Class of 2025—Important Information
Commencement vs. Graduation
2025 Cohort vs. Potential Graduate
All grade 12 students who entered grade 9 in 2021 are known as the 2025 cohort or the Class of 2025. All grade 12 students of the 2025 cohort are eligible to participate in this year’s Commencement Ceremony to be held on Thursday, June 26 at The Grand Olympia Banquet Centre.
If you wish to participate in the ceremony, you must purchase a graduation gown from School Cash Online—no students will be eligible to walk across the stage without a gown. You are only eligible to participate ONCE, and your name is in the program for the year of your cohort.
There may be students participating in the Commencement Ceremony who have not met all their diploma requirements—and that is ok. While we encourage you to complete everything before the end of the year to receive your diploma, some students may be returning to Glendale in September to complete these requirements. Because your courses are not yet complete, there will be no awards presented at the Commencement Ceremony, nor will they be included in the distributed program.
All the following requirements must be met in order to receive your Ontario Secondary School Diploma (which will be available for pick up in July):
- You must have earned a minimum of 26 credits by the end of semester 1
- You must be scheduled to take the remaining courses needed to complete the 18 compulsory credits and 12 optional credits for a total of 30 by mid-term semester 2
- You must have submitted documentation of 40 hours of community volunteer activities by May 1, 2025
- You must have successfully completed the Ontario Secondary School Literacy requirement or be scheduled to take the literacy course in semester 2.
We are very proud of the commencement ceremony we provide for the Glendale community. It takes countless hours of planning and preparation to run this event and requires funds as well.
As a result, there is a fee of $80 which covers the expenses of the following:
- grade 12 student breakfast
- gown, cap and tassel purchase
- Commencement Ceremony program
- tickets and invitations
- music and decorations for the ceremony
- ceremony facility rental
- post-ceremony reception
This price includes THREE guest tickets for each grade 12 student. Also, because we have moved the location of the commencement ceremony to Grand Olympia, you may invite other guests (maximum of FIVE)—you just need to pay $5 for each additional ticket after the three already included. Extra tickets will be available in May. Should you be unable to pay the fee in full or part, please contact Ms. Miminas in the Student Services department or call 905-560-7343.
Class of 2025 Checklist
| Task | Due Date | Notes |
| Not Returning Semester 2? | January 31 | Send an email to [email protected] with your personal non-HWDSB email for any further communication including commencement related items |
| Graduation photos appointment | March 3-7 & 17-21
Code: 99GLNDL2852 |
Booked online through Pegasus School Images; need to have a grad photo taken to be included in the grad composite; placed in grad folder with diploma; sitting fee is $40 |
| Order grad gown and pay grad fee | March 1- April 30
last day—NO EXCEPTIONS! |
A gown must be worn to participate in the ceremony; all payments must be made through school cash online $80 |
| Valedictorian nominations | April 7-11 | Nomination forms will be available through Ms. Miminas—must be a student receiving their OSSD |
| Student survey, awards and scholarships—students will self-nominate through Form | April 14—April 30
CHECK YOUR EMAIL FOR LINK!!
|
Grade 12 Student Survey and Awards profile forms are available through the HUB and will be sent via email—while everyone can participate in the ceremony, awards are only for students receiving an OSSD in June |
| Prom Project | Saturday, April 5 | Listen to announcements for more information; by appointment only; will take place at Sir Winston Churchill |
| Ticket sales for PROM | April 28-May 28 | Tickets will be sold for $90 through school cash online; debit machine offered in school at lunch on Wednesdays |
| Grade 12 assembly and breakfast | May 1—period 2 | Assembly in the cafeteria for commencement info and valedictorian speeches; favourite memory to be recorded; buffet breakfast |
| Valedictorian speeches and voting | May 1 | Speeches will take place in the cafeteria and voting will take place in the main office at lunch after the speeches |
| 40 hours of community involvement | May 1 | All completed community involvement hours must be submitted to the Guidance Office |
| PROM!! | Wednesday, June 11
5:30-10:30 pm
|
PROM will be held at Winona Garden Estates; more information about cost, Behaviour Expectations and Guest Contract will follow |
| Commencement Ceremony | Thursday, June 26
TIME: for students 5 pm START TIME: for guests 6 pm |
CEREMONY!! To be held at Grand Olympia—includes 3 guest tickets; additional tickets are available at $5 each up to a maximum of 5 extra |
What do I need to graduate?
- 30 credits
- OSSLT (successfully complete the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test or Course)
- 40 volunteer hours
- 2 elearning credits (you may opt-out of this requirement by completing and returning the form here: Elearning Opt Out Letter)
For more information, please make an appointment to see your counsellor.
Click on the link to see the specific requirements for an Ontario Secondary School Diploma
- Ontario high school graduation requirements
Updated on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.