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ALEXANDRIA, Va - Alexandria City High School seniors have just over a month before they walk the stage at George Mason University's EagleBank Arena on Saturday, June 6, but a string of deadlines stands between them and the processional.
The first one is today. Yard signs supporting the Class of 2026 must be ordered and paid for by May 4, with $25 proceeds going to the all-night graduation party, according to the ACHS PTSA. Advanced Placement exams also begin today and run through May 15. Students taking morning AP exams should report to Door 14 on the Chinquapin side at 7:30 a.m. for check-in, the testing team said. Tardiness is not an approved reason for a late test, and unused exams carry a $40 charge.
Two more deadlines hit this week. All Senior Experience coursework and exams must be completed by Wednesday, May 6. By Friday, May 8, every senior must verify how their name will be read at graduation through the Tassel program. Notification emails went out starting April 13, and the school has warned seniors to check spam folders.
The Senior Exit Survey, available in Naviance, is the gatekeeper for graduation tickets. Seven tickets per senior will be distributed at the end of rehearsal June 5, but only to students whose surveys are complete. The same survey was required for entry to the Decision Day celebration May 1.
Off-site Senior Experience runs May 11 through May 22, with seniors still required to report for any AP exams scheduled May 11 to 15. Capstone presentations take place May 22 via Zoom. Final exams fall on May 21 and 22, with makeups May 28 and 29.
The final week tightens. Chromebooks and chargers come back in front of the auditorium on June 3, 4 and 5. The Graduation March steps off from the King Street auditorium at 8:30 a.m. June 4, with caps and gowns required as seniors visit ACPS schools. Mandatory rehearsal follows June 5, staggered by academy: General Studies and IA at 9 a.m., BSGV, EDLA and VPAA at 11 a.m., and STEM, Satellite and CFC at 1 p.m. Robes stay home.
On graduation morning, seniors report to the King Street campus through doors 35 and 36 at 6:30 a.m. in cap, gown and tassel. Cell phones are not permitted and will be held for pickup at King Street from 1 to 2 p.m. Buses, not parents' cars, take seniors to Fairfax. Doors at EagleBank Arena open at 8 a.m. under a clear-bag policy, and the processional begins at 8:45 a.m. Diplomas will be distributed by counselors at GMU after the ceremony.
The day ends at the all-night graduation party in the King Street gym from 8 p.m. to midnight, featuring a casino, magician, caricaturists and a palm reader, organizers said. Tickets and yard signs are sold through @ACHSANGP on Instagram.
For the full graduation schedule, contacts and updates, visit the ACHS Graduation 2026 page.
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