Anonymous
Post 06/11/2025 12:13     Subject: JR Graduation: unfortunate timing...
Apparently, the city's approach to revitalizing Wards 7 & 8 is to build nice facilities there and then force everyone across the city to go there, no matter how inconvenient.

Thearc, Carefirst, Nats Youth Baseball Academy, etc etc.

The facilities don't really add to the time or money I spend in surrounding neighborhoods. But they do add A LOT to the amount of time I spend on 695.
Anonymous
Post 06/11/2025 12:02     Subject: JR Graduation: unfortunate timing...
Anonymous wrote:Some JR kids live closer to Congress Heights than Friendship Heights. It's probably cheaper to get Carefirst than other locations closer to JR, and it's climate-controlled (which is nice because I almost fainted at a sibling's graduation outdoors in late June!). Many of the MoCo schools still have graduation at Constitution Hall, right? Carefirst is closer to the metro than that and probably a shorter drive minus the street closures. This is one more reason the parade is dumb but DCPS planned this well before the parade.


The parade is the problem- no one had an issue about where the graduation is. But having to navigate through or around town when this mess is happening is not smart and not safe. DCPS should be able to plan and pivot now that this parade is happening and the closures and the crowds. It’s just terrible “crisis management” because there is time to make a change and they are not addressing it at all
Anonymous
Post 06/11/2025 10:20     Subject: JR Graduation: unfortunate timing...
Anonymous wrote:I’ve never understood why Deal MS (with the same cohort size) can graduate at the AU gym and other DCPS high school can graduate at the AU gym, and AU gym is about 1 mile from JR but for some reason they pick a place complete across town and foreign to most of the JR students and families.


“Foreign” to JR students and families? Do you EVER leave NW?
Anonymous
Post 06/11/2025 10:12     Subject: JR Graduation: unfortunate timing...
Some JR kids live closer to Congress Heights than Friendship Heights. It's probably cheaper to get Carefirst than other locations closer to JR, and it's climate-controlled (which is nice because I almost fainted at a sibling's graduation outdoors in late June!). Many of the MoCo schools still have graduation at Constitution Hall, right? Carefirst is closer to the metro than that and probably a shorter drive minus the street closures. This is one more reason the parade is dumb but DCPS planned this well before the parade.
Anonymous
Post 06/11/2025 08:52     Subject: JR Graduation: unfortunate timing...
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I’ve never understood why Deal MS (with the same cohort size) can graduate at the AU gym and other DCPS high school can graduate at the AU gym, and AU gym is about 1 mile from JR but for some reason they pick a place complete across town and foreign to most of the JR students and families.


Hmm, our two Deal graduations were at the school by team.


My older kid’s graduation in 2019 was at Bender. The next kid graduated in 2021 and Deal did it outside in their team because it was still Covid time.

I guess they just stuck with that.

Bender is huge and could handle JR graduation. If they put it to a vote, I am sure 90%+ would be fine just doing it outside on the football field vs CareFirst arena.



Absolutely!
Anonymous
Post 06/11/2025 08:51     Subject: JR Graduation: unfortunate timing...
Anonymous wrote:I'll note that Anacostia's graduation is at 9am the same day at UDC Van Ness. And Ballou's is 9am Friday at AU. The graduation schedule looks like it was done to make everyone's travel as inconvenient as possible.


Stuff like this makes it feel like Bowser is engaged in low intensity warfare/counterinsurrection with all of DC. Like if a city executive branch had BPD
Anonymous
Post 06/11/2025 08:49     Subject: JR Graduation: unfortunate timing...
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I’ve never understood why Deal MS (with the same cohort size) can graduate at the AU gym and other DCPS high school can graduate at the AU gym, and AU gym is about 1 mile from JR but for some reason they pick a place complete across town and foreign to most of the JR students and families.


Hmm, our two Deal graduations were at the school by team.


My older kid’s graduation in 2019 was at Bender. The next kid graduated in 2021 and Deal did it outside in their team because it was still Covid time.

I guess they just stuck with that.

Bender is huge and could handle JR graduation. If they put it to a vote, I am sure 90%+ would be fine just doing it outside on the football field vs CareFirst arena.

Anonymous
Post 06/11/2025 08:36     Subject: JR Graduation: unfortunate timing...
Anonymous wrote:I’ve never understood why Deal MS (with the same cohort size) can graduate at the AU gym and other DCPS high school can graduate at the AU gym, and AU gym is about 1 mile from JR but for some reason they pick a place complete across town and foreign to most of the JR students and families.


Hmm, our two Deal graduations were at the school by team.
Anonymous
Post 06/11/2025 07:15     Subject: JR Graduation: unfortunate timing...
I’ve never understood why Deal MS (with the same cohort size) can graduate at the AU gym and other DCPS high school can graduate at the AU gym, and AU gym is about 1 mile from JR but for some reason they pick a place complete across town and foreign to most of the JR students and families.
Anonymous
Post 06/10/2025 22:35     Subject: JR Graduation: unfortunate timing...
Anonymous wrote:The 3 schools that are at Carefirst arena are all in NW which was fine until the military parade. It will be very difficult to get there from JR. jR graduation is at 530 . I am concerned it will end up being cancelled because of this parade/military show of force, and have written to council and chancellor to ask them to pivot to plan B but have not heard anything. The first 2 schools graduations are 9 and 1230 but then JR is smack in the middle of the parade and I think having people have to trek across and through town in that day is actually very irresponsible- I think it could be very dangerous. I encourage anyone who is concerned to voice that concern to council and chancellor Ferebee.


I wonder if is possible to move the events to Sunday but keep the same locations?
Anonymous
Post 06/10/2025 22:12     Subject: JR Graduation: unfortunate timing...
Anonymous wrote:The 3 schools that are at Carefirst arena are all in NW which was fine until the military parade. It will be very difficult to get there from JR. jR graduation is at 530 . I am concerned it will end up being cancelled because of this parade/military show of force, and have written to council and chancellor to ask them to pivot to plan B but have not heard anything. The first 2 schools graduations are 9 and 1230 but then JR is smack in the middle of the parade and I think having people have to trek across and through town in that day is actually very irresponsible- I think it could be very dangerous. I encourage anyone who is concerned to voice that concern to council and chancellor Ferebee.


Even the 12:30 graduation will be a mess. They are starting to close roads and highway exits on Thursday. Friday there are a ton of roads closed. Quite frankly no one should be driving around the city on Saturday, the whole day is going to be a mess.
Anonymous
Post 06/10/2025 22:05     Subject: JR Graduation: unfortunate timing...
The 3 schools that are at Carefirst arena are all in NW which was fine until the military parade. It will be very difficult to get there from JR. jR graduation is at 530 . I am concerned it will end up being cancelled because of this parade/military show of force, and have written to council and chancellor to ask them to pivot to plan B but have not heard anything. The first 2 schools graduations are 9 and 1230 but then JR is smack in the middle of the parade and I think having people have to trek across and through town in that day is actually very irresponsible- I think it could be very dangerous. I encourage anyone who is concerned to voice that concern to council and chancellor Ferebee.
Anonymous
Post 06/10/2025 20:51     Subject: JR Graduation: unfortunate timing...
Jackson Reed 2024 Graduation - ESA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-e_VdOY5FHY&t=2899s

Jackson Reed 2023 Graduation - ESA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdxrhlCqRts

Jackson Reed 2022 Graduation - ESA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RqHERXhyMM

2021 Graduation - DC United
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfqYYSoYG-0

2020 Graduation - Virtual

2019 Graduation - Constitution Hall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBJw1zLdWmk

2018 Graduation - Constitution Hall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVlGi2TNefI


Y'all might want to get a grip. This weekend is not great timing, but they have OBVIOUSLY had it there for awhile. It will be live streamed on YouTube.

In 2009, the graduation was at Bender Arena.
Anonymous
Post 06/10/2025 20:43     Subject: JR Graduation: unfortunate timing...
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The full list if you are interested: https://dcps.dc.gov/page/graduation-ceremonies


If you look at the three schools that are going to the Mystics Stadium in SE they are the three schools with the largest enrollment. I know people like to complain and imagine that the city is out to get them, but there is always the option that they pick the locations for a reason.
Either way, it is really not the end of the world, our city is not very big and as was mentioned above if you really don’t want to drive across town or a hotel room at the Gaylord and drive up the next day!


Yes, it's mostly about the size of the class. Jackson Reed is so big that very few venues in DC can handle the crowd. The UDC theater for the arts, which is much more convenient, is way way way too small. But Bender Arena is the same size as ESA, both 4500 capacity. So I have no idea why Jackson Reed is not at Bender.
Anonymous
Post 06/10/2025 18:17     Subject: JR Graduation: unfortunate timing...
Anonymous wrote:The full list if you are interested: https://dcps.dc.gov/page/graduation-ceremonies


If you look at the three schools that are going to the Mystics Stadium in SE they are the three schools with the largest enrollment. I know people like to complain and imagine that the city is out to get them, but there is always the option that they pick the locations for a reason.
Either way, it is really not the end of the world, our city is not very big and as was mentioned above if you really don’t want to drive across town or a hotel room at the Gaylord and drive up the next day!