A MCHS senior is sprawled out on the floor scrolling on their phone for pictures of some of their last events as MCHS students. They are surrounded by some of their friends who decided to come together to make scrapbooks. The student picks out their favorite photos from each event and prepares to stick them onto pages with different titles.
As the MCHS seniors of 2025 spend their last week at school before their leave, they have a packed week of exciting events prepared to send them off.
SENIOR SIGNING:
NCAA signing opened their final signing period for the class of 2025 on February 5, on this day any remaining uncommitted and/or unsigned players will sign with their schools and later on sign financial aid agreements for the upcoming season.
MCHS signing day was a celebration for athletes that have already signed to their respective schools to celebrate in front of other athletes who have done the same. MCHS signing day took place on April 23 in the Upper Campus Main Gym.
“We did it on that Wednesday on early release,” Athletic Director Chis Madson says, “the turnout was awesome. Parents got to come, every kid felt like they had their kind of five minutes to shine and and kind of get celebrated and I think it was an hour or less and so it was really efficient, but yeah, it was awesome”
Madson would call students from their spot on the bleachers surrounded by friends and family to the signing table and would sign a letter from the McHenry Athletic Department.
SENIOR DECISION:
National Senior Decision Day takes place the first day of May annually. High school seniors who applied and were accepted into one or more colleges must confirm their enrollment with the school of their choice.
On this day MCHS students and staff celebrated the seniors who chose next step options in the Upper Campus Main Gym during third period and AIM.
Seniors were sat on the gymnasium floor while sophomore and juniors lined the bleachers. Counselors listed off every seniors’ name that have decided on what their next step is going to be with a slideshow behind them, each slide had a picture of them and where that senior is going. When seniors’ names were called they stood up and waited for applause.
“This year’s graduating class is leaning a little further into labor unions and the military,” College and Career Counselor, Curtis Menke says, “It’ll be by probably a couple percent, when all is set and done. This year’s graduating class is a bit more electrive with their postsecondary goals and choice of programs, which is great.”
SENIOR HONORS NIGHT:
Seniors Honors and Awards night took place at MCHS’ Upper Campus Main Gym on Wednesday May 7. On this night, 261 academic-based distinctions (medals and certificates) were given out to seniors.
Some of these distinctions include GPA-based honor roll (Honors, High Honors, & Highest Honors), Illinois State Scholars, Seal of Biliteracy, Student Athlete, and US Marine Corps awards. With 168 total seniors received some type of award, recognition, or distinction.
“With a few exceptions, at Senior Honors Night we don’t individually celebrate scholarships given out from specific colleges,” Menke says. “We do celebrate major scholarships from McHenry County College because they are such a strong local partner. All other scholarships awarded and celebrated at Senior Honors Night are either national awards or local scholarships from area partner organizations. The graduating Class of 2025 has collectively earned over $9,750,000. That number continues to rise.”
Seniors sat in the gymnasium while family and friends sat in the bleachers. Seniors sat facing the stage where school administrators and school board sat with tables with medals and certificates.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WALK:
Elementary school walks are a tradition where graduating high school seniors return to their former elementary school and walk through the halls in their caps and gowns. Younger students, teachers, and staff usually line the halls to cheer them on, clap and celebrate their achievement.
At MCHS this was done on seniors’ last day of school on Friday, May 9. During third period, AIM seniors walked the halls of their old elementary schools all over McHenry School District 15 and Harrison School District 36.
Seniors walked the halls with current elementary schoolers, old and new teachers. At Valley View Elementary School, teachers had their students make posters for the graduating seniors. Many posters read “Congratulations!” or “ Good Luck!” They would include photos and small notes from current elementary schoolers.
All the students are laughing and having fun, making jokes and reminiscing about their highschool careers. One student looks up and sees one of their classmates in their graduation gown, stool, cords, and hat. They think about their upcoming last and final event as a MCHS student, graduation.