2023 Commencement Details
Congratulations to the class of 2023 at Ames High School. Please read this message for important dates and details as we approach commencement.
If your student ordered a Class Photo (the one taken at the stadium in April) it is ready to be picked up in the Main Office.
Caps and gowns will be distributed to students on May 24th, provided they have turned in their laptops and other school equipment, have completed the Senior Survey, and have paid outstanding fines and fees.
May 22nd: Seniors’ last day of classes and/or testing. Teachers are to have the Senior students’ final grades figured and turned in on this day. No exceptions. The final list of graduates is determined on this date. Seniors can still earn a diploma until June 3rd, but can’t walk at Commencement.
May 23rd: Senior students are excused from classes.
May 24th: Graduation Rehearsal (8:45 a.m.) at Ames High Gymnasium. We don’t have clearance to practice at Hilton, so send your student to AHS. Rehearsal will take approximately 2 hours. Honor Medals will be given out during commencement practice. Cap and gown can be picked up on this date at the Concession Stand in the Commons (provided the computers are turned in, senior survey is complete, and any remaining fees are paid).
May 24th: Senior Picnic at Inis Grove Shelter from 11:30 – 1:30. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased in the main office.
May 24th: Computer check-in and fees paid; Cap and Gown pick up at the Concession Stand in the Commons.
May 24th: Baccalaureate 7:00 PM in the AHS Auditorium
May 28th: Commencement Ceremony at Hilton Coliseum at 1:00 PM. Students need to arrive at 12:15 and are to enter through the west doors. They should go to the upper-level concourse to get in line alphabetically. When it is time for the processional, students will be led down the stairs and through the tunnel to take their place in the chairs on the floor.
There is construction going on around Hilton Coliseum, so some of the parking lots are not available. Please refer to the map below. We are not limiting the number of family members you may invite to the ceremony.
We anticipate the graduation ceremony to last approximately 1-1/2 hours. There will not be a recessional at the end of graduation. Following the singing of the Ames High Loyalty Song, relatives and friends are invited down to the main floor to congratulate and mingle with the graduates.
Do not let your student leave Hilton without getting their diploma! – There will be a table opposite the stage where the diplomas will be. Your student should find their Homeroom teacher, who will give them their diploma.
Parking for the Ceremony
Hilton doors open at noon. The ceremony begins at 1 pm.
The D lots are all under construction, as well as B-5, C-5, and C-6. Lot B-2 is reserved for handicapped students/visitors. All other lots will be available for parking.
Graduates should enter through the lower west doors.