Gosh, I Need a Senior Skip Day.

At the schools where I've taught in Iowa, there is something called senior skip day. (It's likely pretty universal.) Once upon a time parents had to lie about it for kids (excusing it) or it was an unexcused absence (gasp). Neither seems to be much of a problem  anymore--parental excusals or unexcused absences--but our school has made skip day just optional now: no lying, no penalty.  It's a day off. It's funny that the kids still keep it kind of a "secret"--they decide the day, but my 6th period told me. "Well, some of us might not be here Wednesday......" Some legitimately winked at me.  It was nice of them to let me know at least.

Undoubtedly, there is a lot of stress on seniors--mine are all in AP Lang, so most are preparing for a test they still at least semi-care about in a couple weeks, and almost all were distracted by last week's prom.  The pressure of the end of the semester (May 15 for them--the day after their AP test),  and probably planning grad parties are realities. Oh, and the largest transition of their lives so far is around the corner. So, a day off would probably be helpful around now.  

If they ALL take it off, that means I get two extra free periods Wednesday--4th and 6th AP Lang--and each is 90 minutes.  So I guess that's time off for me as well.  Even if only 4 come each period (who knows why--maybe they have a Calc test?), it will have to just be a study hall.  

I need a senior skip day. At home, my upstairs is a mess, my car is a mess. I have LOADS of grading, rarely exercise, and I'm tired--often. And, my school desk is a mess. I also lost my bank card, and I got the date wrong in front of one of my classes--by months. Tracy needs a little break.  I am not alone (besides the messiness and the weird, inexplicable, worrisome date thing). Well, I had planned a personal day for the 25th (Friday). We have PD Monday, so I'd only see my seniors Wed. and Fri. Now I won't see them all week. I put assignments online and they have a rough draft of a personal essay and probably Wednesday's assignments to do for Friday. Friday (while I'm home arranging my spice cabinet), they will peer edit and then take an AP Q2 test (rhetorical analysis) for 45 minutes.

I have to admit it makes me nervous to more or less  lose this time with them just a couple weeks before the AP test and the end of the year.  But so be it.  Maybe we all need to catch our breath. They have other classes and senior stuff. I need to grade (I have AP Lit, too) and regroup, settle my brain down.

So, anyway, I could wig about or judge senior skip day like I used to. According to one teacher at Rochester Adams High School,  “It should be organized to where the entire class gets together and skips and does something together.” That's even judging the breaking of the rules--they're not doing it right. I'm guessing mine probably need it more for obligations than for fun at this point. Just like me.

Here's to a skip day for all of us. I hope they at least go out for lunch.