From the first day of kindergarten to the final day of senior year, students within the United States spend roughly 2,160 days within school walls. For elementary students, graduation seems like a lifetime away, yet by the time senior year comes around, time seems to fly by as students say goodbye to everything they’ve ever known.
Every spring, Francis Howell Central sends another class of seniors off into adulthood, making sure to honor the students’ hard work with events sprinkled throughout the year. Award nights, luncheons, and dances are held to recognize the hard work and dedication of every student who made it to graduation.
For many seniors, the annual homecoming dance is the beginning of the end as seniors participate in their last Homecoming spirit week, football game, and most importantly, their last school dance on school grounds. As the first big event of senior year, homecoming reminds students of just how little time they have left in high school.
One senior who enjoys experiencing the final moments of high school is Sydney Belter, who plans on attending Mizzou to major in data and computer science. Belter has enjoyed getting to celebrate reaching the end, and she feels as though the senior events are integral to the high school experience.
“I think that it’s important because [you’re] not going to get the same opportunity again, and once high school ends, you won’t have the same options that you do [now],” Belter said.
Even though the day wasn’t a school-sanctioned event, Nov. 1, 2024 was an honored event by many senior students at FHC. The graduating class made a silent agreement not to come to school, continuing the yearly tradition of the senior skip day. The unofficial holiday is optional for all, but many seniors are very quick to take their opportunity to miss out on a day of classes.
Another honorary ceremony for many seniors is the senior night each sport holds towards the end of their season. During the event, seniors walk past their fellow teammates as their coaches read off their achievements and aspirations. Sports are so impactful for many students, and for athletes who have spent so many hours dedicated to their passion, getting acknowledged in such a beautiful way allows them to move on without regret.
Although there are some events sprinkled throughout the beginning of senior year, the majority of the moments occur during April and May. As seniors wrap up their year, quite a few final events are held for them.
With so many events leading up to graduation, the quick pace of senior year only gets faster as seniors’ constantly reach milestone after milestone. Senior Jonah Wilhite plans on attending Truman State University on the pre education track, and as the year has progressed he’s noticed how quickly the end of the year has arrived.
“I think we would all agree that they made the time go by really fast. It’s just weird how time works,” Wilhite said. “ You think it’s going to take a long time to get through high school, and then you get to senior year, and you’re doing these [events], and then it’s like, oh, this last time I get to go to prom. This is the last time I get to do this.”
One of the most classic senior events is the senior prom, which took place on April 11 at Old Hickory Golf Club. Prom is a memorable experience for both juniors and seniors, but the dance has an even larger impact on those who are nominated for Prom Court. Voting for and celebrating their fellow classmates is a huge moment for seniors, and the announcement of the Prom Royalty is a very celebratory moment for the seniors.
Shortly after Prom on April 22, seniors had their first graduation practice in the large gym. The 2025 class assembled in the auditorium as they learned what to expect on graduation day. Walking across the stage reminds the seniors of just how close they are to the end, preparing them for the day they’ve spent their whole lives working towards.
For Wilhite, the graduation practice symbolized just how far the seniors have come, and getting to experience walking across the stage really put into perspective how close graduation was.
“I thought the graduation practice was important, even though thinking about it sounded boring. It was just kind of surreal going through the practice,” Wilhite said. “I think everybody just changes their perspective on time. You know, I used to dread coming to school, but I don’t anymore, because the time is waning on being able to do that.”
On April 25, the Francis Howell School District held its annual 4.0 Luncheon, honoring the seniors who maintained a cumulative 4.0 grade point average throughout the year. Seniors throughout the district were given medals and cords as rewards for their commitment to their academics.
Even though the seniors have nearly reached the end of their high school career, celebratory events like senior award night, senior sunrise and elementary walkthroughs still await them. The elementary walk, for example, allows the seniors to have a full circle moment as they walk past their old elementary school classrooms and teachers dressed in their caps and gowns.
Every senior has worked so hard to reach graduation, and by offering so many events of recognition, Central is able to show its admiration for each graduate.
