Senior Newsletter, Class of 2025

Greetings Class of 2025 and Families!

Senior year is both exciting and bittersweet, but it can also be confusing and overwhelming as it is filled with many dates and to-do's that are different from anything else that has had to be done during other high school years. To help make sense of it all, we will be publishing a senior newsletter for all things related to the end of the Senior year for both Seniors and Parents! There will be a winter edition in January and then monthly newsletters in the spring. Please feel free to reach out to me at aconing@pps.net or Abby Menashe, VP Adm. Asst, amenashe@pps.net, with questions that you have, or suggested content – perhaps they can be answered /addressed in a future edition of the newsletter! Want to add a photo to a future edition, please send those to Leanne Van Horn at lvanhorn@pps.net

I am pleased to share with you the venue information about our graduation ceremony,

scheduled for Wednesday June 4th 2025 at 7:00pm. This year, Portland Public Schools has shifted to a new venue for the graduation ceremonies of ten of its eleven in-district high schools. This is a change from the last four years, where graduations were celebrated at Providence Park. We will now be using the Portland State University Viking Pavilion. Please see below for why this change has come about.

We will be sharing many more updates and details about graduation throughout the school year as they become available so please watch for future editions of the Senior News and updates shared in the Guardian Gazette, Student News.

Sincerely,

Ayesha Coning, Principal and Grade 12 Administrator

Hey Seniors, my name is Jade, your ASB president (in light grey sweatshirt above), and I want to give you a huge congratulations on being a senior! I hope all you students are feeling ready and prepared for your last year of high school. We have tons of resources and amazing people here at IBW to support you. This year might feel a bit overwhelming with college applications, classes, and future plans all coming up. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, know you’re not alone. It’s a lot, and it’s okay to feel that way. But just remember, we’re going to make it through and I hope you find ways to enjoy this year and make it one of the best yet. There are so many fun events coming up, so stay updated by following @ibwhsleadership on Instagram and @ibwseniors for all things senior-related. You’ve got this Guardians, let’s make it a year to remember!

Did you miss the Senior Meeting today? Here are the slides to view from the meeting. And most of the information is covered in this newsletter as well. Senior Meeting Slides 10/26/2024

Please refer to the Senior Calendar for all the important dates for the year. Dates are always subject to change so please bookmark the calendar and check back often.

November 1 - Begin filling out Oregon Student Access & Completion (OSAC) Scholarship
November 7 - Jostens here to pick up graduation packet orders
November 20 - Paying for College Night

December 1 - Apply for financial aid with FAFSA/ORSAA.

December 3 - Free Senior photo opportunity
January 17 - Deadline for Senior Photos and Quotes
February 1 - Final Deadline for all Personalized Learning Requirements:
2 CRLE’s, Resume and My Plan Essay
February 8 - Winter Formal

To see the entire calendar, click here: 2024-25 Senior Calendar

Our graduation ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday June 4th 2025 at 7:00pm. This year, Portland Public Schools has shifted to a new venue for the graduation ceremonies of ten of its eleven in-district high schools. This is a change from the last four years, where graduations were celebrated at Providence Park. We will now be using the Portland State University Viking Pavilion, 930 SW Hall Street, Portland, OR 97201.

There were many reasons for this change:

• The 4 year contract with Providence Park was signed during the COVID- 19 pandemic
  restrictions and we are no longer required to hold large events in outdoor settings.
• Moving indoors at PSU gives us fewer potential problems with rain or heat
• Allows us to hold rehearsals for students
• Provides better and cheaper parking options
• Allows us to seat our students in front of the stage during the graduation ceremonies, which was not an option at Providence Park
• Cost savings for the district is substantial

The only drawback with the PSU venue is that the capacity for the guests of students is

more limited than that of Providence Park. Based on the size of our graduating class we estimate having 5-6 tickets available per family in the Viking Pavillion. PSU has agreed to open the nearby Smith Hall auditorium for overflow. Those not able to get tickets for the

Pavilion can watch graduation live from Smith Hall and then meet up with their

graduates in the Park Blocks immediately following the ceremony.

Our new contract with PSU is for three years, so we will be planning to be there for the

graduation ceremonies of the Classes of 2025, 2026, and 2027. Given that we already

partner with the university in many other ways, we believe that this new arrangement

will add positively to our collaborative work.

Our Cap and Gown Vendor is Jostens. A representative was at the Senior Meeting today and handed our the form below for the ordering of Caps, Gowns and other senior items. Packets were also mailed to your homes.

• online by November 7th

• Bring your completed packets Nov. 7th during lunch and Josten’s will collect them. They will have a table in the Main Hall to collect packets and answer questions
• Call (503) 255-7120 to place an order
  
• Want just the cap, gown, tassel unit? Order Here just $38 for early orders
  
• Order a Class Ring and your cap, gown, tassel, unit will be FREE
  
• Custom IBW graduation announcements will be delivered in spring
  
• All Class of 2025 apparel items will be immediately mailed to your home
  
  

• Didn’t receive your packet by mail? Pick one up in the Counseling Office or Room 139

• All students participating in graduation ceremony MUST have a cap, gown and tassel

• You can borrow cap/gown/tassel from a friend/family member as long as it is IBW green

• If finances are a concern, see Sharon Dailey, Counseling Admin Asst. and she will put you on our list to borrow a cap, gown and tassel.

Let us know how you want your name printed on your Diploma and how you want it read at Graduation

Diploma orders must be received by Friday, December 20, 2024. If no order is received, then your full legal name (first and last) from synergy will be used. This is how your name will be read at commencement as well.

Diploma Name Order Form

• 2 Career Related Learning Experiences with reflection

• Resume (Past due: assigned Junior year)

• My Plan Project (Past due: assigned in Senior English)
  

Here is the link to the last College Newsletter sent on October 17th that includes the information you need to be applying for college - Letters of Recommendation, College Essay Support, Upcoming Events, Financial Aid and More! https://secure.smore.com/n/3n2td

If you have any questions, please visit the College and Career Center and see Winston Rivas, Kelly Milford and Jessica Wade who are all there to assist in any way they can!

Senior photos are due by January 17th. Send Senior Photos to ibwseniorphoto@gmail.com

There is an opportunity to get senior photos taken for free in the building on December 3rd so don’t miss out. Here is the link to sign up: https://www.visualimpressions.org/booking-calendar/ida-b-wells-senior-picture-day-event?utm_medium=page_links

We are hoping to get as many Senior Quotes as possible to make a more engaging section.

Seniors, watch your PPS email for a Google Form to make your nominations for this year's Senior Bests! Nominating will take place in November. Or use this link "Senior Bests" Nomination Form to access the form now. This is to be filled out by Seniors using their PPS email.

Parents of 2025 seniors, this year senior ads are $210 for a full page, $110 for a half page, and $60 for a quarter page. Ads can be designed and purchased using this link: https://www.balfour.com/student-info?smi=62107. If you have any questions or need any help, email the yearbook business department at ibwybk@gmail.com.

Hello Class of 2025 families! We are looking forward to celebrating your senior this year! Student leadership is working on putting together a slide show of photos to highlight our seniors, if you have photos (past or present) of your child please submit them to lkleinwolf@pps.net to be included in the video. Thank you, Go Guardians!”

Don't miss out on a long standing tradition and attend the Grad Night party immediately following graduation at a secret location. There will be entertainment, a slideshow, lots of AMAZING activities, plus raffle drawings with INCREDIBLE prizes throughout the night.

Congrats to all our fall season seniors! Our Soccer teams and Volleyball team have celebrated their Senior Nights. Football and Cheer will have their ceremonies at the November 1st football game.

There are many ways to keep up with what is happening this year for the Senior Class:

Be sure and follow our class instagram for other updates and news!
ibwclassof2025

Watch for upcoming editions of the Senior Newsletter (Winter edition, monthly beginning in the Spring), updates will be posted in-between in the Guardian Gazette, Student News. And you can always find the calendar, newsletter and other information on our website at https://www.pps.net/Page/16710