Dover-Sherborn 2011 Graduation Ceremony Goes Off With A Bang

The Dover-Sherborn High School graduation exercises went off with a bang Thursday night, as fireworks were shot into the air before the students received their diplomas.

“What is the next level? Thank you for asking! For some it may be simply graduating from high school or going to college, for others it may be figuring out how to change the world. For each student the next level is something different,” said graduating senior Ashley Cooper to her classmates.

“Graduation means appreciating things before they’re gone,” Cooper said. “We suddenly realized that we may never see these people who we have spent most of our school years with ever again and might as well appreciate them even if it’s only for these few short moments.”

118 diplomas were awarded at the ceremony on windy Frothingham Field at the High School in front of hundreds of proud parents, family members, friends, and supporters.

D-S High School headmaster Denise Lonergan came to the podium encouraging students to follow their career paths, she was suddenly interrupted by what Dover Police are saying was an unplanned fireworks display.

The fireworks went off for about two minutes behind the home bleachers and were applauded by the graduating class and those in attendance.

Lonergan continued once the din of the fireworks died down. 

“Members of the graduating class, the opportunities offered at Dover-Sherborn High School were designed to challenge you academically and, in keeping with our mission statement, to help prepare you to assume civic and social responsibilities and to develop leadership skills,” Lonergan said.

“I hope that you can follow the career path, or paths, as the case may be, that you truly enjoy. I hope that you achieve your dreams, whatever they may be,” said Lonergan.

Dover-Sherborn Regional Public Schools superintendent Valerie Spriggs gave some encouraging words before announcing the first students to receive their diplomas.

“I have one word that I would ask each one of the graduates to take with them tonight,” said Spriggs. “And that word is: believe.”

“Believe in yourselves, believe in each other, and believe in your dreams no matter where your journey should take you,” Spriggs said. “You have earned this and we are privileged to present this honor to you.”

After the students were called up one-by-one to receive their diplomas, the graduating class threw their caps up in the air to an uproarious applause from all those in attendance, with many hugs and pats on the back to follow.