2026 York Senior/Commencement Ceremony Information
Graduating Seniors and Families,
We are thrilled to celebrate the Class of 2026 at our Commencement Ceremony, scheduled for Sunday, May 17, at 1:00 p.m. The ceremony will be held outdoors at Clarence D. East Stadium. We look forward to celebrating the accomplishments of the Class of 2026!
This letter is intended to provide you with all of the important details regarding this year’s graduation events.
Participation Opt-Out
Participation in the commencement ceremony is voluntary. Parents/guardians must notify the school in writing if their student chooses not to participate in the ceremony. Submissions should be sent to Ms. Nydia Flores (nflores@elmhurst205.org) in the Principal’s Office no later than 3:00 p.m. on Monday, May 11.
Commencement Speakers and Performers
Any York senior interested in being considered as a speaker or performer at the 2026 Commencement Ceremony must complete this application by Friday, May 1.
Duke Decision Day
Seniors will celebrate their post-York plans by wearing their college gear or a representation of their post-high school commitment. Students are invited to the Commons during their lunch periods on Friday, May 1, to mark their commitments on a map. This is a student-only event, but families will have access to all photos taken via a gallery with a link shared after the event. This event is co-sponsored by the CCRC and York’s PTO.
Yard Sign Pick-Up
Students will be able to pick up their Class of 2026 yard signs during Duke Decision Day (Friday, May 1) or after school in the CCRC. Signs will also be available for pick up May 4-8 in the CCRC. Yard signs are generously donated by York’s PTO. Any questions can be directed to Ms. Abbey Turza at aturza@elmhurst205.org.
Academic Awards and Scholarship Night
Any student who has earned local or national scholarships, in addition to any York-based awards, will be recognized during a ceremony on Tuesday, May 5, at 6:30 p.m. in the York Auditorium. Award recipients will be contacted by Assistant Principal Tracy Stewart if they are receiving an award. Only the students notified need to attend this program.
Mandatory Cap and Gown Pick-Up
Herff Jones will be at York on Wednesday, May 6. Seniors will be able to pick up their caps and gowns during lunch periods in the Commons on this day. All seniors should unpack their gowns to give enough time for wrinkles to be removed prior to the ceremony. Every senior will receive a cap and gown and are the graduate’s to keep following the ceremony. Please consider writing the student’s name on the inside of the cap so they are easily identifiable after they are thrown at the end of the ceremony.
Athletic Awards Night (All Grades)
Athletic Awards Night will take place on Wednesday, May 13, at 7:00 p.m. in the York Auditorium. Students receiving awards will be notified by the York Athletic Department.
Mandatory Commencement Ceremony Practice/Senior BBQ
On Friday, May 15, graduates must be in attendance for commencement practice, which will take place in the York Fieldhouse at 10:00 a.m.. Students who are registered for the AP Environmental Science exam are the only students who are excused from practice. Be sure to take off work if needed. Please be prompt so there is adequate time to prepare all students for the commencement ceremony.
This will be followed immediately by our Senior BBQ, put on by the York PTO (starting between 11 and 11:30 a.m.). Thank you to our generous families who support this end-of-high-school event with food, raffle prizes, and games!
Commencement Ceremony
On Sunday, May 17, graduates must report to the fieldhouse by 12:00 p.m. Students who arrive late may not be permitted to participate. The stadium will be open to the public starting at 11:30 am. Graduates will process from the fieldhouse down Duke Drive, across St. Charles, and into the stadium. After the conclusion of the ceremony, students will walk to the west side of the stadium to pick up their diplomas.
Student Commencement Attire
Graduates should wear appropriate attire to the Commencement Ceremony.
Appropriate attire is business casual. Examples of business casual are:
Collared shirt, tie, dress slacks, and formal footwear
No gym shoes/sneakers, shoes that you can walk from York to the stadium, up a ramp, and back down a ramp in), dress, or blouse, or skirt, and flat-soled or wedge shoes are recommended.
Depending on the weather, it can be very warm or cold on the field, under a synthetic gown. Plan accordingly.
Narrow heels are not permitted on the field turf as they can cause damage to the field and are a tripping hazard.
Decorations on caps or gowns are not permitted. Decorated caps will be confiscated when students arrive at the fieldhouse.
Students should only wear tassels and cords that were provided to them by the high school. If you have questions about this, please contact Assistant Principal Tim Dykes (tdykes@elmhurst205.org).
Parking
Parking will be available in the school parking lots, senior parking spaces along the railroad tracks, at the Transition Center, and along the streets. Overflow parking will be located at the Chick-fil-A parking lot, and shuttles will be available.
ADA Accessibility
ADA accessible seating will be available, but must be arranged in advance. An extremely limited amount of ADA accessible parking will be available. Any guests needing ADA accommodations must complete this form by 3:00 p.m. on Friday, May 1. Families may request up to two ADA accessible seats for the outdoor ceremony only. In the event that the ceremony needs to be moved inside, seats are easily accessible as there are no stairs.
Photography & Gifts
Photography will be done by our partner, Grad Images. A photo will be taken of each graduate as they cross the stage and after they receive their diploma cover. These photos will be available for purchase. Families and graduates may also take photos following the ceremony.
We also partner with the Commencement Group, which will be selling flowers and small gifts on site for graduates. If you would like to pre-order items, you may do so at this LINK.
Graduation Tickets
Tickets for the outdoor ceremony will not be issued, as seating will be available in the bleachers on both sides of the stadium. In the event that the ceremony needs to be moved indoors, students will be issued four tickets, and each audience member will need to have a ticket to enter. If necessary, these four tickets will be distributed to seniors on the day of commencement practice.
Inclement Weather
Our priority is having an outdoor ceremony to ensure that we can accommodate as many spectators as possible. In the event of inclement weather, we will try our best to hold our ceremony outside by possibly moving the event to later in the day. We will plan to move the ceremony back in one-hour increments (2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m.), with the last outdoor starting time being 3:00 p.m. to allow for the weather to move out of the area.
If we determine that we need to move the ceremony indoors, all students will be issued SIX tickets for an indoor ceremony at commencement practice. There will not be an option for families to ask for more tickets for an indoor ceremony. We will only notify families in the event that the ceremony time or location has been changed. All communication will come via ParentSquare if the ceremony time or location changes. Again, our priority is to have an outdoor ceremony, and we will only move inside if it is absolutely necessary for the safety of students and guests.
Streaming
Commencement will also be available to be viewed online for those families who are unable to attend in person. Streaming will be available through the York website (york.elmhurst205.org).
Spectator Decorum
We encourage families to celebrate individual accomplishments, but request that guests refrain from the use of noisemakers during the ceremony. Using a noisemaker (bells, horns) after a student’s name is called prevents the next student's name from being heard. It is important to be sensitive to all guests' desires to hear their student’s diploma conferred.
If you have any questions, please contact York’s Main Office at (630) 617-2400 or reply to this message on ParentSquare.