Schreiber’s administration recently announced that seniors will be required to attend their AP classes through the end of June, even after the conclusion of their AP examinations.  This decision is a significant departure from previous policy, where seniors were rewarded with free periods after surviving the dreaded two-week examination period.  Furthermore, neither the Senior Class Club leaders nor the Student Council Executive Board were consulted in the decision-making process.

The rationale for this change, which has been met with significant disapproval from students, parents, and teachers alike, is the waiving of the Senior Experience Requirement; the administration is concerned that “senioritis” —a term jokingly used to describe the tendency of seniors to slack off in the second semester—will run especially rampant as the year comes to a close.

However, The Schreiber Times strongly believes that this solution is a grave mistake, as it is merely replacing one problem with another.  Since AP teachers are required to finish the curriculum before the exam, and seniors do not sit for Regents Examinations in June, this classwork would be futile; regardless, students will still be vigorously watching the clock, counting down the days until summer vacation and the beginning of their college or postgraduate experience.

With the COVID-19 pandemic taking so much away from seniors, from Pep Rallies to a complete sports season to (possibly) Gambol, is it really fair to deprive them of their final month of relaxation?  Are we going to want seniors to reflect on their final few weeks as a Schreiber student and remember grinding out busy work, watching (and re-watching) movies, and playing review Kahoots (with no exam to review for)?  Of course not!  Late May and early June should serve as a rite of passage for the class of 2021, filled with minimum stress and maximum memories, just as it did for the class of 2020, the class of 2019, and every class before that.