Welcome to your Grade 12 year! This will be an exciting and busy year. The following is a general overview of what to expect this year regarding grad activities and events.

STAY INFORMED

The McNair website and Instagram account will host information about upcoming events and activities for your reference, but you will mostly be contacted via email and announcements (ensure that the email addresses we have on file for you and your family are correct in MyEd – check with the office if you are unsure). A reminder that all grad events have a deadline for ticket purchases. Late purchases will not be possible, as we have contracts with external facilities that do not allow for last-minute ticket purchases.

BEHAVIOUR EXPECTATIONS

At McNair, we expect and trust that our students will always display kind and respectful behaviour and will follow our school rules. Inappropriate behaviour, grad stunts/pranks, and possession or consumption of alcohol, vape products or other substances either at school or at any grad events will lead to the student possibly being denied participation in grad events or activities. Please note that camping trips, house parties, grad kidnap, or holiday vacations are NOT sponsored or sanctioned by the school. If you are unsure it is a “school event,” please ask the school’s Administration.

GRAD EVENTS & IMPORTANT INFORMATION

ANNUAL GRAD FEST KICK OFF – September/October

Grad Council will host a GRAD KICK OFF LUNCH with pizza, t-shirt signing and more at lunch on Friday, October 2^nd. Tickets are $15 and will be available on School Cash Online as of September 14^th, DUE September 24. The event includes a t-shirt, markers, pizza, and juice.

GRAD PHOTOS – January 16^th – 20^th

Artona will take formal photographs in sitting appointments on January 16 – 20. Grads must sign up online for a photo sitting with Artona; the booking site has already opened. These photos will be taken in a mobile studio which will be parked in our parking lot. All grads need to be photographed by Artona for the 2026 Grad Composite that will hang in the school hallways. Students can also sign up for optional group photos with friends. All grads will receive a small version of the grad composite with their certificate at the Valedictory Ceremony. If you do not have your photo taken by Artona, your image and your name will NOT be included in the composite, and your photo will NOT be in the yearbook. Bookings can be made at www.artona.com. If you miss these dates, you must make an appointment to have your photos taken at Artona in Vancouver. Call to make an appointment: 604-872-7272.

AUTUMN GALA – October 16^th - $80

On October 16^th, we will host our Autumn Gala at The Metro Hall in New Westiminster. Autumn Gala is a semi-formal dinner that includes a buffet dinner, photo booth, music, and dancing. Ticket purchase – TBA.

BOAT CRUISE – April 30^th – $115

Boat Cruise is our first BIG off-site event, taking place on Tuesday, October 1^st. This will be a semi-formal event where we will cruise around spectacular sights from the water in downtown Vancouver for 3 hours. Tickets include soft drinks, buffet dinner, DJ, and dancing. There is a tight deadline for this event and late tickets will NOT be available.

SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION – March/April

In March and April, students will be asked to submit a scholarship application. This one application makes students eligible for over 50 scholarships available through McNair’s scholarship program. Scholarship amounts range from $250 – $2,000 each. Students are also encouraged to apply for external community scholarships.

YEARBOOK WRITE-UP

All grads must submit a brief write-up to accompany your grad photo to be included in the yearbook. These will be due in early February. More information to be provided closer to the time.

VALEDICTORY COMMENTS

In May, you will be required to submit a comment to be read as you cross the stage at Valedictory.

VALEDICTORY – June 15^th $75 - includes grad gown/cap/tassel/grad composite and two tickets $15 each for additional tickets)

Our Valedictory Ceremony will on Monday, June 23^rd at 7:00pm at the Chan Centre at UBC in Vancouver. At the ceremony, grads will receive a school leaving certificate (not their actual Ministry of Education Dogwood certificate which will be mailed to families in late summer/early fall). Scholarships are also presented. Students wear a graduation gown, stole and cap which they can keep. Grads – prior to Valedictory we may be double checking your height in order to order a gown that fits you, and we will need a Valedictory comment which will be read as you cross the stage. Listen for announcements for both deadlines – TBA. Each grad will receive 2 guest tickets included in their Valedictory fee of $70. Additional tickets will be sold in stages for $15 each through the UBC website (information will be emailed out in May). There will a mandatory assembly and Valedictory rehearsal for all grad 12s on June 11^th.

GRAD DINNER DANCE-$150

The Dinner Dance will be held at the Richmond Country Club on Friday, June 23, 2025. The ticket price includes a formal gourmet dinner, dessert, soft drinks, DJ and dancing overlooking a beautiful golf course. Graduates traditionally dress in formal wear. Ticket purchases – TBA.

OTHER INFORMATION

GRAD COUNCIL & OTHER GRAD EVENTS

Our Grad Council…

-support fundraisers

-accessible events & little items

-legacy gift

GRAD WEAR (Nov/Dec)

Grad clothing will be designed by students and go through a voting process before becoming available for purchase later this fall. More information TBA.

POST-SECONDARY

Grade 12s have many questions about post-graduation. We will host a special Grade 12 Info Night. There will also be a variety of post-secondary fairs and sessions over the year. Grade 12s are encouraged to listen to announcements and check our website for events and deadlines. Linda Hudson is our Career Advisor, and her website should be regularly visited: https://mcnair.sd38.bc.ca/students/career-centre-information

SCHOLARSHIPS

There are many McNair and external scholarships that Grade 12s can apply for. More information about McNair scholarships will be provided in the Spring. Check our website and listen for announcements about scholarships.

TVRs

Grade 12s will have to check their Transcript Verification Report (TVR) carefully to make sure they have all the courses they need to graduate. Students also need to make sure they have all the prerequisites that meet the requirements of whichever post-secondary institution they are planning to attend. TVRs are distributed in the Fall and the Spring. Our first mandatory TVR meeting will take place on during Flex (Nov. and Feb.) All grade 12s must attend. View the attached Power Point at the bottom of the page to review how to check your TVR.

CLC/CAPSTONE & NUMERACY/LITERACY REQUIREMENTS

Career Life Connections (CLC) and Capstone are graduation requirements set by the BC Ministry of Education. In order to help our students meet these requirements, our Career Ed teachers will hold a series of mandatory meeting. Will also be on student announcements – students will receive emails from their CLC teacher and collect assignments on Moodle.

All students also need to have written the GLA 10, GNA 10, and GLA 12 in order to graduate. Dates for the sessions are on the school calendar and students will be reminded prior to the assessment dates.

GRADUATION CHECKLIST

STUDENT TRANSCRIPT SERVICE

Student Transcript Service (STS) is an online application for students to view their school marks, transcripts, scholarships and send transcripts electronically to post-secondary institutions and employers.  

Please follow the instructions on the attached Student Transcript Poster (at the bottom of the page) to guide you through this process. Before you begin, please make sure you have the following information ready:

• Your PEN (Personal Education Number)
• Full Legal Name
• Date of Birth
• Email Address

You will need to create a BCeID if you do not already have one.