Senior year is almost over: what you need to know
Senior boat trip of 2025 featuring a group of senior boys from gradating class of '25. (Photo courtsey of Alexa Rios)
By Chase Soylu Chee, News Editor & Video Editor, Francisco Linares, Sports Editor
As the fleeting moments of peace slowly disappear with the coming of Spring and AP testing, seniors need to stay on top of not only their work, but also their last days in high school.
Coming from a naive freshman who is now a senior who has seen it all—be it the stabbing at Montgomery High School, the school closures, and now the merger of Rincon Valley Middle School into Maria Carrillo High School—it feels great to finally move on.
While the feeling of moving on, which is commonly associated with so-called “senioritis”— the psychological stigma that high school seniors do not want to do work in their last days of school—seniors need to remain focused.
The MCHS Infographic titled “Important Senior Dates” was sent out in the Puma Purr, which most seniors do not read or barely skim at best. For those of you in a hurry, here is everything in a nut shell.
On April 28, there will be an important senior graduation meeting which will showcase what the rest of the year would look like, including other key dates like when the 25-day rule starts and when graduation will be held.
Speaking of the devil, the start of the 25-day rule is on April 30. With this, seniors can be denied graduation for any offense at school, even minor, like small library dues.
May 1, the start of the dreaded AP month will be the due-date for graduation speaker applications. If you are a senior and are interested in speaking during graduation about any school sanctioned topic, feel free to email social sciences teacher, Mike Mastin, or visit him in his room I-6. After you are cleared, there will be speaker tryouts for further vetting on May 5.
Once we hit May 18, every day seems like an eventful day for seniors. Senior Awards Night occurs on the 18 and 19 of May, both at 6 - 8 PM with the event’s first day being held in the theater and the second in the library.
For students who are in credit recovery or are taking outside courses, you must report your grades to your counselor by May 22 in order to receive credits for those classes.
For seniors considering the boat trip on May 21, it is a small cruise ship with an upper and lower floor with dancing, karaoke, and food. Following the boat trip, graduation tickets go on sale May 22. Seniors and their parents do not need to worry, since they will receive complementary tickets.
Seniors who are interested in being featured during graduation night can submit Memory Lane Posters by June 4. These posters consist of a collage of the graduate’s life from baby photos to current photos. Some include notes and letters from family members congratulating them.
Following Memorial Day on Tuesday, May 26, seniors will start to experience all of the graduation festivities starting with senior week. Afterwards, graduation practices follow finals week with mandatory graduation practices at 10:53 - 12:53 PM on June 4 and 5. June 5 is when graduation occurs, starting at 5:30 PM.
Once graduation is over, and seniors are done celebrating with their family and friends, Project Graduation—also dubbed as “Puma Paradise”—starts. From 9 PM to 3 AM. The graduation party is held on campus featuring games, bouncy houses, and supervision. This event is to allow seniors to see their community and fellow graduates for the last time while protecting the community from an historic spike of drunk driving and motor crashes.