The Last Year of High School - What Will You Make of It?

I have my favorite guest-blogger today.  My oldest daughter, Kennedy, is sharing her thoughts on the coming school year - her last year of high school.  High school was the hardest and yet the most fun time for me.  Would I go back?  HELL NO.  This is a different world than it was when I was in school.  I applaud anyone who makes it through - although no one makes it through unscathed.
I hope that this last year for Kennedy and her friends is a fun and memorable one.... 


My Thoughts Entering Senior Year


We’ve all seen a high school movie that has given us high expectations about school spirit, and for some, breaking out in random song. (High School Musical, anyone?)  As I’m entering my 12th and final year of school, I’m thinking to myself, why don’t we have school spirit? As an active member of the student council, and this year’s president, this is the kind of thing that keeps me awake at night. What can I do to make people enjoy themselves and have school spirit? Believe me when I say that we have tried everything. New events every year, bribery, insane advertising. Nothing seems to work. I am at the point where I have accepted that maybe myself along with a few others are going to be the only crazy kids running around wearing school colours with face paint. And that’s okay. We have gotten so caught up in putting immense work into events that nobody shows up to, or spirit days that nobody dresses up at. We are working so hard, that we are forgetting to enjoy it ourselves. I’ve realized that I haven’t been the example that I need to be to our council, and student body. I always worked a shift in the concessions at dances, and went home. We have a school slip and slide every year, and only 20 out of 150 students show up. I got so angry, but I realized that I was on the side, not taking part. I was so worried about cleaning it up after and thanking everyone who helped and how to advertise for the next event, that I didn’t even try it myself. What kind of example is that?? No wonder nobody outside of student council takes part. This, my last year, is going to be the year I will set a great example for all of the kids in our school. Being a school from grades 7-12, it is important that us grade twelves show the grade sevens that it’s okay to take part and not look “cool” for an hour. I had that when I was in grade seven, and it was an amazing thing. In the end of this, I may embarrass myself at the time or feel silly for dressing up when nobody else did, but 10 or 15 years from now, I’m going to look back on my high school years and realize that that was fun. I had fun. I went to pep rallies, I cheered and jumped up when our team just won a game, I showed up to school in my craziest pajamas because that’s what the day was all about. As we’re sneaking up on September, this is my goal for myself. I wouldn’t want this to be any other way. I think about all of the other kids who don’t participate in spirit days, who sit on their phones during pep rallies, and who are hanging out at home when our basketball team just won a tournament. Don’t get me wrong, I am an extreme introvert and fight that every day. But at the end of the day, while all these memories are being made and documented, I can look back and find myself in the front row of the bleachers, or dancing with our school mascot. High school is only here once, and while hanging out by myself is fun, I’m going to be so much happier that I finally got to see high school through the eyes of the kids in the movies.I am going to create a high school experience from the movies for myself. I’m going to worry about myself and my student council, and hopefully set an example for other kids along the way. Show them that it’s okay to let loose and do something embarrassing for school spirit. And hopefully they’ll find that the more they do it, the more other kids will do it, and suddenly everyone’s doing it and it’s not embarrassing anymore. If I could have one wish for my last year in high school, it would be that. Here’s to senior year!

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