Updated August 2016
As an ACCHE sponsored activity, ACCHE Graduation is under the direction of the ACCHE Board of Directors. The Graduation Committee’s responsibility is to ensure that these policies are adhered to. As such, the ACCHE Board of Directors has set the following guidelines. In order to ensure that this event runs as smoothly as possible and that God is glorified through ALL we do in Graduation, the following requirements must be read and agreed to by each family in order to participate in ACCHE’s Graduation.
Graduation Date, Time, and Location
The date, time, and location for ACCHE Graduation will be set by the Board of Directors and is non-negotiable.
Dress Code/Proper Attire for Graduation Day
- Ladies: A knee-length or longer skirt or dress; no plunging necklines, bare midriffs, or bare backs; no visible undergarments; appropriate sandals or dress shoes (no flip-flops)
- Men: White or light-colored dress shirt (tie is optional); dress pants (no jeans); dress shoes (no sneakers or flip-flops)
- ALL: All graduates MUST wear matching caps, gowns, tassels, and honor cords. Caps and gowns will be Hunter Green and cords and tassels will be gold. These all MUST be purchased from Jostens Company (www.jostens.com) to assure the same material and shade of green. Items may be borrowed, as long as it is certain they were ordered from the Jostens Company. The Board suggests the committee places an order altogether instead of ordering individually.The reason for these colors is that they are the ones used by NCHE and this allows a graduate to participate in both ceremonies if they so desire without additional cost. It also allows for uniformity of the graduating class. Gowns must be BELOW knee-length. Caps may NOT be decorated on top.
Graduation Music
All music for all aspects of the day must be pre-approved by the Board of Directors. This includes special songs, congregational songs, individual slideshow songs, etc.
Deadlines
Deadlines must be respected. There may be several deadlines involving money due, senior pictures, music selections, slideshows, items for programs, etc. All deadlines will be clearly communicated with ample time to comply. In an emergency situation (which will be considered on a case by case basis), the participant is responsible for communicating with the graduation committee and make every effort to turn in the item(s) requested as soon as possible. If you miss a deadline, you forfeit your right to participate in that portion of the ceremony. In this same spirit of timeliness, you are expected to arrive promptly for all gatherings, meetings, practices, etc. The Deadline to sign up to participate in Graduation AND make the first deposit is December 31st. The Balance of the Graduation Participation fee is due March 1st.
Code of Conduct
The expectation is that all interactions between parties, including both the young adults as well as all parents involved, will be respectful even in disagreements that may arise during the planning and rehearsals. ACCHE Board of Directors has the final say in all disputes which are brought to its attention. Failure to adhere to its decision may result in exclusion from participation in graduation.
Communication
The ACCHE Board and the Graduation Planning Committee are committed to communicating all necessary details for graduation in a clear and timely manner. We ask for your respect in communicating equally as effectively with us over any details of which we need to be aware.
Graduation Fees
As indicated on the website, the Graduation Participation Fee is as follows:
ACCHE Member for all 4 High School Years: $50 per graduate
ACCHE Member for 3 High School Years: $75 per graduate
ACCHE Member for 2 High School Years: $100 per graduate
ACCHE Member for 1 High School Year: $125 per graduate
The Graduation Participation fee covers the cost of renting the Graduation host site, programs, decorations, food for reception (if necessary), gifts for speaker, photographer, videographer, DVD production, etc. This fee does NOT cover gown, cap, tassels, honor cords, diplomas, or invitations. These are additional costs for which the family is responsible.
Additional Notes
- Slideshow/Video/Memory Table content: All videos/slideshows must adhere to the length of time designated by the Graduation Committee. (Length of time will change from year to year, and is dependent on the number of graduates. Anywhere from 45-90 seconds is appropriate for individual slideshows, assuming overall ceremony length does not exceed 2 hours). All materials presented in slideshows, videos, pictures, etc. must portray modest apparel, and any behaviors conveyed must be appropriate and God-honoring; supporting ACCHE’s Statement of Faith.
- Invitations: While all graduates may use the same RSVP link on the ACCHE website (www.acche.org/activities/graduation-info-rsvp/), each graduate is responsible for ordering and sending out his/her own invitations.
- Reminder: participation in a formal graduation ceremony is not a required element in order to complete homeschooling. As such, ACCHE maintains the right to structure our Graduation Ceremony as we see fit, and to invite members of ACCHE to participate. ACCHE Graduation is not an event for each graduating class to alter and mold in order to represent that specific class’s culture and desires (individuality may be represented in each graduate’s slideshow and Memory Table). Rather, the desire of the ACCHE Board of Directors is that the graduation ceremony would bring glory to God and be a treasured event for our graduate families.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Board as we are here to help make this a positive memory for all of our families.