Clarendon Hills Middle School celebrates Class of 2026 graduation ceremony
The Clarendon Hills Middle School community gathered on May 29 to celebrate the achievements of the eighth-grade graduating class. The ceremony, held at the Hinsdale Middle School gymnasium, marked the culmination of three years for students, faculty, and families.
The event began with a performance by the award-winning CHMS Jazz Band, playing "Crazy Train." Principal Dr. Levi Brown welcomed attendees and congratulated graduates on their perseverance. In his remarks, Brown encouraged students to carry forward the school's spirit of inquiry and kindness as they move into high school.
Graduates sat with their advisory classes during the ceremony, highlighting connections formed over their middle school years. Continuing a tradition focused on student leadership, each graduate’s name was called by a fellow student from their advisory class as they crossed the stage.
Assistant Principal Erick Jones announced recipients of leadership awards such as the Luminary Leadership Award and Eagle Award. These honors recognized students who demonstrated character and commitment to CHMS’s core values: "Imagine, Ignite, and Inspire."
Hinsdale Community Consolidated School District 181 includes schools in DuPage and Cook counties such as Clarendon Hills Middle School and Hinsdale Middle School. The district had an enrollment of 3,743 students in the 2019-2020 school year; it serves grades pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade in Clarendon Hills and DuPage County. The district spent $31,308 per student in 2020 for a total expenditure of $117 million; it is composed primarily of White (69.8 percent), Asian (15.4 percent), Hispanic (6.8 percent), and Black (1.1 percent) students; there were four chronically truant students reported that year—a rate well below state average—and employs 282 teachers earning an average salary of $94,227 before pension contributions, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.
As families joined graduates after the ceremony for further celebrations, staff expressed pride in this year's CHMS Eagles.