There are many perks that come with the territory of being a senior. We (in the ‘Royal We’ sense of the word) collectively acclimatize to our day-time spares with incredible ease, and wonder how We ever managed to get through a school day without them. We skip meal time sign-ins, avoid getting in trouble for it, and still manage to keep ourselves well fed. We, perhaps most importantly, ascend to the top of the high-school food chain, and never look down.

The thing is, We don’t have to anymore.

Rather, most of us are looking up, looking up towards that bright, indistinguishable light that is our future, and wondering where it is we’ll be at this same time next year. Traveling? University? The workforce? The possibilities list longer than the University acceptances read off at assembly each week, or the number of friends we’re going to miss when we part ways in June.

People wait their whole young lives to be high school seniors. They tell themselves as freshman that when their growth spurt hits, they won’t have to worry about being trampled in the lunch line by the 1st XV. They tell themselves in Grade 10 that they’ll get through the awkward, high-school limbo phase. They tell themselves in Grade 11 as they’re studying for SATs that they’re eventually going to enjoy some of the new changes the year will bring - the discontinuation of 3:00 Sunday sign-ins is an example of such as privilege.

And then senior year hits everyone like a freight train.

The new reality of Prefect Duties, University Applications, and the Senior workload is one that definitely requires an adjustment period. The last high-school birthday a senior spends at Brentwood also brings forth the knowledge that soon, the entire senior class will be leaving this place, and heading towards the great unknown. Unknown people and unknown teachers; unknown places and unknown challenges. Unknown everything.

And that can be a little daunting.

Grad Photo Shoot Appointments really forced senior students to think about their futures.

Our last school pictures.

The adage ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’ is still in full effect, yes? So here’s a One Thousand word story laid out in front of us, chronicling our last year of high school - a photo we’ll show to our future university buddies, grandparents, maybe even our own future children. Do we like what we see? Are we so focused on the future that we haven’t been paying attention to our last year as a high schooler - our last year as adolescents?  Are we ready to move on? Ready to make the leap over the bridge which distinguishes childhood from adulthood?

Some of us say yes. University acceptances have been sealed, stamped, and sent away; jobs are in the making, trips are being booked. Those who have clear cases of ‘Senioritis’ are ready to ‘Hasta La Vista’ their ways out of Brentwood, and fly into the sunset for their new destinations. This group is ready to leave the sign-ins, mandatory prep sessions, prefect duties and meetings behind.

The Grade 12s on the other end of the spectrum, however, highlight those who aren’t quite ready to leave the Brentwood bubble yet. Those who swear they’re going to ball their eyes out during closing ceremonies, and not be able to say goodbye at house barbecues. Those who say they’ll miss making ‘Open House’ videos together, putting the ‘little-uns’ to bed together, going ‘Uptown’ together.

The key word in these phrases is together, of course. Next year will find many of us separated, only to congregate again at our far-in-the-future reunion. We’ll be apart, and have to form new togethers with new people.

Can we still do that?

It’s a sad thought, I suppose, leaving, but I’m sure many of us will keep in touch. As of right now, though, the majority of seniors are trying to finish out and enjoy their senior years.

Now?

We’re going to enjoy the last Senior Showcase Basketball game with the current Grade 12s. We’re going to continue to lay out on the field with one another, and reminisce about grades past. We’re going to live out our last few months of high school, and try to make the memories that will last us for the rest of our lives.

I guess we’ll start looking forward later.

Rachael K