately 3:30 PM. Seniors participating in the ceremony must attend rehearsal. This event is for students only. - Graduates must arrive back at the Ordway Center no later than 6:15 PM.
- Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. for guests. Seats are not assigned.
- Graduation Attire for Students
Male graduates must wear dark pants. Female graduates must wear dark pants, dresses, or skirts. Dark shoes must also be worn for this occasion. Jeans, sandals, flip-flops, and tennis shoes are not permitted. Seniors participating in the graduation ceremony must wear a cap and gown. The gown should be free of wrinkles and fall midway between the knee and ankle. The cap is worn flat on the head. Tassels are to be worn on the right side and shifted to the left when graduates receive their diplomas. Students keep their caps, tassels, and gowns. - Seniors will recess to Rice Park, across Washington Street from the Ordway Center, immediately following the ceremony for the cap toss, final pictures, and congratulations.
- Students can expect to receive their diplomas via mail on or before July 1, 2012. Please contact Jessica Joseph with any questions at josephj@spcpa.org.
Finale Information
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The Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists will once again be sponsoring a dance to celebrate the 2011-2012 school year.
Finale
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Landmark Center
8:00 – 11:00 PM
Doors open at 7:30 PM
We are pleased to announce that this will be the sixth year the event will occur. Finale is a great way for students to celebrate another successful school year. Please review the following guidelines which have been established to provide a safe, healthy, and respectful environment in which students can socialize.
▪ This event is for all SPCPA students and approved guests. Each SPCPA student is allowed one guest. All guests must either be enrolled in high school or have graduated no more than one year prior to attendance. Each SPCPA host student must arrive with his or her guest. A guest approval section has been added to the ticket request form and must be returned in person to the Landmark front desk by Friday, May 11, 2012. Faxed or emailed forms will NOT be accepted. CLICK HERE to download the TICKET REQUEST FORM. Please note that there is a guest authorization section for students planning to bring non-SPCPA students to Finale.
▪ Tickets are $25.00 per person to attend the dance. Both SPCPA students and guests must have a pre-paid ticket to enter.
▪ Ticket request forms must be turned in to the Landmark front desk by 4:00 pm on Friday, May 11, 2012. Read and complete the form carefully. Tickets will not be available at the door and are non-refundable. Students may pay with a check made out to SPCPA or with cash. Please bring the exact amount as we are unable to make change.
▪ Dinner is not provided. Please plan your evening meal prior to arriving to Finale. Beverages will be available throughout the evening at a cost of $1.00 per item. No food or drink may be brought in from the outside.
▪ We have exclusive use of the Landmark building that evening. The event will be chaperoned by SPCPA staff. Attendees may only access areas designated by the chaperones.
▪ Entrance and exit from the event will only be permitted on 5th Street. Students will be screened at the entrance and turned away if necessary. School rules apply to all attendees for the duration of the event. Parents will be notified if students are denied access to the event or are not abiding by school rules. No one may enter the dance after 9:00 PM. Attendees leaving the dance will not be allowed to return.
▪ Backpacks/large bags are not allowed in the event. These items may be left at the entrance and picked up at the end of the event; however, SPCPA will not be responsible for the security of these items.
▪ Formal Attire is expected. Parents/Guardians will be contacted to pick up their student immediately for inappropriate dress or behavior.
Ladies:
▪ Strapless/spaghetti straps are allowed
▪ Dresses/skirts must be at least mid-thigh in length
▪ Slits no higher than mid-thigh in length
▪ Backless to waist is permitted – below waist is not permitted
▪ No garters or other exposed lingerie/undergarments
▪ No sheer/see-through dresses and no see-through sides or bare sides
▪ No excessively low cut dresses or tops, or short skirts
▪ No excessive bare midriffs
Gentlemen:
▪ Collared shirt and tie, suit, or tuxedo
▪ Shirts must have sleeves
▪ Shirts must remain on at all times
▪ Dress pants or slacks, no jeans
▪ No caps/beanies, bandanas, chains, or canes
▪ Please note that Wednesday, May 23, is the last day of school for all students and class will dismiss at 12:25 p.m. School will not be in session Thursday, May 24, the day of Finale.
Please encourage your student to attend. Finale will be a great way to bring closure to another successful year at the Conservatory.
Please contact Director Callie Jacobs at jacobsc@spcpa.org or 651-290-2225 if you have any questions or concerns.
MCA-II GRAD Testing on April 17 & 18
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SPCPA will be administering the MCA-II GRAD assessments in writing (9th grade), reading (10th grade), and mathematics (11th grade) beginning Tuesday (April 17th). Minnesota students must pass the writing and reading tests in order to qualify for a public high school diploma. To meet the mathematics requirements, students must either pass the MCA-II GRAD test or, if they do not pass, complete assigned remediation and retake the test up to two additional times. Students will be given notices with testing information when they are eligible to retake the tests.
The testing schedule is as follows:
April 17: MCA-II Writing (GRAD) for all freshmen, 8:00-11:00 a.m., 5th floor Landmark
MCA-II Reading (GRAD) for all sophomores, 8:00-11:00 a.m., Wilkins Studios
MCA-II Mathematics (GRAD) for all juniors, 8:00-11:00 a.m., Wilkins Studios
Seniors arrive for classes at 11:00 a.m.
April 18: Arts classes for all freshmen, 8:00-11:00 a.m.
Freshmen without arts classes will be informed where to go prior to testing.
MCA-II Reading (GRAD) for all sophomores, 8:00-11:00 a.m., TBA
MCA-II Mathematics (GRAD) for all juniors, 8:00-11:00 a.m., TBA
Seniors arrive for classes at 11:00 a.m.
Students are expected to report promptly at 8:00 a.m. on each of the testing days. Please avoid scheduling appointments during the dates and times listed above. Students that must be absent during testing will be scheduled for a make-up date and time the following week, which could result in missing multiple arts and academic classes.
Foreign exchange students do not need to take these assessments or be on campus until their third period classes on the dates listed above. Foreign exchange students on campus during testing will be assigned to the Landmark Commons.
As parents, you can be of great help by making sure your student arrives to school on time, is well rested, has a good breakfast, understands the importance of the test, and puts their best effort forward. Your support is greatly appreciated!
2011-2012 Yearbook Orders
Yearbook order forms are available at the Landmark front desk or online through the following link: http://spcpa.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Yearbook-Form.pdf
If ordered between May 1-June 3, the cost is $60.
Turn in order forms and payment to Ms. Joseph in Landmark 501A or at the Landmark front desk.
Yearbooks will be available in July. Students will receive notification via email when they arrive. You can pick up the book during the summer or at the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year.
Fall Registration Information for Current Students
During your son’s/daughter’s English class, we have started the registration process for the fall of 2012-2013 school year. Students will receive three documents during registration: 1.) SPCPA Graduation Requirements, 2.) Fall Semester Course Selection Form and 3.) a Transcript Evaluation Form. We will be doing the transcript evaluation during Language Arts courses to review student progress towards graduation. Fall semester course selections need to be turned in by Wednesday, March 21, 2012. If you have questions about the registration process, please contact Mark Grossklaus, Associate Director, at grossklausm@spcpa.org.
SPRING BREAK
School is not is session on March 26-30th. Administrative offices will also be closed this week.
Parent-Teacher Conferences
We will be hosting mid-semester parent-teacher conferences at the end of March to communicate with you regarding your son’s or daughter’s progress in academic and arts classes and listen to insights you might have to help us do a better job of meeting their needs. The schedule is as follows:
Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Thursday, March 22, 2012
1:30-4:30 p.m. & 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Roy Wilkins Studios, 5th Street Entrance
Friday, March 23, 2012
1:00-4:00 p.m.
Roy Wilkins Studios, 5th Street Entrance
A schedule of teacher availability was emailed to families. You will not be assigned a specific block of time to meet with your child’s teachers, but we request that you limit your conferences with each teacher to five (5) minutes. Attendance during the first hour of conferences each day tends to be the highest with wait times and lines slightly longer than average.
In addition, there is a Minnesota Wild hockey game scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at the Xcel Energy Center on Thursday, March 22nd. Please be advised that parking becomes more challenging and costs increase after 4:00 p.m. on game nights.
Please note Thursday, March 22nd and Friday, March 23rd are early release days for students, with dismissal at 12:25 p.m.
Your attendance at parent-teacher conferences is highly encouraged and greatly appreciated.
NO SCHOOL on Monday, February 20
School is not in session for students on Monday, February 20th (Teacher Workshop).
