Imagine starting your Wednesday morning off campus or enjoying lunch with friends outside of school. This year, the school introduced new senior privileges to give seniors more freedom and celebrate the final months of high school.
Senior privileges are designed to recognize seniors during the last quarter of the school year. Currently, seniors are allowed to leave campus on Wednesday mornings, as well as during lunch on Thursdays and Fridays. They are also excused from study hall on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the fitness center is open early for them on those days. In addition, more activities are planned for May. Overall, these privileges give seniors more flexibility in their daily schedules.
The main purpose of senior privileges is to motivate and reward students as they approach graduation. The school hopes to help seniors “cross the finish line” while getting them excited about what’s coming next. At the same time, these privileges give underclassmen something to look forward to in their senior year. Dean Sarah McCarthy said, “It celebrates students’ four years of hard work in school and gives students a typical American high school experience.”
Many of these privileges are new this year. Off-campus lunch passes were not offered before, and although seniors had a Wednesday morning pass last year, other benefits have now been expanded. New additions also include special senior days, where students receive items like sashes and drink coupons. In the past, seniors were only excused from study hall during the last month of school, but now they can enjoy these benefits earlier.
Students have responded positively to the new senior privileges. Annie Lu described the program as “really cool” and feels lucky to experience this. She said, “I’m very happy that I got the opportunity to experience it because it’s really common in American high school.” Students especially enjoy the extra freedom and the chance to spend more time with friends, giving them a chance to relax and enjoy their final months before graduation.
While most feedback has been positive, some students still have a few suggestions for improvement. For example, Lu mentioned that making clubs optional could help reduce scheduling pressure and give them more control over their time.
The school plans to evaluate the success of the program by looking at how many students use the privileges and what activities interest them the most. Student feedback will play an important role in shaping improvements. In fact, the early opening of the fitness center was suggested by a senior.
As graduation approaches, senior privileges give students more than just extra freedom. They give seniors a chance to enjoy the final chapter of high school, spend time with friends, and experience more independence before moving on to the next stage of life.
