CLASS OF 2026
Keep up to date on Senior activities during the 2025-26 school year!
If you have any questions about graduation, please contact Starr Gray, Director of Student Activities, with exceptions noted below.
Commencement
SUNDAY May 31, 2026, 9:00-11:00am (graduates in Knauss Gym by 8:15am)
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We were excited to welcome graduates and their families to campus for this year's Commencement!​​
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Tickets
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Each graduate will receive 10 tickets for their family and friends.
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To accommodate the 3,000+ attendees arriving at campus, seven reserved seats will be on the Lower Field. The three additional tickets will be for open seating in the bleachers. Tickets will be distributed at graduation rehearsal.​​​
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Getting to Campus
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Campus Parking - Due to limited parking space on campus, each graduate and their family will be allowed to park ONE car on campus. Gates will open at 7:45am and cars must present the parking pass at the gate to the Campus Safety Team.
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Friend/Uber/Lyft Drop Off - We also highly encourage families to consider having a friend or paid car service provide drop-off and pick-up to Commencement. This low-stress solution avoids the complexities of parking and ensures a smooth, safe arrival and departure after graduation. All cars dropping off individuals should do so at the 98th Avenue Drop Off Area. Commencement guests will walk up stairs to the Lower Field and present their Commencement ticket to the Campus Safety Team at the gate.
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Avoid Parking in the Neighborhood
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Satellite Parking - Merritt College
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12500 Campus Dr, Oakland, CA 94619
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Park in Parking Lot C
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Shuttles will pick up guests from 7:45-8:15am and drop off at the 98th Avenue Drop Off at O'Dowd
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Shuttles will pick up guests after the ceremony, 11:15am-12:30pm, and drop them off back at Merritt College.
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Logistics and Safety
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During the two-hour ceremony, the seating is in full sun on a turf field, which heats up. Please be prepared for cool or warm weather. Bring layered clothing, hats, sunscreen, and your own bottle of water.
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We ask that families carefully consider the health and safety of mobility-impaired and otherwise physically vulnerable guests. Please note that friends and family who are unable to attend may watch the Commencement recording, which will be emailed a few hours after the event.
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Attire
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Graduates are to wear their school-issued cap, zipped gown, graduation stoles, pins, and any leis given by family and friends. Please dress to match the importance of this event! The event is taking place on the Lower Field, so please wear shoes that you can walk in.
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Accommodations
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Any person with mobility restrictions must be in the car with an on-campus parking pass. We will have golf cart shuttles available only from the Quad to the Lower Field. The 98th Avenue drop-off area will not adequately accommodate anyone who needs mobility assistance.
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When arriving on campus, please alert Campus Safety at the gate that a person in your party
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Video and Photos
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The ceremony will be videotaped and available later that day on this page.
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Photos during the ceremony and of each graduate receiving a diploma will be taken, and made available the following week.
Questions about Commencement? Email Ms. Vanderpol.
College Counseling Updates
Congratulations, Class of 2026! You're Off to Great Places!
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Come up to the counseling office and pin a flag with your name and college on our college map!
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Update your college list and results on Naviance, noting accepted, denied, deferred or waitlisted schools.
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Indicate the college you are attending in Naviance, and complete the senior exit survey and alumni survey for your final transcript to be sent.
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This is the final stretch of high school! Your grades still count!
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Remember to thank the people who wrote your letters of recommendation and update them on your college outcomes. They want to hear from you!
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Questions about College Counseling? Email your student's counselor.
Senior Class Gift
Senior Class Gift - Help Us Reach Our Goal!
Honor the teachers who have made a difference!
Haven't yet participated in the Senior Class Gift? As Teacher Appreciation Week approaches (May 4-8), now is the perfect time to jump in and make your gift! The Senior Class Gift celebrates your graduating senior and supports the Fund for Faculty Excellence, which provides professional development and assists in continuing to recruit and retain talented teachers...educators who have made a big impact on your student's high school experience.
We’re currently about halfway to our goal, and every gift helps us build momentum at an important moment for our faculty and graduates. Please join us today!
Senior Ball
May 16, 2026, 6:30-10:30pm
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This year's Senior Ball will take place at Scott’s Pavilion, Jack London Square. ​The evening will include dinner and dancing. Permission slips and payment are due to Mrs. Green by Friday, May 8. Links are also on Schoology. Questions? Contact Mrs. Green.
Senior Sunset and BBQ
May 20, 2026, 5:30-8:00pm
Celebrate the sun setting on your senior year at O'Dowd with your class. Come enjoy food, music and each other on the CES Patio. Bring your yearbooks and pens!​​
Grad Nite
May 21 - 22, 2026
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This year, Grad Nite will take place at Disneyland leaving O'Dowd Thursday, May 21st at 4am and returning Friday, May 22nd at approximately 7am. The cost of the trip is $260 which includes transportation and admission into Disneyland. Registration is closed.
More details will be shared with registered students and families soon. Look for an email from Mrs. Gray.
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There are no classes on May 22 for those not attending Grad Nite.​​​
Graduation Rehearsal
May 27, 2026, 1:30-3:15pm
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All seniors are required to attend Graduation Rehearsal on the Lower Field. Students must be present to receive their Commencement tickets and parking pass.
Caps, Gowns, & Announcements
Your cap and gown cost is covered by the school. (All other items would be at an extra cost.) As announced to students on Schoology, Achievers, our vendor, was on campus in October to take cap and gown orders.
Other graduation items are available to order at graduationorder.com.
Baccalaureate Mass
All graduates and their families were invited to the Baccalaureate Mass on May 29, 2026, in the Knauss Family Gymnasium. Celebrate the seniors in their last Mass at O'Dowd and pray for their continued success after graduation.
To continue the celebration, a reception will follow the Mass on the Quad.
Arrival
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Please arrive by 4:45pm.
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Students in the procession must arrive by 4:15pm.
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Seating is not assigned.
Parking
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Due to limited parking on campus, we strongly encourage all families to carpool or use a ride-share app.
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Parking will be on a first-come, first-served basis. There is no reserved or assigned parking for this event.
Attire and Decorum
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Semi-formal attire. Graduates will wear their gowns, zipped up - no caps, stoles, or pins.
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To maintain the dignity and sacredness of the Mass, no balloons, drones, confetti, or beverages are allowed.
Questions about the Baccalaureate Mass? Contact Mr. Dilag.
O'Dowd Alumni Exit Survey
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Seniors! Stay-up-to-date with O'Dowd! As we welcome you as the newest alumni in the O'Dowd community, please make sure to look for the Alumni Exit Survey. Remember, you are Forever a Dragon.
Mark Your Calendars
September 2025
25 Senior & Family College Night
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October
3 CSU App workshop (drop-in; club/office hr time)
17 SAT for Seniors (optional, must register)
29 Senior Sunrise
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November
5 Senior Portrait makeups/retakes.
30 UC and CSU application deadline
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January 2026
12 Senior Ad Deadline
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February
4 Senior Class Meeting/ Service Beyond High School panel
24 Confirm Diploma Name (email will be sent to Seniors)
March
2 FAFSA Priority Deadline
18 Senior Parent/Guardian Mass
April
15 Senior Class Meeting
21 No classes for seniors (Career Day for others)
27 Senior Contract due to Ms. Donahue
29 Supporting Your 12th Grader's Transition to College
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May
1 Caps and Gowns distributed
15 No classes for seniors
16 Senior Ball (6:30-10:30pm)
19 Senior Award Ceremony (6:30-7:30pm)
20 Senior Sunset & BBQ (5:30-8:00pm)
21-22 Grad Nite
22 No classes for seniors
26-29 Finals
27 Graduation Rehearsal (1:30-3:15pm)
29 Baccalaureate Mass (5:00-6:30pm)
31 SUNDAY, Commencement Ceremony, Lower Field at 9:00am (graduates arrive 8:15am)
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June
15+ Diplomas Available in Main Office, 10am - 1pm
tbd Complete the Alumni Exit Survey
Senior Email Archive
Past Events will move below here
Senior Class Meeting & Behavior Contract
Each spring, our deans hold a Senior Class Meeting to review behavior, attendance, and academic expectations ahead of our seniors' last few months at O'Dowd. After the meeting, students and their parents/guardians will receive an email with the Senior Contract. This year, the Senior Class Meetings were on February 4 and April 15 during club/office hours. The senior contract was due in the main office by April 27. These are required for seniors to participate in any senior celebration event.
Thank you for your partnership!
Senior-Parent/Guardian Mass
Wednesday March 18, 6:00 - 7:30pm
This special Mass is a beautiful celebration honoring our seniors' final year at O'Dowd, and for some, their final year at home. Parking will be available on campus. Light refreshments will be served immediately after Mass.
Senior Ads
Your student’s final year at O’Dowd is here—mark the moment with a Senior Tribute Ad in the 2026 Yearbook!
Need an extra yearbook? You can order one through the same site.
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Questions? Email Damian Barnes.
Senior Portrait Makeups/Retakes
November 5, 2025
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Senior Portrait makeups/retakes will be on Wednesday, November 5 in the James T. Bill ’55 Theater lobby. You must sign up for an appointment to take your photo that day. Sign up here. This is your last chance to take your Senior Portrait to be able to make it into the yearbook.
Our photographer also has in-studio appointments available.
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Questions about Senior Events? Contact Ms. Gray.
Senior Sunrise
October 29, 2025, 7:15 - 8:30am
Sunrise is at 7:31am
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Grab a warm sweater, and a sleeping bag or blanket and head to our Lower Field on Wednesday, October 29 for one of our special traditions: Senior Sunrise!
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Parents and Guardians - We need your help! Please volunteer to make breakfast goodies for the seniors to enjoy while watching the sunrise.
Sign up now!