THE CLASS OF 2005

· Thursday, May 22 (English and Science) and Friday, May 23 (Social Studies and Math)

· On Tuesday, May 27, one exam session and one makeup session are scheduled.

Seniors are required to be in school for exams only on these days.

SENIOR SIGN-OUT

All seniors will receive their sign-out sheets during homeroom on Tuesday, May 20. You may begin the sign-out process with your teachers at that time. I suggest that you also bring the sign-out sheet with you during final exams should you need to return books and complete the sign-out process at that time. The sign-out sheets must be completed by all of your teachers. Tuesday, May 20 and Wednesday, May 21 are FULL DAYS FOR ALL SENIORS. We will conclude your regular attendance at school with your senior class photo being taken outside on the softball field. You are to wait for an announcement before proceeding out of doors. Ice cream will be served after the photo is taken.

All office detentions must be served before sign-out can be completed.

SENIOR BREAKFAST & SIGN-OUT: On Thursday morning, May 29 at 7:30 a.m., the Parent Organization will be hosting a Senior Breakfast.

After breakfast, sign-out will take place. You must obtain your guidance counselor’s and class advisors’ signatures and then submit the completed sign-out sheet and the letter, which you and your parents have signed, to Mrs. Galdston. Do not lose these two important documents; they must be completed, signed, and turned in before you are “signed out.” If you have fulfilled all your other obligations and have the necessary signatures, you can expect to be dismissed by 11 a.m.

OUTSTANDING OBLIGATIONS

All outstanding school obligations must be satisfied before your sign-out can be completed. Completing these obligations before May 29 will speed up the process on sign-out day. Payments for lost textbooks should be made to your assistant principal and all library obligations must be taken care of with the librarian. All dues must be cleared through Mr. DeFeo; all disciplinary obligations must be cleared with Mrs. Galdston. Obligations include complete and up-to-date state-mandated immunizations. Students with outstanding obligations after May 29 who have not signed out will NOT be able to participate in the graduation ceremony.

LOCKER CLEANOUT

The only official locker cleanout day will be Tuesday, May 20. All seniors’ lockers should be cleaned and emptied out by Friday morning, May 23, during homeroom. Each senior should have his/her homeroom teacher check the locker and sign the sign-out sheet. Start early and get your lockers cleaned. The expectation is that anything that you have added to the locker will be removed. This includes writing on the locker doors and any stickers that you may have affixed to your locker.

SENIOR AWARD CEREMONY

At this ceremony, the Department Awards, High Honors, Perfect Attendance, and special awards will be conferred on seniors. This will be an invitation-only ceremony with parents and family members also being invited. It will be held in the AUDITORIUM on Tuesday, May 20, at 8 a.m. Parents should park in the main lot and use the River Street entrance. The actual invitations say that the ceremony is in the Lecture Hall, however a change in location has been made.

SENIOR SCHOLARSHIP CEREMONY

The Senior Scholarship Ceremony honors those seniors who have achieved excellence here at B.M.H.S. and who have received scholarships from community sponsors. Scholarship Ceremony Night will take place in the AUDITORIUM on Wednesday evening, May 28, at 7 p.m. Recipients of scholarships will receive letters of invitation for themselves and their families prior to the event.

SENIOR PROM

The Billerica Memorial High School Senior Prom will be held at the Danversport Yacht Club, Danvers, MA on Friday evening, May 30, from 6:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. The cost is $40.00 per person. Tickets will be on sale in the cafeteria Monday, May 12 – Friday, May 23. Remember, this is a formal affair and formal attire is expected.

The Senior Prom is a school-sponsored activity. Despite the off-campus location, all school rules prohibiting being in the presence of, in possession of or use of alcoholic beverages, tobacco and/or any narcotic or controlled substance will be strictly enforced. All students and guests are subject to a breathalyzer test. Students who test positive for consumption of alcoholic and/or intoxicating beverages will be subject to disciplinary action consistent with the Billerica Memorial High School Code of Conduct. Administrators will seek the assistance of the police if necessary, and release the students to parents or police. These rules also apply to being in the presence, possession, or use of alcohol or drugs in a car or limousine. Failure to observe these school rules will ban you from participation in other senior activities including the Graduation Exercise. Directions to the Danversport Yacht Club will be available in the Senior House. Please read the attached Billerica Public Schools policy pertaining to the use of breathalyzers.

CLASS DAY

Once Graduation Rehearsal is over on Monday, June 2, Senior Class Day will take place at Cedardale Resort in Groveland, MA from noon to 5 p.m. Cedardale is a recreational resort with facilities for swimming, tennis, softball, basketball, volleyball and more. Food and drink will be provided. There will also be a D.J. on hand to keep things lively. ONLY SENIORS MAY PARTICIPATE in this activity. The cost to you will be the purchase of a Class of 2008 T-shirt for $15 which you must purchase in order to attend Class Day. They will be on sale in the cafeteria Monday-Friday, May 12-May 16. The same words of caution regarding school rules for the Senior Prom apply to Class Day. Directions to Cedardale will be available in the Senior House.

BILLERICA BLAST

The Billerica Blast Committee is thrilled to give you this party in celebration of your achievements. The event begins at 11 p.m. on Tuesday evening, June 3, and ends at 5 a.m. on Wednesday, June 4. The events will all take place at B.M.H.S. Tickets for this event will be on sale for $5 at the Senior Breakfast.

CLASS NIGHT

Your class will hold Class Night on Wednesday, November 26 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Yearbooks will be distributed at that time.

GRADUATION & GRADUATION CONDUCT

Graduation will take place at the Tsongas Arena at 6:30 p.m. Graduates are required to be at the Tsongas Arena by 5:00 p.m.- please allow TIME to avoid traffic delays.

It is expected that you will conduct yourself with dignity and respect. Students who fail to act in a dignified manner or who in any way violate school policies on alcohol or other illegal substances will be removed from the ceremony and will not be awarded a diploma at that time.

HANDICAPPED GUESTS

Please contact the Senior House at (978) 436-9313 if you have a family member in need of handicapped accessible seating as soon as possible. Handicapped seating is available at the Tsongas Arena

Congratulations! We would like to personally congratulate the Class of 2008. As your administrators it has been a privilege and a pleasure to know all of you during your time at the high school. We will proudly watch the Graduation Ceremony which represents the culmination of four years of work.

Congratulations and Good Luck in the future!

Kevin Soraghan, Principal

Deanne Galdston, Assistant Principal

GRADUATION EXERCISE

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Paul E. Tsongas Arena

Lowell, Massachusetts

6:30 p.m.

Participation in the Graduation Ceremony is a privilege and not an automatic right. Participation is voluntary. By participating, however, you signify agreement to abide by the procedures developed by the school administration, your class advisors, and the senior class officers.

Through your cooperation and attention to details, the Commencement Program should be a most successful and dignified exercise.

Graduates must be at the Tsongas Arena no later than 5 p.m.

GRADUATION REHEARSAL

Graduation rehearsal will take place on Monday morning, June 2, in the Marshall Middle School Gymnasium, from 8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. BE PROMPT. Park in the front parking lot.

There will be only one graduation rehearsal. Attendance is mandatory. If you do not attend rehearsal, you will not be allowed to participate in the Commencement Exercise. Do not schedule work commitments during rehearsal time! Also, your promptness and undivided attention will mean a shorter and more efficient rehearsal. If you do not intend to participate in the Graduation Ceremony, please let Mrs. Galdston know immediately.

GRADUATION GUESTS

Although you will receive four tickets to graduation, you are not limited in the amount of people that you may bring. Your guests however are asked to treat the ceremony with the respect that such an event commands. In addition to your own family, there will be approximately 360 other families who will want to be able to hear and enjoy the ceremony.

GRADUATION ATTIRE

LADIES

GENTLEMEN

· White graduation gown

· White or light shoes: No flip-flops or sneakers

· Lightweight dress without a high collar or excessively flared skirt: No long dresses or pants

· Green graduation gown

· Dark shoes: No sandals, sneakers or boots

· White or light colored shirt

· Dark tie

· Suitable dress pants: No jeans

Graduates inappropriately dressed will not be permitted in the Commencement Exercises. All prospective graduates are to be well groomed.

May, 2008

TO: All Members of the Graduating Class of 2008

FROM: Mr. Soraghan and Mrs. Galdston

SUBJECT: Graduation Ceremony Statement of Understanding

The Graduation Ceremony represents a very important event not only for you and your parents, but also for the high school and the Town of Billerica. B.M.H.S. is a centerpiece of the town, and you, as graduates, are symbols of accomplishment and promise for Billerica. For these reasons, respectful behavior at the graduation ceremony is very important.

In order to convey to you our insistence upon behavior that is appropriate and respectful of the high school and the community, we are giving you this statement of understanding. Please read its contents carefully, have your parent also read this paper, and sign below, indicating that both you and your parent(s) have done so. This statement must be returned to Mrs. Galdston at the time of sign-out, May 29.

Please note the following regulations regarding the graduation exercises that have been established to maintain a dignified and respectful graduation ceremony. It should be understood that participation in all senior activities including graduation is a privilege and can be revoked.

1. No foreign objects of any kind will be permitted at the graduation ceremony. Students will be checked upon entering the Tsongas Arena and anyone found in possession of any item that would disrupt the ceremony will not be permitted to participate in the Exercises. That person will be sent home and will receive his/her diploma at the high school on the day following the ceremony.

2. Any student who is perceived to be in possession of alcohol or an illegal substance or to have consumed or used alcohol or an illegal substance prior to arrival at the Tsongas Arena will also be sent home and will receive his/her diploma at the high school at a later date.

3. Except for the time when his/her name is called to come forward to receive his/her diploma, a student who leaves his/her seat will be removed from the ceremony by plainclothes policemen. Students who behave inappropriately either in action or in words will also be removed from the ceremony.

In signing this form you are indicating that you have read these regulations and are aware of the consequences for inappropriate behavior. Thank you for your cooperation. We look forward to a wonderful graduation.

________________________________ ______________________________________

Student Signature and date Parent(s) Signature and date

Billerica Public Schools Policy

Use of Alcohol Detection Devices

A. Introduction

Billerica Memorial High School is committed to promoting an environment that is safe, supports a substance-free environment and focuses on healthy behaviors, during all school sponsored activities/events on and off school grounds. This policy will be adopted for the students at Billerica Memorial High School and for their guests who attend the school-sponsored event(s).

1. No alcoholic or intoxicating beverages of any kind are permitted in the building or at any activity/event authorized by Billerica Memorial High School at any time.

2. The possession or consumption of alcoholic or intoxicating beverages is strictly prohibited.

In order to promote a safe environment for our students and their guests at school sponsored activities/events, the school administration will be authorized to employ the use of alcohol detection devices. Administrators will be trained in the use of these devices. The school administration maintains the discretion to use or not use the breathalyzer as its sole determining factor when assessing whether a student has consumed alcohol.

B. Prior Notification

It is the responsibility of the school administration to provide prior notice of the use of alcohol detection devices to the attendees of these school sponsored activities/events. The means of notification may include, but is not limited to, notification in the student/parent-guardian handbook, through school assemblies, on event specific advertisements and/or tickets, and on guest permission forms. The school administration maintains the discretion to use or not to use the breathalyzer test even when prior notice has been made.

C. Refusal to Submit to a Breathalyzer Test

Students and/or their guest(s) who refuse to submit to the alcohol detection test at events, where prior notice has been given, will not be permitted to attend the authorized activity. Parents will be notified and students may be subject to the consequences consistent with the Billerica Memorial High School Code of Conduct set forth in the Student Handbook.

D. Applying the Breathalyzer

A passive breathalyzer test will be administered to students. If a student tests positive an opportunity for a second test will be given. The second test will be administered after a minimum of two minutes has elapsed. The administration of Billerica Memorial High School is not held to a criminal standard of proof and therefore; the results of the breathalyzer are final and are not subject to further review. A second positive test will result in following the procedures outlined below.

E. Students Testing Positive

Students who test positive for consumption of alcoholic and/or intoxicating beverages will be subject to disciplinary action consistent with the Billerica Memorial High School Code of Conduct. Administrators will seek the assistance of the police if necessary, and release the students to parents or police.

F. Breathalyzers During the School Day

A school administrator may ask that a student submit to a breathalyzer test during the school day if, after careful evaluation, there is a reasonable belief that a student may be under the influence of alcohol while in attendance at school.

G. Equipment

The breathalyzer will be maintained according to the manufacturer’s specifications.