Our last day of school at 625 Lower Road was not a day anyone could have forecasted. Whether, when looking back on that day, you were excited for what we thought to believe was two weeks off or if you had feelings of anxiety for an uncertain future, we did not know it would be our last day when we woke up that morning to go to school.
Maybe in past years the last day of school was a liberation from responsibilities and invitation for summer. Maybe in past years the last day of school was a day to thank your teachers and say goodbye. Maybe in past years the last day of school was a day for class parties and eating junk food for four consecutive blocks. Maybe in past years the last day of school symbolized the precipice of change, as when you returned in the fall you would be in a different stage with different expectations of your high school career. Maybe in the past years the last day of school symbolized being one year closer to your final last day of school. Whatever the last day meant to you, the school always had a particular energy to it. It was an energy of finality, an energy of closure. As we said goodbyes, and prepared ourselves for a new beginning, we had closure. We tied up loose ends. We turned in all late work. We reflected into the past and anticipated the future.
Under this year’s circumstance of COVID-19, we no longer get that same closure we have had in years past. While there is no solution that can serve as a replacement for the experiences we would normally have, it is important that we give ourselves some finality and closure. Our work over this last academic year, and all of the years that have built to this year, deserves at least that much.

Everyone will find closure differently, but here are some ideas:
Have a virtual hangout with your lunch table and eat lunch like you would at school.
Email your teachers goodbye and share a favorite memory from their class.
Clean out and organize your google drive.
Enjoy a celebratory meal to commend your efforts and hard work of the past year.
Clean out and store away your school supplies.
Listen to your favorite songs of the past year and make a summer playlist.
Treat yourself to a “class party” – watch movies all day and relax.
Look through the pictures you took and relive some of your favorite memories.

Although none of these can replace the feeling of being in school on the last day of the year, they might be able to give you a little closure with the turbulent year coming to an end. Take time to find gratitude for your resilience over these times, as it certainly has not been easy for anyone.