425 East Ridgeway Avenue, Waterloo, Iowa 50702
Phone: (319) 433-2700, Fax: (319) 433-2749
To find other numbers Click Here
Principal: Andy Miehe: [email protected]
Webmaster: [email protected]
2022 Commencement Behavior
WEST HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION CEREMONY
STUDENT DRESS AND BEHAVIOR GUIDELINES
West High School and the Waterloo School Board have determined that our graduation ceremony will be a formal and dignified celebration of our students’ accomplishments. Parents and guests are expected to treat all graduates with respect. Your family is requested to follow these guidelines. Excessive yelling and cheering are discouraged and severe violators will be removed by the school staff.
Multiple staff members and campus security personnel will be on duty to make sure our ceremony runs smoothly and without disruption.
No student will be allowed to participate in the ceremony until all graduation requirements are met. NO EXCEPTION will be made to this long standing policy.
VALUABLES
Please do not bring any valuables to graduation (including your cell phone). Do not bring or wear expensive jewelry. There is no place to store anything during the ceremony. You will not be able to see your parents before graduation to hand items to them. Leave any and all items that you carry with you—ELSEWHERE!
ATTIRE
Please dress appropriately in a business casual manner which includes a dress, blouse and skirt, or dress pants & shirt (with or without a tie) under the academic gowns.
No jeans, shorts or T-shirts of any kind will be allowed.
Clothing with any pictures or wording will not be allowed.
All will wear low heeled shoes, flat shoes, sandals (with a back strap) or dress shoes. There is much walking from the line to your chair and steps on and off the stage so be able to walk comfortably in your shoes.
No flip flops, house shoes (slippers), Crocs, or athletic/tennis shoes will be allowed.
Although a collar is provided with your cap/gown unit, most choose not to attach the collar.
CAP AND GOWN
Sizes do get mixed up. Be sure and try on both the Cap and Gown as soon as possible.
The cap will be worn with the top of the cap as flat as possible, – NOT at an angle. The elastic is at the back of your head.
The gown should be pressed (free of wrinkles ) and neat.
Caution: Use an iron with very, very low heat . You could also hang your gown and place it in the bathroom as you shower to have the steam help with the wrinkles from packaging.
Please take the gown out of the plastic wrapper and hang it up as soon as you get it home.
The tassel will be worn on the right side of the head. It will move to the left after the graduates cross the stage and are given the direction of the ceremony emcee.
CONDUCT
All graduates will be required to be in the staging area no later than 5:15 p.m. Arrive early to allow time to park. Arriving after 5:45 may result in being removed from the ceremony. After 6:00, no one will be admitted to the line of march. There will be no bubbles, bells, beach balls, frisbees, horns or other paraphernalia that will distract or disrupt the ceremony. Balloons should remain in vehicles as they are not allowed inside. Students that have disruptive items may be removed from the line. Caps with writing on them will be confiscated during the line-up and will not be returned. All students will act in a dignified manner before, during, and after the ceremony.
CONSEQUENCES
All graduates who are inappropriately dressed will be sent home to change. There will be no exceptions.
Any toys, etc. will be confiscated. Students bringing these items will have their diplomas held.
Any students acting out, either on the stage or while on the graduation floor, will have their diplomas held. Diplomas that are withheld will not be released until June, per Administrative discretion. NO EXCEPTIONS.