As the 2025-2026 school year ends, Pennridge High School seniors celebrate with a spirit week accompanied by various activities to wrap up their high school experience. The last week of school for seniors is a time for students to finish any missed finals or pay outstanding fines, but it’s also one final chance for the class of 2026 to celebrate their time together. Events like the senior sunrise, senior award night, senior picnic, and prom add excitement and nostalgia to the week.
The class of 2026’s executive council organized a spirit week for seniors to participate in. Tuesday was USA day, Wednesday was blackout day, Thursday was senior jean day, and Friday was white out. These spirit days give the graduating class one last chance to coordinate and participate in school spirit days, a nostalgic throwback to the spirit days held in elementary school. One of the most notable spirit days is the senior jean day. Painting senior jeans has been a tradition at Pennridge for a long time. Seniors gather with a group of friends and paint their future college logo on a pair of jeans. Along with a college logo, students include small designs and other icons to indicate graduation. This tradition mimics crafts done in elementary school art classes and is a creative way to announce college commitments and create cute graduation apparel. Pennridge High School senior Chloe Benner remarked, “I liked being able to do a craft with my friends, like how we did back in elementary school.” The senior jeans are typically worn to the senior sunrise. The senior sunrise takes place at 5 a.m., and seniors gather to watch the sunrise and take pictures with their graduating class. After the event is over, the following school day is optional, and left as a chance for students to make up any work and then say goodbye to their teachers.
After the seniors’ last day of school, there are a few opportunities for senior bonding and end-of-the-year celebrations before the graduation ceremony. These events include the senior awards, senior picnic, senior walk, and senior stroll. Senior awards are a final chance for students to receive recognition for their achievements throughout high school and be awarded scholarships for their hard work. The senior picnic is a daytime event for seniors to relax and enjoy free food and yard games, similar to field days and outdoor gym classes held in elementary and middle school years. Lastly, the senior walk and stroll are both times for taking pictures at either Pennridge High School or other Pennridge schools. It’s a time to let nostalgia kick in and take one last look at the journey from kindergarten to senior year.
One of the most iconic endings of any senior year is prom. Prom is an American high school tradition where students dress formally and attend a grade-wide dance. Prom takes a lot of preparation and planning. Students begin to shop for prom dresses and suits as early as six months before the night of the event. It takes effort to plan outfits, makeup, hair, transportation, photoshoots, and gatherings before and after the dance. This year, Pennridge High School’s senior prom will be held at the Steel Stacks venue in Bethlehem, PA. The theme is midnight sun, based around a color palette of oranges and pinks. Ticket prices this year were $95, which is an increase from last year’s $90. Excitement builds up around prom for weeks, and students take time during the school year to get dresses and suits altered, make bouquets, corsages, and boutonnieres, and plan for this eventful night. Pennridge High School senior Surabhi Gupta reflected, “I would rather look back on a fun night than have finished an assignment on time”, on how events like prom have influenced her overall high school experience.
Overall, the seniors’ last week of school is filled with fun activities for class bonding and nostalgia to end the year.
