Senior Year - Class of 2020

The Senior All Night Party has been canceled. 

The Senior All Night Party is coordinated by senior parents.  Questions regarding this event should be sent to wblaseniorparty@gmail.com

White Bear Lake Area High School Commencement Ceremony video will be live on the district’s YouTube account at the time the commencement ceremony was originally scheduled - at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 5. It will also be available for viewing at that time on the local cable SCC Channel 19 or HD801.  The link to the district’s YouTube is https://www.youtube.com/c/isd624 or the link can also be found here.

This video ceremony will recreate many elements of our typical graduation ceremony, including visual and audio recognition of each individual graduate.

Use #BearGrad20 so that students and families can share photos, videos and celebrate in real time via social media.

Seating and Tickets

Conduct at Commencement

The commencement exercises are regarded as a dignified event. Graduates have completed thirteen years of education and their invited guests are coming to observe them receiving their high school diploma for this achievement. Therefore, we encourage all seniors, parents, and guests to participate in these ceremonies in a dignified manner.

Students participating in the commencement ceremony are expected to dress appropriately. Male graduates should wear dress shoes, socks, shirts with ties, and pants. Female graduates should wear low heels, skirts, dresses, or slacks. Corsages and flowers may not be worn or carried. Students are not allowed to alter (-ie- draw, paint, add messages) their cap!

Students and families have traditionally conducted themselves very well but we offer the following reminders:

● Throwing the cap following completion of the graduation ceremony is not an acceptable practice and we solicit your cooperation in eliminating this particular display.
● Friends and parents should not bring whistles, air horns or other noisemakers to the arena because the use of these items distracts from the dignity of the ceremony.
● Any student or guest who brings these items or discredits the commencement ceremony by creating a disturbance will be removed from the arena.

Diplomas

Diplomas will be mailed to student's homes this summer.

Final report cards for both seniors and juniors will be available in Skyward Family Access after June 15, 2020.

Final Transcripts

Each student is required to complete a Senior Exit Survey, which will ask them about future plans, including to which college(s) they would like their final transcript sent. These transcripts will be sent electronically by the end of June.

An optional graduation picture opportunity for graduates and family members will take place Monday, June 1 (10:30 - 4:30 p.m.), Tuesday, June 2, 2020 (10:30 - 4:30 p.m.), Wednesday, June 3, 2020 (10:30 - 4:30 p.m.), and Thursday, June 4, 2020(10:30 - 4:30 p.m.) in the South Campus theater.

• Parents/family members and graduates who are ill should not attend.

• Only four people per household (including graduate). No one else will be allowed in the building in order to abide by MDH/MDE and CDC guidelines.

• Social distancing guidelines will be followed.  

• Each senior who would like to participate may sign up for a 5-minute time slot via THIS SIGNUP GENIUS LINK.  Please arrive a few minutes before your scheduled time to allow for parking and walking to the building.

• A decorated stage will be set up in the South Campus Theater.

• Seniors must arrive wearing their cap/gown and any tassels/cords/stoles.  Please come with them on – there will NOT be time to put them on when you get here.  Please bring your diploma cover if you want this to be included in your picture.  

• Each family will be responsible for their graduate’s photo. Please bring your own camera.

• Students and family members will enter the building through Door G (southeast door on McKnight Road) and leave through Door H (northeast door on McKnight Road). 

• Graduates will have their name read, walk to the center of the stage to pose for a picture, and then will continue the walk across the stage and exit the building.

• Students & families who need transportation to South Campus to participate in the event should contact the South Campus office at 651-773-6202.

• Follow all directional signage and employee directions.

• Wearing cloth masks before/after pictures is encouraged.

Canceled

Senior portraits are due November 15, 2019 to be included in the yearbook

Senior Pictures requirements:

• Portraits must be head and shoulder shots only. We will crop images that do not meet this requirement, which can result in a blurry images.
• Images resolution must be at least 300 dpi. Do not save pictures from social media sites: they are not large enough.
• Acceptable file types are .jpg and .png. No other file types can be accepted.
• Photos with animals, large props, etc. distract from the purpose of the student portrait section and will not be used.

Email pictures to wblyearbook@isd624.org.

To minimize the potential for error and to help the staff keep trace of your portraits, follow these guidelines is highly recommended:

• Put your student's full legal name in the subject of the email (or ask your photographer to do so)
• Rename the photo file name with your student's name (ex: McDowell_Suzanne.jpg)

Portraits that do not meet the above requirements will NOT be printed in the book.

Students who do not have a media release form on file will not be printed in the book. These forms are available from the office and online.

The yearbook staff reserves the right to crop/zoom portraits to keep the section consistent.

If your senior does not get his/her portrait taken by a photographer, the yearbook will include his/her Lifetouch photo, if available.  Students without portraits will be listed at the end of the senior section.