What is Grad Night?
SHS Grad Night is a party for graduating seniors. It is held from 10 p.m. the night of Graduation and continues until 5 a.m. the next morning. Grad Night is a special celebratory event in a safe environment on campus, supervised by parents and SHS staff. It allows the SHS Class of 2016 one last chance to be together before embarking onto new schools, new jobs, and new adventures! Why is the timing from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.? Previous SHS graduating classes recommend this timing for several reasons. The late start allows the graduates plenty of time to have dinner with family and out-of-town visitors following the graduation ceremony. Once at the Grad Night Party starting at 10 p.m., the grads stay on campus. They are safely off the roads and not at unsupervised parties. The grads have plenty of time to enjoy the night and celebrate with their friends and classmates. Can my child arrive late or leave the event early? Each class member who already purchased his/her ticket/bid may enter the party between 10 and 10:30 p.m. only. If he/she needs to leave before 5 a.m. they must be signed out by a parent/guardian. They cannot return to Grad Night once they leave the party. Can my senior bring a guest or relative to the Grad Night party? No. Only members of the Saratoga High School Class of 2016 may attend. What happens at Grad Night? Activities, games, food, and entertainment are all included in the Grad Night ticket price. Grad Night activities include: the 2016 Senior Video, live band entertainment, zipline, bungee run, 4-way trampoline, wipe-out style obstacle game, robo surfing, large screen video games, air hockey, giant "Lite-Brite," climbing tree, inflatable volleyball, faux tattoo and henna artists, fortune telling, tarot reading, music, and so much more! Food and beverage stations are set up around campus so the kids stay well fed and hydrated. Breakfast will be served in the early morning. To save money and volunteer effort this year, much of the budget and manpower will be allocated towards activities, entertainment and food. Decorations will be kept to a minimum. A special video of the Class of 2016 will be shown just before sunrise Friday morning. The video includes special moments of their years at Saratoga High as well as highlights from the Graduation Ceremony and Grad Night (yes, the MAP students and parent volunteers will be working on the video throughout the night and early morning following Graduation). What happens after Grad Night? After Grad Night, students may opt to watch the sunrise together from Benny Pierce field (this is unsupervised and not officially part of Grad Night). We recommend parents or trusted adult pick up their graduate following Grad Night. Will my senior enjoy this event? YES! Past seniors overwhelmingly state that Grad Night was one of their most memorable events during their years at Saratoga High School. They get to be with their friends. They can participate in activities or just hang out. Grad Night provides the structure and supervision for the night, the rest is up to them. The graduates are excited and want to celebrate together! In previous years, over 90% of the graduating class attended Grad Night. Is there supervision? Volunteers and some SHS staff will be on campus at all times. Volunteers may be manning the food or activity stations, working in the casino, or securing the outside perimeter. The students are required to sign a form (in the bid sheet) stating that he/she will adhere to SHS rules during the event. Tell me about the volunteer requirement. To host a large event like this, we rely on parent volunteers to help with preparation, planning, set up, clean up, food, supervision, or working a shift at Grad Night. With each family providing one parent volunteer who can work for a 3-4 hour shift, we will be set! Already, many Class of 2016 parent volunteers are already in place planning and preparing to ensure that Grad Night is ready for our seniors. If you want to join the committee, please contact our chairpersons Diane Clement and Cindy Hayes. Open Committee positions are posted on the Contact page. Signups for Grad Night shifts will be sent in Spring. How does my senior sign up to attend? Parents and students both need to complete the Grad Night Ticket (Bid) order form and permission slip. Submitting your bid form early helps the Grad Night Committee plan and budget for the event. The earlier you submit your ticket/bid order, the more it helps the planning process. Be sure to sign BOTH pages of the form. What are Memory Boards? Memory boards are a cherished part of Grad Night. Parents (or a creative family member) creates a collage of photos and momentos to commemorate their graduating senior. Memory boards are displayed during Grad Night and in the days before. The seniors love to see each other's boards. After Grad Night, you may keep the board as a momento. See the Memory Board page for more details. More information coming soon |