Rather than an ending, commencement – both the word and the ceremony – represents a beginning. It is appropriate that an occasion which marks the beginning of a new phase of life should be conducted with pomp and circumstance, stateliness and tradition.
The ceremony of commencement celebrated at High Schools, Colleges, and Universities throughout the world has its roots in the scholastic traditions of the Middle Ages. It is an ancient, dignified, and highly symbolic ritual of conclusion and emergence, a rite of passage into a new life.
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EVERYONE, including children of all ages, must have a ticket in order to be admitted to graduation.
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Seating is limited. Tickets will be barcoded.
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All ceremonies will be broadcast live on “The St. Lucie Education Channel” and streamed live on YouTube.
St. Lucie West Centennial High School
Tuesday, May 19, 2020 – 8:30 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.
at the Fenn Center
Ft. Pierce Westwood High School
Tuesday, May 19, 2020 – 4:30 p.m.
at the Fenn Center
Treasure Coast High School
Wednesday, May 20, 2020 – 8:30 a.m. &
12:30 p.m. at the Fenn Center
Lincoln Park Academy
Wednesday, May 20, 2020 – 4:30 p.m.
at the Fenn Center
Ft. Pierce Central High School
Thursday, May 21, 2020 – 8:30 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.
at the Fenn Center
Port St. Lucie High School
Thursday, May 21, 2020 – 4:30 p.m.
at the Fenn Center
Acceleration Academy
Thursday, May 28, 2020 – 8:30 a.m.
at Lincoln Park Auditorium
Performance Based Preparatory Academy
Thursday, May 28, 2020 – 9:30 a.m.
at Lincoln Park Auditorium
Mosaic Digital Academy
Thursday, May 28, 2020 – 10:30 a.m.
at Lincoln Park Auditorium
Graduation Information
Commencement is an exciting time for you and your graduate. Please follow these guidelines and be considerate of other guests so that everyone may have a great experience.
- The ceremonies are located in the Adams Arena at the St. Lucie Fair Grounds or the Fenn Center.
- The doors open 1.5 hours prior to the start of the ceremony.
- Please arrive at least 1 hour prior to the start of the ceremony. Late arrivals are disruptive to other guests and to the graduates.
- There will be a high volume of traffic, so please arrive early to allow plenty of time to find a parking spot.
- All guests must present a ticket in order to be admitted.
- Prearrange a designated area to meet your guests and graduate following the ceremony.
- Saving seats is not permitted. Seats are on a first come basis.
- Please silence cell phones.
- Guests are not permitted on the arena floor without the required admissions documentation; it is reserved for graduates, performers, special guests and faculty and staff only.
- Guests are not permitted in the graduate lineup area.
For guests who have limited mobility, please park in the designated parking area (see maps on Directions and Parking). Trolley transportation will be available to transport guests to and from the arena/Fenn Center.
Sign language interpreting is available at all ceremonies.
Captioning of all graduation ceremonies is available online and may be accessed by any handheld device capable of accessing the internet (smartphone, laptop, etc.).
A photographer reserved by the school will be taking a candid photograph of all graduates during a special moment of recognition. One or two more photos will be taken during the ceremony in addition to the candid handshake photograph. Graduates will receive information about picture receipt/purchase from each participating school during senior graduation week.
Any items lost or left behind during the commencement ceremonies will be taken to the faculty meeting area. After the ceremonies have ceased all unclaimed lost and found items will then be taken to the respective schools.
St. Lucie Public Schools is not responsible for any lost or stolen items.
The SLPS does not offer concessions. Please remember to hydrate as it can be extremely hot during spring graduations.
Outside food or drinks are not allowed.
Over 24,000 graduates, family members and friends come to St. Lucie Public Schools Graduation ceremonies at the Fenn Center to celebrate the achievement of their loved ones.
Student Ambassadors
Student Ambassadors have been an integral part of commencement. The School Ambassador program provides an opportunity for outstanding students to serve as official hosts and goodwill ambassadors for their respective school. Student Ambassadors represent their school and SLPS with the highest level of integrity and professionalism. These students are typically representative of class officers or student council.
The Chief Faculty Marshal leads the procession, this person is typically the Teacher of the Year for that respective school. Faculty members are also chosen to serve as marshals and to assist with the ceremony. The marshals are easily identified by their lead position in the faculty and student processional lines.
The dais party is the first group in the procession to enter the arena. The group consists of the superintendent, the school board members, the assistant superintendents and executive directors, the schools administration, and student leadership, and invited honored guests, such as the commencement speaker and recipients of awards. This group is followed by the graduates and participating faculty. When the graduates and members of the dais reach their seats, the processional ends. At this point the chief faculty marshal declares the candidates for graduation to be assembled and the ceremony begins.
The caps and gowns worn at commencement connect contemporary graduates with scholarly tradition that dates back as long as universities have existed. Clerics, ecclesiastics, and scholars wore hoods or caps and heavy gowns at European universities during the Middle Ages. Beginning in the middle of the fourteenth century, scholars wore an academic costume of “bunge and sand-colored habits.” A costume for commencement has been a tradition since the beginning of higher education in America.
In 1895, the Intercollegiate Bureau of Academic Costume was created, and a standard code of academic dress for commencements was adopted. It calls for the existing cap and gown (the traditional bachelor’s gown with long, open, pointed sleeves) and the master’s gown (with its long sleeves hanging down from the elbow) to set apart the graduates at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Maize: Agriculture
White: Art, Letters, and Humanities
Drab: Business Administration
Red and Gold: Chemistry
Lilac: Dentistry
Copper: Economics
Light Blue: Education
Orange: Engineering
Brown: Fine Arts, Architecture
Russet: Forestry
Maroon: Home Economics
Crimson: Journalism
Purple: Law
Lemon: Library Science
Green: Medicine
Pink: Music
Apricot: Nursing
Silver Gray: Oratory
Olive Green: Pharmacy
Dark Blue: Philosophy
Sage Green: Physical Education
Peacock Blue: Public Administration
Salmon Pink: Public Health
Gold Yellow: Science
Citron: Social Science
Scarlet: Theology or Divinity
Gray: Veterinary Science
Faculty and Staff
- All participating faculty need to access the Arena/Fenn Center as depicted in the diagram provided by your school’s graduation coordinator.
- Please plan to arrive no later than 30 minutes prior to the start of the ceremony that you will be participating in.
- Please silence cell phones.
- Be aware that there is no provision at the ceremony for storing personal items such as coats, purses, briefcases, etc.
- All faculty members participating in graduation must have a ticket.
