POTTSTOWN — Pottstown High School’s 131st commencement ceremony featured picture perfect weather, a few words of wisdom and plenty of cheers as 154 members of the Class of 2011 graduated Monday night.

The ceremony began with the high school band playing “Pomp and Circumstance” as the students, clad in white and navy gowns, processed slowly into Grigg Memorial Stadium, led by retiring Choir Director Sally House.

Salutatorian Casey Schmidt gave the first speech of the evening, reminding her fellow graduates of all that they had shared together.

“Remember the lessons you learned in the walls of Pottstown High School,” she said. “Pottstown has given you the gift of an open mind.”

Schmidt, who will be attending the University of Richmond in the fall, urged her classmates to live their dreams.

“From this point on, nothing is in our way,” she said.

Valedictorian Erin Kenline also addressed the students, speaking of how they had changed over the years, “from being obsessed with Pokemon to being obsessed with Facebook.” She pointed out that they had learned many lessons together.

“But the most important thing we’ve learned is how much we need each other,” Kenline told her peers.

She cautioned her classmates “never to settle for less than you deserve.”

“Whatever you do, always remember the time you spent at Pottstown High School,” concluded Kenline, who plans to major in engineering at Penn State in the fall.

Following Kenline’s speech, the high school concert choir performed “Go the Distance,” by Alan Menken. Then, Principal Stephen Rodriguez spoke briefly, boasting that the graduating class had scored higher on the Pennsylvania State Standardized Assessment math test than any other class in the school’s history, and had taken more college-level courses than any other class since the school began its dual-enrollment program six years ago.

School board president Richard C. Huss addressed the students before they received their diplomas.

“In my 16 years as a board member I have tried to give you the best available tools for your education,” said Huss, who will be leaving the board at the end of the year. “I look at what I helped build and I am proud.”

But he also spoke of the troubles he had faced as a board member, and of divisions within the board, observing that “there is a lot more this board can do to give you the tools you need for the future, if only they work together.”

The students were then presented with their diplomas, and the graduates and audience cheered loudly as they moved their tassels from the left side of their caps to the right side.

“You are no longer high school students. You are graduates of Pottstown High School,” Rodriguez announced.

Superintendent Reed Lindley gave the final speech of the evening. He pointed out that the class had earned over $628,000 in scholarships, and he named those students who would be serving in the military.

“But the best compliment I heard about this class, is that this class is made up of good people who care about each other,” Lindley said.

He advised the graduates not to be afraid of failure, insisting that “Failure is part of a winning formula.”

He maintained that Michael Jordan claimed to have missed more than 9,000 shots and lost 300 games.

“I’ve failed over and over and over again, and that’s why I’ve been successful,” Lindley quoted Jordan as saying.

Lindley urged the graduates never to quit in the face of adversity.

“Your country will be a better place because of you,” he said.

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