or June) more formally referred to as commencement, where seniors formally graduate from high school and receive their diplomas. In many schools, seniors sit for formal senior portraits at the beginning of the school year or the summer prior to their senior year. These portraits are used in the upcoming graduating class's yearbook. The senior portraits in the yearbook are usually bigger than the ones typically used for lower grades. Many modern yearbooks are in full color. There is a formal dance for this year's students, called senior prom. Some schools hold a combined prom for juniors and seniors, while others segregate the two grades into separate dances. Senior skip day (also known as senior ditch day) is a day during which the seniors do not attend school and skip all their classes. This event/tradition is often not recognized by school administrations and teachers. In some areas it is countered with an officially recognized senior day off, or by allowing graduating seniors to skip their final exams. This official senior day can also be used to sponsor a senior field trip or senior class trip where the class would, for example, go to a theme park, a lake, a resort, the beach, or some other vacation-type activity. Following graduation, many seniors go on senior week, where they spend a week at the beach with their friends. In some schools, Seniors receive a class ring at the beginning of their senior year. A senior prank is another common tradition in which the class may contribute towards a practical joke on the school, administration, or local community. A related tradition is the senior class either raising money or contributing money for equipment or other things to the school as a token of gratitude and respect for the school's support of the seniors. A similar project could involve the outside local community as well. See also Educational stage Eleventh Grade Senioritis Senior secondary education References 12 Secondary education