Class of 2026 Senior Information

You should have your senior portraits for the yearbook ready for publication during the summer and/or fall of your senior year.

Deadline:

• Please make sure we have your senior's portrait before Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (last day before winter break)
• M&M Photography will automatically send us all the photos they take of the USCHS senior class. You do not need to check with them.
• If you are using a photographer other than M&M, please let them know that they need to send us your senior's photo or you can submit the photo using the form below.
• All portraits (other than M&M Photography) should be emailed to Brooke Tarcson btarcson@uscsd.k12.pa.us
• M&M Photography is the USCHS official yearbook photographer, but you are not required to get your photos taken from them (although the yearbook staff does recommend them!).

Photo Requirements: 

• MUST be in color
• 300dpi minimum resolution
• No hats - “business” attire is appropriate (suits, ties, dresses, sweaters, solid colored shirts, or drape provided by your photographer)

The Senior Cruise link to purchase a ticket will be sent to every senior in mid-July.  The link will not be shared on this page.  

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Ahoy Class of 2026!

It’s your turn to attend the all-senior event of the year. Dance, relax and enjoy the sights of the city aboard the Gateway Clipper!

• SUNDAY, Aug. 17, 2025
• Arrive at Station Square promptly at 6 p.m. Follow the signs to the Gateway Clipper.
• BOARD PROMPTLY from 6 - 6:20 p.m. ~ DOCK at 9 p.m.
• All bags, purses, and pockets will be checked. Security officers may use wands on anyone entering the cruise.
• Parking is available in the station square lot for a fee (and sometimes they only take cash).
• RESERVATIONS BY 3 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025
• $38 per person includes soft drinks and pretzels/chips. Hot dogs, nachos, and popcorn may be available to purchase. NO meal will be served. Cruise attire – No jeans or t-shirts!
• AFTER August 16 at 3:00 p.m. - TICKET PRICES INCREASE TO $45.00.

NOTE: If your student must cancel at the last minute, please call or text (412) 874-6367
No Refunds will be given the day of the cruise.

Please note: It is assumed that all students who sign up will be in attendance. In the event that a student is a “no show,” the student’s parent will be called to confirm his/her safety and whereabouts.

The senior cruise is not included in the senior activity fee payment.  This is a totally optional event for seniors.  

The Senior Banquet will be held from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 21, 2026, at Valley Brook Country Club.  

• This event is for the senior class only. Family members do not attend. 
• There is no cost for tickets for students who have paid their senior activity fee.
• Seniors will be able to sign up to attend after Spring Break.
• YOU MUST SIGN UP TO ATTEND.  PAYING YOUR FEES DOES NOT GUARANTEE A TICKET.  
• All seniors must arrive between 5:30-6 p.m. to be admitted. NO ONE WILL BE ADMITTED AFTER 6 P.M.
• A complete buffet dinner with drinks and dessert will be served, along with DJ music.
• Valley Brook Country Club maintains a dress code that requires seniors to dress up for this event. Students will not be permitted to attend if they are not dressed appropriately. Recommended attire is dress pants, dress shirt, dress, skirt, skort, or romper.  
• No hats, no jeans, no shorts, no tennis shoes, no flip flops, etc., will be permitted.
• All school rules are in effect.
• Seniors are required to stay on the first floor of the country club and the rear patio.
• No one will be permitted to leave before 8 p.m.

• Monday, June 1, 2026
• 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (approx. end time)
• Location: USCHS
• Seniors will receive the following at practice:
  • USCHS medal to wear with their gown at graduation
  • Honor cord (if applicable) 
  • Valedictorian medal (if applicable)
  • Seniors can wear regular school clothes to practice. 

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Additional instructions 

• All seniors must attend mandatory commencement practice if they plan to participate in commencement exercises. There are NO exceptions.

• This is an officially scheduled day of school. 

• Seniors must report to school by 9:30 a.m. ENTER THROUGH the THEATER (Art) ENTRANCE and report directly to the THEATER.

• All senior lockers are to be empty by this date.

• If you have not turned in your Chromebook, please bring it to practice. 

• At the conclusion of commencement practice, each senior will confirm that he/she has received an email to his/her uscstudents.org account containing four electronic tickets to be used for indoor graduation in the event of inclement weather. Seniors will be responsible for printing out tickets in the event of commencement being held indoors.  

• All students with valid parking permits will be permitted to drive to commencement practice. All student parking permits will expire at the conclusion of the commencement practice on June 1, 2026. The school district will provide transportation from school immediately following commencement practice. 

Need transportation to or from practice? All Seniors requesting transportation are to sign-up by Friday, May 22, 2026.

Transportation Sign-Up

From dismissal on June 1 to June 4, seniors are not permitted on campus during school hours unless they are conducting official business with prior approval. 

The annual pre-prom Red Carpet event will be held from 4:15-4:45 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, on the USCHS campus. 

• All seniors are required to attend the Red Carpet at USCHS between 4:15 and 4:45 p.m.
• Prom tickets will be distributed at the time of the Red Carpet.

Download the event map

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Entering the Red Carpet: 

• Seniors should enter the high school stadium via Devonwood Drive, passing the Westminster parking lot. 
  • If you are driving your own vehicle, park in a student parking space and walk to the beginning of the red carpet.
  • If you are riding in a Limousine/Bus, enter the Theater parking lot using the Westminster entrance.
• All seniors will walk the sidewalk between the theater parking lot and Panther Pass.

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Departing the Red Carpet:

Once finished walking the Red Carpet, seniors are free to leave in their designated vehicles:

• Limousines/Party Buses will be waiting in the theater parking lot. Use the Panther Pass exit to McLaughlin Run Road.
• All other senior drivers will return to their vehicles and leave campus via Truxton or Westminster exits. 

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Pro Tips:

• We suggest group pictures and a limo/party bus pick-up after the Red Carpet at a different location. The limo rental might be cheaper and give everyone extra time beforehand to get ready.  
• We DO NOT recommend that seniors meet their limo for the first time after the Red Carpet on the USCHS grounds. The Red Carpet event is very hectic and they will have a hard time finding their vehicle/driver. We suggest making plans for pickup at an off-campus site.  

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Download the event map

Graduation Attire 

Caps and gowns will be distributed to seniors in May. Senior Activity Fees must be paid in full to receive your graduation package. USCHS medallions and 2026 tassels will be handed out to each senior during graduation practice on June 1. 

Graduation is a formal ceremony and each student is expected to dress appropriately. Students must wear the standard cap and gown as issued. No modifications can be made to the gown or hat - no signs, slogans, etc. Only school supplied cords (honors, IB, student council) are allowed to be worn.  

Dress pants, dresses or skirts; dress shirts and dress shoes are required. The following items are examples of inappropriate dress for the ceremony: bare feet, tennis shoes, stiletto-type heels, shorts, and jeans. 

Students will be required to return home for proper dress in the event they report for the ceremony in unacceptable attire.

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Baccalaureate: Thursday, June 4, 2026, 5 p.m.

• Seniors must report to the theater by 5 p.m. if they are participating in graduation. Caps and gowns are to be worn. Don’t forget the medallion!
• The Baccalaureate ceremony will be held in the high school theater beginning at 5:30 p.m.
• This will be a secular service with a motivational speaker.
• The Baccalaureate ceremony is directed at the graduates of the class of 2026.
• After Baccalaureate, seniors will remain in the high school theater in their assigned seat and await our procession to the stadium.  

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Graduation: Thursday, June 4, 2026, 7 p.m.

• Commencement will be held in the stadium promptly at 7 p.m.
• Tickets are not required for our outdoor graduation. There are no spectator limits.  
• Seniors: Do not bring personal belongings such as coats, purses, cameras, etc. You are not permitted to take them with you once you leave the theater, and they may not be left in the theater.
• Parents and relatives who wish to take pictures are asked to stay behind the stadium fence.
• Additional climate-controlled seating will be available in the high school large group instruction (LGI) room and theater, where friends and family can watch a live video feed of the ceremony. The theater and LGI will be an option whether graduation is held inside or outside.
• M & M Photography will be present at the ceremony to take a color photo of each graduate as he/she receives a diploma. (An online form to order photos will be available in April 2026)
• Graduates will return to the LGI after the ceremony to receive their diploma and their copy of the commencement program. The LGI will be open for 45 minutes after the ceremony ends for pickup. Please see below if you do not pick up your diploma after graduation. 

Stadium field map / graduation seating

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Parking at the ceremony

• Complimentary shuttle bus service will run from the Township Building on McLaughlin Run Road and Public Works Building (bottom of Truxton Drive) beginning at 5 p.m.
• Please adhere to the parking signs. Citations will be issued to those cars parked illegally.
• Accessible parking/drop-off is available adjacent to the District Administration Office, near the stadium box office AND at the Truxton Road end zone parking lot. This lot is only accessible via the Truxton Road delivery/service entrance. Vehicles must have a handicap placard to park in these designated areas. These spots are available on a first come basis. The shuttle bus is also a great option. 
• Handicapped seating will be available on the HOME side at the top of the stadium seats and on the AWAY side, on the ground area behind the track fence. Because of limited space, please limit this seating for handicapped guests. There is plenty of seating in the stadium bleachers for family members.

Campus parking map

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Picking up your diploma

On the evening of graduation, the LGI will be open for 45 minutes after the ceremony to pick up your diploma and awards. Don’t forget! Your parents will want to display it at your graduation festivities! Diplomas can also be picked up in the high school's main office for the next two weeks after graduation - from June 5 - Jun 19, 2026. After June 19, all remaining diplomas will be located in the counseling office by appointment only. 

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Indoor Graduation (Rain Contingency Plan): Thursday, June 4, 2026

In case of rain, the commencement ceremony will be held in the high school large gymnasium. Notice will be delivered by 6:15 p.m. through the district’s automated calling system and on the district website.  

We ask all family and friends attending indoor graduation to enter the building through the theater entrance. If the decision is made after you are already seated in the stadium, look for a sign indicating an alternate entrance to the large gym via the stadium football track. Only those in possession of a barcoded ticket will be permitted into the gymnasium to view the ceremony live.  

To access the gymnasium from the theater lobby, please follow the instructions below:

• Families with a graduating student with a last name beginning with the letters A-K should enter through the nutrition center down the pool hallway and into the large gym.
• Families with a graduating student with a last name beginning with the letters L-Z should enter down the hallway past the small gym and into the large gym.

Additional family members without tickets will be able to view the ceremony in the LGI and theater. Entrance into the theater will be permitted once the seniors have exited to begin their procession. Families may wait in the nutrition center or LGI until the theater is available. Every effort will be made to hold the ceremony in the stadium and will be moved indoors strictly as a last resort.

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Indoor Graduation Ticket Information

Instructions for accessing your indoor tickets

• Due to the limited amount of seating in the gymnasium, each senior will be issued four (4) unique barcoded tickets.
• The tickets will be delivered electronically to the senior’s @uscstudents.org email account no later than June 1, 2026.
• If a senior has not received his/her ticket email and/or is not able to print by June 3, please send an email request eventbrite@uscsd.k12.pa.us.
• Tickets are only required in the event of rain and the ceremony is held indoors.
• Please remind your student to access his/her email and print the four tickets prior to graduation, regardless of weather. Additional tickets will not be issued. Duplicate tickets will not be accepted.
• No admittance to the large gym will be permitted without a valid ticket.