GRADUATE OF MERIT
FINAL DEADLINES/MEETINGS for 2016 TO BE ANNOUNCED
Tentative Dates in Italic
Friday, December 18 Application Deadline
(includes completed community service log)
Wednesday, January 20 Information Meetings
8:45 a.m. – GHS
10:15 a.m. – CHS
12:00 p.m. – DRHS
1:45 p.m. – THS
Thursday, January 21 Information Meetings – Make-Up
8:45 a.m. – THS
10:30 a.m. – DRHS
12:15 p.m. – CHS
1:45 p.m. – GHS
Friday, February 12 Pictures Due to Guidance
February 29 - March 3 Graduate of Merit Videotaping:
Detailed schedule will be sent in February.
Friday, March 11 Above & Beyond Volunteer Award/Scholarship
Application - Due to Guidance
(application enclosed)
March ? (TBD) Essel Propack Manufacturing Excellence Scholarship Application - Due to Guidance (Application will be forwarded to Guidance &
posted on GOM website)
TBD IALR Scholarship Applications - Due to Guidance (Awaiting verification from IALR)
April 5 (tentative date) Acceptance Letters
Parents and students will be notified of candidate’s acceptance as a Graduate of Merit. Letters will be sent regarding recognition ceremony/dinner and ticket information.
Friday, April 15 (tentative date) Attendance Response Card deadline
Thursday, April 28 (tentative date) Tickets Issued (mailed to home address)
Thursday, May 12, 2016 Graduate of Merit Recognition Ceremony/Dinner
Averett University North Campus - 6:00 p.m.
GRADUATE OF MERIT AWARDS/SCHOLARSHIPS
All Graduate of Merit recipients shall receive at the recognition dinner:
Graduate of Merit certificate (mounted in wood plaque)
Graduate of Merit medallion (to be worn at Graduation ceremonies)
CD of the Graduate of Merit PowerPoint (shown evening of event)
DVD of the Graduate of Merit bio-clips (from videotaping)
All Graduate of Merit recipients shall receive in the mail during the summer:
8 X 10 of the Graduate of Merit picture collage (from the PowerPoint)
4 X 6 picture provided by Alan Dalton Photography (in presentation folder)
DVD of the Graduate of Merit ceremony
Community Service Scholarships –
If funding is acquired, $100 scholarships will be awarded based on final Graduate of Merit points awarded and ranked.
Superintendent’s 212o Award
Top Graduate of Merit recipient(s) will be awarded a $500 scholarship based on Graduate of Merit points awarded and ranked. The number awarded will be based on funding secured.
Pinnacle Award
The highest ranked Graduate of Merit recipient shall receive the top award of the evening. Only one shall be awarded the Pinnacle Award based on the following tie-breaking scores listed in priority order.
Tie Breaker:
If a tie occurs between two or more recipients, the following tie-breaking scores listed in priority order shall be used to prioritize order of recipient(s):
1. Overall G.P.A.
2. Attendance
3. Total Community Service Hours
SPECIAL AWARDS/SCHOLARSHIPS
Additional application process required
Above & Beyond Volunteer Award/Scholarship Application
Application Deadline: March 11; Application enclosed and posted on web-site.
Each Above and Beyond Volunteer qualifying applicant shall receive a certificate and key chain. The two (2) top ranked qualifying applicants from each high school shall receive a $500 scholarship.
The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research - $ 500 scholarship
– Waiting verification for 2016
Application Deadline: March ??; Application to be forwarded to Guidance and posted on web-site.
Essel Propack Manufacturing Excellence Scholarship - $ 5,000 scholarship
Application deadline: March (TBA); Application to be forwarded to Guidance and posted on web-site.
Four (4) Essel Propack ME scholarships will be offered to Danville area students. (Only Pittsylvania County Graduates of Merit and Danville City Graduates of Distinction candidates may apply.)
The above noted awards and scholarships will be available if funding is secured
University and College Awards
Availability of scholarships offered based upon confirmation for 2016
Recipients shall be GOM candidates who have applied and are committing to attend the following universities or college:
· Averett University will be awarding $500 per year (up to 4 years of enrollment at Averett University)
· Liberty University will be awarding $1,000 (payable over four semesters - $250 each semester)
· Danville Community College Educational Foundation will be presenting awards ranging from $500 - $3,000 (dependent upon DCC award allocations, coursework enrollment and completed financial aid status).
Graduate of Merit – Pictures
Submit to your guidance counselor.
Deadline: No later than Friday, February 11
Submit early if at all possible.
Pictures are to be used in Graduate of Merit PowerPoint presentation. Our office will scan the submitted pictures cropped and enlarged to the required high resolution needed for the PowerPoint. Three of the pictures submitted will be merged into a collage and projected on a 12’ X 12’ screen at the recognition ceremony.
¨ Minimum of 3 – Maximum of 5 pictures (1 Senior year close-up required – formal or casual, other pictures may be senior pictures or
1-2 childhood pictures)
· We have received from Prestige Portraits (Lifetouch) a copy of senior formal portraits. (This will be used as your center focal picture unless other image is received with your submitted package.)
¨ Preferable Size: 8 X 10 or 5 X 7
¨ Close-ups preferred (waist up with full head)
o No cropped-off head shots. We know this is popular with photographers, but we need all pictures to clearly include the entire head.
¨ ABSOLUTELY NO WALLET PHOTOS (credit card size) or 4 X 6
¨ ONLY Color photos (No sepia [brown] or black and white)
¨ Do not submit pictures with “proof” embossed on picture.
¨ No Matte (textured or grainy) finished pictures (gives grainy/pitted effect when scanned)
¨ Ladies – please do not submit pictures with exhibited cleavage.
¨ No scanned or copied pictures (scans of a scan loses quality) -- Let us do the scanning FROM THE ORIGINAL so that the proper resolution is acquired. These will be rejected and returned to you for resubmission of the original picture.
¨ You may request your private photographer to submit selected digital images in high resolution (3,000 pixels or higher – usually 2,000-5,000+KB file size) -- placed on CD or e-mail as an attachment to ). Private photography studios that we have worked with in the past have been Alan Dalton Photography, Alice Abbott Photography, Bobby Carlsen Photography, and Photos by Lisa to name a few. Most professional photographers prefer to submit their photography in this format. If your photographer has a question about the program, please share with them my e-mail and phone number to discuss our needs.
¨ Make sure that pictures are clearly identified. (Place name on a label onto the back of photo. Writing directly on picture with ink may smear or transfer to another picture and cause damage to pictures.)
¨ Pictures will be returned to the school when scanning is completed.
¨ Place pictures in a secure envelope with your name and school identified on the outside.
Guidance will submit pictures to the School Board Office (to Ms. Tonda Finney) for scanning. Once the scanning process is completed, pictures will be returned to the Guidance Department for distribution back to the student. Every attempt is made to make sure that all pictures are treated with extreme care.
Note: This office can assist in taking photographs of students who do not have senior year pictures. Please notify guidance and/or this office if you are having trouble acquiring pictures. E-mail for assistance.
SAMPLE GOM PICTURE COLLAGES USED IN POWERPOINT PRESENTATION
GRADUATE OF MERIT – VIDEO
¨ Students will be videographed for use at the GOM recognition dinner.
¨ The video will present you to the audience and will acknowledge your parents, sponsor, school and accomplishments.
¨ Students will be transported from their base school to the PCTC/Information Technology Building for videotaping.
¨ Scheduled Dates for Videotaping:
(Dates and groupings could change. Guidance will notify you of final arrangements.).
February 29 - March 3 – Detailed schedule will be sent in February.
¨ Please make every effort to be present on the scheduled date.
¨ Close-up of each student will be recorded. (Waist up or shoulder shots)
¨ Dress in appropriate casual wear for the video session.
¨ Make sure your shirts and blouses are neatly pressed.
¨ What not to wear:
§ No shirts with inappropriate messages.
§ Ladies – please do not exhibit cleavage.
¨ Make sure your hair is in place and make-up is complete.
¨ All should follow a similar script – which should be approximately 20-25 seconds in length. Sample:
“Good evening! I am ______of ____ High School. My parents are ______. I would like to thank ______for sponsoring me. I have served as President of the BETA Club, was a member of the softball and volleyball teams, will be graduating 5th in my class and will be attending ?? University.
¨ Students will be notified of their sponsor prior to videotaping. Every attempt will be made by the SBO (Instructional Dept.) to complete securing sponsorships.
¨ If for some reason a sponsor has not been secured by videotaping day, students are to say “I would like to thank my sponsor.”
VIDEO DATA:
My parents are: ______
Examples: Mr. and Mrs. William Smith
William and Mary Smith
William Smith and Jill Jones
Jill Jones
Sponsor:______
If a sponsor has not been secured, students are asked to say “I would like to thank my sponsor.”
Select Top Four Activities, Awards, or Honors:
Examples: Served as Senior Class President
Served as Beta Club Vice-President
Served as Captain of the Football Team
Will be attending ??? University
Received the ______Scholarship from ??? University
Volunteered as a student missionary to Mexico
Graduating 5th in my class
Member of Beta, ACE, Yovaso, etc.
“Good evening! I am ______
of ______High School.
My parents are ______.
I would like to thank ______for sponsoring me. During high school I have:
1. ______
2. ______
3. ______
4. ______
REMEMBER TO PRACTICE! Time limitation: 20-25 seconds.
GRADUATE OF MERIT RECOGNITION
BANQUET AND RECOGNITION CEREMONY
WHEN: Thursday, May 12, 2016
WHERE: Averett University North Campus
(Mount Cross Road past WalMart)
TIME: 6:00 p.m.
WHO MAY ATTEND: Graduate of Merit Recipient
2 guests (mother & father or 2 other guests such as parent & sibling, parent and grandparent, parent & friend, etc.)
Graduate of Merit Sponsor
(Tickets will be issued. Seats will be reserved. No extra guests allowed.)
SPONSORSHIP:
It is not the responsibility of the student or parents to acquire a sponsor. Students and parents may let their employers or churches be aware that the student is a Graduate of Merit candidate in case they are interested in sponsoring.
The PCS Instructional Department will be acquiring sponsors for students. Sponsorship letters and forms will be sent to area businesses, organizations and churches in late January.
Sponsorship forms may also be secured on the internet at
http://www.pcs.k12.va.us/merit/index.html#Sponsorships.
Sponsorships will be secured on a first come, first serve basis. (Deadline February 29)
For further information, potential sponsors may contact Ms. Tonda Finney via e-mail at or by phone at 434-432-2761 – Ext. 5007.