6:00 pm: Parade lineup begins at GT Church (parade route can be found here)-- please DO NOT arrive earlier than 5:30 pm as the parade volunteers will not be there prior to that time)
6:00-7:15 pm: Parade to High School Parking (High School Lots DO NOT OPEN until first car in procession arrives @ approx. 6:15 pm)
7:30 pm (approx): Graduation Ceremony starts in Gurski Stadium
9:15 pm: End of ceremony
Approx. 9:15 pm: Fireworks display
IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE FIREWORKS CONCLUDE-- STUDENTS/ FAMILIES WILL EXIT GURSKI STADIUM
Parking/ Vehicles:
Parking lots and the Stadium WILL NOT open early. They will ONLY open when the first vehicle arrives from the parade.
Only vehicles with a GRADUATE in them will be permitted to enter the main parking lots due to the limited availability of parking close to the stadium.
Additional parking is available at Whitfield Elementary School and the staff parking lot by the Upper House main entrance.
Upon arrival, graduates must immediately proceed to the stadium. Graduates will be assigned a seat on the field during graduation practice. They must immediately go to that designated seat when entering the stadium and remain in it until the conclusion of the graduation event.
Handicap parking will be available-- please display your handicap placard in a visible location. This parking will be available by entering the lot at Bulldog Field.
The graduate parade is designed for families to ride together to the stadium. Only vehicles with a graduate in them will be permitted to park on the main High School parking lots. Once all the vehicles with graduates have arrived, we will open the main lots for general parking. If an attendee has a handicapped parking placard, they will be admitted to the main lots and directed to the handicapped parking area.
Stadium Seating/ Guidelines:
All attendees must present a ticket to gain entrance to the bleacher seating. We are able to provide 8 general admission tickets per graduate. Students will receive their tickets during graduation practice. There will be two large LED screens that will provide the opportunity to view the ceremony from all seats in the stadium. If you are in need of tickets above and beyond the allotted amount, please work with other senior families to obtain unused tickets.
NO ONE will be admitted into the stadium without a ticket. They will be presented at the gates upon arrival. Please note that the gates to the stadium will close at 7:45 pm and no one will be permitted to enter after that time.
Seating will be open. Please remain in your seats for the entire length of the event (including the fireworks display). There are no assigned seats. Handicap seating is available, and volunteers will be able to help direct attendees to those seats. The ceremony will also be live-streamed at this link.
Please note that the Wilson School District is a smoke-free campus. No smoking or vaping is permitted on the grounds of the District, including Gurski Stadium.
Specifics for Graduates:
No spike heels are permitted on the turf.
Students may decorate their graduation caps. All decorations must comply with the District's dress policy (words or symbols that are obscene, profane, sexually explicit, or otherwise improper will not be permitted).
Only school-provided cords and sashes are permitted to be worn during the ceremony. No outside cords/ sashes/ medals/ awards, etc. can be worn while participating in the graduation ceremony.
All gowns must be zipped during the entirety of the ceremony.
Specifics for During the Event:
No noise makers during the ceremony.
Please remain in your seats during the ceremony/ fireworks.
Leaving the Event:
At the conclusion of the fireworks, the stadium lights will go back on, signaling the ability to start to exit the stadium.
The gates to the field will remain CLOSED during the fireworks. They will open after the fireworks conclude, and you can meet your graduate on the field or in the parking lot.
There will be staff directing attendees out of the stadium to their vehicles and then out of our parking lots. We will be utilizing various exits for this event as we are anticipating we will have over 500 cars in the parking lot. We appreciate your patience during this time.
Weather Delays:
We will make every effort to communicate any changes to the date/ time of the graduation festivities by 12 pm on Friday, June 5.
Please note that if we move to the raindate of Saturday, June 6, and there is inclement weather on that day as well, we will move to an indoor graduation plan. For this plan, graduation will be held in the High School Gym with overflow seating in the Auditorium. Graduates will receive (3) tickets for gym seating and (2) tickets for auditorium overflow seating. These tickets will be different from the stadium tickets and can only be used in the event of an indoor graduation.
For Individuals Unable to Attend:
We understand that this event will not have all interested parties in attendance for a variety of reasons. For those of you with family members who cannot attend, we will be broadcasting the event live from WMP Livestreams.
Limited Restrooms Available:
There will be restrooms available.
Police/ Security:
We are very thankful that the Spring Township Police Department has partnered with us to ensure that our event is safe and secure for all attendees. Please adhere to all directions that are provided by local police and volunteers.
Introduction
Flag Ceremony-- JROTC
National Anthem-- Senior Ensemble
Address of Welcome
Speakers at Large
Remarks and Presentation of the Class
Announcement of Graduates
Alma Mater-- Senior Ensemble
Declaration of Commencement
Fireworks Display-- weather dependent