There is much to accomplish before the Class of 2024 gets to walk across the stage with their diplomas! See below for details.
Caps and Gowns
Families buy caps and gowns for their senior’s graduation (a total cost of $29.95). Cap and gown sizes and payment must be submitted no later than Friday, April 5, 2024. We will take care of ordering the caps and gowns from our provider.
Use the link here or on the graduation webpage to submit your size. The payment of $29.95 can be made using a credit card online here or by cash or check at the front desk.
Diploma Names
All senior parents must submit their scholar’s full legal name exactly as they’d like it to appear on their diploma using this form by April 29th, 2024. Please do not use any nicknames and double check your spelling. Contact Mrs. Beverly Armstrong (beverly.armstrong@greatheartstxschools.org) with questions.
Senior Banquet
Thursday, May 9th, 6:30 – 9:30 PM
Carrollton Farmers Branch Conference Center
455 E. La Villita Boulevard, Irving
Each senior will be honored with a short speech from a faculty member.
Dinner will be provided for Seniors.
For parents, a banquet menu in addition to the regular menu will be available for purchase.
Graduation Tickets
Tickets to the Class of 2024 Graduation Ceremony are free and are available here. Final ticket requests must be submitted by May 10th, 2024. So we can plan accordingly, all attendees must have a reserved ticket. Please reach out to Mr. David Eschrich (david.eschrich@greatheartstxschools.org) with any questions.
Graduation Announcements and Invitations
While GHI will not be furnishing announcements or invitations, families are more than welcome to create announcements or invitations (or both) for those in attendance via a third party service.
We recommend visiting vistaprint.com, minted.com, or simplytoimpress.com for options.
Senior Finals
Final exams will be held on Tuesday, May 21 – Wednesday, May 22.
Senior Brunch
Seniors must be on campus by 8:30 AM on Friday, May 24th, dressed in school-appropriate business casual attire. We’ll enjoy brunch together, take photos, receive honor cords to be worn on graduation day, and discuss key end-of-year details.
Senior Walk
To end their last school day at Great Hearts Irving, students will don their caps and gowns and tour the whole campus as their 6-11th grade peers and the faculty and staff line the hallways and cheer on the candidates as they pass. After the Senior Walk through the Upper School campuses, candidates will travel to the Lower School and complete a Senior Walk through their hallways, as an example of what is to come for our Lower School scholars. After walking through the Lower School, seniors are dismissed until the Graduation Rehearsal Friday evening.
Graduation Rehearsal
Graduation rehearsal will be held at Great Hearts Irving Upper School in the Gym at 4:30 PM on Friday, May 24th. Students are encouraged to dress in business casual. During rehearsal, we will walk through each step of the program so candidates can relax and enjoy their commencement exercises. The rehearsal will conclude no later than 6 PM.
Commencement
Saturday, May 25th
All candidates must arrive by 8:45 AM.
Commencement will begin promptly at 10:00 AM.
Our 2024 Commencement Speaker is the co-founder of Great Hearts Academies, Dr. Daniel Scoggin. Over twenty years ago, he started as the headmaster of a classical, liberal arts academy in Tempe, AZ. In 2004, Dan authored the original Great Hearts business plan. As the founding CEO, he secured the initial strategic funding partnerships with local and national philanthropy to launch the Arizona schools network. From 2004 to 2015, he directed the network’s growth and academic model, including Great Hearts’ expansion into Texas. Great Hearts now serves 26,000 students at 42 schools in Phoenix, San Antonio, and North Texas, with plans to expand into Louisiana and Florida. In addition to serving on the Great Hearts America board, Dan is the Academies Officer, overseeing school operations, improvement, and further brick-and-mortar expansion nationally. Dr. Scoggin holds a Ph.D. in English Literature from the Claremont Graduate University, a B.A. from Santa Clara University, attended the Stanford University Executive Education program, was a Piper Fellow, Pahara-Aspen Fellow, and recently completed an M.A. in character education from the Jubilee Centre at the University of Birmingham (U.K.). He is the father of four daughters, including two Great Hearts graduates, and lives with his wife Tiffany in Mesa, AZ.