Area high school graduations coming up next week

The end of the school year means campuses throughout Bourbon County are making plans for graduation ceremonies scheduled to take place later this month.

About 135 Fort Scott High School seniors are expected to receive diplomas during a graduation ceremony scheduled for 8 p.m. Saturday, May 21, at Frary Field north of the school. A baccalaureate service is planned for 4 p.m. that day in the FSHS gymnasium, 1005 S. Main St.

In the event of inclement weather, graduation service will be moved into the gym, FSHS secretary Dara Leaming said.

The program for the evening will include a processional and recessional, presentation of honor students and Regent's curriculum students, presentation of the graduating class and diplomas, remarks by USD 234 Superintendent Rick Werling and addresses from students.

Forty-eight Uniontown High School seniors are scheduled to don caps and gowns for graduation ceremonies planned for 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 24, at West Bourbon Elementary School, 601 Fifth St., Uniontown. A baccalaureate service will take place at 5:45 p.m. that same day at the school.

Both UHS services will feature guest speakers. Phillip Russell, a UHS graduate, will speak to seniors at the baccalaureate service while Curtis Chandler, recipient of the Kansas Teacher of the Year award, will address youngsters at the graduation ceremony, UHS secretary LuAnne Pitts said.

That service is also expected to include addresses froma USD 235 Superintendent Randy Rockhold and students.

Fort Scott Christian Heights, a local private kindergarten through 12th grade campus, will graduate four seniors and two eighth grade students during ceremonies planned for 8 p.m. Friday, May 27, in the FSCH auditorium, 1101 S. Barbee. The guest speaker for that ceremony will be the Rev. Matt Lee, an FSCH graduate who pastors a church in Kansas City, FSCH secretary Jan Beltram said.

The school traditionally holds graduation exercises for its eighth grade students who are preparing to enter their high school years at the school, Beltram said.

A baccalaureate ceremony is scheduled for 6 p.m. Sunday, May 22, at the Parkway Church of God.

At Christian Learning Center, also a private Christian school, a group of kindergarten and eighth grade students will walk the stage during a special commencement ceremony at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 17, in the school gymnasium, 3200 Liberty Bell Rd.

The school typically graduates some seniors each year, but this is the first year the school had no seniors, secretary Terry Kitsmiller said.

During the school's traditional "end of school program," all students will sing and teachers will talk about activities students participated in and what they learned throughout the year, she said.

Fort Scott Community College's annual commencement ceremonies will be held at 9 a.m., noon and 4 p.m. Friday, May 20, at the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center on the FSCC campus, 2108 S. Horton.

The morning ceremony will include those students receiving certificates and associate of applied science degrees. About 71 students are eligible to take part in that ceremony. The noon ceremony will include 52 students who will be receiving associate of general studies degrees.

During the final ceremony, two associate of art degrees will be handed out, along with 49 associate of science degrees. Also, 21 students from the college's nursing program plan to graduate with associate of applied science in nursing degrees, according to information from FSCC Director of Public Relations Kathleen Hinrichs.

There will be an alumni reception for the 2011 Outstanding Alumnus, Albert Cummings and 2011 Outstanding Young Alumnus, Jacque LaRue, between the afternoon ceremonies at 2 p.m. in the meeting rooms of the fine arts center. In addition, a special pinning ceremony for students in the nursing program is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., and a GED graduation ceremony is planned for 8 p.m. Thursday, May 19. Both of these ceremonies will take place in the fine arts center.