Class of 2025

Dear Grade 12 Students and Caregivers:

As our seniors work diligently to wrap up their academic classes, career technical and agricultural programs, and cooperative education placements for the school year, it is time to discuss our Graduation and Senior Week festivities. Our Graduation ceremony for the Class of 2025 will be held on Thursday, May 29^th at 6:00 pm. We hope this will be an event that our graduates and their families will cherish forever. Our Graduation ceremony will occur outdoors at the Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School Stadium. In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony rain date will be on Friday, May 30^th at 6:00 pm. If a decision is made to move Graduation to Friday, seniors and caregivers will be notified shortly after 1:00 pm on Thursday, May 29^th, through the school’s ParentSquare messaging system. If we have inclement weather on Thursday, May 29^th, and Friday, May 30^th, the Graduation will be held on Saturday, May 31^st at 10:00 am. 

Each graduate will be allowed to bring six guests to graduation. Two guests will be seated on the field with the graduate. The remaining four guests will sit in the bleachers. Each graduate will receive six tickets for Graduation.  Two tickets are for seats on the field, and four tickets are for stadium seating (and this includes handicapped seating). Tickets will be distributed to seniors at Senior Sign Out on Friday, May 23^rd. Tickets must be presented at the entrance gate for seating. Due to the size of our facility and the number of graduates, we cannot offer more tickets. Thank you for your understanding. This event will be live-streamed on our YouTube channel for family members who are not able to attend. 

It is always best to arrive early, by 5:00 pm, to avoid difficulties parking and to allow time to be seated well before the procession begins. There will be designated parking for guests with handicap plates.  We also encourage families to carpool, as parking will be challenging with so many guests on campus.

Once seniors have been handed their diplomas and step down from the podium, they will walk to an official photography area, where each student will pose for a formal photograph before returning to their seats.

Awards Night will be held in the Alumni Memorial Building on Tuesday, May 6^th at 6:00 pm. At this event, many members of the Class of 2025 will be recognized for their achievement, merit, and service through the formal announcement of scholarships and awards. Caregivers of those students have received a personal invitation and an email RSVP to the Awards Night ceremony. Students will wear their gowns this evening, as well as any honor cords. 

We are happy to accommodate any guests who need assistance with interpretation services, including language and American Sign Language. We are also ready to assist families requiring accommodations for a handicapped guest. If you need an interpreter or require any other special accommodations at Graduation or Awards Night, please email my administrative assistant, Erin Nestor, directly at enestor@essextech.net. Please make these requests as soon as possible so that we can make the appropriate arrangements.

In addition to Graduation and Awards Night, the Senior Class Officers and faculty advisors have many other special events planned for an exciting and memorable senior week.

Senior Week 2025
Tuesday, May 6th	6:00 pmStudents should arrive at 5:30 pm	Senior Awards Night
Tuesday, May 20th	5:30 pm	Honor Scholar Dinner(for seniors in the top 5% of the class)
Wednesday, May 14th – Wednesday, May 21st	Senior Spirit Week Themes:5/14- Dress Like a Staff Member5/15- Future Plans5/16 – Country vs. Country Clubs5/19 – Adam Sandler Day5/20 – Senior Citizen5/21- Senior Spirit Day (Essex Tech gear!)	Senior Spirit Week
Wednesday, May 21st		Last day of school for seniors
Wednesday, May 21st	6:00 pm	Senior Trivia Night
Friday, May 23rd	9:30 am	Graduation Practice: Students meet at the stadium for Graduation rehearsal. Senior Sign Out, Pick up yearbook & cap and gownCelebration BBQ & Games – South Campus
Tuesday, May 27th	4:30 pm 5:15 pm 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm	Arrival at school  Promenade at Essex Tech Prom at New England Aquarium
Thursday, May 29th	6:00 pm	Graduation
Friday, May 30th	6:00 pm	Graduation Rain Date
Saturday, May 31st	10:00 am	Graduation Rain Date

This year, our prom will be held at the New England Aquarium. All students should arrive at school by 4:30 pm for check-in. We will host a Promenade at 5:15 pm at school for all students attending the prom. Parents and caregivers are invited to attend the Promenade. The Promenade will be held in the Gymnasium.

All students must arrive at the prom by traveling on an Essex Tech bus. Busing is mandatory; students cannot drive themselves or be dropped off directly at the prom. Buses will leave Essex Tech at 6:00 pm. If a student does not arrive at school in time to be checked in and board the bus, they cannot attend the prom. The buses will also bring students back to school following the prom at 10:00 pm. 

We need students to pay their class dues to provide all these events. Class dues are $200.00 in total.  At this time, some students still have not paid their dues. This money funds yearbooks, caps and gowns, and gifts. The dues are also used to offset the cost of some of the Senior Week activities. If you have not yet paid your class dues, please contact Ms. Berry at mberry@essextech.net or Ms. Walton at cwalton@essextech.net. Dues can be paid by check or cash, or click here to pay online.

Our Graduation ceremony and Awards Night formally recognize the accomplishments of our seniors, all of whom have worked and succeeded in so many ways during their high school years. Please help your graduate reflect on the importance of both these occasions. Graduates should dress appropriately so that their gowns fit properly. We ask that there be no tank tops, shorts, or blue jeans, as these will detract from the dignity of commencement events. In addition, graduates must wear dress shoes or sandals. Please be advised: due to the delicate nature of both the synthetic field and track, high heels are not allowed. If a student arrives with footwear deemed inappropriate by the administration, the student will be given a pair of flip-flops. By following these guidelines, our Graduation and Award Night ceremonies will reflect the dignity and recognition our students deserve. Please note that family members or guests will not be allowed on the field if they are wearing high heels. Consider wearing flats or wedges, as they will not damage the turf. Guests wearing heels will be asked to sit in the stadium.  

If you have any questions, please contact me at sdonnelly@essextech.net. 

Sincerely,
Shannon B. Donnelly
Assistant Superintendent/Principal