PHS, SV to hold graduations this weekend

It’s that time of year again, as seniors will walk across the stage and receive their diplomas. Perryville and St. Vincent will host their annual graduation this weekend.
Perryville will hold its graduation Friday, May 21 at 8 p.m. in the Perry Park Center. Last year, the ceremony was held outside on the school’s football field, with a few restrictions including a ticket system for each student’s family members. The system will be similar this year with the only change being indoors.
Families will be sectioned off with each students receiving six tickets to distribute among family. The main reason for the switch back to the Park Center was a threat of inclement weather.
“The way we did it last year went great, we got a lot of compliments on it,” Perryville High School Principal Jeff Steffens said at April’s School Board meeting where the plan was presented. “However, there was some rain that started at about 5 p.m. and there was a chance that we would have to do something different with the ceremony.”
Perryville will graduate 154 students with 144 walking across the stage in the ceremony. Perryville has moved away from the valedictorian and salutatorian recognitions this year and changed to the cum laude system of recognition. There are 27 students receiving academic honors.
Even though they will not have a specific valedictorian and salutatorian this year, Perryville will still have speakers. Samuel Bachmann and Bryce Stewart will serve as the student speakers, while Communication Arts teacher Jonathan Hendricks will serve as the commencement speaker.

Steffens noted that each year is always a special time for the graduating students.
“It shows the hard work that the students and staff has done for the last four years,” Steffens said. “We hope that the students will be productive members of society for those who choose to go directly into the workforce and those students who are going to college, that they are successful and able to achieve their dreams and goals.”
St. Vincent will follow a similar path Sunday, May 23 when they conduct its graduation ceremony at 2 p.m. in the St. Vincent De Paul Church.
There will be 46 students that will receive their diplomas and it will look much like last year.
Families of the students will each sit in alternating pews, with each pew occupying one family. Masks may be worn on that day, but will not be required.
St. Vincent will have a trio of co-valedictorians this year with Hannah Riney, Genevieve Lipe, and Claire Deterding speaking during the ceremony. 2006 St. Vincent graduate Seth Amschler will be the commencement speaker for the ceremony.