Billings Central Catholic High School

March 23, 2021

Parents, Teachers, and Students:

I hope you are having a blessed and meaningful Lenten season as we all prepare for Easter. Before getting into end of year details, I want to congratulate all of our winter activity participants on great seasons as many now call themselves state champions! This letter is primarily for those of you who have a senior approaching the milestone of graduation so you can plan and prepare. However, because so many people are involved in the process and ceremony, I want to include this information for everyone. It also includes a few end of the year odds and ends for everyone as we head into spring. As with everything the past calendar year, things are subject to change, and I will communicate immediately if they do.

At BCCHS we are so proud of each of our graduating seniors. There are many individual and group accomplishments for which this class can be very proud. Graduation marks achievement. It is a ceremony of honor and recognition that connects your student to the Billings Central Catholic High School graduates of the past and future. Congratulations to both you and your graduate as you begin to prepare for the next step in their life journey.

Graduation for the class of 2021 will take place on Sunday, May 30, at the BCCHS Nelles Center. The school will do everything possible to make this a meaningful and impactful celebration given the continuing circumstances related to Covid and student and staff health and safety. We ask that you support our efforts by adhering to the following guidelines.

Attendance at the graduation ceremony will be limited to the graduate plus six guests, with the exception of students whose immediate family, defined as parents, step-parents, and siblings, is greater than six. In that case, all immediate family members of larger families will be allowed. Please understand these are not transferable seats. If you only need two for your family for example, the other four are not available to give to others. Smaller groups are needed to help balance some of the larger groups in terms of total numbers.

  • All seating will be reserved. The seating chart will be created based on a random draw. A map with each family’s seating location and instructions as to when, where, and how to arrive and exit the gymnasium will be sent a week before graduation.
  • Please email jduval@billingscatholicschools.org by Monday, May 10th, with your list of attendees and let us know if you have any special seating needs, e.g., a wheelchair. Families who do not submit this information by May 10 will not be entered into the random draw, and instead will receive seating assignments based on what is left.
  • The event will be lived-streamed for outside guests. Information will follow with details closer to graduation.
  • Graduates and staff members will be seated in the chairs on the gym floor following social distancing practices.
  • Guests will not be able to move about the gymnasium during the ceremony. Therefore, BCCHS will take a picture of each graduate receiving their diploma. All graduates will have their picture taken and pictures will be available online following the ceremony.
  • At BCCHS, appropriate dress for graduation is both important and an expectation. Girls are welcome to wear dresses, dress pants or a suit, and boys to wear dress slacks and collared dress shirts with or without a tie or suit or sport coat. Dress shoes are required for all graduates both male and female. No tennis shoes, flip-flops, or similarly casual shoes will be allowed. Students who are improperly dressed will not be permitted to participate in the ceremony. If any student does not have appropriate shoes or dress clothes, email shelhanser@billingscatholicschools.org as soon as possible and appropriate attire will be found.
  • Graduates are not allowed to decorate, bedazzle, affix any product to or write on the mortarboard whatsoever.
  • Graduates will communicate with families ahead of time to arrange for a predetermined meeting place for the family immediately following graduation. Graduates will process out of the gymnasium and immediately exit the building through the northeast Wyoming door to the outside and proceed to the pre-determined meeting place. Families will then be dismissed to go and meet their graduate. This location could be the park across the street, the grass in front of Sacred Heart, the courtyard, the lawn at the Moss Mansion – anywhere on or close to campus. Parents will have half an hour with their graduate to congratulate them and take pictures. In the case of inclement weather, an alternate plan will be communicated.
  • RamJam, BC’s alcohol-free graduation party, will take place beginning 45 minutes after the conclusion of the graduation ceremony. 45 minutes following the ceremony, the graduates should be back in their chairs on the floor of the Nelles Center, and parents are asked to leave at that point. The modified RamJam will conclude at 2:00am, after which parents can come back to Central to pick up their student. A meal will be provided for the students. Specific details of this event will follow from the RamJam committee.

The following are important dates for the end of the year.

  • Thursday, March 25th
    • Mass Day, 9:00am, Mass Dress Expected-3:05 B Day Dismissal
  • Thursday, April 1st -Monday, April 5th – No School
    • Happy Easter!
  • Saturday, April 17th
    • Senior Class Gala – All Dressed Up with Someplace to Go!
      • Dinner and Social
      • 6:30pm at the Knights of Columbus Hall
      • BCCHS Class of ’21 Only
      • More details to follow
  • Monday, May 3rd
    • AP Government Test, 8:00am
  • Tuesday, May 4th
    • AP Calculus Test, 8:00am
  • Wednesday, May 5th
    • AP English Literature and Composition Test, 8:00am
  • Friday, May 7th
    • AP Computer Science Test, 12:00pm
  • Wednesday, May 12th
    • AP English Language and Composition Test, 8:00am
  • Friday, May 14th
    • AP Biology Test, 8am
  • Saturday, May 15th
    • MasterLube RamJam Fundraiser, all day, downtown MasterLube—if you need an oil change, please wait for this day to support the class of ’21!
  • Monday, May 17th
    • AP Statistics Test, 12:00pm
  • Monday, May 24th
    • Senior Final Exams, A Day
  • Tuesday, May 25th
    • Senior Final Exams, B Day
  • Wednesday, May 26th
    • Graduation Practice, locker checkout, iPad return, 9:00am
    • Senior Retreat—10am-3pm
    • Senior Farewell Mass and Senior Awards (following Mass), Nelles Center, 6:00pm
      • Families of graduates are welcome to attend Mass, and Mass will also be live streamed. Please RSVP to jduval@billingscatholicschools.org by Monday, May 10, if you plan to attend the Senior Farewell Mass and Senior Awards event so we can be prepared with seating.
  • Sunday, May 30th
    • Graduation 6:00pm
    • Ram Jam to follow graduation, tentative timeframe 8:00pm – 2:00am, details TBA
  • Monday, May 31st
    • No School-Memorial Day
  • Tuesday, June 1st
    • All 7 Periods-Review Day
  • Wednesday, June 2nd-Friday June 4th –Final Exams (Freshman, Sophomores, and Juniors)
    • Wednesday-Periods 1, 3, 5
    • Thursday-Periods 2, 4, 6
    • Friday-Period 7, iPad return, and end of year checkout.

All of us are looking forward to graduation and the end of the year. Please do your part to promote a safe and healthy spring. If you have any questions, please feel free to call, email, or stop in for information. Happy Easter!

God Bless,
Shel Hanser
Principal, BCCHS