Senior Newsletter: 2026 Edition
🎉 Happy June, Graduates!
We are officially in the last week of high school! Now is the time for the Class of 2026 to check off the last couple items for high school and make sure you’re ready for commencement on June 9!
🗓️ Final Days at South: In your last week there are some items you must complete to ensure a smooth transition to being a graduate! Please make sure all textbooks, library books, calculators, and technology are returned as soon as possible. See below for details from our library, AV room, and tech on how to return these items. Outstanding items or fees may lead to a diploma hold.
🎓 Caps & Gowns and Ticket Pick Up: Most of you have grabbed your caps & gowns and held tickets (4 are automatically held for all graduates!). If you haven’t, please see Samantha in the main office anytime. Did you sign up for the extra tickets last month? Check the email you signed up with and see Samantha - everyone got at least one or two extra! See below for the grad day attire expectations (including rules on cap decorations).
🤔 Graduation Day Logistics: See the section below on day-of logistics! TL;DR: You must be at the Hult Center by 8:55am for rehearsal (we start promptly at 9). Plan time for parking (see below for parking tips!). Rehearsal is mandatory. You do not need your cap & gown for rehearsal. After rehearsal, you’ll have the afternoon to get ready and must be fully ready and back at the Hult Center no later than 6pm. See below for all of the details of the day.
🎊 Celebrations and Activities: There are so many fun things happening over the next two weeks to celebrate - some done by the school, some set up by students, and, of course, the Grad Party put on by the parent group. Check out the section below for some ways you can jump into the fun. Note: the sign up for the Grad Walk (visiting elementary schools) is down there!
Last, but certainly not least: Congratulations! You all did it! We are so excited to celebrate one last time with all of you.
- South Staff
Tasks to Complete:
📖 AV/Library: Now is the time to return all textbooks, class novels, calculators and other items that you are no longer using. All items must be returned to avoid having your diploma held. See Tiffany in the AV room or Julie in the library with any questions.
💻 Technology: School laptops, chargers, and hotspots must be returned to avoid having your diploma held. Please return your tech to Rose by Wednesday, June 3rd. You can find her in the auditorium lobby through Wednesday at lunch, during the last period of the day, and after school.
💾 Save your Data!
When you have finished graduation requirements, your 4J accounts will be closed. This includes StudentVUE, Canvas, your school email, Drive, etc. If you would like to save anything, now is the time to do it! Your 4J email cannot be reactivated once it’s closed.
You can use Google Takeout to export your data from your 4J account to a personal account.
Please ensure that any logins you may still need access to do not use your 4J email to login or recover your password. This could be college apps, testing sites, or anything else you used your 4J account for when creating the login!
Attire at Graduation:
🎓 Seniors can decorate their caps if they choose. All cap decorations must be school-appropriate and flat (no building up or out). No decorations of any kind can stick up on top of or hang below the mortarboard. Mortarboards should be worn parallel to the ground.
Gowns must be worn correctly, with fronts fully zipped over school-appropriate clothing. Administrators may check under gowns if they suspect inappropriate dress or items that do not belong on the graduation stage, such as noisemakers, beach balls, or other props.
Honor cords, stoles, medals, and pins are provided through the school or district, and must be approved by administration. Culturally-significant regalia is permitted. Culturally-significant regalia includes ceremonial accessories or attire that is significant to the graduate’s culture as a whole and appropriate to the culture's traditional rites of passage. This does not include items that are of personal significance to the graduate.
School-appropriate jewelry and personal items of significance can be worn in a way that does not detract from the uniform appearance of the cap & gown.
Examples of how to dress can be seen here: How-to-Dress-for-Graduation.pdf
❓Students can bring any questions regarding cap, gown, or graduation to the main office anytime before graduation to gain clarity.
Graduation Tickets:
🎟️ If you haven’t picked up your initial 4 tickets or entered for additional tickets and haven’t picked them up, please see Samantha ASAP. Tickets will be held until Monday June 8th.
If you have more tickets than you’ll use, please return them to Samantha. We want to ensure every seat has someone in it, and that means every ticket needs a person!
A ticket is required for every person who enters the Hult Center, including infants. We recommend scheduling a sitter for children under 5 years old.
Tickets are by section. There are no assigned seats, but you will need to sit in the section on the ticket (Orchestra, Mezzanine, or Balcony). Accessible seating is available in all sections and an elevator is available.
Any unclaimed tickets will be released on Monday June 8th (after school). These tickets will be released on a first come first serve basis. Any tickets remaining after 4pm on June 8th will be available on graduation day (June 9) at the Hult Center 30 minutes prior to the ceremony. Tickets will not be available at South on Graduation Day.
Accessibility & Accommodations:
The Hult Center offers a variety of resources to support guests.
Available Resources include:
Mobility & Seating: Reserved seating for mobility needs, wheelchairs, and size-inclusive seating.
Sensory Support: A serenity room to take a break from the crowd, and sensory bags equipped with noise-canceling headphones and fidget toys.
Hearing Assistance: Assistive listening devices compatible with T-coil or headphones.
If you need accessible seating or specific resources please fill out the Hult Center accessibility form here: 2026 Accommodations Request Form If you need assistance, please contact hultcenterguestservices@eugene-or.gov.
More information on accommodations available can be found here: Hult Grad Accommodation Requests.pdf
We will have an ASL interpreter and a Spanish interpreter at the ceremony. For Spanish interpretation, please look for the table in the lobby to pick up a translation headset.
Parking:
🚗 The Hult Center Lobby opens one hour before the ceremony at 6:00pm. You must have a ticket to enter the lobby, so please plan to meet your entire party outside the doors.
Parking tips:
Hult Garage: Located west of the Hult Center on Olive Street (accessible via Olive or 6th). This fills up quickly.
The Parcade: Additional parking is available across 7th Avenue at the Parcade (accessible via 7th or 8th).
Expect to pay a $10 event parking fee.
Rehearsal:
🕘 All graduates must be at the Hult Center for rehearsal on Tuesday morning. Please arrive by 8:55 to ensure you are in your lines by 9am. We will start promptly at 9. Students must be present at rehearsal to participate in the ceremony. Graduates do not need to wear their caps and gowns to rehearsal. Rehearsal should be expected to take around 2 hours, with performers and speakers staying after to rehearse their pieces. Students will meet at the Studio courtyard (stairs down between the 7th St. entrance and the Hult Center street sign).
🅿️ Parking is limited and there is very little free parking. Carpooling and public transportation is highly recommended. The Hult Center lot is primarily permit only parking during the day.
Graduates will begin by checking in with their line leader. Each line leader will have a sign with their line number on it. Please check your seat number ahead of time to know where to go. Seat numbers will be shared in Canvas and posted outside the counseling center on Tuesday.
Rehearsal will then begin with practicing the Processional from the courtyard, through the hall onto the stage. When you are seated, we will go over expectations & all the details of how the ceremony will go. We will finish with practicing the Recessional (how we leave the stage at the end of the ceremony). Graduates have the afternoon to get ready.
The Ceremony for Graduates:
🕕 Graduates must be back at the Hult Center and fully ready by 6pm for the ceremony. We will take a class photo at 6:15pm. Parking is still limited - please plan accordingly to ensure you are at the Hult Center by 6pm.
🚫 All graduates should ensure they are not carrying additional, unnecessary items. There is limited space for storing items, and graduates are not permitted to carry anything during the ceremony. If possible, we recommend leaving any bags or bigger items with your guests.
🎵 Interested in submitting a song to potentially be used during the recessional? You can find that on the Grad Walk sign-up form here: Grad Walk (and song requests for graduation ceremony).
Graduation Portraits:
LifeTouch will be capturing professional photos during the ceremony. You can opt in now to receive a notification as soon as your photos are ready to view and purchase.
How to Opt-In:
Text 56268GY26 to 90738.
Visit PhotoDay and enter the code above.
The Ceremony for Guests:
The Hult Center lobby opens at 6pm for guests to enter. All guests entering the lobby must have a ticket. We recommend that groups plan to meet on the steps outside to ensure all guests in the party are present.
When you arrive at the Hult Center, simply walk through the entrance doors in small groups or single file and follow the instructions of our dedicated Crowd Access Stewards. Patrons carrying items that trigger an alert in the Evolv Magnetometers detection system will be asked to stop by the Resolution Table for a brief bag check. It is very helpful to remove umbrellas, eyeglass cases and large devices like tablets and hold them in your hand as you pass through the Evolv system.
If you have any concerns about walking through the metal detectors, such as having a pacemaker or other implanted medical device, we recommend arriving a few minutes early to request alternative screening. You can also arrange for separate screening ahead of time by contacting Louise Thomas-Vails, Hult Center Director of Guest Experience, at lthomas@eugene-or.gov.
Students who process through the exit-only southern-most doors on the west side of the building will not pass through Evolv. All guests and other attendees must pass through Evolv at a regular door.
🚫 Please Leave These Items at Home
For the safety and enjoyment of all patrons, we kindly ask that you do not bring the following items:
Weapons of any kind, including pocketknives larger than a keychain knife (ORS 166.370), pepper spray, brass knuckles, batons
Drugs and drug paraphernalia
Absolutely no airhorns, bullhorns, or other noise-making devices
Balloons, posters and signs larger than 11”x17”
Outside food and drink
Vaporizers and e-cigarettes may remain in your bag or pockets unless they are used in the hall or restrooms. At that point, they must be removed from the venue.
During the Event
To ensure everyone's safety and comfort during the performance, we have a few important guidelines:
Please keep the aisles clear of belongings and people to reduce tripping hazards and maintain clear emergency evacuation routes.
Bags and purses should fit on your lap or under your seat (approximately 12”x12”x4”). Alternatively, you can utilize our complimentary coat check service.
Your cooperation in adhering to these security measures helps create a safe and enjoyable experience for all our patrons.
Optional Grad Activities:
👣 Grad Walk: We’re excited to bring the Class of 2026 SEHS Grad Walk details to you! The plan is for students to meet at the South Auditorium lobby on June 8th at 8:45am. Buses will board and leave at 9am. All five of our feeder schools will be visited (Adams, Camas Ridge, Charlemagne, Edgewood, and Edison). At each school, seniors will do a mini-parade to celebrate with past teachers and future graduates (the little kids!).
What do you need to do?
Wear your cap and gown!
Bring cameras and take photos with past teachers
Wear shoes that won’t cause any blood or tears as you walk through each building.
Complete this form telling us if you’re coming: Grad Walk. Space is limited so the RSVP is required.
🎉 Grad Night: A longstanding tradition for graduates to gather and celebrate their final night as high school students. Held at the UO Rec Center on Graduation Night (10pm - 3am), grads will find a live DJ, casino tables, movies, lawn games, bouncy houses, swimming, laser tag, tons of food, and more! This is put on by SEHS parents in collaboration with Friends of South, and is not a school sanctioned event. More information and tickets can be found here: https://www.friendsofsouth.com/grad-party.
Student Led Activities (not school sanctioned):
🌞 Senior Sunset: June 4, 8pm. Students meet on the turf, wearing future plans merch and bring blankets, snacks and games.
Senior Week (this week!):
Monday: You in Elementary School Day
Tuesday: Senior Citizen Day
Wednesday: Jersey Day
Thursday: Senior Sundaes & Yearbook Signing (wear a white shirt)
Friday: Future Plans
There are likely other South traditions happening this week, so be sure to check in with your peers if you’re not sure. We just wanted to highlight some of the events that are happening to celebrate YOU!