HANCOCK COUNTY — Graduation season kicks off this weekend when close to 700 seniors from the class of 2019 receive their diplomas from three local high schools.
Mt. Vernon High School and New Palestine High School graduating seniors will turn their tassels on Friday evening, while 85 Eastern Hancock High School students graduate on Saturday morning.
New Palestine High School’s ceremony begins at 7 p.m. Friday in the school’s gymnasium, 4485 S. Victory Drive in New Palestine. The estimated 289 seniors, most of whom finished school last week, will practice for their ceremony Thursday morning, said Wes Anderson, director of school and community relations for Southern Hancock schools. School officials plan to announce the valedictorian and salutatorian on Friday morning.
At Mt. Vernon High School, 8112 N. County Road 200W in Fortville, commencement begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Hancock Health Stadium. Gates open at 6:15 p.m., according to the district’s website.
Mt. Vernon anticipates a graduating class of about 312 students, according to a tentative list provided to the Daily Reporter last week. Students will practice for the commencement Thursday morning and then will visit each school in their caps and gowns, said Maria Bond, director of community relations. As of Wednesday afternoon, the provisional valedictorian is Keian Gatewood, and the salutatorian is Dylan Cole. The honors will be finalized when final grades are turned in Thursday.
On Saturday, Eastern Hancock High School’s commencement is set to start at 11 a.m. in the high school gymnasium, 10320 County Road 250N in Charlottesville. The school’s valedictorian is Hailey Hedrick, and the salutatorian is Cassandra Hanneman, according to Dave Pfaff, principal of the high school. The students, who finished classes last Thursday, will practice on Friday morning.
Next week, on Saturday, June 8, Greenfield-Central High School’s graduating class of 360 students will walk across the stage beginning at 10 a.m. in the high school gymnasium, 810 N. Broadway St. in Greenfield. Tentatively, the school’s valedictorian is Sarah Muckerheide and the salutatorian is Steven Bass, said Julie Jones, secretary for the high school’s counseling department. Students finish up school today, Jones said, and seniors will practice for commencement on the morning of Friday, June 7.
