(Photos by Patrick Sand for WSB)
Their year started with a ribbon-cutting and ended with confetti-tossing – and the Chief Sealth International High School Class of 2011 is officially launched into the post-high-school world. Friday evening at Memorial Stadium downtown, sun graced the grads as their devoted cheering sections filled the stands:

These three had unique reasons to cheer:

School Board president Steve Sundquist has a Class of ’11 daughter, Rachel Sundquist (his second Sealth graduate, after Leslie in 2008); Dr. Susan Enfield is in her first round of sendoffs as acting district superintendent; principal John Boyd shepherded his first class in the much-renovated campus. Ahead, more scenes from tonight’s ceremony, the third and final commencement for West Seattle’s major high schools:

More than 210 seniors were listed in the program as graduating this year – up more than 25% from the first Sealth graduation we covered three years ago. Valedictorians were Molly Freed, Peter Huynh, Elizabeth Kirk, and Brandon Stover; salutatorian, Ebony Beauchamp. Elizabeth and Ebony were two of the ceremony’s student speakers, the only ones to share the podium:

Their speech was full of reminiscences and gratitude. Students performed poetry and music during the ceremony as well, including the CSI Honor Choir, whose members worked all year to raise money for an Easter trip to perform at Carnegie Hall:

The grads were offered other words of wisdom, including Dr. Enfield’s note that “Those of us in Seattle Public Schools do our jobs for this day – this is what it’s all about.” And principal Boyd voiced pride that the class had done 26,633 hours of community service, twice the required minimum.

And grads looked back at the stands, from which the cheering continued:

when the object of that sign, Obed Haile, and all the grads had all streamed across the stage, the band – directed by Marcus Pimpleton – struck up “Pomp and Circumstance”:

And the grads lined up one last time, for the traditional faculty receiving line:

For the grads’ names (and more), you can see the program here in its entirety; thanks to Sealth activities/athletics director Sam Reed for providing it by request:

And congrats again to the grads, who are off on a Grad Night adventure as we publish this in the wee hours of Saturday morning.