Although many seniors might feel like the bulk of their high school experience is over, there are many plans in place to ensure that the end of senior year is jampacked with enjoyable and educational programming. The programming will prepare seniors for life after high school and fill areas of their education that they had yet to cover.  A primary goal for this segment of the year is for seniors to have an opportunity to experience topics and learn from teachers that they may have missed throughout high school. The end of the year will remain new and exciting for seniors as seniors will be exposed to different programs each day. There are many programs planned for senior spring, but programs could fluctuate because of limitations from the city and state. 

Throughout the rest of the school year, seniors will have more in person school days. There will be a health series including sexual education, health and nutrition. There will also be programs to help seniors prepare for life on college campuses. These programs include Israel advocacy on campus and mental health on campus. In addition to these planned programs, AP prep will continue throughout May. 

On a broader scale, there are also programs which will help students prepare for adulthood. There will be a Jewish Life Cycle series preparing seniors for different points in Jewish adulthood. The series will include Jewish marriage, halacha, philosophy and other various subjects, such as organ donation. Seniors will also learn about financial planning in order to prepare for life after high school. Students will hear thought provoking teacher panels called the “Great Debates”, mediated by Dr. Jucovy. Some “Great Debate” subjects include cancel culture, or gender in Judaism. In addition to hearing teachers present, seniors will participate in student led classes. The student led classes are classes which students can sign up for and teach their friends about various subjects such as cooking, hair tutorials, or fashion. 

One of the goals of this spring is to guide seniors through impactful personal experiences. Many seniors will be participating in a work study. The work study is an opportunity for students to connect with different alumni and contacts in a field of study which interests them. The school has matched seniors with alumni to do internships and seniors will be mentored throughout a process which will simulate working in that field. The mentors will guide seniors through their personal experiences and struggles in that field. At the end of the work study, the seniors will present a concluding assignment which reflects on the work they accomplished throughout the internship.

An aspect of the end of senior year is maximizing time with your grade. These bonding moments have been difficult this year with the absence of shabbatons and retreat. Trips will be dispersed throughout the last month and a half of school. The seniors will have an overnight trip at Camp Kaylie. They will also take day trips to the 9/11 Memorial and Great Adventure. 

On June 7, the seniors will attend senior dinner at the NYC Skyline. The Senior Dinner is a formal event in which seniors enjoy a dinner together while reminiscing on the past four years. To celebrate the past four years, graduation will take place on June 21 on Randalls Island. Last year, each family could only bring one car of people to graduation but there is more flexibility this year so the school is trying to fit more people at graduation. Although Covid imposes certain restrictions on the plans for senior spring, the seniors will have a balance between exciting experiences, amazing speakers, and many opportunities to connect as a grade.