By CONNIE NOLEN / Community Columnist

As Spring Break wanes and schools face the home stretch leading to graduation, spring ’16 is filled with testing dates, spring plans and graduation ceremony preparations.

At Pelham High School, a year’s worth of activities exist to jam into our newly renovated auditorium that opened just last week. With so much to accomplish and so little time left, temptation to cut corners on spring activities waves like the red flag on the coast warning of strong current.

The current pulling us towards graduation is fierce; however, these next few weeks offer the only opportunity for the PHS graduating class of 2016 to experience the final thrills of being a senior. Student leadership, faculty and staff have come together to make final plans for a memorable spring for the class dubbed the Sweet Sixteens during their Camp Pelham Orientation only four years ago.

Fortunately, we were able to experience Write Night 2016 before spring break. Math teacher and PHS alum Jessica Schach has spearheaded a drive to host a huge honor society induction to incorporate most of our honor society inductees in one ceremony. This is a brilliant idea allowing for maximize use of the time that available with fewer ceremonies. May 3 is the tentative date for the multiple honor society induction ceremony.

Our systemwide PCS Fine Arts Night is scheduled for April 5. A band trip, taking place from April 7 until the April 11, includes a portion of the band. On April 9, Miss PHS takes place in the auditorium. April 15 is senior field day. April 16 is the PHS prom, the ACT for juniors is on the 19 and the last two weekends of April transport Cinderella to the stage at PHS. Thursday, April 28 will bring the Senior Luncheon, which will be at Vulcan this year.

In addition to the May 3 mass honor society ceremony, May also holds AP testing, the annual PHS Awards Night on the 24 and, of course, cheering the Class of 2016 down the home stretch to PHS Graduation on May 26.