PERU – The last class of eighth-graders to graduate from Peru Elementary School marked the event Thursday at an outside ceremony attended by families, friends and officials.
Under a misting sky and a large tent filled with onlookers, 28 pupils received recognition. Next fall they will attend Dirigo High School in Dixfield.
The sixth, seventh and eighth grades will attend T.W. Kelly Dirigo Middle School in Dixfield, and Canton elementary students will join the kindergarten to fifth grades at Peru.
“This school building was built in 1936 and 69 classes of eighth-graders have walked down the isle to graduate,” School Committee Chairman Rick Colpitts said.
He urged the graduates to move to the next challenge.
“We know you will be successful,” he said.
Colpitts recognized retiring Superintendent John Turner, saying, “You will be greatly missed.”
The crowd responded with a standing ovation.
State Rep. Randy Hotham, R-Dixfield, awarded the Secretary of State’s Citizenship Award to graduate Kayla Schuster and presented a plaque to Turner.
Approximately $1,525 in U.S. Savings Bonds, trophies and certificates were given to graduates. The students maintaining the highest academic average from grades six through eight were Kayla Chiasson, Ashley Moro and Katelyn Rock.
Other award recipients were John Arsenault, Katie Blais, Heidi Cox, Aaron Fenstermacher, Hannah Freeman, William Gilman, Joshua Henderson, Briant Hunt, Joshua Palmer, Kayla Schuster, Hannah Stanley, Brittany Tripp, Devon Vaughn, Danielle Webber and Amanda Wentzell.
Other graduates of the Class of 2005 were Seth Haynes, Thomas Hines Jr., Angela Knox, James Moulton, Michael Pepin, Hannah Haines, Lucian Uhde and Zachary Yahn.
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