Senior Class

Caps and Gowns

Caps, Gowns, and Graduation Announcements should be purchased through Jostens.com

Please note caps & gowns are shipped to WLC and will be distributed on Friday, May 22, 2026. The 2026 tassel & the Viking medal are items that require purchase when a student is wearing a used gown. These items are not distributed for free. They will be sold by Jostens when they distribute announcements in March or April TBD during lunch and Friday, May 22^nd in the auditorium lobby. 

If your student is wearing a used gown, please notify Mrs. Mergner so she can add your student to her list for having a Cap and Gown – 248-956-4724 or MelissaMergner@wlcsd.org

Book Deposits, Fees and Fines

• Duty to Return Textbooks - All textbooks used during the student's Walled Lake Central career must be returned, and all fines and fees must be paid off in the form of cash, money order or via Skyward Family Access. No personal checks will be accepted.
• $40 Book Refund - If your student has officially graduated from Walled Lake Central, and has no outstanding fines or fees, you should expect a $40 book deposit refund. All efforts will be made to get those checks processed and mailed to you during the month of October. For record keeping purposes, these checks are made out to the student.
• Deduction for fines from $40 Deposit - If a student needs to use deposit monies to pay fees or fines, the student must sign a release; deposit monies can only be used for textbook fees or fines. If there is a net refund for less than $5, Walled Lake Consolidated Schools donates the amount to the Invisible Dad Program unless you request an alternative choice.

Food Service Account

• Account balances of $5.00 or less will be donated to our Food Program to students in need of assistance unless we are notified otherwise by May 22. Email FoodService@wlcsd.org. Please include student’s name and if which of the following options you prefer:
  • Transfer to another student - include the name of the student receiving the funds.
  • Donation for a student's meal account in need.
  • Refund - include the name that should be on the check and a mailing address.
• Senior Students will not be able to use their meal account after May 22.
• Questions relating to food services accounts should be directed to Anne Merchant at 248-956-3081.

• Date and Time: May 31, 2026, 12:00 p.m. Students must arrive by 11:00 a.m.
• Location: George Gervin GameAbove Center at Eastern Michigan University
• Attire - This is a classy event.  Graduates are encouraged to wear dress/classy slacks, dress or skirt & blouse, classy collared shirt, ties, and dress shoes or dress sandals.  Please no athletic shoes, shorts, sunglasses, jeans, or other casual clothes.  Graduation caps may not be adorned.  Students may not wear graduation cords, sashes, or adornment other than those provided or explicitly authorized by WLC administration.
• Possessions/Accessories - NO purses, cameras, phones, ear buds, coats, etc. should be carried or worn into arena or practice gym by graduates. Graduates should enter the convocation center carrying their cap and gown (for safety purposes), and then, after entering the practice gym for staging/organizing, graduates will put on caps and gowns.
• Tickets/Seating - Each senior will receive two (2) complimentary non-reserved tickets. These tickets will be distributed to seniors at lunches on May 14th and 15th. Additional tickets may be ordered by contacting Eastern Michigan University at https://emueagles.evenue.net or by telephone at (734) 487- 3669. Tickets will be available beginning in early April. All persons over the age of five (5) are required to have a ticket to enter the arena. The graduating senior does not need a ticket. There will be no tickets sold or distributed at the door. Please acquire all tickets necessary for your family and friends well in advance of graduation day. In addition, Eastern Michigan University is providing first come first serve private suites for a flat fee. These suites can be ordered by calling EMU at (734) 487-3669. Handicapped seating is available throughout the arena. No more than one (1) guest may accompany each handicapped person.
• Diploma Distribution - Diplomas will be distributed at the Convocation Center, in the auxiliary gym, immediately following commencement. Diplomas not picked up after commencement, may be picked up in the Main Office at Walled Lake Central during school hours of 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Exiting Arena - Graduates will exit the arena after receiving their diplomas and meet parents in the parking lot. There is no re-entry into the building.
• Photographs - An official photograph will be taken of each graduate with his/her diploma. An order form with proof will be sent home. Guests are not allowed to approach the stage to take pictures. Pictures may be taken from your seat.
• At-Large Speech - In addition to the Class President and Student Leadership Executive President, one student will be selected to give an "at large" address to the graduating class.  More details will be available in the spring.

• Date and Time: Tuesday, May 26, 7pm-10pm
• Location: The Meridian,  26750 Haggerty Road Farmington Hills, MI 48331
• Prom tickets will be sold during lunch only. To purchase a ticket, you will need:
  • Signed copy of the Prom Contract (available in the Main Office)
  • Current WLC student ID
  • Each WLC senior may bring one guest. Guests may include WLC non-seniors. Guest may be no older than 20 years old on the day of prom. Seniors bringing a guest will also need:
    • Completed Guest Contract 
    • Photocopy of the guest’s picture ID (student or state-issued ID only).
• Code of Conduct - The senior prom is a school-sponsored event and all rules of the Walled Lake Consolidated Schools' code of conduct apply and will be enforced. Consequences
  for violating the established guidelines are noted and students(s) understand the penalties, which will be enforced and may also include prohibition from attending graduation.
• Questions: Questions regarding Senior Prom should be directed to the Class Advisors.
  • Stephanie Meyers - StephanieMeyers@wlcsd.org
  • Joel Sharpe - JoelSharpe@wlcsd.org

The Senior All Night Party (SANP) is an event that has occurred intermittently in the past. SANP is a completely parent-organized, parent-supervised event that has no official affiliation with Walled Lake Central High School and takes place after students have graduated.

Any parents who are interested in helping organize, fundraise, and otherwise assist with SANP should contact senior Hannah Dabesh at dabeshhannah@gmail.com.

The Senior All Night Party is a parent-organized and parent-supervised event with no supervision provided by Walled Lake Central personnel.

Graduation

• Tickets are required for admittance into Eastern Michigan University’s Convocation Center.
• NO signs, noisemakers, balloons, etc. will be allowed into the convocation center per EMU’s policies. EMU security will confiscate air horns, noisemakers, etc. upon entry.
• There are handicap accessible areas available in the arena. Accommodations for one other person (accompanying the handicapped person) are available. Upon arrival, if you need wheelchair assistance in the arena, locate an EMU employee and he/she will assist you.
• You will not be allowed to go near the stage to take pictures. You can only take pictures from your seat. An official photo will be taken of each student arranged through a photography company.
• Graduates will exit the arena AFTER the ceremony into the parking lot and meet families there. There is no re-entry into the building after the ceremony. Therefore, be sure he/she does not take anything into the building that could be left behind is of high, important value. Graduates will not be allowed to carry anything into the arena other than their cap and gown. Please be sure all other items are kept with you or remain at home or in the car.
• If your son or daughter wishes to attend Northern or Western’s ceremony, they may not wear Central's cap and gown into the building. EMU officials will not let them enter even if they are carrying their graduation garb.
• Flowers will be sold at the atrium of the Convocation Center. Please give these to students after the ceremony since they won’t be able to carry them.
• EMU will have limited concessions open for food and beverages.

Prom

• Set a reasonable budget in advance for prom expenses and adhere to that budget. Any senior who wishes to attend prom, but is experiencing financial hardship, should contact Principal Kyle Meteyer to discus confidentially.
• Remember that the Student Code of Conduct remains in effect for prom night and after prom activities. This includes abiding by the school dress code when dressing for the event.
• Empower your child to say “no” by blaming you – “I can’t do that; my parents would kill me!”
• Talk with other parents and become informed about the plans for after the prom.

Graduation Open House and Parties

• Talk to friends and neighbors about open house traditions in your neighborhood. Speak to other parents who have been through the experience of graduation parties.
• Consider having combined party for your student and other friends.
• Develop a budget and adhere to it.
• Before setting the date, ask your child to coordinate with friends to minimize conflicts with their parties.
• Advice: DO NOT serve alcohol at a graduation open house. Alcohol/drugs and teens do not mix. That’s the unanimous, adamant advice of the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals and all law enforcement agencies. Let's not let this joyous season turn into one of tragedy and unintended consequences.
• Have adults present at all times during the party.

Contact: wlcclassof2026@gmail.com
Requirements: Please submit one baby picture and one senior picture for your student to be submitted by April 15. These photos should be submitted as attachments in an email to wlcclassof2026@gmail.com with the student's name in the subject line.

Please remember, if the photo you submit looks fuzzy/grainy, it will look fuzzy/grainy in the slide show.