COMMENCEMENT ROBES WANTED: Request for donations from recent West Seattle HS grads

With this year’s commencement ceremony just a few weeks away, we’ve been asked to share a donation request to ensure that all West Seattle High School seniors can participate in this year’s ceremony. Volunteer coordinator Amy Doll has asked the WSHS community if any of last year’s graduates would consider donating the robes they wore in the commencement ceremony: “I have several students that aren’t walking because of the cost of the robes. The PTSA has a budget to help students but I would like to be able to let kids keep their Hat, Stole, and Tassel. I can do that if I have donated robes.” If you can donate one, please drop it off in the school office, which is open weekdays until 3 pm (though not tomorrow, because of the holiday).

P.S. One parent tells us they’re also welcoming used prom dresses. If you have a question about these donation requests, please e-mail asdoll@seattleschools.org. (Prom is next Friday, June 4th; graduation is June 21st.)

9 Replies to "COMMENCEMENT ROBES WANTED: Request for donations from recent West Seattle HS grads"

  • Fiz May 29, 2016 (7:17 pm)

    How much does a robe cost?   Is there time to order some?

  • Lora Swift May 29, 2016 (9:06 pm)

    What a great idea. I’m happy to collect robes and dresses at Hotwire Coffee too (4410 California Ave SW) if you can’t get to the school. We’re open 6:30am to 7pm. I’ll make sure the items are delivered to WSHS.

  • Terri May 29, 2016 (9:41 pm)

    This makes me sad. It a school can’t provide the robes for every student or at a nominal fee — $5 — then they should just do away with them altogether. Everyone needs to walk, but no one needs to wear a robe!

  • LyndaB May 30, 2016 (12:30 am)

    Why is there no option to rent these robes nowadays?  I still have my white robe from ’95 (guys and gals split blue and white).  Don’t know why I kept it this long.    When I graduated from UW, you just rent your robe and you had a couple of days to return it.  

  • Gene May 30, 2016 (7:39 am)

    I think the problem is some students just can’t afford to either buy or rent period.

  • Lynn May 30, 2016 (8:32 pm)

    I don’t think rental is an option. It wasn’t at my child’s graduation this year. Collecting and sorting donated robes would be a great service project for a student.

  • LLC May 30, 2016 (9:31 pm)

    This is crazy!  Please set up a crowdfunding site so we can make this happen.  I don’t understand why it would ever be required for students to buy their own gowns.  The school should have an inventory of gowns for all to use each year.  

  • julie May 31, 2016 (9:42 am)

    Requiring students to buy robes to participate is an absurdity, even for families who can afford it. Consider the environmental impact (https://www.greenergrads.org/graduation-gowns-after-graduation-where-do-they-go).

    The whole high-school graduation industry is out of control, peddling expensive invitations, jewelry, etc. to the kids and their families. I wish the schools, in concert with the PTSAs, would put their collective feet down and disallow these companies from using the school as a storefront. High school graduation used to mean just dressing nicely for the ceremony. Who needs the students to wear robes? (Hint: the companies that sell them.)

  • Amy Doll May 31, 2016 (1:17 pm)

    With the generous support of community and WS PTSA no Student will be without cap and gown for Graduation!  I want to Thank all of you, for your quick response to my request, and your continued help the cost of cap and gown is $47.95, stole and tassel is a additional $30.  Graduation is an expensive time for families with Prom, AP exams, & Grad-night, just to name a few Senior events. By  collecting gently used robes and Prom dresses   to offset some of the fees involved with graduation all of our students now know,  if they want to attend we will have them outfitted.   The stole and tassel are year and school specific and we want all our students to keep as a memento of their time at WSHS. We are working hard to create a Prom and Graduation Closet, to support all Students. Thanks again ~  Amy

Sorry, comment time is over.