Calvin-Parents E-Newsletter: April 6, 2010

We still need YOU to ReCommend Calvin

Alumni, it's your turn! You are our best ambassadors. Help us recruit students to the school you love.

Talk to high school students, parents, guidance counselors, pastors—even students already admitted to Calvin. Tell your Calvin story, and let us know who you're talking to!  After your conversation with that student or students, please fill out a brief form that summarizes the conversation and you will get a coffee card for a free latte the next time you are on campus.  But you need to do this by April 15, 2010, to be eligible for the free coffee and also to be registered for a drawing for Calvin books, tickets and clothing. 

Here's another idea.  Why not bring a student to a Calvin event?

Commencement 2010

Commencement will be held on May 22, 2010, in the Van Noord Arena. See the Commencement site for information on tickets and the full event schedule.  Here are a few things you should note if you are a parent of a graduate:

The Van Noord Arena has wheelchair-accessible seating available. However, please note that most of the general admission seating requires climbing stairs which some grandparents find to be too steep, and the overflow venues may be more comfortable for guests. Graduates must communicate requests for accessible seating accommodations in advance for any guest requiring wheelchair seating or accessible lower row seating. (The accessible seating sections are reserved for the person needing the assistance and one guest. Additional family members must sit in general admission seating.)   Visit this site for more information about tickets and seating.

These requests can be submitted on the graduate's ticket order form or via the box office.  Ticket order forms are due by April 23.

The Commencement Hotline is 800-560-6391 or 616-526-8615.  You may also email events@calvin.edu.

Honors Convocation

Calvin College will hold its 56th annual Honors Convocation at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 21 in the Calvin College Chapel.The event recognizes not only the students who will graduate with honors in one or more subjects, but the Dean's List honorees, many of whom have been on the list every year of their Calvin careers. Honors graduates will receive gold honors medallions and Dean's List honorees from all classes will receive certificates. Families are welcome; tickets not required.

Read more about the Honors Program from students in the program and recent graduates.

Commencement: Breakfast for Parents of Graduates

Join President Byker and other Calvin administrators for a special Commencement weekend event, the Breakfast for Parents of Graduates, 9 a.m.–10:30 a.m., on Commencement morning in the Prince Conference Center.  Seating is limited to 300 parents.

Tickets must be purchased in advance and are $15/person. The ticket order form was included in the Commencement letter mailed to parents in December.  Beakfast tickets may also be purchased online, or by calling the box office at 616-526-6282. Tickets will be on sale until May 14 and will be mailed directly to the parents' home.

See the Commencement site for information on tickets and the full event schedule.

Calvin Spring Classic

Everyone can get in on the fun when the 20th annual Calvin 5k Run/Walk and the Karen Muyskens Family Fun Run hits campus on April 24, 2010.  There will be a new USAT&F-approved course with start and finish lines near the new Spoelhof Fieldhouse Complex. The Grand Rapids and Lakeshore area alumni chapters of the Calvin Alumni Association host this race. Because of our generous corporate partners, all entry fees go toward student scholarships!  Sign up today [online registration].

Academic Advising

On April 28-29, Calvin schedules two days of Academic Advising Recess.  This is a time when classes are not in session so that faculty can meet with their advisees.  Students are instructed to meet with their advisor during this time (per faculty schedule) and prepare for registration.  In fact, students must meet with their assigned advisor in order to be cleared  for KnightVision registration.  Please do all you can to encourage your student to take full advantage of academic advising.  In addition to meeting with an advisor, academic advising recess is a good time to get caught up on reading assignments and writing papers.  It should not be a time to leave campus for a long weekend getaway.

Here's more information about academic advising services.

FFW 2010

The Festival of Faith & Writing (FFW) will take place at Calvin from April 15 to 17, 2010. Presenters will include Eugene Peterson, Mary Karr, Wally Lamb, Kate DiCamillo, Richard Rodriguez, Stephanie Kallos, Parker Palmer, Luci Shaw, and Stephen Carter, among many others. Even though conference registration is closed, many events will be open to the public. Tickets for these events may be purchased through the Calvin College Box Office.   If you want to read some of the books from presenters who will be at FFW, visit the Festival Favorites page.  There is also a Recommended Reading page with a list of recommended books from all the presenters.

The Summer Academy

The Summer Academy is a real life "Calvin try-on" for ninth through 12th graders looking for an early or pre-college experience that will test and improve their academic readiness for post-high school studies.  Real college credit, real campus life---all in Calvin's distinctively Christian learning and living environment.  See all the pre-college programs that are offered, such as ACE International, Entrada Scholars Program, and Pathways to Possibilities to name a few. To apply, complete the application, for which there is no fee, available online and return it with the required documentation by April 30, 2010.
-Julie Veeneman, program manager

Check the Parent Calendar for important dates

Bookmark the Parent Calendar page to keep track of important dates throughout the year, including:

Apr. 9: Last day to drop full semester courses; last day to change full semester courses from credit to audit
Apr. 20: Tuition, room & board payment due
Apr. 21: Honors Convocation 7:30 p.m.
Apr. 27-28: Academic Advising (no classes scheduled)
Apr. 29: Registration for Fall 2010 begins
Apr. 30: Last day to drop second-half semester courses; last day to change second-half semester courses from credit to audit