How do we sign up for Senior pictures?   Senior pictures should be scheduled directly with HR Root.  Contact them directly to set up your session.

How do we order caps and gowns? These orders are done directly with Herff Jones.  Contact information:
Online:  herffjonesil.com
By Phone:  1-815-756-4743
By Mail:  Herff Jones
901 N. 1st Street
DeKalb, IL 60115

How do I order a senior yard sign? Orders for customized yard signs from BHS are due on March 15th.  Signs can be purchased on PowerSchool.

What about early graduates?  Early graduates can participate in graduation and prom.  They may not participate in spring extra-curricular activities.  Early grads will still have access to their BPS email and should check occasionally for updates.  Parents of early grads will not receive Messenger emails after December 2021.

**This information is accurate given our current conditions and mitigation strategies.  Changes to this plan will be made here and communicated to seniors and their families.**

Our graduation ceremony will be at the Northern Illinois University (NIU) Convocation Center in DeKalb, Illinois on Wednesday, May 25.  In the past, NIU has not required tickets for the Convocation Center.  More information on ticketing will be available in the spring.

BFAC Live will be streaming the graduation ceremony on this page.

Participation in the ceremony is optional. Students who do not participate can pick up their diplomas during the summer.  There are several mandatory requirements for students who will be participating:

• Students must fulfill all BPS graduation requirements.
• Attendance and appropriate behavior at the graduation rehearsal on Tuesday, May 24, at 9:00 a.m. 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 served prior to graduating.
• All class, library, activity or athletic obligations and fines must be cleared by 2:45 p.m. on Friday, May 20. Lockers must also be emptied by this time.

Before the Ceremony

Arrival: The commencement ceremony will begin promptly at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 25.  When you enter the Convocation parking lot, please use entrances 2 and 4.  Doors open at 6:00 p.m. for graduates and guests. Graduates should check-in no later than 6:20 p.m. in the auxiliary gymnasium which is located on the lower level (6:00 p.m. – 6:15 p.m. may be used to take pictures).  Guests may proceed to the main arena and find seats.  General seating is available for guests, and handicapped accessible seating is available.  NIU has requested that you do not reserve or save seats.

Location: The Convocation Center is located on NIU’s West Campus, north of Lincoln Highway, west of the 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. 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 THEIR GOWN into 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.

Prohibited Items:

• Purses, diaper bags, laptop bags, camera bags, backpacks, duffels, and fanny packs (see Clear Bag Policy)
• Wrapped gifts and gift bags
• Helium Balloons
• Laser pointers of any kind
• Coolers, bottles, cans, containers, or projectiles
• Weapons, flammables, or other potentially dangerous items
• Aerosol containers or any pressurized container
• Horns, noisemakers, or whistles
• Any illegal substances
• Posters, banners, or signs on sticks
  Golf Umbrellas
• Tripods, monopods, & selfie sticks
• Outside food & beverages (including Starbucks, Dunkin’, and other coffee brands)
• Strollers are not permitted in the arena.

Honor Stoles: Students graduating with honors will wear highly visible stoles that signify their accomplishment. The stoles will be distributed during graduation practice on Tuesday, May 24. Graduates must bring their stole to the graduation ceremony. Minimum GPA requirements are 3.5 for a red stole, 4.0 for a gold stole, and 4.375 for a white stole.

Transportation Options: We are requesting that students drive with their families to DeKalb.  For your safety, we are not allowing students to drive to the ceremony together. 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. We will have staff members in the parking lot ensuring that this safety rule is followed. If you have transportation issues/concerns, please contact JoAnne Smith @ joanne.smith@bps101.net.

During The Ceremony

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 artwork or decorations on their 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, and the 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 student’s name 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. To assure that all graduates, their families, and friends may enjoy and view the ceremony, we ask that guests are considerate of one another and not leave your seat to take photographs – they are welcome to take additional photos from their seats.  For safety purposes, guests will not be allowed to stand along the rails or in the aisles to take pictures.

Cell phones: BHS requests that you keep your cell phones silent throughout the ceremony.

After the Ceremony

Guests are asked to remain in their seats until all graduates and participants in the recessional have exited. Graduates will proceed back to the auxiliary gym where they are to drop off their rental gown and obtain a ticket. After the gown has been returned, they will proceed to their original assigned table, hand in their ticket and pick up their diploma.  Graduates may keep the cap and the tassel.

Please note: This is a rental graduation gown.  If you did not order your cap and gown, please call Herff Jones at 815-756-4743 or you may email them at www.herffjonesil.com.

Graduation Announcements

Families can choose to purchase graduation announcements from Herff Jones. If you did order announcements, Herff Jones will be here in March.  Herff Jones will send out an announcement and it will be posted on our website.  

Caps & Gowns

There are two ways to do this:

• Order and pay for your cap & gown online now at: www.HerffJonesIL.com
• Call Herff Jones at 815-756-4743 to order by phone

Herff Jones is the official supplier of caps & gowns, graduation products, class rings, and letter jackets. View and order these items online at www.HerffJonesIL.com

Graduation rehearsal is required for all students who will walk at graduation.  Rehearsal is scheduled for May 24th at 9:00 am.

Students who are receiving scholarships or other achievements and wish to be recognized at our Senior Honors Night will receive information about submitting honors and scholarships during second semester.

This is an optional event where seniors will be recognized for their outstanding achievements in the following areas: Academic Merit Scholarships and Community Awards, BHS Departmental Awards, and College Awards and Scholarships.

Date                 Saturday, May 7, 2022

 Location          Q Center

1405 N. 5^th Avenue

St. Charles, IL 60174

 Transportation
Students will arrange their own transportation to and from the Q Center.  BHS will not be providing transportation.

Schedule
Student Council Prom Webpage

Post Prom:
Annually, BHS parent volunteers host a Post Prom event at Funway in Batavia. The event begins after prom, and the cost of the event is included in the prom ticket. Juniors and seniors who are not attending prom can attend post prom if they purchase a ticket. More details will be posted on the BHS website.