Guidelines in Conducting Awarding Ceremonies

Conducting Awarding Ceremonies

After the deliberation, the school must plan the program for the awarding ceremonies. All awardees, including their parents or guardians shall be informed by the homeroom adviser. The homeroom adviser shall provide the details including the schedule, program, and role of the parents and the awardees during the awarding.

The awarding ceremonies shall be held virtually to conform with the present ruling of IATF. Schools shall reiterate and communicate with the parents and learners that health and safety is the top priority. On the announcement of awardees, schools shall observe their compliance with Data Privacy Act by ensuring that no personal information of learners shall be posted without the parents’ informed consent.

The program should run in less than two hours, to consider the internet connectivity that will be consumed. Only the awardees, their parents/ guardians, teachers, and school administrations will be present during the virtual awarding ceremony. The school has the discretion to broadcast live the virtual awarding ceremonies through appropriate social media platforms. The school shall secure the consent of the parents and learners before doing such broadcast.

The following is the indicative program of activities which may be revised or adapted by the schools:

A. National Anthem
B. Opening Prayer
C. Regional Hymn, Division Hymn, School Hymn
D. Welcome Remarks
E. Inspirational Message
F. Presentation of the School Officials, Teachers, Guests, Parents, and Awardees
G. Conferment of Awards
H. Message from the Representative of the Awardees
I. Closing Remarks

In the Conferment of Academic Excellence Awards, the announcement of the names of awardees in each category (i.e., With Honors, With High Honors, With Highest Honors) shall be done in alphabetical order to observe fair, impartial, and non-hierarchical manner of presenting the awardees.

School shall release an official announcement of the awardees for the school year by posting the list in the school bulletin board and shall be communicated through the agreed communication platform that the school has adopted this year in reaching out with the families (i.e., email, messenger, SMS, letter) so that all concerned stakeholders will be informed.

For those adopting modular-based instruction with limited or no access at all to the internet, the school may provide a pre-recorded video where the school head shall acknowledge and confirm the award that the learner shall receive. The pre­recorded video may be saved through a USB flash drive or can be shared to the cellular phone of the parents/ guardian. The certificate and medal shall be given to the awardees or to the parents and receipt thereof shall be acknowledged accordingly.

The school head may also schedule a date when the parent and awardee may drop by in the school to receive the award and recognition. This must be coordinated properly ensuring that not all awardees will come to school on the same schedule to ensure social distancing. The awardee, together with his/her parent or guardian, shall receive the award from the principal alongside the respective homeroom adviser. This measure shall be consistent with the guidelines regarding age restrictions among children in going out of their residence, and the health and social distancing protocols set by the IATF.

Read DepEd ORDER No. 018, s. 2021 for more details.