buckingham browne & Nichols school
BB&N class of 2024 graduation
The graduation ceremony typically lasts 1½ to 1¾ hours.
There will be a light outdoor reception afterwards, but not a full meal. We hope that the timing will allow you to make family plans easily.
Guests & Seating: We ask you to limit your guest list to no more than 10 people, although there will be room for some larger groups. This number does not include your senior! There are no tickets nor do we take names of your guests. Graduation is open seating, which will begin at 8:30 a.m.
Invitations/Announcements: Formal invitations are mailed to families in late April. Senior Class Co-Deans Dr. Cataldo and Mme. Roucher-Greenberg will also distribute additional invitations to seniors at a class meeting that can be forwarded to family and friends either as invitations or announcements. If you need additional invitations (10 maximum), seniors can pick them up from Mr. Jones at the front desk.
Special Circumstances: If you have members of your family who need special seating consideration or who need handicap parking, please email the Head’s Office at heads_office@bbns.org. Since accessible parking is limited, it will be available only to those who are driving themselves. We encourage you to drop off those who need assistance and then park in the available lots.
Dress: The senior class voted to wear caps and gowns for this year’s graduation ceremony. Navy blue caps and gowns will be provided by the school for the ceremony. Caps and gowns will be distributed to seniors during the scheduled Graduation Rehearsal on Thursday, June 6. We ask that students arrive on campus on Friday wearing thoughtful formal attire and appropriate footwear under their gowns.
The Parent Representatives, on behalf of all of the senior parents, will have flowers for each senior to wear at the ceremony.
Seniors: Arrive at the Nicholas Athletic Center (tennis courts level) with their caps and gowns no later than 9:00 AM for the class photograph and to line up for the procession. We will not hold the picture for latecomers. Please arrange to be dropped off that morning as parking will be extremely limited.
Parking: Parking has become more and more difficult in the spaces that surround our campus. We recommend that you find alternative transportation such as Uber, Lyft, public transportation, or walking. If driving is your only alternative, we ask that you bring as few cars to campus as possible on Graduation Day.
If you drive, please park in DCR Lot 3 or 4 on Soldiers Field Road. However, because the school does not have exclusive rights to these lots, we cannot guarantee available spaces for all guests. If Lots 3 and 4 are full, please look to BB&N staff for alternative parking arrangements. School shuttles will be making continuous round trips between these satellite lots and the Nicholas Athletic Center beginning at 7:45 a.m. After the ceremony, the return trips will begin.
Please note that no parking is allowed along Greenough Boulevard.
Photography: The school photographer will take a picture of each senior as they receive the diploma from Dr. Price. In addition, a class picture will be taken before the class lines up for the graduation procession. The school will send a complimentary copy of each graduate’s photograph plus a copy of the group photograph to each family in the weeks following the ceremony.
The class picture will be taken promptly in the Tennis Court level of the NAC at 9:05 AM. We will not be able to wait for latecomers. During the graduation exercises, the area in front of the stage is reserved for official school photographers. Parents are welcome to take pictures from the sides, but we ask that you do not position yourselves in front of the stage as it obstructs the paths of the seniors and slows the proceedings.