Now nearly one month out of midterms, the end of the first half of the school year signals the halfway mark for many students at Canyon Hills.

Yet this is only the beginning for senior students this year, as the end of the first semester is only a starting point for them and their path toward graduation.

Not to mention, a variety of fun events will be kicking off this second semester for seniors, including grad night, prom, senior breakfast, and even walking in graduation. 

“I’m looking forward to grad night,” Nathan Matthews said. “I think it will be a fun bonding experience before school gets out”.

However, before these events start, seniors must remember the importance of keeping their grades up throughout the second semester.

Why you may ask? Well, that’s because of two main reasons: 

• School’s senior contract
• Ongoing college applications

So for those who may not remember, early in the school year senior students had been required to sign a contract, named the senior contract. 

This contract labels the requirements for seniors throughout the year to be able to go to any of the senior activities planned for the whole year, including walking at graduation.

These requirements are stated as such: A minimum of a 2.0 in academics and citizenship, a clear attendance record, no suspensions, no involvement in senior pranks, and meeting the expectations for a diploma.

“This semester, I am more concerned about my grades now that I started my second Calculus class and Track” Senior student Nathan Gorzelanski said. “With Grad night and prom [being] the big events I’d like to go to.”

Keeping this in mind, one can see how important grades are to making the best of one’s senior year. Even as the feeling of laziness and “senioritis” begins to take hold, one must remember that, any and all, senior activities are only a privilege for students. A privilege that can be quickly taken away at that.

However, the significance of grades goes well past one’s high school years since second-semester grades can also impact college acceptance, and, although many believe that they are in the clear during the second semester simply because they have already got accepted into a college, they are clearly mistaken. 

“Colleges can revoke an admitted student’s acceptance at any time,” Ph.D. writer Genevieve Carlton said. “Common reasons include poor grades, disciplinary infractions, and honor code violations”.

So unlike many like to believe, grades continue to matter in the second semester of high school and should continue to be a point of focus for many students. 

Moreover, as seniors, even though the first semester may be over, grades continue to be an essential part of the school year that should be kept up to enjoy the rest of the school year.