General Guidelines: Decorating Graduation Caps

Make sure your cap does not do any of the following:

Demean any person or groups based on age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender
identity, nationality, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or put down any
individual staff or student at the school.
Have language that is discriminatory, profane, vulgar, sexually suggestive,
obscene, threatening, or libelous.
Contain any advertisement, symbols, abbreviations, initials, words, slogans,
patches, or pictures that refer to drugs or controlled substances, tobacco, alcohol, or weapons, or be of a
sexual nature.
Denote an affiliation with gangs or which advocate drug use, violence, illegal
activity, or disruptive behavior which is detrimental to the safety and welfare of
other students.
Include numbers other than the graduation year.
Threaten the safety and welfare of any person.

Make sure that:

Only the flat, top area of the mortar board may be decorated. There may be
nothing hanging down from any of the sides of the cap.
Decorations must be flat on the surface of the cap.
Leave a 1 inch circle in the center to attach the tassel.
3-D creations are prohibited
The dimensions of the cap are approx. 9 inches x 9 inches

Graduation caps will be reviewed and approved in advance of the ceremony.

It is appropriate to use the cap as a visual means to do the following:
○ Thank a parent, grandparent, teacher, friend, mentor
○ Offer an inspirational quotation
○ Recognize your post-secondary plans (college, trade school, military)
○ Denote your graduation year
○ Represent your home country’s flag
○ Highlight your high school activities and achievements (e.g, sports, clubs and
organizations, co-curricular activities)