Last day, great memories

Hannah Fikar / young adult columnist

It is now the time of year that all students anticipate: summer vacation. The nine months of hard work that began on a cold September morning have finally come to an unforgettable end. Yearbooks are signed with heartfelt messages of friendship and remembrance. Awards are given for outstanding academic and sporting achievements. But the most glorious sight seen by any student is the clock when the concluding seconds of the last day pass and the final bell rings. The final events at the end of the year signify the closing of a remarkable experience.

In both elementary and junior high school, students often participate in field trips as the year comes to an end. My school offers a trip to Wild Waves for a day if we do not receive any detention slips for an entire year. Other prizes, such as movies during class and popcorn at lunch encourage good behavior and are surprisingly effective.

Although field trips at the end of the year are the most popular event, receiving yearbooks is a close second. Looking through the pages at school pictures, sporting events from throughout the year, and snapshots of memorable activities brings back the fun-filled memories of the best year on record. All students enjoy signing the yearbooks of their classmates and friends. While writing another’s annual, one will often see drawings and descriptions of unforgettable experiences during the year. A school year is full of wonderful experiences that can be remembered in one single book.

Ninth graders have a special event at the end of the year, the ninth grade dance. On the night before the last day of school, all of the ninth graders from all the schools in the Puyallup School District go to the Puyallup Fairgrounds and attend a formal dance. People dress up in their finest clothes and arrive in limos after enjoying a fancy dinner at an elegant restaurant. The girls have their hair and make-up done and the boys look sharp in their suits. Students seem to dance the entire night away as the party rolls on into the early hours of the morning.

Following the dance, an awards assembly at school on the last day highlights the academic and athletic accomplishments of the year. The entire ninth grade population flocks to the commons or gym to watch their fellow classmates receive honors such as athlete, math student, or music student of the year. Although the long assemblies at the end of the year can seem to drag on for hours, students thoroughly enjoy the experience.

The final day of school is the event every teenager anticipates from the moment they first enter the school until the last minutes tick away. Tearful hugs and tender messages of love and friendship stretch out as far as the eye can see down the hallway and into all of the classrooms.

The last day of school creates unforgettable memories with the best of friends.

Hannah Fikar is 14 years old and she attends Stahl Junior High. She was born in Florida and moved to Puyallup in 2002. Hannah enjoys playing sports and spending time with friends. She will attend Rogers High School in the fall and will graduate in 2011.