Commencement Speech Guidelines and Requirements
Class of 2012
This year all seniors are invited to prepare and submit a speech to be reviewed and considered as the Class of
2012 Farewell Address to be delivered at commencement on June 3rd. This important honor will be given to a
student who follows the procedures and timelines as follows:
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A draft of your speech (approximately 5-8 minutes in length) must be completed and turned in to Mrs.
Ruffner in the East Office by 3:00 on Friday, May 11, 2012.
A committee consisting of representatives from the teaching faculty, administration and guidance
department will review all submitted speeches. The speeches that are deemed most meaningful, creative
and appropriate will be selected for further review and possible student revision.
Students whose speeches are selected will be given the time and opportunity to seek the assistance of
their Language Arts teacher in making simple revisions.
Students will be asked to deliver their revised speech to the committee as an audition for the actual delivery
on the day of graduation.
Students will be notified by Tuesday, May 29th, 2012 of the committee’s final decision.
Please Keep in Mind
This day is for EVERYONE in your class. It is not appropriate that this speech be about you. It is your speech, but
it must be broad enough to reflect the whole class. It should not be a speech about you, your family or your friends.
Remember that the vocational students are also a part of your class; do not exclude them.
The 10 Most Popular Graduation Speech Topics
1. Thank teachers and your parents or other family members for their support, encouragement, help, aid or
personal assistance during your years of studying.
2. Praise accomplishments and achievements of the class.
3. Reflect upon the past years, what has changed and is interesting enough to share with all?
4. Mention funny and exciting events, you can opt for funny one-liners or even small innocent jokes, poems or
quotations from famous people if you like.
5. Motivate your fellow students and teachers and to look to the future.
6. Give advice, but avoid boring and totally not surprising clichés.
7. Entertain by telling humorous anecdotes and vivid stories. Offer an account of an interesting or humorous
incident.
8. Express the feelings of the class. But do not go over the top.
9. Say farewell to all attendees. This acknowledgment at parting is the warming-up for the next and final step.
10. Wish the graduates of your class all the best and thank them for listening.
The 7 Rules Of Thumb For Creating Graduation Topics
1. Always analyze your audience. Who will be listening? Students, friends, teachers, parents, other interesting
people?
2. Avoid any controversial or negative graduation speech topic. Always carry a positive attitude and be happy to
have the honor to deliver a talk.
3. Even then it's possible to make a firm statement that the listeners will remember. Stay gentle and nice.
4. Use ceremonial language but be yourself. Add two or three little personal notes in every topic.
5. It makes you feel much more comfortable, and it helps you to overcome fear of public speaking if you completely
draft your graduation speech topics on note cards.
6. This is not an examination. People expect a lot from you, but you don't have to take it too seriously.
7. Make the talk something that people can laugh and go over after leaving the room or meeting place.
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If your speech is selected to be read at commencement, Mrs. Schafer will introduce you prior to you addressing the
Class of 2012. She will need to following information for your introduction. Please fill in the following information
and include with your speech draft. Due 5/9/12.
Your Name:__________________________________________________________________________
Parents Names:_______________________________________________________________________
(Include first and last names…and Mr., Mrs., Ms.)
Plans for College:_____________________________
(location)
______________________________________
(major)
List of Activities, Volunteer Experiences, Work Experiences, Honors, Awards, etc.
Anything Special/Unique About You:
BHS has been special to you because….