At my kids school the seniors are done with school almost 3 weeks before the rest of the school. ( usually it’s two but snow days pushed the regular kids schedule out) wondering if this is common? I don’t know how/why this tradition started. It might relate in part to the fact that the graduation takes place in a community owned venue that’s not available as late as the end of the regular school year. Though the seniors still have a full week off between end of school and graduation. How about where you live??
She finishes classes tomorrow and then takes AP tests and works on a senior project next week. I think this helps with a number of issues, including allowing the teachers to get all of the grades in, and working through any last minute issues before graduation.
Seniors in our school go right up to the last day of classes. They take exams (if they have any) on that day. They do. It have to come to school on the two days other students take finals.
The sooner they make the graduation, the less problems the school will face with potential trouble making on their watch. I grew up in NY were there were regents exams in June (still are). Once these were over, as I recall, other classes with finals had exams. The graduation was still later than that. I don’t think we had anything to do at school once we finished all our exams. This could have posed a scenario where kids were still enrolled and could be out there causing trouble that could jeopardize graduation. Why have this issue?
Wow, your senior has to take finals? At my kids school they don’t. Something that has made my kids very happy!
My senior is in New York, and does take finals. He doesn’t take Regents this year because he finished his Regents courses last year, but some seniors do take those. They’ll work up until the last week of school at the end of June, but that last week will be the senior trip to a local park, and rehearsal and such. Graduation is June 27.
Seniors here finish 2-3 weeks early. My junior daughter enjoyed “takeover day” yesterday. That’s the first day without the seniors, when the juniors essentially become the seniors.
Graduation is next week and then the end of school for everyone else is the week after. Seniors do take exams. Never heard of them but having finals.
When I was a HS senior we finished early too. Although I think our graduation was a bit later. Within a day or two of the end of school for everyone else, if not after they were done.
My D went to middle college so last semester she had 4 college classes that didn’t give a lick that she was a high school senior. They had their college finals the week prior to her last week of high school. No high school finals but instead had to give individual presentations (about 30 minutes in length each) to peers, families and board members about their high school career and what they are taking from the experience into college. The last week was spent watching these.
However, my S is a high school freshman at a charter and he says tthat the senior teachers are spending a lot of time with them because they have “nothing to do.” Now, I can’t promise that my S knows the in’s and out’s of the situation but whatever the seniors are doing doesn’t seem to require their teachers.
At my son’s private school in NYS seniors graduate Mother’s Day weekend - a good six weeks before school ends for all the other grades. Since they are done there is no reason for them to be there and it saves them from getting in trouble. I don’t know if this is still the case but in Scarsdale the seniors classes are finished about 4 weeks early but they have to do something “useful” during that time. My niece, for instance, worked on an organic farm in Vermont. IIRC, she had to write a paper about her experience. Graduation, however is at the end of the regular school year.
My son will be done by May 22, a good 3 weeks earlier than the other kids. Graduation is in early June.
No, unfortunately. Mentally he is checked out.
I say that: he still has many APs and a school related, academic trip. Seniors can avoid finals with good grades and attendance, and he is hoping for that. Hmmm, so I guess he can finish a week early by avoiding finals.
Seniors at D’s school have finals, but they graduate about a week before the official end of of school for everyone else. Some of them come back to school to tutor the lower grade kids for THEIR finals and most of the high schoolers got to graduation. It’s a small school, kids are close.
Our daughter’s graduation is June 5. Exams and senior activities run for the seven or so school days before that. The rest of the town is in school until June 19. D was super excited to have so many snow days in her senior year because the date of graduation cannot change.
At my D’s school sr’s were done May 1. They spend the month of May doing some kind of internships, apprenticeship or special project. At my S’s school they were done 3rd week of April unless they had AP classes, then they went til the AP tests were given.
Most Seniors at my D’s school finish about 3 weeks before everyone else. For the 3 weeks before graduation they do something called “Senior Experience” where they do a quasi-internship/community project. For example, my D will be working in a local elementary school as an aid to a former teacher. The requirements for senior experience are having a plan/place to work and meeting certain grade and discipline thresholds.
Our schools seniors have their “finals” a week before graduation. (Generally, for AP kids, they have their finals right before AP exams but I guess non-AP would have finals during this time). The last week they have graduation practice and other non-academic stuff. Graduation day is the same day as the last day of school for the rest of the school.
So no, they are not done early…though I venture to say most are out “mentally” already (especially once AP tests are done!)
Seniors have finals and finish 1 week early. Graduation is mid week of what is the last week of school for everyone else (June 16th)
Our seniors go up until the last days, except that they have one or two days for rehearsal, etc. After AP classes most classes have extra tests or projects.
Seniors in my HS finish class early but they have to do a “senior option” project of their choice and make a presentation about it before graduation. Most kids choose things they are interested, volunteer at their elementary school etc. in so it is fine. Both of my kids really enjoyed their senior project. I like the system – this way they keep busy but aren’t a disruptive presence in the HS. Graduation is not until the end of the school year.
Last day for seniors at my hs is May 1. Since every senior here has AP and IB exams, totalling 12-15 exams total, seniors only come when they have exams. Graduation is mid to late May. Everyone else has class and class exams til then.