Seniors

Commencement Ceremony Saturday, June 8, 2024 at Oltman Middle School Auditorium

• Each senior receives 10 tickets that are provided during cap and gown distribution
• Handicap or Limited Mobility seating will be available for anyone who needs it. 
• Seniors Must report to the facility 30 minutes before the ceremony, dressed in their cap and gowns. Please leave all valuables at home or in your vehicles. 
• Guests should arrive early for parking and seating. 

COnduct at commencement

Commencement is considered the most formal and public of our educational ceremonies. Our seniors are celebrating the successful completion of 13 years of education. Friends and relatives are invited to honor and celebrate this achievement. We ask all who attend commencement to abide by the following guidelines: 

• The Commencement ceremony will be conducted with appropriate dignity and decorum. Do not bring air horns, whistles or any loud noise makers to the ceremony. Balloons are also not allowed. The use of these items distracts from the dignity of the ceremony.
• We discourage large purses or bags in order to ensure comfortable seating for all attendees. Bottled water is allowed at Oltman Middle School. Please, no other food or drink at the ceremony.
• SoWashCo Schools buildings and facilities are tobacco-free. Students and spectators are not permitted to smoke on the premises.
• Disruptive Behavior - Disruptive behavior is defined as including but not limited to, loud and abusive verbal language or the unwillingness to respond directly or appropriately to administrative directions. These actions will be considered evidence of unruly behavior. Such conduct will be the basis for removal from the ceremony.

• Students/Graduates: All seniors who are eligible to take part in the commencement ceremony are encouraged to participate. It should be noted that participation in the commencement ceremony is not mandatory nor a condition for the completion of graduation requirements. On graduation day, seniors should report to the Oltman Middle School choir room by 12:30 pm to check-in. Seniors are to arrive in ceremony attire, and in cap and gown. All students will be checked for appropriate attire and appearance before the lineup and processional begins. Commencement is a formal activity and serves as the school district's public acknowledgement of high school completion. The cap and gown are formal educational attire and are not to be altered for the ceremony. In addition, it is encouraged that all seniors participating in the commencement activity dress appropriately, with recommended attire to be worn as follows:

  • Dress Code: Collared shirt, dress slacks, slacks, dresses, dress socks, dress shoes (no recreational shoes such as sneakers, flip-flops, etc., flats are recommended over high-heels).

PHOTOS

Commencement attendees are asked to REMAIN SEATED during the ceremony. Parents and families may take photographs from your seat while sitting, and before or after the ceremony. We have contracted with a photographer to take professional photographs of each graduate during the commencement ceremony.

All graduates are photographed as they cross the stage at commencement. Photos will be emailed to families following the ceremony.

• May 20:
  • Outstanding Fees due
• May 31st: 
  • Last Academic Day for Seniors
• June 4: 
  • Last day for Seniors
• June 7:
  • Graduation Practice 3:00 pm at Oltman Middle School
  • Cap and Gown Distribution 2:45 - 3:45 at Oltman Middle School
  • Chromebook and textbook collection at Oltman Middle School
• June 8:
  • Graduation - Oltman Middle School at 1:00 pm

Cap and Gown Distribution will take place on Friday, June 7th, 2024 from 2:45 - 3:45 pm - seniors should come to the Oltman Middle School Theatre. **Note: Seniors must be cleared from all academic holds and outstanding fines prior to receiving their caps and gowns. 

• Graduation Fee: $30
• Honors Stole Fee (if applicable): $25.00 
  • Students will be notified if they have earned an honor stole on May 1. Students must check their SoWashCo Google Apps email for their notification. A student has the option of accepting the Honor Stole.

• The district pays for caps and gowns. Seniors pay $30.00 towards graduation for flowers, programs, medals, etc. 

Mandatory Commencement Practice - June 7 at 3:00 pm

• All seniors participating in the Commencement Ceremony MUST report for commencement practice at 3:00 pm in the theatre at Oltman Middle School. 
• Practice takes approximately 45 minutes. 
• You will receive your tickets for graduation at commencement practice. 
• Cap and Gown distribution as well as chromebook and other material check in will occur before and after commencement practice. 

Optional graduation items can be purchased here through Jostens. 

Once you graduate, in August graduated seniors will no longer have access to their school provided Googles Apps account. Make sure you download/copy the files you want to keep onto another device not owned by the District. After August, there will be no means of retrieving them. Follow the steps below:

1. Using the device you want to download them to, log onto your Google Drive.
2. Click on the file you want to save and download. (To download multiple files, press Shift or Control ("Command" on a Mac) while clicking other files.)
3. Right-click and select Download.

Note: Dragging a file from Google Drive to your desktop will NOT download it. Be sure to follow the steps above. 

In early May a survey will be sent out to all seniors in Ms. Arrigoni's advisory asking them to nominate one of the SoWashCo Online staff members to address their class at commencement. 

• Anyone requiring Handicap Seating or sign language interpreting for graduation events should contact Maia Crane at  (651.425.7303) to make arrangements.