Class of 2025 Commencement Ceremonies

Posted: Friday, April 4, 2025

 

Dear Class of 2025 Students and Families,

We are very excited to celebrate your accomplishments at the Class of 2025 Commencement Ceremonies in June! This message is to inform you of a change to the date of our ceremonies.

Our original commencement date, June 6, is expected to overlap with the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha. To ensure all our students and families are able to celebrate these great accomplishments, Brooklyn Center Community Schools is changing the Class of 2025 Commencement Ceremonies to Sunday, June 8, 2025. 

• The ECA & ISMN Commencement Ceremony will be on Sunday, June 8 at 1:30pm at the Brooklyn Center Heritage Center.
• The BCHS Commencement Ceremony will be on Sunday, June 8 at 4:30pm at the Brooklyn Center Heritage Center.

This decision was made to ensure our community is able to celebrate not only the momentous occasion of graduation but also their religious traditions. We recognize that this calendar change may impact your family’s plans to attend graduation and we sincerely thank you for your flexibility. Please take a look at our graduation website for updated dates, times, ceremony information, and FAQs. 

If you have any questions about this change, please reach out to your building principal or to me directly.

Sincerely,

Dr. Carly Baker, Superintendent

 

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Eid al-Adha is an important Islamic holidays in the Muslim calendar. Also known as the Festival of Sacrifice, it celebrates the prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son, Ismail. This holiday usually lands in early June and is based on the first sighting of the crescent moon in Saudi Arabia. This year, it is expected to be celebrated on June 6 or June 7, with religious traditions beginning the night before. 

Explore these websites to learn more about Eid al-Adha:

• https://www.muslimaid.org/media-centre/blog/what-is-eid-ul-adha/
• https://www.britannica.com/topic/Eid-al-Adha

The district creates the school year calendar every two years. This process is done through committee planning to ensure the district meets all state requirements and is approved by the school board every two years. Moving forward, as we place graduation on the upcoming school year calendars, the district will review all religious calendars to ensure we meet the needs of all our families.

• Every graduate will receive a set number of tickets for family members to attend with the option to secure an additional tickets through a lottery drawing. 

  • Each ECA & ISMN graduate will receive up to 10 tickets for the 1:30pm ceremony.

  • Each BCHS graduate will receive 7 tickets for the 4:30pm ceremony, with the opportunity to secure up to 3 more tickets in a lottery drawing.
     

• Tickets will be presented at the door by showing your wristband. Starting on Wednesday, June 4 at 12pm, wristbands will be available for seniors to pick up. Seniors will then be able to hand out to their selected family/friends who will be attending the ceremony. 

The Brooklyn Center Heritage Center is located at 6155 Earle Brown Dr, Brooklyn Center, MN 55430.

• All guests must wear their wristband at all times while they are in the facility. Staff members will scan the barcode on your wristband upon entry. 

• All guests should have received their wristband from their student ahead of time. BCCS staff will be available at the entrance to assist as needed. 

• Guests with unbroken wristbands may leave the ceremony and re-enter as needed prior to doors closed.

• Entrance doors will lock at 2:00pm and 5:00pm.

  • No additional guests will be able to enter the ceremony after doors have locked, regardless of tickets. 

  • Guests who exit the Heritage Center for any reason during the ceremony will not be allowed back in after entrance doors lock at 2:00pm and 5:00pm.

The Brooklyn Center Heritage Center has ample free parking for families in the overflow parking lot across the street. Signage will be posted to assist with navigating the parking lot. Handicap parking will be available near the entrance.

Brooklyn Center Community Schools is hosting two commencement ceremonies, one for BCHS graduates and one for ECA/Insight graduates, to ensure our families and friends can attend the ceremonies and celebrate our graduates.  

• No food or beverage is allowed in the event center.

• If you are bringing balloons, you will be asked to store your balloons in the lobby so as to not obstruct other guests’ view or loose balloons to the ceiling. 

• We ask that all guests remain quiet during the reading of the graduate names so all guests can hear the names being read. 

Class of 2025 Senior Parade: Wednesday, June 4

• Graduating seniors are invited to attend the annual senior parade on Wednesday, June 4 at Brooklyn Center Elementary School. Bus transportation will be provided for students to and from Brooklyn Center Elementary. Departure times will be posted closer to the event.

• This event is closed to the public and meant for students and staff to celebrate our seniors. Photos of the event will be taken and shared with our community.

• Starting on Wednesday, June 4 at 12pm, wristbands will be available for seniors to pick up. Seniors will then be able to hand out to their selected family/friends who will be attending the ceremony. 

 

Cap & Gowns

Click here to place your order online via Eleyo today! Registration costs $50 and includes your cap, gown, and tassel that will be yours to keep. 

• ECA & ISMN: Cap and Gowns can be picked up by ECA and ISMN students at the ECA/Insight Offices by Friday, May 30th. Any cap and gown that is not picked up by then will be available for students to pick up on Friday, June 6 at rehearsal.
• BCHS: Cap and Gowns can be picked up by BCHS students at the front office on Wednesday, June 4th. 

 

Diploma Pick Up

• Graduates will walk across the stage during the ceremony and receive their diploma holder. After the ceremony concludes, graduates will be ushered to the staging area to pick up their personalized diplomas. Diplomas will be arranged by school site and alphabetized by last name. Graduates should find their last name letter line and will be handed their personalized diploma by a staff member.