From left, Harrison Russell, 18; Ashley Reid, 18; Haley Hammonds, 17; Heather Hammonds, 17; and Alyssa Lott, 17, graduated Thursday at Clements High School. Not available for the photo was senior Katie Stewart, 17. The six seniors’ homes were heavily damaged or destroyed by the April 28 storms in Coxey.

With a brass ensemble playing music and a gym festooned by bright decorations, Clements High School’s Class of 2014 celebrated a joyous end to a spring semester that saw six seniors’ homes destroyed by the April 28 storms.

Seventy-six students earned diplomas, with Thursday afternoon’s ceremony marking the first of six commencements for the Limestone school district in a two-day span.

The EF3 twister that struck the Coxey area last month inflicted heavy damage to the homes of 61 Clements students and 49 at feeder school Blue Springs Elementary.

Two Clements seniors, McKenna Thompson and Alec Van Wagnen spearheaded an online fundraising campaign, selling T-shirts to raise $5,730 for classmates affected by the storms.

Clements welcomed new football coach Cody McCain this spring, and CHS went through part of the school year without a permanent assistant principal, who also serves as athletic director.

According to the commencement program, 18 seniors received more than $1 million in scholarships, including $349,410 to Danielle Scholl, $204,500 to Amber Alexander and $115,098 to Marissa Barnes.