Graduation

Graduate Profile

Graduation is a team effort. The Alpha Office principal, counselor, and secretary coordinate many senior activities, including ordering announcements and caps and gowns.  The Registrar’s Office participates in this process by:

  • Ordering diplomas
  • Providing names of eligible graduates for the program and the photographer
  • Designating seat assignments
  • Directing the graduation ceremony based on district policy and grade level guidelines
  • Ordering robes for faculty and district administration
  • Ordering honor cords for the top 15%
  • Safe-keeping of diplomas for five years until students pick them up
  • Providing similar services again for the summer graduation in August

Caps and Gowns

  • Herff Jones contracts to provide caps and gowns for graduation.
  • Details about this process can vary from year to year.
  • Students will be advised as to what to do through a general assembly program and through the "email tree".
  • Online information can be found at highschool.herffjones.com. 
  • Distribution of caps and gowns will be done in early May. A student will not be given his/her cap and gown if there is an outstanding obligation to the school (detention, fines, etc.)

Graduation Ceremony

  • Graduation is held on Saturday at the Don Coleman Coliseum.
  • The specific time rotates yearly… 10:00 a.m. , 1:00 p.m. , 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
  • Students are to arrive one hour before the ceremony begins.
  • A district-wide summer graduation ceremony is provided in August for students who finish graduation requirements during summer school.

Diplomas

  • Only one diploma is ordered for each student.
  • Replacement of lost diplomas is not a service provided through the registrar’s office.
  • Cards are given to each senior in mid-January to confirm correct spelling of his/her full legal name to be printed on the diploma.

Final Transcript

  • All colleges require either a final transcript or verification of graduation.
  • We will process this information for you at no charge…including the stamped envelope.
  • This transcript is sent to the Admissions Office. Any other need you have for a final transcript is to be requested in the normal fashion.
  • Processing this final transcript is contingent upon a clear record (books, fines, etc.)

Senior Academic Awards include:

  • Valedictorian- Student(s) with the highest seven semester Grade Point Average
  • Salutatorian- Student(s) with the second highest seven semester Grade Point Average
  • Top 15% recognized by Memorial High School
    • Magna Cum Laude- top 5%
    • Cum Laude- remainder of the top 15%
  • Top 10% as recognized by the State of Texas
    • Cannot include more than 10% of the senior class
    • Determines priority admission to state colleges and universities
  • State of Texas “Highest Ranking Graduate”- Texas Education Code, Section 54.201.  The SBISD approved method for selection at MHS is:
    • The valedictorian as determined by a seven-semester class rank.
    • In the case of a tie, the "Honor Graduate Certificate" will be awarded according to the following sequence until the tie is broken.
      • The student who has spent four years at Memorial High School in grades 9 - 12
      • The highest seven-semester numerical average (carried to four places after the decimal) of those courses used to calculate the class rank
      • The highest eight-semester numerical average (carried to four places after the decimal) of those courses used to calculate the class rank