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Madison Metropolitan School District

Senior Information

Madison East High School Class of 2024

Class of 2024 Google Classroom

Join the Class of 2024 Google Classroom (code: pbhp7kx) for regular updates and seniors communications.

 

Graduation - Class of 2024

Commencement Ceremony

The East High School Commencement Ceremony will take place at the the Alliant Energy Center Veterans Memorial Coliseum located at 1919 Alliant Energy Center Way on Saturday, June 8th, 2024 at 4:00pm

  • Participation Eligibility:  A senior with 20.5 credits earned by June 7th may participate in the Commencement Ceremony with the understanding that graduation will not officially occur until 22 credits have been earned. Students having earned less than 20.5 credits will not be allowed to participate in the Commencement Ceremony. Before a student is issued a diploma, School Counselors must verify that they have met all graduation requirements. School Counselors will be working closely with teachers to make sure students are passing and will reach out to students/families that are in danger of not passing a course required to graduate. If you have any questions or concerns about credits, please see your counselor to get clarification as soon as possible.
  • Seating: Doors will open for East guests and graduates at 3:00pm. Guest seating is first come first serve, tickets are not required and there is no limit on the number of guests per graduate.
  • Entrance: East guests should enter at the entrance on the East side of the Coliseum.  Graduates should enter at the South side of the Coliseum and should be at the Coliseum no later than 3:30pm in the required graduation attire (gown, stole, cap, tassel). Graduates will line up alphabetically.  Graduates will go through security screening at the Graduate Entrance. Note: Students who arrive late will be placed at the very end of the processional and will not be seated in alphabetical order. Any graduate or guest who is not able to take stairs should enter on the West side of the Coliseum where the elevator is located.
  • Graduate Attire: 4 items are required to be worn for the Commencement Ceremony: Gown, Stole, Cap, Tassel. Stoles will be distributed to all graduates at the rehearsal on Wednesday, June 5th, 2024 at 12:00pm in the Field House. There are no pockets in the gowns, so students should leave ALL valuables, money, cell phones, purses, wallets, etc. with family or friends. Graduates who borrow attire from the school can return it to staff at the Coliseum.  Graduates can also keep their items over the weekend for photos and return the items to East's in-person summer school site, O'Keefe Middle School the following week.
  • Prohibited Items: No inflatables (including balloons), noise makers, or glass vases.
  • Accessibility: The ceremony will be fully accessible including American Sign Language interpretation.  ASL reserved seating will be in section 206 with the first 10 rows being reserved for those guests. Wheelchair accessible seating is available in sections 209 and 212.  Guests or graduates who are not able to take stairs should use the entrance on the West side of the Coliseum and use the elevator located in the West Lobby.
  • Parking: Parking is free of charge. The parking lot designated for East graduates and guests is the Northeast Lot, between the Coliseum and John Nolan Drive.  To access this parking lot, use the entrance on Alliant Energy Center Way, off of Rimrock Road.  Those who need ADA parking should mention the desire for ADA parking to the gate attendant upon entry and they will direct the vehicle where to park. The entrance on the West side of the Coliseum is ADA Accessible. The venue does not have any wheelchairs or golf carts to provide rides.
  • Photography: Audience members are not allowed on the main floor before, during or after the ceremony.  Empire Photography will take individual graduate pictures as graduates cross the stage, and again as they exit the stage. Empire will email graduates the ordering information.
  • Video: The ceremony will be livestreamed on the MMSD YouTube page and archived for play back afterwards.
  • Post-Ceremony and Diploma Pick-Up: Diplomas will be distributed after the commencement ceremony at the Coliseum to graduates who have successfully completed all graduation requirements by June 7th. Family members and guests will not be allowed in the diploma pick-up area. Graduates will exit the Coliseum immediately after diploma pick-up. Family and friends of graduates should meet and celebrate with graduates in front of the Coliseum outside. Diplomas that are not picked up that evening will be mailed to graduate's primary address in Infinite Campus by Friday, June 14th.

Commencement Ceremony Rehearsal & Senior Class Photo

All Seniors should attend the Graduation Ceremony Rehearsal and Senior Class Photo (in their gowns - stoles will be distributed at the rehearsal) on Wednesday, June 5th, 2024 at 12:00pm in the Field House at East High School. Seniors can order a Senior Class Photo directly from Empire Photography. Empire will send proofs and ordering information to Seniors and their families after the photo.

Graduate Ceremony Apparel

4 items are required to participate in the Class of 2024 Graduation Commencement Ceremony: a cap, gown, tassel, and stole. Ordering packets were distributed to Seniors during Purgolder Time on Monday, December 4th, 2023.  Orders were due on Tuesday, December 12th.

Late orders can be placed online. Order and payments must be made directly with Midwest Scholastic, East High School will NOT accept payments.

ALL QUESTIONS ABOUT ORDERS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED DIRECTLY TO MIDWEST SCHOLASTIC at questions@mwscholastic.com.

The gold satin stoles will be distributed at the rehearsal/class photo on June 5th.

Students may use caps, gowns, and stoles from East alumni and purchase tassels ala cart, if desired. Students who may need to borrow a cap and gown package should connect with their Neighborhood Principal, School Counselor, School Social Worker or other Student Services Staff. Seniors who borrow attire from the school can return it to staff at graduation after the ceremony to receive their diploma.  Seniors can also keep their items over the weekend for photos and return the items the following week to receive their diploma.

Students will be allowed to adorn their sashes with pins that signify an accomplishment they achieved during high school (e.g. AVID, PEOPLE, TEEM Scholars, Early College STEM Academy Graduates, etc). Stoles for MMSD programs such as BSU and other MMSD clubs/programs can also be worn with building principal approval, but the school stole must be laid over any other being worn. It is preferred that students don't decorate their caps; however, if students choose to do so, if the decorations become a disruption to the ceremony, the student's cap will be taken and returned at the end of the ceremony. A student has the right to wear religious, ceremonial, or cultural adornments at graduation as long as it is not likely to cause a substantial disruption of, or interference with, the ceremony. 

Celebrations - Class of 2024

Senior Fair
Seniors will visit the Senior Fair in the Spec Gym at East High School with their English class throughout the day on Friday, May 10th, 2024 to fill out their name reader card for the ceremony, sign up for Summer Melt, check for overdue fees, ensure they completed the Post High Survey App and Civics Exam Graduation Requirement, receive their yard sign (at the end of the day), and receive their cap/gown/stole/tassel from Midwest Scholastic.

Senior Scholarship Recognition
Seniors receiving East High School scholarships will be recognized in the Theater on Thursday, May 30th, 2024 at 6:00pm.  Seniors and their families are invited to attend the recognition ceremony.

Senior Brunch & Awards
On Friday, May 31st, 2024
 all Seniors are invited to the Theater at 8:30am for Senior Awards, followed by a brunch in the Cafeteria. Yearbooks will be distributed to Seniors who purchased them during the brunch. This event is for students only.

Chromebook Return & Google Account Transfer

Seniors must turn in their Chromebook and charger to Ms. Milne-Carroll in the LMC by Thursday, June 6th.  Student MMSD Google Accounts (including Google Drive and Gmail) will be shut down soon after graduation. Seniors should follow the "Saving MMSD Google Items" instructions.

Seniors should email or share any items they wish to save with their personal account and then promptly make a copy and transfer ownership.

Final Transcripts

All colleges and universities require a final transcript to be submitted after 2nd semester grades are submitted and finalized. Students are responsible for sending their final transcript to the college or university they will be attending through their established Parchment Account. Students should go to parchment.com to request a final transcript. This electronic service allows you to order transcripts online at any time and track the status of requested transcripts.

Here are the Steps for Sending Final Transcripts:

Students need to send final transcripts through Parchment.com

1) Log in to your Parchment.com Account (you can retrieve user name or password, if you have forgotten these)
2) Click on Order
3) Type in the name of the School you will be attending
4) Switch where it says "send now" to "Hold for Grades"
5) Click continue and submit payment.
     - Students who haven't used their 4 free transcripts will not be charged.
     - Students who have already used their waivers will be charged $4.40 (need a credit/debit card to pay)

Transcripts will then be released by our registrar once final transcripts have been updated which usually takes place around June 15.

Class of 2024 Senior Portraits

Seniors have the option to submit a portrait to be featured in the yearbook instead of using their LifeTouch photo taken at school. Please be aware that many seniors have family or friends take their photos for free; some are taken with phones. Please do not spend large amounts of money for professional photos.

Deadline: Friday, November 3, 2023

Submission Instructions: Email portraits meeting the below criteria as an attachment to aLvanBuren@madison.k12.wi.us with the student's name and student ID number. Photos should be:

  • Vertical (at least 4”X 6”)
  • Without props, face-covering filters or complicated backgrounds
  • Follow MMSD dress code
  • A high resolution digital image (at 300 ppi/dpi)
  • In file format of: .JPG, TIFF, PNG or PDF
  • Do not send screenshots or Snapchat photos - they do not print well even though they often look great on a computer or phone screen.

Class of 2024 Senior Tributes
Purchasing a Senior Tribute is a great way to honor graduates, or group of graduates (such as a soccer team, group of best friends etc.) with photos and a special message in the Yearbook that will last a lifetime. Four sizes are available:

  • 1/8 page tribute, $35, max 1 pictures allowed, max 20 words allowed
  • 1/4 page tribute, $60, max 3 pictures allowed, max 50 words allowed
  • 1/2 page tribute, $110, max 6 pictures allowed, max 125 words allowed
  • Full page tribute, $220, max 10 pictures allowed, max 175 words allowed

Payment options available.

Deadline: Friday, December 15, 2023

Submission Instructions (3 options):

  1. Order online at https://yearbookforever.com/ & have the yearbook staff design the ad for you. (Confused? Watch the first 45 sec. of this how-to video; select “have the school design my ad”)
  2. Order online at https://yearbookforever.com/ & design the tribute with our easy online design tools. (Confused? Watch this 2 min. how-to video)
  3. Complete the order form (COMING SOON) and submit it along with photos (you may email photos too).

Contact

Please contact Ms. April van Buren, the yearbook adviser with any questions or concerns.

Scholarships 

Completing the East High Scholarship Application makes East Seniors eligible for 100+ scholarships made possible by very generous donors from our east side community! The application takes about an hour to complete.  The deadline to complete the application is Thursday, January 25th, 2024.

East High Scholarship Application Information

APPLY

Financial Aid

Students and families can fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to get Federal Student Aid like federal grants, work-study and loans for college. Creating a Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID is the first step in completing the FAFSA process. Students will not be able to complete their FAFSA until they, and any guardians providing FAFSA information, have created their FSA ID. East will host a College Goal Night on January 17th, 2024 at 6:00pm to help students and Families complete the FAFSA. A FSA ID will need to be completed at least 1 week prior to completing FAFSA. Student and all Contributors (Parents) need an FSA ID.

Documents Needed to Complete FAFSA