High School Seniors Ready to Take the Graduation Stage

This Saturday, more than 900 students will don caps and gowns and collect their diplomas before saying goodbye for good to Oswego Community Unit School District 308.

The commencement ceremony for will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 28, 1525 Harvey Road. Tickets are required for admission.

Oswego East High School has a graduating class of 513. Seniors Kathy Zhu and Aaliya Aslam are valedictorian and salutorian, respectively.

For the ceremony, the parking lot will open at 7 a.m. for guests. Once the lot has reached capacity, additional parking will be available at , 510 Secretariat Lane, and Bednarcik Junior High School, 3025 Heggs Road. Both schools will have shuttle buses beginning at 7:30 a.m., and running every 15 minutes until 9:15 a.m.  Shuttle service will run from the conclusion of the ceremony until 11:30 a.m.

The decision to hold the graduation ceremony inside or outside will be made and posted on the school's website, marquee and the school’s phone voice mail by 5 a.m.

s graduation ceremony will begin at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, May 28, 4250 Route 71. Tickets also are required for admission.

Alyson Fisher is valedictorian, and Ben Wooley is salutatorian of the 396 students in the graduating class.

The decision to hold the ceremony either outside at Ken Pickerill Stadium or inside in the Main Gym will be made by 8 a.m. Saturday, and will be posted on the voice mail system, marquee, and the school’s website. The stadium or Main Gym will open at 10:30 a.m. for those with ticketed admission. The event will be simulcast in the auditorium for those who do not have tickets to enter the gym. Auditorium seating requires a ticket, as well.

The north parking lot will be available for the general public. There will be a number of handicapped-reserved spaces. If the event is outside, people in wheelchairs and those who cannot climb the bleachers will be allowed to sit on the track.

If the event is inside, there will be a spot reserved directly behind the graduates for people in wheelchairs. Overflow parking will be available in the grassy area south of Eastview Elementary School, which is located directly across the street from the high school.

The south parking lot is reserved for the Class of 2011. Graduates must enter the parking lot via Plank Road from Plainfield Road. Graduates will receive a sign that they can place on their cars' dashboard so that they are not held up by the people parking cars at the soccer tournament on the south fields taking place under the direction of the Panther Soccer Club. Graduates are expected to arrive at school by 10:15 a.m.

Families are encouraged to come down onto the football field or go into the field house to congratulate their children and take pictures immediately after the ceremony is completed.