Graduation ceremonies underway for more than 8,000 students

May 28, 2008 - Ceremonies are underway for more than 8,000 students who will graduate from Wake County Public School System high schools this year.

Southeast Raleigh High holds the first of the ceremonies tonight, marking the first graduation in the new Raleigh Civic Center.

18 high schools will hold graduation ceremonies at the civic center with most scheduled between Thursday, June 11 and Sunday, June 14.

This year will mark the first graduation ceremonies for Holly Springs High and Panther Creek High. Both schools opened three years ago with ninth and tenth grade students. The schools added junior classes last year and seniors this year. Both schools have graduation ceremonies scheduled on June 14.

On Friday, June 12, graduation ceremonies will be held at 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. On Saturday, June 13, graduation ceremonies will be held at 8 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. On Sunday, June 14, graduation ceremonies will be held at 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. All of these ceremonies will be at the civic center.

The ceremonies will have an impact on parking and traffic near the civic center. Persons attending the ceremonies should give themselves plenty of time to get to parking and then to the civic center for the ceremony.

School administrators and students have practiced the events and have scheduled them to provide proper time to recognize students and stay on schedule for the next ceremony.

Several schools will hold ceremonies at other locations. Broughton High will continue its tradition of holding graduation in the school’s Holiday Gymnasium. It’s planned for 11 a.m., Thursday, June 11. Longview School and Phillips High will both hold ceremonies on June 10. Longview will hold ceremonies on its campus at 5:30 p.m. Phillips will hold ceremonies at 7 p.m. in Meymandi Hall.

Guidelines for the general public used in recent years will remain in effect. No one without an admission ticket will be admitted to a graduation ceremony. No packages or balloons will be permitted. WCPSS Security and Raleigh Police officers will be on hand for the commencement exercises at the Raleigh Civic Center and Meymandi Hall.

You can find the full graduation schedule online at http://www.wcpss.net/graduation-2009/

-wcpss-