Barefooted and locked arm in arm, nine students from the Martha’s Vineyard Charter School graduated on Saturday under a tent of tie-dye drapes and floral-wreath crowns.

Krista Brown, Ava Castro, Joshua Crowther, Iris Grace, Rose Goff Maidoff, Chelsea Phaneuf, Oona Post, Marguerite Smith and Brianna Sosa graduated with praise from community members, teachers and parents, confident their choices in life would lead them to great accomplishments.

With thunderstorms taking the Vineyard with force earlier in the morning and threatening to return during graduation, the hot and sticky June air was met with all smiles as the sun came out just in time for the students to take their seats in front of an audience beaming with pride.

“This community recognizes your academic capacity, creative talent in the arts, your quiet and humble service to the Island community,” Bob Moore, director of the charter school, said in his charge to the graduates. He thanked the students for “the laughter and happiness you brought to our halls and classrooms and the lessons you have taught us.”

In lieu of the traditional pomp and circumstance, the graduates processed in to The Winner Is by DeVotchKa and recessed out to the Cranberries’ Dreams. There were handmade green Victorian style dresses for some instead of gowns, there were blue and white crowns of flowers instead of caps; the graduates decided shoes were not an option.

The character of this class was evident in the speeches students gave to a crowd of 200. The seniors came prepared with words of gratitude, fear and love to the community around them. Ava and Krista spoke together of their unique experience growing up on the Vineyard, and both thanked the school for not forcing them to narrow themselves. Krista is taking a year off to travel and will attend Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, and Ava will attend Hampshire College in the fall.

Iris spoke of leaving the unfamiliar, or as she put it, “the curves in the road we can always expect” and was thankful for the powerful foundation the charter school provided. She will drive cross country in November to California, where she plans to work.

Josh noted the freedom and courage to think outside the box he had learned while at the charter school. He will be working at Nectar’s in Burlington in the fall, and will attend Champlain College after a gap year.

Oona referenced the school’s mascot, a shooting star, as a metaphor for the school that helped cast a burning light into the outside world. Her creativity earned her the Silas H. Rhodes Merit Scholarship from the School of Visual Arts in New York, where she plans to continue to study photography.

Rose recognized how lucky she was to have been a part of the charter school family. “In no way am I saying goodbye,” she said. Rose will be attending Mount Holyoke in the fall, and she was the recipient of the Jacqueline Ann Pimentel Art Scholarship from the Permanent Endowment for Martha’s Vineyard. From 151 applicants, Rose received one of 53 awards given out this year. She plans to study medieval and Renaissance women’s history at college.

All students were awarded scholarships from the charter school, each titled with the character of the student in mind. Marguerite was awarded the Peter McGrain Award (a well-known stained glass artist) for bringing color and light into the charter school world through her talents of glass work. Hoping to attend California College of the Arts next spring, Marguerite is moving to California in the fall as well.

The Rising Tide Award was given to Brianna for her “tenacity, courage and compassion” for horses and all animals. Brianna is taking a year off to explore her options at home.

Gifts and awards continued to flow throughout the ceremony, as each of the younger classes gave handmade parting gifts to the graduates. Most were given wishing boxes, journals and art supplies. They also were sent off by tearful, prideful teachers, some who have known the graduates since the first grade.

In exchange, the graduating class presented their gift to the charter school community: a homemade sun dial.

When asked to share a favorite memory of her time at the charter school, Chelsea, an award recipient of the Still Waters Run Deep Award, described a hot spring day where everyone in the school was barefoot, and students and teachers alike lay on the floor with the lights off to cool down.

It is this comfort, ease and appreciation for each other in the class of 2010 that was celebrated. “It was so nice to hear everyone’s speeches,” Chelsea said sitting with her family after the ceremony.

“I’m just really happy that all the people I care about are here,” Oona added, as she stood in a dress she had staple-gunned together in a field of friends, family and alumni.

Ingrid Goff-Maidoff, Rose’s mother, was nervous and excited for her daughter and fellow graduates. “It’s like we’re releasing nine butterflies into the wild. That’s what it feels like.”

Cara Studds, the school art teacher, was asked by the students to give this year’s commencement address. Mrs. Studds spoke of the graduates’ “powerful and unique inner strength” and challenged them to be “conscious and aware.”

“If you ask these students what the weather is,” Mrs. Studds said, smiling from ear to ear, “they will tell you it’s full of possibilities.”

Mrs. Studds serenaded her class with the help of Josh on the guitar, performing Meredith Wilson’s The Whole World is Waiting For You. It only took a few moments for the audience to begin to sing along.

“Your future is wide open,” Laura Hall, president of the board of trustees, warned the graduates. “And that’s a great and scary place to be.

“Make a commitment to yourself to approach everything with wonder and with an open heart,” she said.

“It’s a wonderful group,” Mr. Moore said. “They have a good sense of value, values of care and concern. Striving to be the best will go a long way in the world.”

With generations of Islanders gathered around picnic tables sharing stories, barefoot students tiptoeing over gravel to share hugs and laughs, and the swing-sets in full use, the community the class had dedicated time and energy to came to celebrate their commencement.

Mr. Moore left this tenth charter school graduating class, known for their respect, kindness, creativity and curiosity, with one last word of advice: “Keep your back to the breeze, hope in your heart, and the determination to achieve your dreams.”