May 17, 215

This is Tripp Crayton, Principal at Wakefield High School, with your weekly announcement. As a friendly reminder, school will be closed on Monday, May 25, 2015 for the Memorial Day Holiday.

Please review our school website for our revised spring exam schedule, which notes additional information related to exam times for seniors on May 26th and May 27th. At the beginning of the semester, WCPSS requested a waiver from administering the state-mandated NC Final Exams. We received notification last Friday, which was shared with teachers and students, that the waiver was approved by the State Board of Education. Students in English I, III, and IV, Math II, Math III, AFM, Discrete Math, Pre-Calculus, Physical Science, Earth Science, Physics, Chemistry, and all core Social Studies classes will now take a teacher-made exam. Teacher-made exams will be similar to the fall exams, including consideration to grading, rigor, and exam structure. Students currently enrolled in Biology, English II, and Math I will still take mandated End-of-Course tests, and students currently enrolled in CTE courses will still take state-mandated post-assessments. Note that seniors who were slated to take the state-mandated NC Final Exams will now be eligible for senior exam exemptions if the senior meets the exam exemption criteria as detailed in board policy. If you have questions regarding this waiver, please request to speak with our school’s Testing Coordinator.

The final portion of this message is for seniors and senior parents:

As a reminder, senior night is Thursday, May 21, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. in our main gym. The event is required for all potential graduates of the Class of 2015, and parents are encouraged to attend this wonderful event. After the ceremony, our PTSA will be sponsoring a reception in your senior’s honor. I wish to also remind you that graduation is meant to be a dignified ceremony. I met with seniors several weeks ago explaining expectations leading up to and during graduation. I explained that it is important for seniors to make appropriate choices to avoid not having the opportunity to walk across the stage as well as receive their diploma. This year, we are having a professional video made of the graduation ceremony with a up close, personal touch. Seniors will get a free copy of the DVD a couple of weeks after graduation, which seniors will be permitted to pick up the DVD with the ticket they will receive along with their diploma at graduation. Any senior who is unruly or fails to live up to expectations and proper decorum during graduation, including inappropriate behavior while crossing the stage or after, will have his/her diploma pulled and will not be eligible to receive the free DVD.  We wish to encourage a dignified ceremony with all of us proud of the wonderful accomplishments displayed by the Class of 2015. Please help encourage appropriate behavior before, during, and after the ceremony. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.


Remember it’s all about the W! Enjoy the rest of your day, and let’s have an amazing week. Goodbye.