Tassel vote, UPDATED

My mom realized that she didn't provide as many choices as were available. So here are the updated choices (the only real goal is to have all the boys pick a color and all the girls pick a color):

#1: Gold tassels for everybody

#2: Gold tassels for the boys, white tassels for the girls

#3: Black tassels for the boys, gold tassels for the girls

#4: Black tassels for the boys, white tassels for the girls

#5: White tassels for the boys, black tassels for the girls

So please recast your vote according to these choices. Thanks!

Homeschool Diploma Link

Hey everyone, here is the link where you can pick up your diplomas, invitations, and other graduation-type materials. The link is actually specifically for our group, too. Comment if you have any questions, and my mom will try and answer.

http://www.homeschooldiploma.com/groups/clc.fsp.htm

inappropriate comment...

Hi guys,

Last night someone put a very concerning comment on the Speaker post, so I have blocked all commenting temporarily. We are probably going to send an invite to everyone so that only team members can comment, not anonymous users.

Stay posted, we should have it back up fairly soon.

-St3ph

Official Speaker Votes

Okay everyone, please post with your name and just your speaker choice (please, no additional comments). Let's try to get some concensus going here on who you would want to speak at your graduation. Some great names have been mentioned since Mr. Mahaney isn't available, and the likelihood of Al Mohler and John Piper coming in is sketchy at best. Here's who some of you are nominating: Steve Shank, Dave Harvey, Mark Altrogge, Mr. Veith (Sam's favorite choice), & Bob Donohue. Anyone else? Give compelling reasons. Let's try to hear from as many of you as possible....and the sooner the better!

Mrs. H.

Mr. Mahaney is out :-(

Hi Everyone,

I've got a couple of items I need to let you know about:

1) I've been in touch with Mr. Mahaney's office with the invitation to speak at the graduation. I figured I'd better ask sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, he has had to decline, but he was very honored to be asked.

2) While you all are discussing the senior trip, I need to let you know that the final decision to even take a trip is with all the parents. The parents will need to discuss the whole idea before a final decision is made.

Lots of Miscellaneous Stuff

Okay everyone, several items here:

1) It looks like Mr. Mahaney and Al Mohler, with John Piper in third place, are your top picks for grad speaker. We'll let you post your comments on this up till the October 8th meeting and then we'll start with your top choice and go from there. I was telling your parents at the senior picnic that we are working with a budget, most of which will need to go towards your reception food. We are looking at planning a reception for 400-500 people. If Al Mohler or John Piper accepts, we'll have to find a way to fly him in here and pay for hotel/meals, etc. (Sorry, the practical details do have a way of altering plans!) I've already checked with the church office to see if they have anyone coming into town the weekend of your graduation. They haven't planned that far out yet. And if Mr. Mahaney remains your top choice, we'll certainly approach him first. Keep posting your ideas. After the holidays, we'll start posting our questions asking for food preferences for your reception so we can begin the work of pricing that out, but don't post yet about your food preferences. Plenty of time for that later! Right now, our focus is speaker, white/black gowns/senior trip.

2) Janelle has asked for a little more time to complete your discs from the senior pictures. You all will be receiving a disc with approximately 450 pictures on it. She's done quite a bit of work for very little money, so be sure and thank her when you see her!

3) Shoes for graduation - That may be one of the decisions the parents make. The type of shoe you wear can diminish a ceremony meant to be dignified, so I'll be asking the parents for their input on this one.

4) It looks like the votes are in for the girls to wear white. One of our fall deadlines will be to measure and order your caps/gowns, so that decision has to be final by October 8th. Keep posting on this one girls.

5) Just to let you know that Mrs. Poelma is doing the research for your senior trip to NY. So, what would you like to see there? Lion King is running on Broadway (Drew Jones said it was fantastic). Start posting your ideas. (She has been checking into hotel accommodations in New Jersey to save $$$, so you can do other things.) Parents, any thoughts as well on this?

6) Do you all want to do any fundraising to pay for your trip or outside speaker's expenses? Post ideas, but we'll leave the initiative and work of that up to you all. Someone will have to step up to the plate on this one. I do know that Brewster's Ice Cream (on 355) and Krispy Kreme Donuts Shoppe do offer fundraising ideas you could look into. Can't miss with ice cream and donuts! You could sell them at all the sports games this season! Or, I think Krispy Kreme sells gift certificates you can buy and give as gifts, but you can make $$$ on the sale of the gift certificate.

And kudos to Mrs. Hartnett for being the first brave MOM to post! Seniors - this blog is also for your parents' feedback as well, so we want their ideas too.

Thanks for making the blog so interesting to read! And Taylor, try to stay away from fashion statements, okay?!
Mrs. Hoover

Picture People

Hi All - Just wondering who the photographers are among you. I know that Taylor, Lauren, Lydia, and Kristen all take pictures. Anyone else good with a camera? I'm asking because I want to make sure that lots of events get coverage this year: team sports, beginning with the girls varsity volleyball team and varsity soccer teams, then the basketball teams, golf and baseball teams. I'm trying to think ahead to events we would want pictures for. Here's what I've come with so far: team sports throughout the year, Harvest Party, 10:31 banquet, senior trip, caregroups, and any other times you all get together to hang out. Is there any event I'm forgetting here?

Could you post if you'd be willing to take pictures and of what event? If you'd be willing to make a disc of pictures and turn it over to Michael Hartnett for your slide show,that would be great.Thanks for your help on this!

Hey, would you all like a big group picture at the Banquet? Let me know so we can arrange for that.- Mrs. Hoover

Senior Pics

Hey Seniors - I wanted to give you a quick answer to the question about getting your senior picture disc from Janelle. She'll need some time to convert the pictures, so you'll have both black/white and color pictures on your disc, plus the class picture, plus all the candid and group shots. Then she's individualizing each disc for you, and creating two masters, one for the slide show and one for the seniors doing the graduation booklet. She'll turn all the discs over to me, and I'll notify you all when they come in. We can then work something out for you to get your disc. Hope that helps! - Mrs. Hoover

Graduation speaker Part 2

Hey Everyone - Mrs. Hoover here. You're all giving some great suggestions for graduation speakers. Continue to let us know your top choices and why. To answer Taylor's question about schedule - he's right. Mr. Mahaney's schedule may not allow him to speak. That's why we need to know your top 3 choices by our October 8th meeting. Once we've solidified the top 3 (and we may need to go on to 4,5,6,etc. depending on speaker availability) we'll contact the top choice. Hopefully, an 8-month advance notice will serve their schedules but previous graduating classes have let me know that even that is not enough notice and they are already booked. And don't forget to pray and ask the Lord to give us the right person for this special event!

Also, just to clarify, anyone who does not identify themselves in a comment will be automatically deleted.

Rules about posting

Okay guys, I guess we need to establish a few ground rules about commenting. Here they are:

1) Always identify yourself in the comment. We'd prefer that your actual username reflected that (i.e. Sam B., Katie V., Jimmy S., etc.), but if you refuse to change the name (i.e. Steph) please sign your name to the bottom of the comment.

2) We would like to ask that only seniors and their parents comment on the blog. Whoever Purple Monkey is, we appreciate the fact that you're interested in this, but this really is the senior's blog, and is for getting information out to the seniors and getting feedback from the seniors.

3) On a related note, try to keep the discussions at least partially serious. Humor is great, but this blog is meant for a practical purpose, and it needs to serve that purpose. So try and help us out by keeping the discussion on topic.

Thanks everybody for participating and embracing this whole blog idea! And make sure you continue to leave your comments on the below post, since we still need a lot of people's votes.

Graduation Speaker

Okay guys, we talked about this at the meeting, so here's what we'd like you to tell us:

• Give us your three choices for your graduation speaker and why.
• Should we do a senior trip or several special activities throughout the year? Whichever you choose, give us your ideas for trips and/or activities.
• Do the girls want white or black graduation gowns? (sorry guys, you all get black, hope you're not disappointed)