Senior Skip Day Isn’t the Same When You’re At Home.

When Your House Is Your School … The Ritual Is Not The Same

My firstborn was a senior during the time of COVID. As a senior, you look forward to prom, homecoming, and senior-centric events. One such event is senior skip day.

For those who are unaware, senior skip day is a day during the Spring semester when the students don’t go to school. It is celebrated at most high schools.

But, in the world where school buildings are closed and everyone is online going to school, senior skip day is really … nothing. What are you going to do? Not show up online for your classes? You’re already at home, where are you going to skip to?

I asked my firstborn about this before school one day.

“Hey Firstborn, have you ever heard of senior skip day.”

“Who hasn’t?”

“When is it on the calendar?”

“If you haven’t noticed, we are at home going to school online.”

“Yeah, but seriously.”

“Seriously.”

It was at that moment, I thought back to my senior skip day. How fun it was and how much my kid was missing by going to remote school. As the senior events filled my head, I had the realization that none of them were going to happen to my firstborn.

I made a decision …

I said, “You’re not going to school today.”

Firstborn replies, “But, I am already in school. Look at the screen.”

Sure enough, from their computer screen, were mini portrait-sized live feeds from bedrooms across the county, which put together were their homeroom class: looking at me.

So, was I embarrassed? Nope! I stared deep into the electronic eye sitting on top of the monitor, and said, “Enough is enough. You are missing out. Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?”

The classroom teacher said, “But …”

FIrstborn replied, “Wait a minute. He’s on a roll.”

I continue, “You have been in school since kindergarten in order to reach twelfth grade. Except for you.”, I point to a kid in the top right of the computer screen, “You are going to be here for a few more years.”

The kid agreed, nodded their head up and down, and stayed quiet.

“But, for the rest of you. This is your senior year! This was supposed to be your year! If there is anything, any event, to make it feel like a senior year it is this. Senior skip day!”

One by one, I see the cameras turn off, until all that is left is the homeroom teacher, screaming, “NOOOOOOOOO !!!!!!”

After that, my firstborn turns off their camera and asks, “So Dad. What do we do now?”

I reply, “Skip work?”

I make a quick call to work, put on my best sick voice, and get the day off work.

Even though we can’t go to a restaurant, or do anything inside, there is still gas in the tank and we head out on the road. It's simply not a skip day if you hang out in your house!

Bottom line: Kids missed out on so much when the schools were locked down. These events might seem trivial in retrospect, but at the time, you looked forward to them. Nothing can ever bring the time back, but for a few moments, at least I can balance the scales.

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