May 22, 2020
Dear Grade 8 Families,
It is time to celebrate!
As we approach the end of our school year, we are excitedly planning for achievement assemblies and the promotion of your children from Middle School to Upper School. This is a significant milestone for your children, your family, and for all of us here “in the Middle.” We are so proud of how our students have grown and matured during these past three years of Middle School, and especially how they have resiliently continued their learning through these uncertain times.
We have chosen to keep the same calendar dates for both of these events, with achievement assemblies on Monday, June 8, and promotion on Thursday, June 11. This communication will focus on the promotion ceremony; more information on achievement assemblies will be sent during the next two weeks.
Working closely with our risk assessment team and leadership from across the School, we have crafted a promotion ceremony plan to celebrate our students while meeting the safety requirements of the state and county. Building on the concept of our Parents Association parade during teacher appreciation week, we will follow the guidelines published by the San Diego County Office of Education, which allow us to host a drive-through promotion.
Our general plan for the celebration follows the outline below, and more details will be coming to you during the next two weeks:
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Similar to how we would have students queue up in person outside the Field House, Grade 8 families will be provided a specific time to queue up in the San Diego County Office of Education parking lot, organized alphabetically by advisory and then by student last name. In order to be successful and comply with all applicable regulations, we must observe all physical distancing regulations, which includes all family members remaining in their car.
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We encourage families to decorate their car with Parker colors and some celebratory words for both their child and the Class of 2024 as they promote into Upper School.
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Advisors will announce your child’s name through our public address system as you drive on Campus, so we ask that you have your child’s first and last name written large enough to be read from a moderate distance and displayed in the passenger side front window of your car.
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By advisory, each group of families will exit the San Diego County Office of Education parking lot, turn right and enter the Linda Vista Campus through the main gate. Families will turn right, parade around the flagpole just like morning drop off, and proceed along the drop off route to their advisor.
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Grade 8 advisors will be spaced significantly apart in the same way we stand for drop off duty, and families will drive up to their advisor one at a time.
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As each family approaches their child’s advisor, we ask that they open the trunk of their car for the advisor to place the promotion certificate and any other items into the trunk of the car.
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Families will then drive past the Student Life Center through the Athletics parking lot and out the gate onto North Rim Court.
In addition to observing regulations and guidelines while queuing up in the San Diego County Office of Education parking lot and proceeding through the Parker Campus, we ask that no gatherings beyond your immediate family members are planned before or after this event.
We are so excited to celebrate the Class of 2024 as they promote from Middle School. Our planning is still in progress, and we will have a few other surprises and details to share with you in the coming weeks including information about achievement assemblies and the process we will follow to share videos of the events with you.
On behalf of all of us here “in the Middle”,
Dan Lang
Head of Middle School
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