Following extensive planning, the senior class is eagerly anticipating a graduation week filled with numerous fun and memorable activities. And it will be one with no COVID 19-related restrictions, unlike the past three years.

The week will commence with an activity-filled “field day” on Monday, June 5, followed by a barbecue at Blackberry Farm in Cupertino the next day. On Wednesday, the senior class will participate in a life skills day seminar at school along with graduation practice on the football field. Finally, the long-awaited graduation ceremony and Grad Night will occur on June 8. 

A senior class meeting will be held at the McAfee Center on June 5 at 9 a.m. to discuss the week’s agenda and provide an opportunity for students to ask questions. 

Afterward, students will make their way to the lower field where games and food will be set up for their enjoyment. The seniors will have access to the Saratoga High pool where they will be supervised by lifeguards and be able to swim until noon. The senior class officers also purchased inflatable basketball hoops and an inflated volleyball net.

“With all the activities we have planned, I’m sure that the field day will be a very enjoyable experience,” senior class representative Seth Hulme said. “I’m super excited to be released from all academic stress and just focus on having fun with my friends.” 

Because this year’s prom occurred at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, where the senior class has previously gone for celebratory day, they will instead go to Blackberry Farm on June 6 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. There, they will enjoy food provided by the Farm as well as have a chance to roam around the grounds. 

To avoid the risk of overspending, the senior class office has decided that transportation to the farm must be arranged on an individual basis. In addition, there will be a $10 entrance fee to the event that will cover the expenses of renting the farm.

According to senior class president Allison Tan, an issue that arose during the planning of the barbecue event was the inability to find lifeguards to monitor the pool at the farm. 

“We really wanted to be able to have an opportunity to swim, so instead of booking lifeguards for the barbecue, we secured them for the field day,” Tan said. 

After the barbecue, seniors will continue celebrations with an invite-only award ceremony at 6 p.m., celebrating recognized seniors who were awarded scholarships as well as those nominated by teachers for awards.

On June 7, the seniors will attend the annual life skills day from 9:15 a.m. to 11:40 a.m. This year, Class of `22 alumna Sadaf Sobhani and Kaylie Wong, in addition to two other to be determined alumni will come to SHS and share advice on topics provided by the seniors.

Concluding the week, the seniors will have graduation practice on June 8 at 9 a.m. The official graduation ceremony will take place later in the day at 6 p.m., where guests are welcomed and seating is provided on a first come first serve basis, differently than previous years where seating was based on sign-ups only. 

“Because COVID has been officially declared over, we are finally able to invite all of our family members to come to graduation,” Hulme said. “I’m super relieved as a couple of years ago for my older brother’s graduation we had to reserve seats which was pretty tough.”

At graduation, three student speakers will take the stage and share individually crafted speeches. Due to the high number of prospective student speakers, the class office will hold tryouts on June 2 where the speakers will be chosen. Along with the student speakers, valedictorian Lisa Fung will also make a speech. 

Immediately following the ceremony, the long-awaited grad night will begin at 10 p.m. and end at 6 a.m. Following tradition, the themes and activities of grad night aren’t to be disclosed until the night of. In previous years the event, planned by the PTA, will consist of ziplining, music, photo booths and more. 

“I’m super excited to see where the night goes,” Hulme said. “I’ve heard about past grad nights where the parents will plan these super intricate and enjoyable activities, so I’m ready to see what they do this year.”