Flandreau High School sends 39 graduates into the world

Flandreau’s class of 2021 faced adversity but grew stronger before graduating Saturday in the school gym, said Senior Elizabeth Hursey.
Hursey, who was chosen to speak on behalf of the class and plans to attend South Dakota State University next fall, said the senior class was special. After a classmate’s death and graduating during a world-wide pandemic, they have grown as people, she said.
“High school is full of memories … and now is the time to go out and make new ones,” she said. “We must take the knowledge we have and go out and do our best. This class is ready to start fresh.”

Take a chance, step out of your comfort zone and be yourself, she told her class.
The Class of 2021’s 39 seniors crossed the high school stage at the 2 p.m. ceremony, wearing masks, which have been a part of the school’s protocol all year. Family and friends were limited to about a dozen people per student and were seated in rows spaced farther apart than normal and in the bleachers.
Former teacher Dan Hall told the class to challenge themselves in the future, even though there will be times when they fall down.
“There’s going to be times when you do everything right and you still don’t succeed,” he said. “I hope you never give up and you’ll always continue to strive for greatness, improvements and success.”
Teacher Elizabeth White sang “The Rose,” in a long-standing ceremony in which graduates give red roses to their families or people important in their lives. At the end of the graduation, the seniors gathered in close group and tossed their mortarboards into the air, signifying the end of high school and the beginning of the future.