To celebrate the end of secondary school education Hay War Memorial High School organises several official activities. These activities occur in the last week of Term 3.
These are outlined below:
Wednesday
All Year 12, Year 12 Advisor and other teachers participate in community based activities in the morning. During the year, the Year 12 students suggest activities they wish to do to support the Hay community.
The students, Year Advisor, Year Head Teacher, Principal and available teachers in the Year 12 team have lunch together at one of the hotel dining rooms or coffee shops in Hay. The school pays for the student lunch.
After lunch the students and staff return to school for the Staff v's Students volleyball game in Period 6.
Thursday
There are two main functions on this day: the Farewell Assembly and the Formal Dinner. As they are school functions the school colours are used for all facets of these activities and these events are held on the school grounds.
The Year 12 Farewell Assembly followed by morning tea traditionally starts at 10 am. Year 12 students receive a portfolio containing their final report and certificates for first place in subjects. They also receive a rose bud; these are from the roses from the front of the school if available or they are purchased from the florist. The students may present a slide show of photos and videos reflecting on their school years, if they wish. This slide show is vetted by the Principal and stored on a USB which is used at the Farewell Assembly a day before the assembly.
The School Captains present a gift to the school on behalf of the year group. Suitable gift ideas are discussed in consultation with the Year Adviser and Principal. This has been paid for from the Year 12 fundraising activities. A farewell Year 12 cake is cut at this assembly and used for morning tea. Additional items are supplied by the canteen and the faculty whose morning tea is that week.
The Year Advisor needs to liaise with the Food Technology teacher (Ingrid Jackson) and Food Technology SASS assistant (Sue Schneider) to enable the morning to be set up before the assembly. Students are able to invite family and friends to this assembly and morning tea. Students in younger years with siblings in Year 12 are able to stay for morning tea, whilst the rest of the school has recess in the playground.
The year 12 Dinner is held on the Thursday evening, starting at 7 pm. The dress is semi-formal. In Term 3, nominations are called for from the parents of Year 12 students to assist in the organisation of this dinner. Two parents/carers assist and if there are more than two parent's/carer's names, they are put in a box with two names pulled out. This occurs in the presence of Year 12 students. There are also two Year 12 student representatives. Nominations are called for and if more than two nominations this will go to a draw. To obtain wider range of ideas and opinions the student representatives should not be a child of a parent representative, unless there are no other student representatives. The Principal, Year Adviser, Year Head Teacher, student representatives and parents/carers co-ordinate the dinner. As the Farewell Dinner is a school function, NSW Department of Education policies must be followed.
Dinner organisation
The school decides upon a caterer, following NSW Department of Education policy.
There are two meetings to organise the dinner. The menu is nibbles or entree, main course and desert.
The first meeting is to decide upon the table and hall decorations. Parents/cares and students may seek quotes for items but CANNOT order any items; all items must be ordered using the official school purchasing system ay Hay War Memorial High. The school will not reimburse students or parents who personally pay for items.
The second meeting is to determine the cost that the dinner will be per person. The price will include the dinner per person, cost of decorations, serviettes, table cloth, music (optional), etc. If parents/carers of students have obtained quotes for dinner items this is when these quotes are needed. Once decisions are made the Year 12 Adviser can submit official purchase orders. The price of the dinner must cover all expenses. Students do pay for their dinner tickets. The school liaises with the caterer and determines the date they require the final number of guests.
Invitations
Each Year 12 student must supply the names and addresses of their guests (maximum 4 guests per Yr 12 student) they would like to attend. Children, including school students (other than HWMHS Yr 12 students) are excluded from a guest list. A guest list must include at least one parent/carer.
The invitations are sent out by the school as the school is inviting them not the student.
As this is a school function the Principal can decline the request for an invitation for a guest from a Year 12 student and the Year 12 student. All school staff and their partners will be invited to the Year 12 Dinner, which they pay for personally.
The RSVP date will be 3 days before the date the caterers require the final number of guests. A RSVP must include payment; if payment is not included the RSVP is not accepted. Year 12 students may ask at the front office if their guests have paid.
Wait staff
Year 11 students are invited to volunteer as wait staff, with Hospitality students given priority. If there are not enough volunteers from Year 11 student's individual Year 10 students are invited by the Year Adviser. Students who assist during the night will be provided a Merit Certificate for School Service. They are expected to eat dinner before the function. Students who are wait staff will be given a permission note which must be returned and include details of how they are getting home.
Setting up the hall
The students and parents along with the Year Advisor and any staff that can assist set up the hall for the dinner. The hall is usually set up after the morning tea or lunch. The parent representatives are required to help set up the hall and they ask parents to help set up the hall. Tables need to be set into position, tables set with cutlery, glasses and napkins. If a placement is being used it is a laminated Year 12 group photo for the Year 12 students and paper copy of the Year 12 photo for other guests.
Photographs
Students may organise to have photos taken at various locations around Hay before the dinner (this is not a school organised activity).
Students are asked to attend the dinner early so that a group photo can be taken in front of the main school building (this is a school organised activity). This photo may be included in the school newsletter and electronic publications. During the dinner photos can be taken by all guests. However, they need to ensure they have a person's permission to post on social media or other web sites.
There is a set format for the evening:
- Welcome and Introduction of Year 12 – Year 12 Year Advisor. Each individual Year 12 is introduced by the Year Advisor and the students come in as individual, pairs or threes and stand at the front of the hall.
- Toast to Year 12 - Incoming School Captain Team
- Reply – Outgoing School Vice Captains
- Toast to the School- outgoing School Captains
- Principal's Address to Year 12 – Principal
- Vote of thanks - Deputy Principal
- If nibbles are served on the tables this will occur before Year 12 enter. After the Toast to the School, the main meal is eaten. After the main meal the Principals address to Year 12 occurs followed by dessert. The Deputy Principal performs the Vote of thanks after dessert.
- The incoming school captains attend the dinner; the school pays for their dinner tickets and they sit at the top table.
Note: The HWMHS Principal may amend the Year 12 Activities and guidelines based on policy and/or appropriate need.