Ceremony

GRADUATION CEREMONY 2021
FOR THOSE ATTENDING the Way Home graduation ceremony, special instructions are posted below. Once a graduation date is established and posted on this page please notify the office as early as possible if you desire to participate. If your graduate won’t be finished with the diploma criteria before the ceremony date, you may still participate in this event, contact the office for more details.

FOR THOSE NOT ATTENDING the Way Home ceremony follow these instructions to receive your Diploma Package:
1. Submit by email a draft of the Graduating Senior Transcript to wayhomeschool@gmail.com. Find the transcript form under the TRANSCRIPT PREP link. Be sure the graduates name appears on the transcript as you want it to appear on the diploma certificate.
2. Submit by email a copy of your graduate’s standardized test results. If none has been taken or there is extenuating circumstances with testing, give the office a call for options.
3. Provide the date you would like to designate as the graduation date at the bottom of the transcript where indicated and also send it by email correspondence. This date will go on the diploma certificate. We will do our best to deliver the diploma package prior to this date.
4. Provide the address you would like us to deliver the package to.
5. Pay the Diploma Package fee through the website PAYMENT interface.

WAY HOME CEREMONY PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS
Most of the information posted on this webpage can also be reviewed through the following PDF files:
SEE INFORMATION BELOW – PDF UPDATE IN PROGRESS

GRADUATION CEREMONY ARRANGEMENTS
DATE AND TIME:
Friday May 21, 2021 6:30 PM

LOCATION:
Journey Church
3683 Eva Rd
Eva, AL 35621

PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE CHURCH REGARDING DETAILS OF THIS EVENT
Call the School phone number or email us if you should need to communicate regarding this event.

GRADUATION CEREMONY PROGRAM BULLETIN
2021 UPDATE IN PROGRESS

CEREMONY REHEARSAL
A separate full rehearsal will not be held. Graduates and their family should arrive at 5:30 PM the night of the ceremony. A review of the ceremony process will be held in the sanctuary once the graduates are seated and dressed in cap and gown. Graduates with a part in the program need to be here on time to rehearse their part.

CEREMONY PROCEDURE INSTRUCTIONS
Parent Instructions
UPDATE IN PROGRESS Graduate Instructions

CAP AND GOWN ORDER
The requirement for the Cap and Gown is Royal Blue in color, with a MATTE finish and the tassle is gold. It is important to order these a minimum of three weeks in advance of the ceremony. I recommend ordering them by mid April.

For uniformity we would like you to order from
Graduation Source
You may also place a phone order with this company at:
800-352-6162.

DIPLOMA PACKAGE FEE – $50
A Diploma Package which consists of a Diploma Case, Certificate of Graduation, a letter of Graduation, and a signed copy of the Graduate’s Official Transcript.

HONORS CORDS AND/OR SASHES.
Typically, a wide band Gold Honors Sash is awarded for academic achievement with a student achieving an overall GPA of 3.7 or higher. Other Honor Cords or Sashes of various color may be awarded for other achievements or accomplishments at the discretion of the parents.

GRADUATION ANNOUNCEMENTS
Graduating announcements are at your own discretion. We have posted some basic invitations with the Way Home logo below.
The following PDF documents have test printed at our office, however, your printer may produce different results when printing.

There are 3 versions of this invitation in order to accommodate those who are attending the Way Home ceremony and those who are not. These are designed to be folded in half twice.
WAY HOME LOGO THAT MAY BE USED TO ADD TO YOUR CUSTOM DESIGNED INVITATION
WAY HOME CEREMONY ANNOUNCEMENT AND INVITATION
PERSONAL CEREMONY ANNOUNCEMENT AND INVITATION
GRADUATE ANNOUNCEMENT

GRADUATE AND GRADUATION PICTURES
Arrangements are being sought for quality photography of the ceremony. An order form will be provided at the ceremony if arrangements are made.
1 or 2 designated members of your family may come forward to take pictures as the diploma is being awarded by the parent or other family member.

POWERPOINT PRESENTATION DURING CEREMONY
Start gathering those pictures together for graduation! A PowerPoint Presentation is being prepared for the ceremony again this year. This effort is being coordinated by Jackie Walker, see instructions below.

Your input on this is needed by the first week of May. Be sure to include the following information with your pictures:

Child’s full name,
Nickname, if any
Date of Birth
Parent’s names

Provide 3-5 pictures of the graduate. Pictures should include at least one baby picture and one recent picture. Pictures e-mailed must be in JPEG format. E-Mail pictures to jackiewalker051@gmail.com

OR mail them to:

Jackie Walker
3210 Rita Lane
Huntsville, AL 35810

Mailed pictures will be returned if a self-addressed stamped envelope is included for that purpose.

If for whatever reason we do not receive pictures of your graduate, your graduate’s name will be decoratively displayed during the presentation.

CEREMONY RECEPTION
An informal reception gathering in the sanctuary and lobby areas of the church will be available. Bottled ater will be available and a light snack provided.

GRADUATE MEMORABILIA TABLE
Table space Will be available in the reception area for your graduate to display pictures and memorabilia of their life. Please contact Jackie Walker to reserve your table space. jackiewalker051@gmail.com

WHY ATTEND A CEREMONY?
The primary reason is totally selfish of us but it’s one of the major highlights of our year. We love to share a moment with families and graduates who have chosen us to represent them as their church school. Of course, as with all things in our program we want you to do what is best for your family and completely understand should you choose a different option.>

The graduation ceremony is not your traditional program. The primary difference from your traditional ceremony is that the main event is the diploma presentation where the parents will present their graduate with their diploma. The diplomas are provided to the parents prior to the ceremony. It is the parent’s opportunity to publicly acknowledge their child and their accomplishment. It’s an opportunity for the child to publicly acknowledge their parent’s efforts to guide their life and to direct their education. Families come from many different communities in Alabama to share the moment together. It is truly remarkable. Graduates sometimes make the mistake of thinking that because they don’t know the other graduates that the ceremony won’t be meaningful to them. The fact is that many of the graduates and families don’t know each other. The emphasis of the ceremony is on the individual families sharing a special time with other families who have shared a similar experience. It is a powerful testimony to all those who attend, especially those who may have doubts or reservations about homeschooling. If you are unable to attend we encourage you to have your own ceremony at your church or with other family and friends.