Congratulations, West Seattle High School Class of 2011!

A bit of rain, but the packaged plastic ponchos didn’t have to come out during tonight’s West Seattle High School Class of 2011 commencement ceremony at Memorial Stadium downtown. It happened to be the first WSHS graduation for first-year principal Ruth Medsker, beaming with School Board president Steve Sundquist and assistant principals Jennifer Kniseley and Michael Kelly.

As listed in the program, the graduating class numbered almost 200 this year, including 70 Honor Roll (3.2 GPA or better) students and six valedictorians – Collrane Frivold, Hannah Matalone, Haley Peterson, Andreas Pope, Danielle Tran, and Daisy Zhen.

Collrane also was among the student speakers, in the next photo with Rojine De Las Alas, addressing “Goodbyes Are Not Forever” (photo right, seated, were the students who gave the welcome, Lauren Jeglum and Marielle Reeves).

In the stands, hundreds of cheering parents, relatives, and friends –

(The banner, which you can’t quite read in our photo, said CONGRATULATIONS SANTINO – there’s only one Santino in the list of graduates, so we’re guessing that was Santino Tauiliili). While spectators were mostly under the overhang, the grads were out on the open field, and there was a bit of rain – not enough, though, for the ponchos to have been deployed:

Congratulations, Class of 2011! (The rest of this week’s ceremonies are listed here; first local class to graduate was Seattle Lutheran High School last Friday – WSB coverage here.)

Stanley Wibble June 17, 2011 (2:28 am)

ATTENTION — IF YOU WERE INVOLVED IN SPRAY PAINTING CHARLESTOWN HILL TONIGHT…

Charlestown hill was tagged by some of the 2011 graduating class this evening. It is utterly shameful that this criminal behavior and neighborhood defacing has apparently become acceptable every year. You may think this is cute, but we have to look at it for the next year plus!!! Go find a rock to paint!

GUESS WHAT — A few of us that live in the area got together this year and had hidden cameras installed on the hill. Each of you involved has 24 hours to remove the paint or we are turning over our footage and photos to the police. We have clear facial shots of many of you.

JLBWA June 17, 2011 (4:15 pm)

Sorry, but I think the kids are a little smarter than you Stanley, and will probably call your bluff. If you have any images, the best chance you have would for any cleanup would be to send those images – blurred out faces, of course – to WSB and have them post them. If the kids see themselves, more than likely you’d get a response.

Jason June 22, 2011 (7:41 pm)

Haven’t seen any cleanup, or any news on WSB or from SPD. Looks like the kids sucessfully called the bluff! Nice try, though.

WSB June 22, 2011 (8:01 pm)

Can’t speak for any other parties involved, but SDOT said they would “wait till school is out.” High schools are out tomorrow (Thursday). If nothing by early next week, we will be checking with SDOT – TR

Sorry, comment time is over.