What an exciting and busy time of year this is for those who are nearing the end of their high school journey!  We're excited for you as you navigate these final weeks.  This message should provide you with information about the upcoming school events for seniors.  If you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Requesting Your Final Transcript

To request your final transcript, you need to:

1. Log in to Naviance Student.
2. Click on Colleges Tab at the top and drop down to “Colleges I’m Applying To.”
3. For your final college choice, check the box beside the college you are attending.  
4. Then click on the blue plus sign (+) that says REQUEST TRANSCRIPTS.
5. Choose the box beside the “Final” transcript option and then click on the “Request and Finish” button at the bottom of that page to save.

If you have any problems, please see your counselor or Mrs. Chitwood.

Spartan Graduate Survey

Help us properly recognize you in the graduation program, keep our records up-to-date, and recognize you at the Senior Awards Assembly:

●         Visit the SHS webpage and click on the “Spartan Graduate Survey” link.  Here is the url: https://forms.gle/Ru9SENrorbyhiVFM8

●         The survey must be completed by Friday, May 10 in order for the scholarship information you report to be used in the graduation program or included in the Senior Awards Assembly.

Graduation Slide Survey

As your name is called at graduation, your senior portrait will be projected on a large screen behind the stage.  Along with the portrait, we include up to 3 items about you.  We want those items to be the things you would like to have shared.  We need your information for your graduation slide as soon as possible, Friday, May 17th at the latest.

●         Please do not include what you plan to major in or hope to study, future (post college) graduate schools you hope to attend, future occupations you hope to have, quotes/shout outs, or silly things

●         PLEASE DO include, where you are going to school or where you will be employed next year, clubs/organizations/sports teams/community activities you participated in, awards/accolades/scholarships received

○         If you receive an award or scholarship at the Community Scholarship Celebration or the Senior Awards Assembly, that can be added when received. Please contact the librarians to have it added.

●         Share your information by completing the Graduation Slide Survey found at this link: https://forms.gle/MBu3PGbVm1YYrPSt9

○         You will need to do this while logged in to your SHS Google account.  Families - this will not work from your personal Google login.

●         If you have not taken a senior portrait, see the SHS librarians as soon as possible.

Any questions related to your senior slide can also be directed to the SHS librarians (shs-library@salem.k12.va.us).

Career Signing Day, May 17, 2024

Signing Day Event - 2:00 pm - SHS Auditorium

●         Seniors may participate in this event if they already have jobs lined up for after high school or if they have enlisted in the military. 

●         In order to participate students must have filled out the Career Signing Day Survey found on the SHS website no later than Friday, May 10, 2024.  The link is https://forms.gle/kC5GDoPV3PX1oKk87

Community Scholarship Celebration, May 21, 2024

Community Scholarship Celebration - 5:15 pm - SHS Cafeteria/Auditorium

●      Students receiving scholarships from the Salem Educational Foundation, Salem Sports Foundation and Salem Rotary will be recognized and will receive those scholarships.

●      Students who will be attending this event will be notified.

●      If you have been invited, please complete the 2024 Community Scholarship Night RSVP by Wednesday, May 15.

●      If you have been invited to this event, your attendance is expected and essential.

●      Parents and family members are also invited to attend this event.

●      Graduates will wear their caps and gowns to this event.

●      Hors d'oeuvres prepared by SHS Culinary Arts students will be served in the cafeteria at 5:15 pm.

●      The ceremony begins promptly at 6:00 pm in the auditorium. Graduates will sit together on the right-hand side of the auditorium in seats that have been labeled with their names.

●      Dessert and an opportunity for pictures taken by a photographer follow the ceremony.

Senior Grad Walk/Elementary Schools, May 28, 2024 at 1:00

Seniors will be bussed to their elementary schools to participate in a graduation walk. Please bring your caps/gowns to wear during the walk.

Senior Day, Wednesday, May 29, 2024

Senior Breakfast - 8:45 am - SHS Cafeteria

●         Seniors who have a first period class will report to first period and then be released to the cafeteria for the Senior Breakfast.  Parents may join seniors for breakfast.

Senior Awards Assembly - 9:30 am - SHS Auditorium

●         The entire senior class will attend this annual event.

●         Many, but not all, seniors will be recognized at this event through the awarding of certain scholarships as well as awards from within the school.

●         Please complete the Spartan Graduate/Awards Day Survey (see above) with any outside scholarships or awards you have received so we can properly recognize you at this event.  This will NOT include scholarships presented at the Senior Community Awards Night (Salem Ed. Foundation).  Do not assume we already know about these scholarships and awards.

●         Parents of seniors receiving awards will be notified by the School Counseling Office at least 1 week prior to the event, and parents and family members are invited to attend.

●         Dress for this assembly is casual.

●         Students should not wear Twister costumes to the assembly.  Students wearing Twister costumes (see below) will have time to change into costumes after the assembly.

Senior Twister (and other games) - 11:30 am - SHS Gymnasium

●         Only students who have already signed up will participate in this part of Senior Day.

●         Students will have the opportunity to compete in Twister (teams of 4) & other games. 

●         Students competing in Twister are invited to compete in a costume contest with their team of 4. Dress up in an appropriate theme to be eligible for prizes!

●         Seniors wishing to participate in the Twister competition or to attend as a spectator and play other games must sign up and pay $5 cash at lunches between May 6-10.  Signing up in advance is required in order to attend this portion of Senior Day.

○         Cost to play or spectate is $5

●         Ms. Sickey will be hosting Decision Day, which celebrates all seniors and their postsecondary plans. Students have the chance to decorate t-shirts, write "Thank You" notes to faculty, and will be entered into a raffle for a variety of prizes.

Senior Lunch - 12:30 pm - SHS Gymnasium

●         After the Twister competition and games, there will be a Senior Lunch provided for all who have signed up to participate.

●         Food will be cookout style. If you have dietary needs or restrictions, please email Mrs. Quesinberry.

Early Dismissal for Seniors - after Twister/Games

●         When the Senior Twister Game and related activities are finished, all seniors will be released early from school.  This will probably be around 1:30pm.

Turning in Chromebooks and Chargers

Chromebooks Must Be Turned In Prior to Graduation

●     Chromebook collection will take place all day in the IT Office, Room 2004, located in the Library from Wednesday, May 22 through the morning of graduation Friday, May 31.

○         There will NOT be someone to collect Chromebooks at graduation. They must be dropped off at Salem High School.

●     As soon as you no longer need the Chromebook for school purposes, take both the Chromebook AND AC adapter to the IT Office.

●     Fees:

○         Fees for Chromebooks AND/OR AC Adapters that are lost must be paid to the bookkeeper prior to graduation day.

○         Fee for lost Chromebooks is $250.00.

○         Fee for lost AC Adapter is $29.00.

○         Students who do not turn in or pay replacement fee for lost Chromebooks and / or AC Adapters prior to graduation will not be allowed to participate in the graduation ceremony.

Graduation Day, Friday, May 31, 2024

All seniors MUST arrive at SHS between 8:15 am-8:30 am by School Bus or Personal Transportation.

If you need bus transportation to/from SHS, you must fill out this form by Thursday, May 23, 2024.

Breakfast and Class Picture - 8:30 am - SHS Cafeteria

●         Casual Dress (Cap & Gown only needed at Graduation)

●         Grab & go breakfast for all seniors

●         Class picture will be taken

Departing by School Bus from SHS - 9:00 am

●         Seniors will be required to ride the bus from SHS to the Civic Center for practice. 

Graduation Practice - 9:15 am - Salem Civic Center

●      This is a mandatory event for all students participating in our commencement exercises.  Only members of the graduating class may attend graduation practice.

●      Graduates will ALL be transported from SHS to the Salem Civic Center and back to school after practice.

●      When you arrive at the Civic Center for practice, please enter through the front doors.

●      Dress for graduation practice is casual.  You do not need your cap and gown.

●      At graduation practice we will run through the entire graduation ceremony.

●      We will hand out gold honors tassels  at graduation practice.

●      We want to make sure your name is pronounced properly at graduation.  One reason we practice graduation is to practice reading out all names.  If you think there is any chance your name might be pronounced incorrectly during the ceremony, please see Mr. Wilkes.  He will be the one calling out names and appreciates your assistance.  If you are unable to see him in person, please record your name being pronounced correctly and email that to cwilkes@salem.k12.va.us

●      After graduation practice, all graduates will be transported back to SHS.

●      Graduates will need to return on their own to the Salem Civic Center Annex between 1:15 pm-1:30 pm.  Plan accordingly for heavy traffic!

Commencement Exercises - May 31 - 2:00 pm - Salem Civic Center

If you do not intend to participate in this year's commencement exercises, please inform Mrs. Chitwood in our Counseling Office immediately.

Attire, Caps, and Gowns

●      Graduates who are participating will be required to wear caps and gowns. Gowns should be zipped up.

●      Seniors may tastefully and appropriately decorate their caps.

●      The graduation cap should be parallel to the floor.

●      Tassels should hang to the right until you are declared a graduate.

●      Graduates must wear either dress pants/dress shirt/tie or a dress that does not hang below the gown.

                  (Feel free to visit the Recharge Boutique at SHS if you’re in need of appropriate attire.) 

●      If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Coffey (mcoffey@salem.k12.va.us), Mrs. Quesinberry (squesinberry@salem.k12.va.us) or Mrs. Dyer (adyer@salem.k12.va.us).

The Ceremony

●      Preceding the graduation ceremony, students will be lining up in the Civic Center Annex.  

●      Parents can drop students off on either side of the Civic Center no later than 1:30 pm, and students can enter directly into the Annex.  The Annex is located behind the main Civic Center floor, closer to the Red Sox Stadium.

●      Tickets or reservations are not necessary for graduation.  We do not limit the number of guests.

●      The graduation ceremony will be livestreamed on our SHS YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2vWClhrunzbfSHdCEpfmmQ

●      As your name is called at graduation, your picture and slide will be projected on a large screen behind the stage.  See the section named Spartan Graduation Slide Survey above.

●      Because “celebratory messes” from items like silly string create an incredible amount of work for our Civic Center staff to clean up, SHS graduates have not made such messes for many years.  Showing love to our Civic Center staff in this manner is something we will continue this year.

Caps and Gowns

If you did not already order a cap and gown for graduation, please contact Jostens immediately.   Their phone number is (800) 567-8367.  Their website is https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/customer/1119403/Salem-High-School/

We are so excited to be a part of this important time in your life!  Please let us know if you have questions.

Thank you,

Kelly Linkenhoker, Maggie Coffey, Anna Dyer and Sarah Quesinberry

Senior Task Checklist

See details and due dates above. Some of the tasks may or may not pertain to all graduates.

●         Read letter above completely

●         Make Final Transcript requests

●         Spartan Graduate Survey by Friday, May 10

●         Graduation Slide Survey as soon as possible, Friday, May 17th at the latest

●         Career Signing Day Survey by Friday, May 10

●         Senior Day - Sign up during lunches May 6-10

●         Community Scholarship Celebration: If you have been invited, complete the 2024 Community Scholarship Night RSVP by Wednesday, May 15.

●         Turn in Chromebook from Wednesday, May 22 through the morning of graduation Friday, May 31

●         Order your cap and gown

●         Secure graduation practice transportation to SHS from your home.  All seniors MUST arrive at SHS between 8:15 am-8:30 am by school bus or personal transportation in order to ride the bus to the Civic Center.  If you need bus transportation to/from SHS, you must fill out this form by Thursday, May 23, 2024.