Home Education: An Excellent Choice

Graduation 2008

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2008!
HEAV Graduation Ceremony
Saturday, June 7, 2008
3:30 p.m.–5:30 p.m.

The Greater Richmond Convention Center
403 North 3rd Street
Richmond, VA 23219

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. What are the requirements to participate?
2. How can I receive information about participating?
3. What is a GRAD packet?
4. If I request a GRAD packet, does that mean I am registered for graduation?
5. When am I considered a registered graduate?
6. What is the deadline for registration?
7. When and where will the ceremony be held?
8. Do I have to be an HEAV member to participate?
9. What are the costs to participate?
10. How do I order my cap and gown, diploma, and announcements?
11. May I choose the color of my cap and gown?
12. What does the diploma look like? Does it look "official"?
13. How do I choose an inscription for my diploma?
14. Do I have to use the HEAV diploma?
15. Do the announcements serve as invitations?
16. What does the announcement look like?
17. How will the portraits look?
18. How many graduates are you expecting?
19. How many guests may I invite to the ceremony? How do I get tickets to give to my guests?
20. Do the graduate and his parents need tickets?
21. Who is the graduation speaker?
22. May we attend convention workshops?
23. What is the schedule for Graduation Day?
24. May our guests shop in the Exhibit Hall?
25. Does HEAV offer a class ring?
26. I am not familiar with the proper etiquette for the ceremony, or for addressing and sending graduation invitations or thank-you notes for our graduate's gifts. Can you offer any help?
27. Where can we find information about preparing for and taking the SAT?
28. We are looking at future plans, including college, for this graduate or another child. Do you have any resources to guide our search?

1. What are the requirements to participate?
HEAV does not have any academic (GPA, credits, or courses) or age requirements for participation in the graduation weekend. Consistent with our belief that education is the primary responsibility of parents, we leave this decision in the hands of each individual family. As long as the graduate has been home educated under Virginia law [Homeschool Statute § 22.1-254.1, Religious Exemption § 22.1-254(B)(1), the Certified Tutor Provision § 22.1-254(A), or an umbrella school], we invite your family to participate in the Class of 2008. If the participating graduate is from another state, he or she will have to have abided by the laws pertaining to home instruction in that state.
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2. How can I receive information about participating?
You may contact our graduation coordinator at 804-278-9200, or at . Please leave the following information:

Graduate's Full Name
Parents' Names
Mailing Address
Home Phone
E-mail Address (Please give a reliable address. E-mail is the primary form of communication throughout the graduation season.)

Once we have received this information, you will be informed of the next step in the registration process.
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3. What is a GRAD packet?
A GRAD (Graduation Registration And Details) Packet is a packet of information that includes all the forms necessary for registration, as well as other vital graduation information. It is sent to anyone who requests information about participating.
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4. If I request a GRAD packet, does that mean I am registered for graduation?
No. Requesting a GRAD packet is simply requesting information and details about graduation.
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5. When am I considered a registered graduate?
You are not considered a registered graduate until HEAV receives your completed registration forms (found in the GRAD packet) and your payment.
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6. What is the deadline for registration?
The application deadline was April 4, 2008.
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7. When and where will the ceremony be held?
The graduates of the Class of 2008 will receive their diplomas on Saturday, June 7, 2008, at 3:30 p.m. The ceremony will take place from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the ballroom of the Greater Richmond Convention Center at the corner of Fifth and Broad Street, in Richmond, Virginia. (Convention Center Web site)
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8. Do I have to be an HEAV member to participate?
No. Member and non-member families are invited to participate in the ceremony and graduation events.
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Photo

9. What are the costs to participate?
The application fee and cap and gown are the only required purchases.

Application Fee
Non-Members: $80
HEAV Members: $50

Cap, Gown, and Tassel: $30
Diploma: $20 + tax
Photographs: Price varies by package
Announcements (50): $35
Custom name cards (50): $17.50
HEAV Class of 2008 T-shirt: $14.50 (Adult Small through Adult XL)
HEAV Class of 2008 T-shirt: $15.50 (Adult XXL)

These items will be thoroughly explained in your GRAD Packet.
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10. How do I order my cap and gown, diploma, and announcements?
Instructions on ordering your cap and gown, diploma, announcements, and name cards will be included in the GRAD Packet.
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Photo of cap, gown, and tassel

11. May I choose the color of my cap and gown?
You may choose to wear either a royal blue or white gown, with a matching cap. The tassel color is gold. Traditionally, the men choose royal blue and the ladies choose white.
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Diploma Photo

12. What does the diploma look like? Does it look "official"?
The diploma was designed by HSLDA for home-educated graduates and is printed in rich navy and black ink on parchment. This certificate will be inscribed with the graduate's name, date of graduation, and the name of your school or curriculum. It will also include the signatures of the graduate's parents, the HEAV president, and the commencement speaker. A gold foil seal and navy ribbon adorn the diploma, which is encased in a beautiful padded and lined navy case.
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13. How do I choose an inscription for my diploma?
For the diploma wording in the section, "...has completed the course of study prescribed for graduation by...," you may want to say, "his parents," the name of your school, or a correspondence course you used. Please do not use "prescribed by the Commonwealth of Virginia." The Commonwealth of Virginia does not prescribe a curriculum or course of study for Virginia's homeschoolers. It is up to the parents to decide the course of study. This also incorrectly implies the Commonwealth of Virginia has authorized and approved your course of study.
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14. Do I have to use the HEAV diploma?
You are not required to purchase our diploma. Some families use a diploma from their local support group's graduation ceremony or simply a computer-generated certificate. If you do not choose to receive our diploma, you are required to bring something that resembles a diploma for the presentation during the ceremony. It should be flat, sturdy, clearly labeled with your full name, and measure 8 ½" by 11".
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15. Do the announcements serve as invitations?
No. They are designed to be a formal means of information to your friends and family of your graduation accomplishment.
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Announcements
[Photo Credit: Seth Fisher/Through My Lens Photography]

16. What does the announcement look like?
The formal, white graduation announcement features a black embossed script on the front panel. If you choose to order our announcements, you will receive outer envelopes, inner envelopes, tissue inserts, and an addressing guide. You may choose to order name cards that are placed on top of the announcements.

The announcement reads as follows: Home Educators Association of Virginia is pleased to announce its Commencement Exercises for the homeschool graduates of the Class of Two Thousand and Eight, Saturday, June seventh, three-thirty in the afternoon, Greater Richmond Convention Center, Richmond, Virginia.
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Portraits

17. How will the portraits look?
Jamie Jones Photography has done an outstanding job of capturing the spirit of our graduates in individual and family portraits. You may expect the highest quality medium format (studio-quality) photograph at an affordable price. Click on the links below for more portrait information.

Photography FAQ Page
Listing of Photo Packages 

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18. How many graduates are you expecting?
The Class of 2008 is expected to have 200 graduates.
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19. How many guests may I invite to the ceremony? How do I get tickets to give to my guests?
Each graduate is initially allotted 10 tickets. You should indicate on your application the number of tickets you need for your family and friends. Since we have limited seating, we ask that you request the exact number of tickets you will use, so the "extra" tickets will be available to those who need them. The number of tickets requested on your application form will be mailed to you in your confirmation packet. "Extra" tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis after registration closes. Seating will be by general admission only and cannot be guaranteed after 3:15 p.m.
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20. Do the graduate and his parents need tickets?
The graduate and his parents do NOT need tickets. These honored guests of graduation will be wearing nametags, which replace the need for tickets.
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21. Who is the graduation speaker?
Scott Somerville is the scheduled commencement speaker. His address is titled "The Pursuit of Happiness."
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22. May we attend convention workshops?
If you would like to attend the convention, you will need to register for that separately by contacting the HEAV office at 804-278-9200 or  You should plan to attend workshops only on Thursday and Friday. Saturday will be filled with check-in, photographs, the rehearsal, and the ceremony itself.
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23. What is the schedule for Graduation Day?
Check-in will begin at 8:30 a.m. Portraits will be taken throughout the morning, by appointment. Walk-ins will be worked in whenever possible. A mandatory rehearsal for graduates and parents will take place from 1:00 p.m. until about 2:30 p.m. Graduates will begin to line up in processional order at 3:00 p.m. The ceremony will begin promptly at 3:30 p.m. It is a full day, so you should plan accordingly.
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Graduation Guests

24. May our guests shop in the Exhibit Hall?
Yes! Family members and friends who will be graduation guests and have a graduation ticket, may browse the Exhibit Hall in the adjoining Richmond Center - FREE OF CHARGE - on Friday evening after 5:00 p.m., and all day on Saturday.
They will be admitted at no cost when they show their graduation ticket.
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25. Does HEAV offer a class ring?
The Lord's Fine Jewelry will supply the Class of 2008 with individual, high-quality, reasonably priced class rings. They have a wide selection of emblems, stones, metals, and cuts from which to choose. You should contact them directly through their website, Lord's Fine Jewelry, or call 800-775-LORD, to request a catalog and pricing information. The Lord's Fine Jewelry is owned by a homeschooling family in Oklahoma, and is committed to offering only the finest-quality, hand-tooled jewelry as a testimony of the Lord's goodness and majesty!
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26. I am not familiar with the proper etiquette for the ceremony, or for addressing and sending graduation invitations or thank-you notes for our graduate's gifts. Can you offer any help?
Yes! We have put together a Graduation Etiquette Guide just for you! It will be included in your GRAD Packet.
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27. Where can we find information about preparing for and taking the SAT?
You may pick up SAT information from a local high school, or you may request a "SAT Registration Bulletin," from the HEAV office at . This bulletin tells when and where the test will be given and how to register. The following booklets, which include preparation tips and a practice test (SAT I) or sample questions (SAT II), are also available through our office: SAT I: Reasoning Test; SAT II: Subject Tests. To request one, please contact the office at or by phone at 804-278-9200. Be sure to provide your mailing address and we will be happy to fill your request. Additionally, please see our "PSAT, AP, and SAT Registration" page at http://www.heav.org/testing/testingregistration.html. You may also go to www.collegeboard.com to find information and to register online for the SAT.
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28. We are looking at future plans, including college, for this graduate or another child. Do you have any resources to guide our search?
The HEAV office has packets from the Christian Connector, Inc., which contain information on Christian colleges, Bible colleges, short-term missions, and other Christian youth opportunities. Please contact the office at or by phone at 804-278-9200. Be sure to provide your mailing address. We will be happy to fill your request.
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CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2008!
We look forward to celebrating with you and your family in June. If you have additional questions that you think would be helpful to add to this list of FAQs, please send them to .
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