GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) – Gowns are being donned, and caps are being tossed as graduation season for high schools across the Piedmont Triad start this week to accelerate.

Guilford County Schools, of course, is the busiest, and its season gets underway in earnest starting Wednesday, when there will be five commencements in the Swarm Fieldhouse at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex.

The Early College at Guilford will start appropriately early – at 9 a.m. – to open the lineup of magnet programs to celebrate its seniors. Greensboro College Middle College will follow at 11, the Middle College at UNCG at 1 p.m., Kearns Academy at 3 and The Academy at Smith at 5.

The fieldhouse seats just more than 2,000, and Guilford County Schools will hold exercises for its larger classes in the Special Events Center (5,000) and the Greensboro Coliseum (up to 19,000-plus) as the next two weeks unfold.

Student walks during Asheboro High School graduation in 2022 wearing a Mexican flag (Courtesy of Adolfo Hurtado)

Most of those larger programs won’t begin until June 9, though. There will be five more magnet graduations in the fieldhouse on Thursday, and events at the Gateway, Haynes Inman and Greene Education Centers on May 31.

These renditions of “Pomp and Circumstance” conclude with Northern High School at 5 p.m. June 10 in the coliseum, the last of more than 5,000 seniors getting their diplomas in 31 different events.

Meanwhile, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools had its early- and middle-college graduations on Monday, and now it will pause until June 8, when Carter HS will open 14 commencements in four days, with six alone on June 10. Most are alternated between Joel Coliseum and the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Annex.

That weekend will be the busiest across the 18 school districts in the Triad, but Alleghany High School maybe had the best idea: Its class in Sparta graduated last Friday night.

Guilford County schedule

May 24

Greensboro Coliseum Swarm Fieldhouse

9 a.m., Early College at Guilford; 11 a.m., Greensboro College Middle College; 1 p.m., The Middle College at UNCG; 3 p.m., Kearns Academy; 5 p.m. The Academy at Smith.

May 25

Greensboro Coliseum Swarm Fieldhouse

9 a.m., Middle College at GTCC High Point; 11 a.m., Middle College at GTCC Greensboro; 1 p.m., Middle College at GTCC Jamestown; 3 p.m., STEM Early College at NC A&T; 5 p.m., A&T Four Middle College at NC A&T.

May 31

Gateway Education Center, auditorium, 3 p.m.; Haynes Inman Education Center, Multi-Purpose Room, 5 p.m.; Greene Education Center, campus, 6:30 p.m.

June 9

Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center

3 p.m., Smith High; 5:30 p.m., Penn Griffin School of the Arts; 7:30 p.m., Ragsdale High.

Greensboro Coliseum

2 p.m., Grimsley High; 6 p.m., Northwest High

June 10

Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center

10 a.m., Northeast High; 2 p.m., Southern High; 5:30 p.m., Western High.

Greensboro Coliseum

9 a.m., Southeast High; 12:30 p.m., Southwest High; 4 p.m., Page High; 7:30 p.m., High Point Central High.

June 11

Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center

Noon, Eastern High; 3 p.m., Weaver Academy; 6 p.m., Andrews High.

Greensboro Coliseum

1 p.m., Dudley High; 5 p.m., Northern High.

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools

Early and Middle College commencements were May 22.

June 8

Carter, 6 p.m., school auditorium.

June 9

Reagan, 5 p.m., Joel Coliseum; Glenn, 8 p.m., football stadium Joel in case of rain).

June 10

East Forsyth, 8 a.m., Joel Coliseum; North Forsyth, 10 a.m., Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Annex; Atkins, noon, Joel; Carver, 2 p.m., fairgrounds annex; West Forsyth, 4 p.m., Joel; Kennedy, 6 p.m., fairgrounds annex.

June 11

Reynolds, 8 a.m., Joel; Winston-Salem Prep, 10 a.m., fairgrounds annex; Parkland, noon, Joel; Walkertown, 4 p.m., fairgrounds annex; Mount Tabor, 5:30 p.m., Joel.

Other districts

  • ALAMANCE-BURLINGTON PS: All four ceremonies on June 10: Southern Alamance at 9 a.m., Eastern at 12:30 p.m., Cummings at 4 and Graham at 7.
  • ALLEGHANY COUNTY SCHOOLS: Alleghany HS graduation was May 19.
  • ASHEBORO CITY SCHOOLS: 7 p.m., June 9, Lee J. Stone Stadium.
  • CASWELL COUNTY: Bartlett Yancey Senior High, 10 a.m., June 10.
  • DAVIDSON COUNTY: Central Davidson, Davidson County HS, Davidson Early College, East Davidson, Ledford, North Davidson, Oak Grove, South Davidson, West Davidson, all ceremonies on June 9. Individual times TBD.
  • DAVIE COUNTY HS: 8:30 a.m. on June 10 (Sunday is rain date) in War Eagle Stadium at Mocksville.
  • LEXINGTON CITY SCHOOLS: June 9, 6 p.m. at Philpott Stadium.
  • MOUNT AIRY CITY SCHOOLS: June 10, 9 a.m., on the football field (with the gym as backup).
  • MONTGOMERY COUNTY: MCHS commencement is 8:30 a.m., June 9.
  • RANDOLPH COUNTY: Early College was May 19. All others are on June 9 on school campuses: Trinity and Eastern Randolph at 6 p.m., Randleman, Southwestern and Uwharrie Ridge Six-Twelve (at Journey Church in Asheboro) are at 7 p.m., and Providence Grove and Wheatmore are at 8.
  • ROCKINGHAM COUNTY: Rockingham County and Reidsville on June 8, Morehead and McMichael on June 9. Times TBD.
  • STOKES COUNTY:  Early College was May 13. North Stokes, 7 p.m., June 8; South Stokes, 7 p.m. June 9; West Stokes, 9 a.m., June 10; Meadowbrook Academy, noon, June 10.
  • SURRY COUNTY: Surry Central HS, 7 p.m. May 25; East Surry HS, 7 p.m. May 26; North Surry High School, 9 a.m. May 27. On campuses.
  • THOMASVILLE HIGH SCHOOL: June 10, time TBD.
  • WILKES COUNTY: 8 p.m., June 2.
  • YADKIN COUNTY: Early College was May 13. Forbush is at 9 a.m. May 27, and Starmount is at 9 a.m. May 28, both in football stadiums.