Confetti scattering throughout the classroom. Chatter filling the hallways. Excitement for the upcoming summer lingering in the air. It is end-of-the-year party season: the highlight of school. Even though these parties used to be celebrated with enthusiasm, many are wondering why they have stopped after elementary school. 

Each party represented new beginnings and hope for the future, while simultaneously cherishing the past. Although the majority of students looked forward to this time, the parties came to a sudden halt once we entered middle school. 

“I think we should still have them because it [could be] the final chance you have to get that one person’s phone number or to see your friends that you otherwise couldn’t really hangout with. It provides students with the opportunity to end the year on a happy note and make their last memories of that year good,” Mikalah Cloward, freshman, said. 

Just because students have gotten older should not mean they are automatically deprived of fun activities. If anything, a year-end celebration is the perfect way to finish a time filled with the rigor and precision that accompanies one’s high school career. 

“As an elementary schooler it was important for me because we were able celebrate what we thought a big milestone of finishing the school year (…) I have grown and feel like high school parties with friends are more entertaining,” Lydia Aklilu, sophomore, said. 

The end of the school year is just as important as the beginning—it signifies a year’s worth of determination, challenging work, and, ultimately, success. Although COVID-19 has propelled us into a drastically different environment, we as students deserve a proper send-off for the conclusion of the school year; thus, end-of-the-year parties should continue.