<p>My daughter wants very much to participate in SSD: an unofficial day off for the seniors, who ditch class and do various things. Apparently, for time immemorial, the seniors have annually driven themselves to a theme park two states and four hours away to spend the day at the park and then drive themselves home.</p>
<p>As for missing the school day, there is not much to miss (at least for my daughter) as she only has three classes, one’s an AP she’s already taken the test for; another is choir, in which she will have had her last concert; and the third is a class full of seniors–who won’t be in attendance–and not much of a challenge for her. She has no finals (students with a B or higher average exempted).</p>
<p>About driving eight hours on highways known to be populated by a large number of inexperienced drivers feeling free and uninhibited by school rules or adult supervision who know each other… I have visions of Car 1 speeding up to see the guys in car 2, or car 7 challenging car 8 to a race or any number of dumb@$$ things teens might think of to do in such a circumstance. (Even if they’d otherwise never think of such a thing.) Yes, I understand they’ll be going to college soon and free to do whatever they please. It just seems risky to me and it also seems like the kind of thing that ends up in a tragedy one reads about in the newspaper saying, “what were those parents thinking???”</p>
<p>I’m thinking about letting her go with two close and responsible friends on the following conditions: They leave a half hour earlier than the others (so as to put distance between them); they stop every hour and switch drivers (to stay fresh and minimize any one kid’s symptoms of inexperience); and they call home at each switch.</p>
What are some of these “various” things beside the 4-hour away theme park?</p>
<p>Our kids have had Senior Skip Day for a long time as well. But no such mega-travel plans. I’m not a worrier, but I’m not wild about a 4-hour drive home after a full day that started out with a 4-hour drive there. Especially for inexperienced drivers.</p>
<p>I don’t think I’d forbid it if “they” have been doing it for years, but I sure feel your pain.</p>
<p>Zoosermom, I am looking into chartering a bus; I’m not sure we’ll have enough takers to warrant it though, as I suspect the convoy is part of the attraction for some (many? All?). I may be able to bill it as a way to arrive earlier and take full advantage of their admission ticket.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t want to drive, and I’m a senior.</p>
<p>I agree with the Party Bus idea…those are always fun. In fact, the seniors from my SLC were talking about getting one, but we couldn’t get the funds together in time. :(</p>
<p>lol i know a kid who is like 16 and his parents let him drive at night back from philly to NJ at 80 miles per hour on the high way while they sleep cuz they were tired</p>
<p>I’ve driven to the family cottage almost every weekend in the summer since I got my license. That’s about 3 hours each way. I guess I don’t think it’s that big a deal. I’d just rather not spend 8 hours of 1 day on the road. Just remind the kids to switch drivers if tired, and they will be responsible if they get a ticket. Definitely have to car pool though.</p>
<p>My high school also had a “Senior Cut Day.” I actually went to school because I didn’t want to stay home with my mom, and it was the easiest day of my life. About 5/600 seniors showed up.</p>
<p>Our hs has this too. I told my son that he must go to school. He was not happy, but did not nag me to death either. He accepted “no” as the answer. This avoided all scenarios listed by the OP (and all other mishaps that might occur). I have no regrets that I made him go to school. In our school the kids who skip are given “suspension”. I really don’t know what that means when 90% of each graduating class is suspended every year. I’d have to assume that it is not made part of the school records. I think that the suspension is an in school one, but I don’t even know for sure. It would make sense not to give kids a second senior skip day opportunity, LOL!</p>
<p>I have no problem with senior skip day. It’s a tradition. I would, however, have a problem with 17-18 yr olds driving four hours each way. I had a rule also that no minor left the state without an adult. Our seniors had a picnic at the park.</p>
<p>I also said no to skip day…I think it is a childish tradition for students who are quick to call themselves adults when it suits their purposes. It helps that the last time a skip day took place the class had half a point taken off their gpa’s.</p>
<p>Our district has an “authorized” skip day to a theme park. If you are not at school that day and not on the permission slipped bus, you are truant.</p>
<p>The district eliminated this day several years ago but it led to many students who took the ditch day anyway causing problems in and around town.</p>
<p>Yeah, we ditched and went to the beach, which is four blocks away…I agree that this marathon convoy is risky and a party bus would make far more sense. There’s no theme park in your state?</p>
<p>The fact is teenagers somewhere get into such things just about every weekend. We did it 40 years ago and everyone survived and I don’t recall any deaths in the time since.( I get the local weekly) We drove to the shore about 3 hours or so away. It was great.</p>
Cars were heavier then, making them more likely to survive a crash, and people drove more slowly - we didn’t have such an extensive highway system.</p>
<p>We did lots of things 40 years ago (no seatbelts, lying in the back of the station wagon, no car seats, etc) that would be stupid today.</p>
<p>natmicstef: erm wow they deducted your GPAs? but honestly that doesn’t really matter does it considering 1) they’re already seniors and 2) if -.5 for everyone, the ranks will stay the same…</p>
In fact, the seniors from my SLC were talking about getting one, but we couldn’t get the funds together in time. :(</p>