Dear Senior Parents and Guardians,

Congratulations on your child’s accomplishments! It is our pleasure to share the following Scecina Commencement Week information with you. We are preparing events to provide fond memories and a fitting culmination to your child’s high school years.

We look forward to your presence.

There’s a lot of important information. After reviewing everything, please do not hesitate to call or email Dr. Peg Dispenzieri, Principal, at pdispenzieri@scecina.org / 317-356-6377 or Mr. Joe Therber, President, at jtherber@scecina.org / 317-352-3280.

Final exams and Commencement activities include the following events for seniors. Please carefully read the important details in this letter.

For Senior Awards Day and Baccalaureate Mass, seniors will be wearing gowns.

For Commencement, seniors will be wearing caps and gowns.

Caps may be decorated according to the guidelines shared in the communication above. A cap and stole (if a student chooses to wear a stole) must be approved by May 17. All questions about appropriate decorations and requests for approval should be directed to Dr. Dispenzieri, Mr. Therber, or Mrs. Budzenski with ample lead time.

Class of 2024 Commencement Week events

Friday, May 17

• Campus Crusade—Report to 1^st period by 8:00 a.m. for attendance, then to the gym. The Student Council will organize senior participation in Campus Crusade.

• 11:15-12 noon – Computer Turn-in and Locker Cleanout. Seniors must clean out their assigned hallway locker and turn in their school-owned computer, computer bag, power cord, and other technology accessories to the technology office in the lower level of the school. If an item is not returned or in proper working condition, the expense of it may be added to the student’s tuition account.

• 12 noon—1:30 p.m. Senior Cookout—Seniors are offered a complementary informal cookout on the school grounds, weather permitting, beginning at 12 noon.

Wednesday, May 22 -Senior Awards Day

• The Class of 2024 will receive recognition for a variety of accomplishments. Students should wear their gowns (no caps) and stoles, if previously approved, with the dress code listed below.

• Seniors will arrive at Scecina no later than 12:30 p.m. and report to the cafeteria. At 12:40 p.m., a senior class picture will be taken on the front steps of the school. After the picture, a Walk of Fame through the halls of the school will be held before the Awards Ceremony.

**Please note that this event is a mandatory event for seniors and a dress-up event. All seniors should wear dress shoes, if possible. Boys are to be clean-shaven and dressed in a collared shirt (with a tie if one chooses) and school uniform or dress pants. Girls are to be dressed in a blouse and school uniform or dress pants or dress-code approved length skirt or dress. The Awards Ceremony begins at 1:15 and will last until approximately 2:30. All senior parents and guardians are welcomed and encouraged to attend.

Thursday, May 23 – Baccalaureate Mass and Rehearsal

• The rehearsal and the Baccalaureate Mass will be held at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church (5333 East Washington St., Indianapolis, IN 46219).

• Baccalaureate rehearsal is a mandatory event for seniors. Seniors should arrive by 8:45 a.m. and park in the parking lot west of the school. Dress is casual (though appropriate for being in a church), and rehearsal should be completed by 10:00 a.m. Seniors are to arrange their own transportation to and from Our Lady of Lourdes. If self-transportation is a challenge, please notify us well in advance, and we will make arrangements for you.

• Baccalaureate Mass is a required dress-up event with gowns (no caps). Students should arrive at Our Lady of Lourdes by 6:00 p.m. Mass begins at 7:00 p.m. Family members and friends are invited to attend.

**At the Baccalaureate Mass, we recognize Scecina alumni who are parents and grandparents to the Class of 2024. So that we may recognize you properly, please complete the form before May 3 if you haven’t already done so. The website address for the form is https://forms.office.com/r/QcVbVT9kxQ Please complete this important information so that we have a full and accurate list of parents and grandparent alumni to recognize. The recognition of alumni parents and grandparents will be based on the information that we received from you on the form in the link immediately above.

Friday, May 24 – Commencement and Commencement Rehearsal

• Rehearsal is mandatory in order to participate in Commencement. We will cover many details to ensure an appropriate ceremony for the seniors, families, school staff, and community. If a senior arrives late or does not attend the rehearsal, he or she may be ineligible to participate in Commencement.
  • Seniors are welcome to arrive at the Scecina gymnasium at 8:30 a.m. for breakfast sandwiches and pastries. Commencement rehearsal will begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. and should end no later than 10:30 a.m.

• Commencement will start at 7:00 p.m. with Door #5 (north gym lobby) open for family members and guests at 6:00 p.m. Seniors will meet in the cafeteria by 6:00 p.m. with caps, tassels, and gowns.
  • Caps may be decorated according to the guidelines shared at the end of this letter. A cap and stole (if a student chooses to wear a stole) must be approved by May 17. All questions about appropriate decorations and requests for approval should be directed to Dr. Dispenzieri, Mr. Therber, or Mrs. Budzenski with ample lead time.
  • Each family will receive one parking pass that guarantees parking on the Scecina campus. Additional parking will be available at Little Flower Catholic Church, two blocks west of Scecina Memorial High School on Nowland Ave. A shuttle will run between Scecina and Little Flower Catholic Church before and after the ceremony, beginning at 5:15 p.m.
  • Christopher Walsh, Archdiocese of Indianapolis Chancellor, will join us for the ceremony and congratulate the seniors on behalf of the Most Rev. Charles Thompson, Archbishop of Indianapolis.
  • Commencement is a dress-up event. Boys must be clean-shaven. The dress code expectations for Senior Award Day and Baccalaureate also apply to Commencement.
  • Please note that if you bring large balloon displays for a graduate, you will be asked to keep the balloons in the back of the gym outside the seating areas until after the ceremony. Space will be tight, and we want to make sure everyone can see the graduates walk across the stage.

Behavior at all events should reflect the tradition and dignity of 70 years of Scecina history. We expect every senior to conduct him/herself in a way that is respectful of the others in the Class of 2024, his/her family, Scecina Memorial High School and the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.

Diplomas – After completing the ceremony, Commencement activities, and all other school expectations with proper decorum, seniors will go to the front office to pick up the student’s diploma, assuming all academic, conduct, and financial expectations are in order. The front office will be open until 9:00 p.m. that evening.

Tickets for Commencement will be available the week of May 6. Please have your child come to the President’s Office (located next to the School Counseling Office at the west end of the main hall) to pick up your family’s tickets. We will distribute seating tickets as well as one parking pass for on-campus parking to each senior for his or her family. Each senior will receive eight (8) Commencement seating tickets, which will include two (2) floor seats of a different color from the six (6) general seating bleacher seats. Guests will be asked to present their tickets upon entering the gymnasium at Door #5 (North gym lobby).

Social media

If you’re posting your graduation photos on social media, please give a shoutout to Scecina. You can tag us @ScecinaNow on Twitter and Instagram and use the hashtag #Scecina2024. We’ll reshare as many photos as possible. Thank you!