Hello Seniors and Families,

Exciting times as we get closer to the upcoming graduation activities! The communication is lengthy, but please read carefully for information about graduation and other important announcements.

As students work hard to finish this senior year strong, please encourage them to attend school regularly and on time, and to stay focused to meet deadlines in their classes. Attendance matters and can affect students' graduation.

All cap and gown orders have been placed. When the order arrives at school, I will send those home with the students. It will be the student's and family's responsibility to keep up with everything and ensure the gown is steamed for graduation day. Seniors will be required to dress up and wear no athletic shoes or attire on graduation day. Only caps can be decorated, and gowns should be free of any markings or other modifications.

Due to some facility challenges in our Athletics and Arts building, our graduation ceremony will be held at Congdon Yards in High Point, NC. More detailed information will be available in future communications.

Congdon Yards

The Engine Room

410 West English Road

High Point, NC 27262

PREPARING FOR GRADUATION

Important dates are shared below to help you with your graduation planning.

• Senior Flower (Carnation) Ceremony & Reception - Wednesday, May 20 - 9:00 AM @ New Garden Friends Meeting (801 New Garden Rd)
• Senior Breakfast - Friday, May 15 - 8:30-9:45 AM @ NGFS Guilford Campus Student Activity Center (1128 New Garden Rd) - Senior Projects Shared
• Senior Walk - Friday, May 15 - 10:15-10:45 AM @ NGFS Guilford Campus (1128 New Garden Rd)
• Last Day for Seniors - Friday, May 15
• Graduation Rehearsal - TBA (Seniors Only)
• Baccalaureate - Thursday, May 21  at 6:00 pm @ New Garden Friends Meeting (801 New Garden Rd)
• Graduation - Friday, May 22 at 1:00 pm @ Congdon Yards: Engine Room (410 W. English St, High Point, NC)

ALL Families Must COMPLETE the form below:

Graduate/Family Preregistration Information Form

The form asks for the following information:

• Number of guests attending Flower (Carnation) Ceremony
• Number of guests attending the Senior Breakfast
• Number of guests attending Baccalaureate
• Number of guests attending Commencement, not including the graduate
• Correct and legal spelling for your student. This is for their diplomas and Quaker certificates.

SUBMIT Student Slideshow Photos (Graduation Ceremony): Think of this as a visual journey from students' childhoods through their senior year, capturing the authentic personalities of our seniors. Remember that we are projecting this on a large screen during graduation. Sharing high-resolution JPEG images ensures the best display quality. The higher the resolution (at least 300 dpi), the better. Share no more than 10 digital or printed images.

Submit by Friday, March 20 (These photos will be in addition to your “family pages” for the yearbook.)

FOR DIGITAL FILES (.jpeg(s)

place the .jpeg(s) files in the google drive folder shared with the student or email the .jpeg(s) directly to Jeannine using jborzello@ngfs.org

FOR PRINTED IMAGES

Place them into a zipped plastic bag or envelope, with the student’s name clearly marked on the outside, and get them to Jeannine (once the images are scanned, the photographs will be returned.)

As we approach graduation day, I will send a monthly update with details about events and important reminders. Reminder: All information shared via email will also be posted on the Class of 2026 News webpage. The webpage is private; bookmark it for quick, easy access.

Please know that we are here to help in any way we can. Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Thanks,

Tanisha Jones,

Head of Middle and Upper School

Good Morning Seniors,

I wanted to send a friendly reminder about the NC Free College Application Week next week.  You can read all about it here.  Please note that not all NC colleges and universities are participating. I am including the list of participating colleges and universities below.  The College Foundation of NC is stating that you must apply through their website (not Common App) to receive the fee waivers.  If you choose to apply to one of these schools via the CFNC website, you will need to add that college into the "Applied" column in Scoir because Scoir won't automatically update as it does when you apply to schools via Common App.  Also, please let me know via email when you have applied, so that I can send your supplemental materials.  If you aren't quite ready to apply next week, please don't worry as there is still time for you to apply to college, and many of these schools never charge an application fee. Don't hesitate to reach out with any questions.

Best,

Allie

These colleges and universities are waiving application fees for first-year applicants.

Appalachian State University 
Barton College
Belmont Abbey College
Bennett College
Brevard College
Campbell University
Carolinas College of Health Science
Catawba College
Chowan University
Davidson College
East Carolina University
Elizabeth City State University
Elon University
Fayetteville State University
Gardner-Webb University
Greensboro College
Guilford College
Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte
Johnson C. Smith University
Judson College
Lees-McRae College
Lenoir-Rhyne University
Livingstone College
Louisburg College
Mars Hill University
Meredith College
Methodist University
Mid-Atlantic Christian University
Montreat College
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
North Carolina Central University 
North Carolina Wesleyan University
Pfeiffer University
Queens University of Charlotte
Saint Augustine’s University
Salem College
Shaw University
University of Mount Olive 
University of North Carolina Asheville
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
Warren Wilson College
Western Carolina University
William Peace University
Wingate University
Winston-Salem State University

And all 58 NC Community Colleges

Hello Seniors and Families,

What an exciting time as we look forward to senior graduation activities! Thank you for sharing your students and letting us participate in these memorable times. We have an incredible group of individuals eager to step into life after New Garden. Please read this update carefully.

Allie and Maura are working closely with the senior class to help them write admissions essays and start the process toward their culminating Senior Capstone Projects. Students are working hard to close their final school year strong, receiving college acceptances, and feeling the emotions as the day draws near for them to walk across the stage.

As we move toward graduation day, “senioritis” tends to creep in, but we hope you will support us as we try to keep them on a successful path. One way to assist us is to encourage your student to attend school regularly and stay focused on their work to meet deadlines. College admissions offices do consider final grades!

PREPARING FOR GRADUATION

Order Cap & Gown: Click here to order the cap, gown, and tassel package. The tassel is not shown in the photo, but we verified it is included. Please complete your order by Monday, December 15. The cap, gown, and tassel will be shipped to the school, and families will be notified about distribution. There are also optional items available for purchase on the website. Announcements may be ordered from local printing shops; Sir Speedy in High Point has our logo on file.

As we approach graduation day, I will send a monthly update with details about events and important reminders. Reminder: All information shared via email will also be posted on the Class of 2026 News webpage. The webpage is private, and bookmark it for quick and easy access.

Please know that we are here to help in any way. Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Thanks,

Tanisha Jones
Head of Middle and Upper School
 

Dear Senior Families,

On Monday I spent some time with the seniors to introduce their Senior Capstone Project requirements. We began our discussion critiquing the famous story about throwing starfish back into the ocean to save them.  So often this story is used to motivate people to participate in service.  But what I wanted students to understand is how flawed the story is as a model of good service.  Ask your student why the story is flawed, and they should be able to tell you.  We discussed the importance of not assuming a community’s needs without first being in relationship with the community and the organizations that serve them.  We also discussed the need to research and understand the causes of problems before jumping to solutions.  It was a rich, beautiful discussion.  

I then went over the requirements for their Senior Capstone Projects and gave them examples of past projects.  Students should spend the next month doing some research on an issue they care about and/or reaching out to organizations to ascertain the organization’s needs.  I am happy to help students brainstorm ideas and make connections to local organizations.  By Oct. 30, they should fill out this form with their idea, and then a team of staff members will review their ideas and follow up with any questions and/or feedback.

We are excited to see what projects the students develop. And please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.

Best,

Allie

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” -Mahatma Gandhi

Dear 12th Grade Students and Families,

On Thursday, October 9, we will administer the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT 8/9) and the PSAT National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT). Students in grades 8, 9, and 11 will be testing in various classrooms across campus. Please note that no academic classes will be held that day, and 12th-grade students are not required to attend school. Take the time to catch up on assignments, complete the Senior Capstone form (more info coming), prepare college applications, or visit college campuses!

If you have any questions or concerns, please get in touch with your student's advisor.

Best,

Tanisha Jones

Head of Middle and Upper School

Good Morning Seniors and Parents/Guardians,

Yesterday was the first day of many that I worked with seniors on college applications and/or planning for life after New Garden. I had students review their transcripts for accuracy and went over how our GPAs are calculated. I also had students book individual appointments with me over the next two weeks so we can discuss their plans.  Please know that parents can join these appointments if desired or make a separate appointment with me at any time by emailing me. Lastly, we went over a few basic steps in the Common App that need to be completed in order for the Common App to integrate with Scoir, the system we utilize to digitally send recommendations, transcripts, our school profile, etc. I will check to make sure these steps are complete in my individual meetings with students. I will be in Maura’s class again early next week on 9/8 to continue to work with students, and Maura already has them working on their personal essays for the Common App.

Please keep in mind the following important dates:

Sept 12 - October ACT Registration Deadline

Sept 19 - October SAT Registration Deadline

Oct 1 - FAFSA opens

Upcoming College Admissions Visits to NGFS during Consultation:

Monday, Sept 8 - High Point University

Tuesday, Sept 9 - Davidson College

Thursday, Sept 11 - Lenoir Rhyne University

Friday, Sept 12 - Centre College

Friday, Sept 19 - Queens University

Monday, Sept 22 - American University of Paris

Thursday, Sept 25 - University of Pittsburgh

Tuesday, Sept 30 - Johnson & Wales University

Monday, Oct 6 - Warren Wilson College

Friday, Oct 3 - UNC-Greensboro

Tuesday, Oct 21 - College of the Holy Cross and Sarah Lawrence College

I am excited to be working with the Class of 2026!  

“The very least you can do in your life is figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof.”  -Barbara Kingsolver

Best,

Allie

Click here to read the email.