Seniors

Excelsior Prep High School students can graduate with:

Local Diploma
Regents Diploma
Advanced Regents with Distinction Diploma
Capstone Degree

& up to 16 College Credits for free.

Senior Contract 2023-24

2023-24 Senior Contract

Excelsior Preparatory High School

Springfield Gardens Educational Campus, Rm. 331

143-10 Springfield Blvd.

Springfield Gardens, NY 11413

Phone: 718-525-6507 | Fax: 525-6276

Rodney Orji, Principal

Tomas Baez, Assistant Principal

Jabari N Kosi, Assistant Principal

October 10th, 2023

Dear Parents/Guardians:

Congratulations! Your child has reached a major crossroad in education: their final year in high school!!! Though we are celebrating their transition into adulthood and/or college life throughout this school-year, we want to remind our kids of a very important life lesson: everything comes at a cost. The Department of Education, unfortunately, makes no financial provision for any senior class activity–not even graduation ceremony! For this reason, students and their families must pay for senior activities.

We are planning various events to celebrate your child’s final year in high school and we want to ensure that you are aware of the costs associated with these activities. As you budget for specific senior expenses, please note that all payments are nonrefundable. There will be deadlines for all payments, which are outlined on the second page of this letter, and you and your family can choose to participate in additional senior activities outside of “Senior Dues”. There will be some payments that you will make directly to the school (e.g. “Senior Dues”); however, there are activities/services that you will pay for directly through certain contracted vendors (e.g. “Senior Pictures”). We hope that a detailed breakdown of senior-related expenses and a schedule for payment deadlines will help families plan and prepare for their child’s senior year accordingly.

We are also asking that each student, along with his/her/their parent/guardian, carefully read the attached “Senior Contract”, sign it and return it to Mrs. Smath. In an effort to be as transparent as possible, we want students and parents to be aware that certain behaviors and violations of school policies can jeopardize a student’s ability to participate in senior activities, including graduation ceremony. This agreement specifically states that if a student is found to be ineligible to participate in any senior activity, due to negative conduct, money will not be refunded for any paid activity– this is inclusive of commencement and prom. Excelsior expects our seniors to be leaders and model representatives of their families and our school.

Thank you again for partnering with us and allowing us to learn with and from your child. Though we will miss your child dearly when they graduate, we are grateful for being part of their academic journeys. We’re excited to celebrate with them this school-year and look forward to witnessing more of their accomplishments!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Geri Smath

Senior Activities Coordinator (SAC)

Cc: Rodney Orji, Principal

Cc: Tomas Baez, Assistant Principal

Cc: Jabari N Kosi, Assistant Principal

Cc: Leightotya Johnson-Reid, Guidance Counselor

“SENIOR DUES”:

Cost: $250

Covered Items/Activities:

Senior Breakfast - Friday 10/6/23
Yearbook
Senior BBQ
Senior Banquet/Awards Night (in-house) - Thursday 5/30/24
Graduation Attire (Graduation Cap, Gown, Tassel, Diploma Cover, & Custom Stole)
Graduation Ceremony (tents, chairs, decorations and technical equipment for streaming the event)
Senior Gear: Student-designed sweatshirt, sweatpants, and t-shirt.

Payment Deadlines (to be paid in two installments of $80 and 1 installment of $90):

Monday, October 30th, 2023
Monday, November 27th, 2023
Friday, January 19, 2024

Yearbook : Will be disseminated to students in June 2024 (date TBA)

Senior BBQ : June 13, 2024 - 2:00pm

Graduation Details:

Wednesday, June 26, 2024, 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Only seniors who have met graduation requirements for June 2024 will be eligible to attend the ceremony.
Graduates must be present 1 1/2 hours prior to start time (10:30am).

Tentative January graduation date: January 26, 2023 1-3 pm

ADDITIONAL SENIOR ACTIVITIES/ITEMS TO PURCHASE:

Senior Pictures: Picture Day will be 3 days this year. Seniors will receive an appointment card for 1/17/24, 1/18/24 or 1/19/24.

Option 1: Pay a sitting fee of $15 on the date of your appointment to be photographed. (studio chooses your yearbook photo with this option)
Option 2: Pay $30 on the date of appointment , this includes sitting fee AND access to view proofs on www.continentalstudios.com and make a selection for your yearbook photo. Students may view all photo package options via this website as well.

Cost: Varies depending on package selection. Payments will be made directly to the vendor, Continental Studios.

Prom: Prom date, location, and cost are all TBA. Payment deadline is on Monday, February 12th, 2024.

Senior Trips: There is a winter overnight trip to Villa Roma planned for February 9-11th, and a spring Six Flags Grad Nite Trip planned for June 7th 2024 . Trip cost and payment deadline are all TBA.

PAYMENTS: Collection of “Senior Dues” will take place only during 5th periods Tuesday & Thursday to Mrs. Smath in Room 335. Please do not submit funds to anyone else. A receipt will be issued for every payment made. Personal checks will not be accepted; payments should be made in cash or money orders. Money orders should be written out to Excelsior Preparatory High School. Payments to all senior activities are nonrefundable. Only seniors who are on track for graduation with their cohort are eligible to attend the prom.

Excelsior Preparatory High School

Springfield Gardens Educational Campus

143-10 Springfield Blvd.

Springfield Gardens, NY 11413

Phone: 718-525-6507 | Fax: 525-6276

Rodney Orji, Principal

Tomas Baez, Assistant Principal

Jabari N’Kosi, Assistant Principal

SENIOR CONTRACT 2023-2024

I ______________________________________, do agree to abide by the following items of this senior contract for the remainder of my senior year:

Maintain good academic standing in all enrolled courses (attain at least a passing grade of 65 in each class at the end of each marking period).

Complete all course requirements as per Excelsior Preparatory High School, and earn 44 credits, as per New York State requirements.

Attend at least two parent teacher conferences or senior specific parent meetings with parent or guardian or parent calls to discuss needs for graduation with a counselor directly.

Have no more than 10 unexcused absences (excluding school sponsored activities) per any one class (3 tardies = 1 absence). Medical exceptions will be considered at the discretion of school administration.

Have no more than one (1) suspension and/or class removal.

Meet all financial obligations–including senior dues, text books and library books.

Participate in all graduation rehearsals (during June Regents Week).

Refrain from participation in senior pranks or any activity that defaces school property or disrupts school events.

I___________________________ have carefully read this contract with my parent(s)/guardian(s) and agree to meet the expectations outlined as a senior at Excelsior Preparatory High School. I also understand that if I fail to meet any of the aforementioned expectations, I will be putting myself at risk of being excluded from certain and/or all senior activities, including commencement, at the discretion of the Principal.

_______________________________ ______________________________

Student Print Name Student Signature

_______________________________ ______________________________

Parent/Guardian Name Parent/Guardian Signature

Date: ________________________

When to Apply for College in the Fall

Applying to college entails a considerable amount of planning. While you can start some parts at the beginning of your senior year of high school, it's recommended that you request recommendation letters and take the SAT or ACT your junior year. This tip is especially important for those planning to apply for an early admission decision.

Early action and early decision are ideal options for students who are prepared to apply early their senior year. Often resulting in an admission decision by mid-December, these options give students plenty of time to relax and enjoy their final semester of high school. Additionally, students who apply early to college may enjoy higher acceptance rates than regular decision applicants.

To meet an early deadline, you should begin the application process the summer before your senior year, focusing your efforts on writing your essay(s), gathering letters of recommendation, and taking (or retaking) the SAT/ACT.

Though early admission is growing in popularity, most students opt for the regular decision window. For students who need additional time to compare schools, perfect their essays, or retake the SAT/ACT, regular decision may be your best option. Be sure to request letters of recommendation by September of your senior year, as teachers tend to get extremely busy in late fall due to midterms and other recommendation requests.

Remember that no one student is the same. If you don't feel your application is ready to submit by an earlier deadline, hold off until the regular decision deadline. If you're ready to apply early, though, take the leap and enjoy the rest of high school without the looming stress of college applications.

Typical Fall College Application Deadlines

	APPLICATION DEADLINE	ADMISSION DECISON
Early Action	November	December
Early Decision	November	December
Regular Decision	January / February	March / April
Rolling Admission	Varies	Usually within 4 - 6 weeks

CONGRATULATIONS on reaching a major crossroad in your education. As a senior you need to budget for specific senior expenses. The Department of Education makes no financial provision for any senior class activity-not even the cost of graduation. For this reason, senior class activities must be paid for by the student.

June 8th 2023 Rising Seniors Meeting Recording

Important Upcoming Senior Dates

Things left to pay for

GRADUATION is currently scheduled for June 25th 2025 12:00pm-3:00pm, at Hofstra University - John Cranford Adams Playhouse.

Graduation Practice
There will be 2 mandatory graduation practices, the first on June 9 at 10am, and the second on June 16 -
our last day of classes time TBA - (it will be after school). Both rehearsals will be in the Auditorium.

Date/Time/Location
This year’s graduation ceremony will be held at the John Cranford Adams Playhouse on the Hofstra
University Campus on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. The ceremony will begin promptly at 12:00 pm.

Student Report Time
All seniors are being asked to report to the John Cranford Adams Playhouse by 10am for organization and
rehearsal. Parents, guardians and guests will be invited to enter the playhouse at 11:30am.

Tickets
All guests who are NOT graduates will need a ticket to enter. Tickets will be distributed to graduating
seniors along with cap and gowns on Friday June 20 from 12:30-2:30 in the vestibule at the front
entrance to school. All graduates were offered 5 tickets to graduation, and given the option to request
additional if needed via a google form posted in the Class of 2025 Google classroom. This form was asked
to be completed by April first and serves as their RSVP to graduation. Our graduation venue does have a
maximum capacity, we will do our best to fulfill ticket requests but cannot over fill the venue.

Dress
All seniors should dress appropriately for this special occasion, this is a celebration of their high school
career. The playhouse is air conditioned. Female students are advised to wear comfortable and safe
shoes as they will be going up and down stairs. Accessories such as hats and pocketbooks are not
permitted, students will not be allowed to carry anything onto the stage.

Please feel free to reach out to Mrs. Smath via phone 718-525-6507, or email [email protected]
with any further questions.