District 300 students celebrate graduation

District 300 seniors, welcome to the moment you’ve all been waiting for — graduation.

Saturday, the state’s sixth-largest school district graduated a total of 1,382 students from Dundee-Crown, Jacobs and Hampshire high schools.

Each school held its commencement exercises at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates to better accommodate students and their families. Cheering normally reserved for sporting events fit right in with the arena environment.

As an extra touch, the graduates’ names were wrapped around the center’s walls in lights, replacing the advertising that normally occupies the space.

“It should be the start of a new tradition for us, so we’re excited to try this,” said Janine Steffen, one of three assistant principals at Hampshire High School.

Jacobs held its ceremony at the arena first and would be followed by Dundee-Crown and Hampshire.

The graduations follow a tumultuous school year in which the district plugged an $8.5 million budget deficit by laying off 363 teachers and administrators. The district is expected to replace more than half that amount, if funds come through.

The layoffs were not lost on the students.

During Jacob’s commencement exercises, both class President Katie Wroten and valedictorian Sonia Modi mentioned the layoffs in their speeches.

On a positive note, Jacobs’s class of 2011 earned $5.3 million in scholarships.

The audience also recognized the eight seniors entering the armed forces, with an extended standing ovation.

“Congratulations and thank you for serving our country,” Jacobs Principal Shelley Nacke said.

A lot has happened in four years, Modi noted in her address.

Americans elected their first black president in Barack Obama, Osama bin Laden was killed and the royal wedding spectacle had everyone talking about hats and fascinators, she said.

Through it all, Jacobs students — navigating a water balloon fight at school along the way — matured, made new friends and reached the pinnacle of high school success.

“We can all agree we became a little wiser,” said Modi, who will study medicine at Northwestern University. “At least, I hope so.”

The students weren’t the only ones saying goodbye Saturday.

It was the final round of graduation ceremonies for outgoing Superintendent Ken Arndt, who retires this year. Superintendent-elect Michael Bregy will replace him.

Saturday also marked the first and only graduation ceremony for Nacke as principal. Starting July 1, she will join the district’s teaching and learning team as assistant superintendent for education services.

In some of her final parting words of advice to her students, Nacke urged them to focus on the here and now. Too often, she said, we focus too much on the past or the future.

“Enjoy a few minutes thinking of life,” Nacke said.

Ÿ The class valedictorians are: Nicholas Demetriou of Dundee-Crown, Emily Moser of Hampshire and Sonia Modi of Jacobs.

Ÿ The class salutatorians are: Michael Rice of Dundee-Crown, Alexandra Elise Dumoulin of Hampshire and Jacob Surges of Jacobs.

Ÿ Number of graduates: Dundee-Crown had 610, Jacobs had 545 and Hampshire had 227.

Ÿ Daily Herald Staff Writer Larissa Chinwah contributed to this report.