Inclement weather is forcing a change in the venues for Friday Night’s graduation cerermonies at high schools in Fayette County. Those changes are listed below.
The Citizen would like to receive photos from the graduation ceremonies. Please send them to editor@thecitizen.com no later than Mondahy morning. Please make sure to identify the school along with any relevant information needed to identify what is in the photo. And please provide your contact information.
-Sandy Creek’s 2015-2016 graduation ceremony will be held on Friday, May 20 at 7 p.m. at the Word of Faith Family Worship Cathedral (address: 212 Riverside Pkwy, Austell, GA 30168).
The venue is located off I-20 near Six Flags. The seating capacity is 4,000 with ample parking. There will be no limit on the number of family members who may attend; however, seats cannot be saved/held for others. Please arrive early to ensure the members of your family are accommodated. We recognize that this is not the usual graduation ceremony arrangements that we are accustomed to; however, after consulting with the graduates, parents, superintendent and staff we felt that this would be our best option in light of the severe weather and the very poor condition of our stadium field. We will also run a bus Friday night to the graduation ceremony for those graduates who do not have transportation. The bus will depart Sandy Creek at 5 p.m.
-Fayette County High School graduation will take place in the FCHS gymnasium beginning at 7 p.m.
Graduates were provided at Thursday’s graduation practice five tickets to distribute to family and friends which will grant the ticket holder access to the gymnasium for the graduation ceremony. Due to Fire Marshal regulations, all guests, regardless of age, entering the gym will need a ticket. Once you have entered the gymnasium, you will not be readmitted without a ticket. All non-ticketed guests may come to our school to see the ceremony in our classrooms via live-video stream. Guests who cannot come to school to see the live-video steam are welcome to access it from our school’s website www.fchstigers.org.
There are separate instructions for ticketed and non-ticketed guests, so please carefully read the instructions below:
For ticketed guests:
• General parking for ticketed guests will be in the junior and senior lots on the south side of the school (closest to Highway 54). Overflow parking is available at Tiger Stadium and at the LaFayette Educational Center.
• General ticketed guests will enter the gym through the doors on the south end of the gym adjacent to the large picture window on the south side of the gym. This is not the entrance that we use for basketball games. All guests must have a ticket to enter these doors.
• Parking for handicapped, ticketed guests will be on the bus loop area on the north side of the school (closest to Hood Avenue). Guests must have a government issued handicapped license or hangtag or a school issued handicapped form to park in this lot.
• Ticketed, handicapped guests will enter the school from the bus loop entrance to the commons area and will enter the gym on the 2nd floor at the top of the stands. The north side railing will be reserved for wheelchairs. All handicapped guests (and their family) entering these doors must have a ticket.
• All doors to the gym will open at 6 p.m.
• Ticketed latecomers will not be admitted to the gym after 7 p.m. Please plan to arrive early to secure your seat in the gym. If ticketed guests arrive after 7 p.m., they will need to follow the directions for non-ticketed guests.
• Due to the close proximity of all guests in the gym, balloons, air horns, and signs will not be allowed in the indoor graduation. These items take up space, would be unbearable inside, and could affect another guest’s sightline. Thank you for your cooperation.
For non-ticketed – general parking for non-ticketed guests will also be the junior and senior lots on the south side of the school (closest to Highway 54). Overflow parking is available at Tiger Stadium and at the LaFayette Educational Center.
• General non-ticketed guests will enter the school through any of the three hallways at the base of the stairs on the south side of the school. These are the large towers on the end of each hallway that are enclosed in two-stories of glass.
• Staff members will be on hand to direct you to one of the many classes that will be open for guests to see the video stream. Classrooms on the first and second floor will be available for the video stream.
• Parking for handicapped, non-ticketed guests will be in the faculty lot at the front (west side) of the school (closest to Highway 85). Guests must have a government issued handicapped license or hangtag or a school issued handicapped form to park in this lot.
• Handicapped, non-ticketed guests will enter the school through the front doors of the school and can view the live feed in the media center, band room, or chorus room, all in close proximity to the front door. Staff members will be on hand to direct guests to those viewing locations.
• Staff members will be in each of the open classrooms/locations to run the live-video feed.
• All doors to the school will open at 6 p.m.
For Graduating Seniors:
• Seniors should either be dropped off by parents on the north side of the school or they should park in the Center of Innovation (old FIS) or Fayetteville Elementary School lots. Overflow parking will be in the junior or senior lots, at Tiger Stadium, or at the LaFayette Educational Center. Seniors may not park in the bus loop as this area will be reserved for handicapped, ticketed guests.
• Seniors should enter the building through the bus loop doors to the cafeteria.
• Senior line up will take place in the cafeteria. Seniors should arrive in the cafeteria prior to 6:15 p.m.
-McIntosh High School will hold graduation Friday at 7 p.m. in the gym.
Graduates will report to their assigned classrooms at 6 p.m., entering through the main entrance doors. Graduates, please refrain from wearing shoes that will damage the gymnasium floor, soft-sole or rubber-sole shoes please.
Graduates will receive five tickets for admission into the gymnasium; entrance through the gym doors with a ticket only. Individuals with disabilities will be seated on the first row in the gymnasium; a gymnasium admission ticket is required.
Admission into the school building will begin at 6 p.m. Ticketed guests only will enter through the gymnasium doors; all other guests will enter through the media center lobby doors and proceed to designated areas including the auditorium, media center, cafeteria, chorus room, band room, orchestra room, and English/social studies classrooms to view a live-stream presentation of the ceremony.
Each family will receive one parking permit which will allow you to park one vehicle in the McIntosh High School parking lot during the graduation ceremony.
-For Whitewater High School, graduation will be conducted in the gymnasium. The graduation ceremony will begin promptly at 7 p.m. The following plan will be implemented:
• Each graduate was provided 4 tickets for entrance to the gymnasium. Only those with tickets will be admitted to the gymnasium. Because of the space allotted by the Fire Marshall, every person needs a ticket regardless of age. Once you have entered the gymnasium, you will not be readmitted without a ticket.
• Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.
• The handicapped entrance to the gymnasium is the entrance directly across from the stadium entrance. This is on street level. All of those entering the gymnasium through this entrance must have a ticket. Additional handicapped parking will be on the east side of the stadium.
• Those without tickets may view the live video of the ceremony in the auditorium, cafeteria, or classrooms on the 900 and 1000 hallways. The following items will be restricted: air horns and balloons.
•The graduation ceremony will be available live at www.whswildcats.org
-Starr’s Mill High School will hold graduation ceremonies at 7 p.m. Friday in the gym.
The following outlines the process that will be followed for spectators.
• Each graduate was provided 4 rain tickets at Wednesday’s graduation practice. Only those in possession of a ticket may enter the gymnasium to observe graduation live. Everyone entering the gym must have a ticket, regardless of age. Tickets will be collected at the door and anyone leaving the gym will not be readmitted without a ticket.
• Doors to the gymnasium will open at 5:30 pm. All spectators will enter through the gym lobby doors nearest the student parking lot as though this was a basketball or volleyball game. All other entrances to the gym will be locked to prevent entry from those who do not have tickets. Seating will still be first come, first serve in the gym.
• Handicapped seating will be along the mesh rail above the gym floor. This section will be reserved for handicapped persons before any standing is permitted. Handicapped parking will be available along the front row of spaces in the student parking lot between the 800 and 700 halls.
• The ceremony will be live-streamed on our announcements website. This site can be accessed from www.starrsmillhighschool.org (direct link to the video stream) or by clicking on the “Announcements” link on the right hand side of the page. We will also show this stream live in our auditorium and in classrooms on the back 600, back 800, and 700 hallways for spectators who do not have tickets. The auditorium will open at 5:30 pm. Classrooms will open at 6 p.m. Persons wishing to watch in the auditorium will enter through the auditorium doors. Persons wishing to watch in a classroom must enter through the back 800 or 700 hall doors.
• For the comfort of all of our guests, balloons and artificial noisemakers such as air horns will not be allowed in the gym, auditorium, or classrooms.
