Credit: Sofia Ciciarelli

Seniors run into the field house on their first day of high school to the song “Welcome To The Jungle” by Guns N’ Roses.

Two thousand, one hundred, thirty-one days completed. Pushing aside the skipped classes, the unexcused absences and sick days, that means the 2,131 days of walking the halls with the same 200 kids is almost at its end as the Class of 2025 has its final day of school in 17 days. Over the course of the next bittersweet month before seniors take their first steps off the stage, diploma in hand and step into the next chapter of life, they have weeks filled with activities to unite them for a final goodbye.

Senior Assassin
While there is a lot of fun in the final weeks of senior year, there is also a lot of stress. College decisions, preparing for the end of high school and studying for Advanced Placement (AP) tests adds a lot to seniors’ plates. A popular tradition that helps provide continuous fun throughout May and has been taken on by Wayland High School (WHS) seniors is Senior Assassin. Participants have the challenge of squirting their assigned target with a water gun within a set time-frame. If you don’t get your target, or you get “shot”, you are eliminated from the game. Challenges like safety items, purges and more create an even more difficult game for players. This activity is not school-affiliated, but over half the senior class has chosen to participate in it this spring with a joining fee of $5. Being 138 players, the game has created a fun distraction from the stressors of senior spring.

Senior Shirt Day: Wednesday, May 14th
This annual tradition continues this year despite being pushed back a week. Seniors are encouraged to wear their college merch on Wednesday, May 14, as a chance to see where their peers are attending school in the following year. If a student’s future plans don’t follow a traditional schooling path, they are also encouraged to wear some articles of clothing to represent that.

Junior Prom: Saturday, May 17th
While primarily a junior class event, a considerable number of juniors have decided to take a senior as their date to the Class of 2026 Prom. It’s tradition at WHS for students coming from outside the class’s prom to opt for a short dress over a long one with the intention of giving junior girls their day to shine. Prom this year will take place at the Hyatt Regency Boston Harborside, the same place WHS Class of 2022 hosted their prom. Seniors attending are welcome to all parts of the prom festivities, including Pre-Prom and Orange Carpet, which provide photo taking opportunities. They are also encouraged to join their junior date at the high school’s Late Night event which takes place in the WHS Field House. Food, drinks, a mechanical bull, bouncy houses and more will all be available to prom attendees who have signed up to attend the event.

Senior Skip Day: Friday, May 23rd

While this event is not affiliated with the high school, senior skip day is one of the more esteemed traditions of the month. Seniors who don’t plan on participating in after-school activities take the Friday off, giving themselves a long weekend to spend the day at the beach with their peers. Students bring games like spike-ball, beach volleyball, football and more to spend time with their class a week before their final day together. The event has been compared to “Field Day,” a tradition students had in elementary school where they spent the day playing an assortment of games with their classmates, rather than doing work.

Hill Night: Thursday, May 29th

Another event that is not affiliated with WHS, but dates back decades, is Hill Night. While the exact start date is unknown, it is believed to have started sometime in the 60’s or 70’s back on “Buzzy’s Bump,” a hill behind WHS, named after the Athletic Director at the time. The night before their last day of school, seniors gathered at the hill where they put their graduated year into the dirt and covered it. They spent the night together at the hill, having one big sleepover before walking down to school the following morning on their last day of school. While the tradition has taken on different shapes over the years, administration and the renovation of the WHS buildings caused the tradition to be taken off campus around 2012. Although most don’t sleepover anymore, it is the final opportunity to spend the night with your fellow classmates before your last day as a WHS student.

Last day of senior year & Senior Breakfast: Friday, May 30th

Friday, May 30, marks the last day of school for WHS seniors. After spending roughly 6,000 hours together, seniors start off their final seven hour school day by gathering for Senior Breakfast. Seniors meet in the commons from 7:45 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. to enjoy the tradition made possible by the Wayland Police Department. Attendance is required at the breakfast and seniors are encouraged to wear their matching senior shirts that they wore on the first day of school, closing a chapter the same way they opened it. Toward the end of their final block at WHS, seniors will gather together to continue the tradition of doing a “run-through,” where they run through the halls of the South Building as underclassmen watch and cheer on from the sides.

Graduation rehearsals: Tuesday, June 3rd & Wednesday, June 4th

Despite saying their goodbyes to WHS five days prior, seniors return to campus the following Tuesday and Wednesday for mandatory graduation rehearsals. Attendance at both events are required in order to make the real day flow smoothly and will last from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.. Seniors will also receive their cap and gown on Tuesday.

Senior Awards Night: Tuesday, June 3rd
A school sanctioned event that requires the entire Class of 2025 attendance is Awards Night. The dress code includes formal attire paired with their graduation gowns that they will receive earlier in the day. Some seniors will receive scholarships through the Wayland Scholarship Committee and yearbooks will be handed out at the end of the ceremony. The event takes place at 7 p.m. in the WHS Auditorium.

Class Night: Wednesday, June 4th

Between their second graduation rehearsal and buses leaving for Class Night, seniors have some buffer time to get themselves ready for the school sanctioned dance. Held at the same place as their sophomore semi-formal, this dance will be at Wedgewood Pines Country Club in Stow, Massachusetts from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., with buses leaving at 6:15 p.m.. The formal dress code calls for suits and short dresses, and a montage created thanks to the collective effort of both students and parents will be presented.

Senior Cruise: Thursday, June 5th

Seniors take on the sea the night before graduation during Senior Cruise. Students are expected at the high school by 5:45 p.m., as buses will leave at 6 p.m.. This casual cruise calls for students to rep their best college merch as they’ll have a couple of hours out on the open water to eat food, drinks and mingle with their classmates before the big day. Teachers and administrators will be present on board to make sure everything flows accordingly.

Graduation: Friday, June 6th

We blinked, and it was over; Friday, June 6, marks the graduation date for the WHS Senior Class of 2025. Graduates are expected to meet in the commons at 5 p.m. to prepare for the ceremony before walking the stage at 6 p.m.. Caps and gowns are traditionally worn with formal button ups or white dresses, and some students wear cords they receive from various extra-curricular activities. Some students choose to decorate the top of their crown to make them unique. Families and friends are welcome to crowd the bleachers to watch their respective students walk the stage where they will receive their diploma they’ve worked so hard for over the past 12 years.

As they take their first steps off the stage, they are taking their first steps into adulthood and leaving behind the title of “high schooler.” As they go their separate ways, they carry the insight gained from where they came from and how what they learned will carry them on their way. Despite no longer being united with the label of being students together at WHS, seniors share the memories, friendships and experiences that shaped them into the people that they are today.