'It's finally here!'

On May 16, 1996, members of the kindergarten class of Otterville School sang “On Top of Spaghetti” at their graduation.

Those same students sang the song — complete with a loud “Achoo!” — as they graduated high school Saturday.

The gymnasium at the school was packed full of family, friends and teachers as the 19 members of the class of 2008sang along with the video of kindergarten graduation.

“We decided (to sing the song) as a class, while we were watching kindergarten graduation” on video, said Marci Simmons. Simmons was one of nine graduates to attend the school for 13 years.

Simmons walked off the stage Saturday a college sophomore. She and classmate Ashley Homan earned a year’s worth of credit during high school.

Simmons said she was “sad, but excited” to graduate. She plans to attend State Fair Community College.

Classmate Alexandria Siegel, who also plans to attend SFCC, said she was excited and nervous.

“It’s finally here!” she said before the ceremony started. The graduates prepared for the ceremony in class adviser Cindy Birdwell’s room, where they checked speeches, put on caps and heard last-minute announcements.

It was an emotional day for students, parents, teachers and administrators.

“I’ve been emotional for the last couple of days,” said Gretchen Robertson, whose daughter, Rikki, was one of the graduates.

“I’m just not ready for her to grow up, and she’s there,” Robertson said.

Principal Jeanne Carton said she “was this close to tears” at her last graduation in Otterville.

“It’s not like any other that I’ve experienced in my whole life, because everyone is so close,” she said. “It’s that rich tradition in the smaller communities; you can only find it in rural America.”

The salutatorian, Ashley Homan, and the valedictorian, Alexandria Siegel, both shared jokes and memories from the graduates’ time in school, such as overly competitive basketball games at recess, in their speeches.

“After this we will go our separate ways, some to college, some to work. But I hope each of you finds happiness,” said Siegel, in her speech.
Superintendent Rhonda Meyer helped preside over her last graduation before retirement.

“They were beautiful. An intelligent, talented bunch of students. I’m very proud of them,” she said.

The graduates watched their kindergarten selves sang “The Alphabet Song” on the large video screen. Members of the class then moved their tassels and tossed their caps as their final act of high school.