BHS Seniors Get Ready for May 31 Graduation at NIU

The coming week is a big one for graduates of the Batavia High School class of 2013.

There's senior final exams, locker cleanout, the senior breakfast and class photo, the senior graduation rehearsal, the ceremony itself at the NIU Convocation Center and then, to cap it all off, a slew of individual graduation parties and celebrations.

Congratulations to all. Here are some important dates and times for families of graduates, courtesy of the Batavia High School Class of 2013 Newsletter.

Important Dates

Tuesday, May 28: Senior Final Exams during blocks 3 and 4, locker clean out, last day to pay fines

Wednesday, May 29: Block 1 and 2 Senior Finals

Thursday, May 30: Senior breakfast, class photo, graduation rehearsal, Baccalaureate

• 8 a.m. — Senior Breakfast in the cafeteria (optional)
• 9 a.m. — Class photo in the gym (optional)
• 9:15 a.m. — Graduation rehearsal in the BHS gym (mandatory)
• 7 p.m. — Baccalaureate in the Batavia Fine Arts Center (optional)

Friday, May 31: Graduation at 7 p.m. at the NIU Convocation Center

The  graduation ceremony will be at the Northern Illinois University (NIU) Convocation Center in DeKalb. The NIU Convocation Center seats 10,000 people so tickets will not be needed for BHS graduates, families, or friends.

BATV will continue its tradition of streaming the Graduation Ceremony. Please check the BATV website for details about the streaming.

There are several mandatory requirements for students who will be participating:

• Students must fulfill all BPS graduation requirements.
• Attendance and appropriate behavior at a graduation rehearsal at 9:15 a.m. Thursday, May 30 in the Batavia High School gym is required.
• Seniors must be in good standing in order to participate in the graduation ceremony. Discipline referrals, participation in pranks, or other conduct violations will be considered in determining if a student is in good standing. All detentions must be serviced prior to graduating.
• All class, library, activity or athletic obligations and fines must be cleared by 2:45 pm on Tuesday, May 28. Lockers must also be emptied by this time.
• Students must complete the transportation survey (sent to students’ BPS email accounts).

Commencement at NIU Convocation Center

Arrival: The commencement ceremony will begin promptly at 7 p.m. Friday, May 31. Doors open at 6 p.m. for graduates and guests. Graduates should check in between 6 and 6:15 p.m. in the auxiliary gymnasium. Graduates can enter at any door and proceed to the stairs near door #5. The auxiliary gymnasium is located down the stars on the right. Guests should proceed to their seats. General seating is available for guests, and handicapped accessible seating is available.

Location: The Convocation Center is located on NIU's West Campus, north of Lincoln Highway, west ofthe soccer field and west of Huskie Stadium: NIU Convocation Center, 1525 West Lincoln Highway, DeKalb, IL 60115-2854

Directions from I-88: Exit onto Annie Glidden Road. From Annie Glidden Road, turn left (west) onto Lincoln Highway (Route 38) to the Convocation Center entrance.Parking: From the main entrance on Lincoln Highway (Rt. 38), parking attendants will assist you in parking in one of the lots. There is no fee for parking for this event, and there is ample parking for the BHS graduation.

What to Bring and What NOT to Bring: NIU staff will check all bags prior to entry into the Convocation Center. NIU prohibits outside food and beverages, large bags or backpacks, noisemakers, balloons, signs, posters, strollers or aerosol hair spray. Graduates should not bring valuables with them to the staging area since these items cannot be secured during the ceremony. Graduates should iron their gown prior to arrival and carry the gowns in to the Convocation Center. Graduates will be allowed to put on their gowns in the staging area after they have been checked-in by Batavia staff.

Honor Stoles: Students graduating with honors will wear highly visible stoles that signify their accomplishment. Stoles will be handed out the night of graduation in the auxiliary gym. Minimum GPA requirements are 3.5 for a red stole, 3.9 for a gold stole, and 4.28 for a white stole.

Transportation Options: Students have two transportation options for getting to the NIU Convocation Center.

Students can drive with their families to DeKalb or ride a bus. For your safety, we are not allowing students to drive together to the ceremony. We know that students may be distracted due to the excitement of the evening, and riding to the ceremony with other students may increase their distractions. Students must arrive to the Convocation Center with their families or on the bus, and staff will be in the parking lot ensuring that this safety rule is followed.

A survey will be sent to the students' BPS email accounts during the week of February 19th. Students will fill out the survey indicating their method of transportation to and from the ceremony. It is important for all students to fill out the survey so that we can plan for the buses. Families are welcome to take the bus as well, and students can sign family members up using the survey. There will be no charge for the bus.

Graduation Attire at the Ceremony: Graduation from Batavia High School is celebrated at a formal ceremony. Students must wear dress clothes under their graduation gowns. Males usually wear a collared dress shirt, dress slacks, and dress shoes. Females usually wear dresses and formal shoes (flats or heels). Gym shoes, jeans, flip flops, shorts, and other casual clothes are not allowed. If students are not properly dressed, they will not be allowed to participate in the ceremony. Graduates are not allowed to have decorations on caps or gowns. The only acceptable items are the honor stoles and cords provided by the school.

Graduation Decorum: Graduation from high school is a source of individual joy and celebration, andthe actual ceremony is a formal public gathering of friends and family. We maintain high expectations for appropriate behavior during the ceremony. These expectations will be discussed with the seniors at graduation rehearsal. Students whose behavior is deemed inappropriate during the ceremony will be removed from the ceremony by staff. If a student is removed from the ceremony, their family will be contacted and asked to leave the Convocation Center. Guests in the audience are asked to withhold applause during the presentation of diplomas until the end of the presentation.Diplomas: Students will be given a diploma cover during the presentation of diplomas. The official diplomas with the students’ names will be distributed after the ceremony.

Photography: BHS has arranged for professional photographs to be taken by Grad Images during the commencement ceremonies as each student receives a diploma cover. Information about purchasing these photos will be sent to the graduates from Grad Images. Families are welcome to take additional photos from their seats. To assure that all graduates, their families, and friends may enjoy and view the ceremony, guests should be considerate of one another when taking photographs. For safety purposes, guests will not be allowed to stand along the rails or in the aisles to take pictures.

After the Ceremony: Graduates will proceed out of the seating area and return to the auxiliary gym. Graduates will receive their diplomas in the gym: during the ceremony graduates receive diploma covers only. Guests are asked to remain in their seats until all graduates and participants in the recessional have exited. Families are encouraged to designate a reunification point after the ceremony at door #1, 2, 3, or 4.

Miscellaneous Information for the Class of 2013

Baccalaureate, a non-denominational service for the graduating class, will be held on Thursday, May 30, at 7 p.m. at the Batavia Fine Arts Centre. Friends and family are encouraged and welcome to attend. This event is planned and hosted by graduating seniors. Students will be communicating information about this event.

Senior Class Breakfast: The Senior Breakfast will be held in the cafeteria at 8 a.m. Thursday, May 30. Tickets are $10 and students can pre-buy tickets during the two weeks prior to the breakfast. You are strongly encouraged to attend.

Senior Class Photo: The Senior Class Photo will be taken in the gymnasium prior to rehearsal at 9 a.m. Thursday, May 30. Herff Jones Families can choose to purchase graduation announcements from Herff Jones.

Caps & Gowns are to be purchased from Herff Jones, and graduates will keep these as a memento of their graduation. Herff Jones will communicate details about these purchases to the families. Contact Herff Jones directly at herffjonesil.com.

Final Transcripts: Seniors attending graduation rehearsal will complete a form indicating their preference for sending final transcripts. Seniors not attending graduation can contact Mrs. Pribble in the Counseling and Advising office to submit their information. Immunization RecordsAll colleges require immunization records before enrolling. Every senior will be given a copy of their immunization records at the graduation rehearsal. Please check your university requirements and discuss with your doctor the need for the meningococcal vaccine.

Graduation DVD: Batavia Access Television will be covering the 2013 Batavia High School Graduation Ceremony. If you would like to purchase copies of this event on DVD, please send a check for $20 (per copy) made out to BATV, along with your mailing address to: BATV, P.O. Box 731, Batavia, IL 60510. 

SOURCE: Batavia High School Class of 2013 Newsletter