As we prepare to celebrate the Class of 2026, please review the important information below about reserving seats for the graduation ceremony on Saturday, May 23, at 6:30 p.m.
We will open the reservation system twice to allow families to reserve seats in both possible locations. We will begin with reservations for indoor seating in the Wendell Center on Thursday, May 7, and then reopen the system with a new link for outdoor seating reservations on the Green on Tuesday, May 12.
While there is no restriction on the total number of guests that may attend the graduation ceremony, we do limit the number of reserved seats to eight per graduate on the Green and four per graduate in the Wendell Center.
Seat Reservation Overview
On Tuesday, April 28, seniors will draw envelopes in the front office to determine the time their family will receive the reservation system link. Students can arrive at any time throughout the day. The drawing is random, and there is no advantage to drawing earlier in the day. If a student is absent, they can draw an envelope when they return to school.
The time slots in each envelope determine when families may begin reserving seats through our online system on Thursday, May 7, and again on Tuesday, May 12. At their designated time on each date, families will receive an email with:
A link to the seat reservation site.
A student-specific passcode to unlock the seating map.
Please note that families will receive unique links and student-specific passcodes for each reservation session.
There is no cost to reserve seats. In addition to the reserved seating, approximately 650 general admission seats will be available on the day of graduation.
Dual Household Families
Dual-family households can choose from the following options:
Option 1: Both households receive the same email and student-specific passcode.
Option 2: Families split the seat allotment (e.g., two + two indoors or four + four outdoors in separate areas) and receive two separate codes.
If you would prefer to split the allotment and receive two separate codes, please notify Mr. Hilpert at bhilpert@portergaud.edu by Friday, May 1, at 5 p.m.
Accessible Seatingand Parking
If you have a member of your party who needs accessible seating, please email Mr. Hilpert at bhilpert@portergaud.edu by Friday, May 1, at 5 p.m. He will follow up with specific instructions for reserving accessible seats and/or requesting wheelchair assistance. There will be an accessible parking area on the day of the ceremony for those with accessible parking permits.
Use the “search for seats” box to select the number of seats and preferred side (left or right). Please note that students with last names Abernathy – Mannaker will be on the left and students with last names Marchant – Zucker will be on the right (looking at the stage from the seats).
This will filter available seat blocks and select the best set of seats on the chosen side.
You may also select seats individually.
Seats are not saved until you click checkout. After clicking checkout, you will have seven minutes to complete the order.
After selecting seats, press checkout and enter your information to confirm.
You will receive a confirmation email with the seats that you have reserved. We will also have a list of seat reservations at graduation.
Livestream and Photos
The ceremony will be livestreamed for those who are unable to attend in person, and the link will be shared the week prior to the event. The school will also take photos of the event, and a full gallery of images will be shared with all graduates and their families the week after graduation.
We look forward to celebrating this important milestone with you and your family. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Sincerely,
Silvia Davis, Head of Upper School
Brent Hilpert, Assistant Head of Upper School and Dean of Students
