1. How do I send final transcripts to my post-high school establishment (college, work, etc.)?
   During the month of May, seniors will receive an email communication with a Google doc to indicate where to send this information.
2. If I graduate in December, can I attend the graduation ceremony?
   Yes, early grads are included in the ceremony.  Early grads cannot participate in clubs, activities, or athletics after they finish.
3. How do I get my immunization records?
   At the graduation rehearsal, we will give all students an envelope containing many items including a copy of immunization records.

Our graduation ceremony will be at the Northern Illinois University (NIU) Convocation Center in DeKalb, Illinois, on Wednesday, May 22nd.  The NIU Convocation Center seats 10,000 people, so tickets will not be needed for BHS graduates, families, or friends! As in the past, we will continue the tradition of streaming the Graduation Ceremony. The stream can be viewed on this page (in the Graduation Livestream section), live on our YouTube Channel, or broadcast Live on BATV, all starting at 7:00 PM.

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 21, 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 17. 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 22.  When you enter the Convocation parking lot, please use entrances 2 – 5.  Entrances 2, 3 & 4 are for express check-in – no purses or bags will be allowed if using these entrances. 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 by entrance #5.  (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.

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 the 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 their seats 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.  Grad Images is offering 20% off of your purchase of $50 or more when you register before graduation day.  Visit www.gradimages.com/registration for more information.

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 order from their website at www.herffjonesil.com.

Families can choose to purchase graduation announcements from Herff Jones. If you did order announcements, Herff Jones will be here in March during lunch periods – Herff Jones will send out an announcement and it will be posted on our website.  Rental cap and gowns are to be ordered from Herff Jones and turned in after the ceremony. You may keep the cap & tassel. Herff Jones will communicate details about these purchases to the families. Herff Jones will be delivering the caps & gowns mid April during lunch periods. If you are unsure if you ordered your rental cap and gown, you may contact Herff Jones directly at highschool.herffjones.com or you may call them at 815-756-4743.

Rehearsal is required for all students participating in the graduation ceremony.  It will be held at BHS at 9:00 am on May 21st in the Main Gym.

This year’s Senior Honors Night will be at the Batavia Fine Arts Centre on Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. Watch your email for a link for your online submission.

Below you will find a few details regarding Prom.  Since this event is still being worked on, updated information will be posted on our website and/or Twitter (@BataviaHS) at a later date. In the meantime, here are the details we have so far:

Date: Saturday, April 27, 2024

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
TBA at a later date

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.

If you would like to pre-order a bouquet from “The Commencement Group”, please visit thecommencementgroup.com/bataviahs