I’m a senior and came to school on senior ditch day which happened a month ago with maybe 30 others out of a senior class of ~550.
Senior skip day is a time-honored tradition at D’s school. After the seniors come to a consensus on the date through an informal process, the “secret” date is widely known throughout the school. Teachers understand very few seniors will attend that day and plan accordingly.
D’s school doesn’t have final exams for seniors, unless a certain number of absences occur or the student is failing the class. There is very little incentive to go to school on senior skip day unless one of these two circumstances apply.
D is looking forward to skip day next week, and I can’t say I blame her. After spending four years “working” >40 hours/week on schoolwork, I say let her enjoy a little fun. No harm/no foul.
Several years ago I unearthed my HS diploma with my last senior year report card in it. It turns out I missed, um, yeah, …seventeen days senior year.
You have to understand, I was a model student my entire life. I almost never missed a day. Straight A’s forever. But apparently, I spent most of spring senior year on the beach at Sandy Hook and Asbury Park. Somehow I still graduated in the top ten–I think they froze it before fourth marking period.
I had no memory, though, of it being out that much…my (thankfully already past high school) kids got a laugh out of that when I told them.
Our HS has a ditch day, but it is considered unexcused. My oldest S did not skip but about half the class did.
The school does have sanctioned “treats” for seniors though, starting in April—senior sleep-in days or early dismissal days. Parent signs a waiver and there are maybe 6-8 days where seniors come late or leave early. He definitely took advantage of that!
Our sons’ high school has transformed it into senior PRANK day (People Really Appreciate Nice Kids)–seniors are released from class but do service projects, mentor younger kids, etc.
Love that, @Bekp2018 !
When I was in high school we didn’t involve our parents in senior skip day, we just didn’t show up. My kids wanted me to call them in sick on senior cut day so they could go to the beach. I said I wasn’t lying for them. I don’t see the point of rebellion if the parents are participating.
At my school it is always either the Thursday before or the Monday after Easter. this year, because of bad weather all the seniors are skipping on the days that are bad whether make-up days. One of them is tomorrow.
S1 graduated from h.s. in 2005. His clever crowd of friends decided that senior skip day should be on 05-05-05. All the other seniors went along with it.
Our school’s Senior Skip day is right around Memorial Day. Almost all seniors skip. Last year the boy’s varsity lacrosse team had to come for the whole day b/c of sectionals.
I ditched. I remember riding around with friends all day. Was it in conjunction with a senior breakfast? I can’t remember.
Kids couldn’t ditch because the ditch day was on the same day as a bunch of APs. Darn.
Senior “skip” day was a tradition for students, but not condoned by the high school. My daughter didn’t want to party and just went to school with a few friends to help out teachers with grading and end of the school year tasks. As a teacher myself, I told her I would not write an excused note; she just had to decide to take responsibility for her choice.
I think today was senior skip day at our HS but definitely not condoned and not done by the majority of students. I think the teachers were encouraged to give quizzes.