Graduation ceremonies and family parties afterward are on the agenda for many area residents this weekend. Some schools are having special guest speakers, and at least one will have a program from students, who have put together special PowerPoint presentations about seniors through their high school years.
The Flint Hills Technical College will hold its graduation ceremony at 2 p.m. Saturday at W.L. White Auditorium.
Here are the commencement schedule for high schools in Emporia and the surrounding area.
Saturday
• Northern Heights High School, 7 p.m., at the school.
• Burlington High School, 2 p.m., school gymnasium.
• Chase County High School, 2 p.m., at the school. The speaker will be Toby Baker, social science teacher at CCHS. Baccalaureate is planned at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Flint Hills Community Church at Cottonwood Falls.
• Hamilton High School, 3 p.m., district gymnasium. The speaker will be former HHS coach Tyler Hoopes.
• Senior sermon for Emporia High School, 7 p.m. EHS auditorium. The Rev. Chad Poland, pastor of the First Congregational Church, will be the speaker
Sunday
• Senior Class President Lacee Hanson will be the speaker at commencement exercises for Emporia High School. The ceremony will begin at 3 p.m. in William L. White Auditorium.
• Council Grove High School, 3 p.m. The speaker will be Jack Taylor, assistant director of undergraduate administrations at Kansas State University.
• Hartford High School, 5 p.m., school gymnasium. In lieu of a speaker, Andrew Wiederholt, Matt Wallace and Clay Houser have made PowerPoint presentations about the seniors and their experiences, both serious and fun, throughout high school.
• Lebo High School, 4 p.m., school gymnasium. The Rev. Margaret Gunselman of the Lebo-Olivet United Methodist Church will be the speaker.
• Lyndon High School, 2 p.m., school gymnasium. Former teacher Stacy Harris will be the speaker.
• Olpe High School, 2 p.m., at the school.
• Osage City High School, 2 p.m., school gymnasium.
• Waverly High School, 2 p.m., school gymnasium. Scholarship recipients will be announced.