You get to plan a senior sunrise for the High School Senior Class! Can you believe that you are planning for senior year events already? My first tip on planning a senior sunrise for the high school seniors is to let your heart be full of gratitude. This final year of high school is going to fly by. From the first day of school to the last week of school you are in for a great time. It will be full of senior events and memory making.
You may be helping, you may be orchestrating, or you may be the senior looking for senior sunset ideas. Count it as a blessing to be a part of the year’s senior sunrise! I know, you probably feel like they were just in middle school or starting their freshman year. Being present and flexible are key to enjoying the planning process. I talk more about how to practice gratitude here.
What to Do if You are Planning a Senior Sunrise for the High School Senior Class: The First Time Ever!
Some of the seniors started asking me if I would plan a “Senior Sunrise” for them. I was like, “Yes, now, what is it?” Ha! I could only find one website with information about this senior sunrise event and it was very helpful. This post is meant to help you and get you off to a great start.
If you are feeling overwhelmed, write out some action steps, ask for help, and take a deep breath. Here we go!
Action Steps to Take with Planning an Annual Senior Sunrise
Date, Time, Location:
- Plan the Date. There is a lot going on the first week of the school year for teachers, parents, and students. I would shoot for the end of the first month of school or the very beginning of the second month. We did ours the Friday before Labor Day weekend and that was very doable.
- Plan the Time. About a week or two before your date, it is a good idea to get up early, go to the location before sunrise, and make sure you have the time right. Also, take note of where the sun actually rises and make sure you can see it. Your phone will tell you when sunrise is, but I would still go to the location and make sure of the time. We had our kiddos arrive right about 6:15 a.m. Where we live, the days are starting to get shorter by the minute this time of year, so you don’t want to figure out the time too early. The sunrise time could change if you decide way too early.
- Plan the Location. The track seems to be a perfect place to host this event. You could use the parking lot, but you will need to mark off a specific area and realize that you may disrupt the morning car rider line and that can cause a big problem. You could also use the football field. Know where the sun comes up and make sure there are no obstacles in the way. You want to be able to see it.
Permission and Invitation
- Get Permission. Communicate with the senior class sponsor and ask them to confirm approval with the principal and athletic director for that date and time. You can also communicate with them on your own. You will want to get in contact with them a few weeks before your scheduled date.
- Create the Invitation. Canva is a great and FREE program that you can use to create invitations on. The senior sponsor sent them out to the seniors through their school communication program. The sponsor also hung a few flyers/invitations in the senior hallway so they would see it as well. As soon as you pick the date and time, get the invitations out. You want to make sure that the entire class is invited. The invitation needs to include the date, time, location, who to RSVP to, who is invited, and what to bring.
Food, Decorations, Music
- Plan the Food. This event was FREE for our seniors. We have a smaller school, so this worked for us. I believe we had around 25 students attend out of 65ish. We served pancakes, sausage links, and bacon. The senior sponsor bought:
- Bisquick Pancake Mix for Sam’s club.
- Milk (for the pancake mix)
- Eggs (for the pancake mix)
- Toppings: Syrup, Marshmallows, Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chips, Powdered Sugar, fresh berries, etc.
- Sunny Delight (we didn’t want to mess with cups)
- Bacon
- Sausage Links
- Plates, Forks, Napkins
2. Plan the Decorations. This can be as much or as little as you want. I would keep it little, because you are going to be getting there at the crack of dawn and want to be able to get everything done in a short amount of time. You also want to be able to store it for next year. Since I was starting from scratch, everything I purchased, I donated. I wanted the kids and parents to be able to continue doing this from year to year and to have a place to start each time. I purchased a large durable storage container to store everything in from year to year. The senior sponsor was gracious enough to store it in her closet at school.
Decoration Specifics
- You could see if the art teacher would create some reusable sun cutouts to use.
- Print out “Officially a Senior” printables that matched your invitations and put them in picture frames. You can typically get frames on sale at Hobby Lobby.
- Miscellaneous decorations. I found cute little metal sunshine decorations that we used to stick in the ground. Also, at Hobby Lobby.
- Purchase plastic tablecloths. I got orange ones to match the yellow and orange invitations we used.
- Large Banner. This makes for a great class photo backdrop. I created the design on Canva, sent it to a local printing company, and they printed a really nice banner for us. We used zip ties to attach it to the back of the bleachers.
- Photo Frame. We had a very sweet grandpa and mom make some quality photo frames that can be reused every year. The students held them up and used them to frame their faces for photos.
- Lights. I think that the lights are key to creating a magical atmosphere.
- Tea Light Bags: The tea light luminary bags that I found on Amazon were so cute and perfect. We used them to light up the pathway walking to the track. We also used them to create an entry way onto the field. They are somewhat water resistant and should last a couple of years.
- String Twinkle Lights: These were also a wonderful Amazon find. We wrapped them on both sides of the track fence and along the end of the bleachers that was closest to us. So cute!!
- Battery Candles: I brought what I had from home. They added an extra element of wonder to the food table area.
Soundtrack
- Music. Get a Bluetooth speaker and a song list and you are set. Here is the song list that I created for our event.
- Banana Pancake by Jack Johnson
- Ophelia by The Lumineers
- Upside Down by Jack Johnson
- Mountain Sound by Of Monsters and Men
- Here Comes the Sun (Remasters 2009) by the Beatles
- Hold Back the River by James Bay
- Barcelona by George Ezra
- Stubborn Love by The Lumineers
- Free Fallin’ (Live at the Nokia Theatre, Los Angeles, CA-December 2007) by John Mayer
- Lovely Day by Bill Withers
- Sun to Me by Zach Bryan
- Soak Up The Sun by Sheryn Crow
- Sunshine on My Shoulders (“Greatest Hits” Version” by John Denver
- Sunshine On My Shoulders by Carly Rae Jepsen
Activities
1. Activities. Corn hole boards and 9-square are fun games to have set up for the kids. The sunrise is the activity so you don’t have to worry about planning anything. They will spend time chatting, getting and eating their food, cozying up on the field with their blanket and just chilling while waiting for the sunrise. It really is pretty special.
Important Questions in Regards to Senior Sunrise
Ask the senior sponsor what their expectations are for this event. If they have never done one before, tell them what you are thinking and what you are willing to take on. They do a lot already and if you can help and lead in some way, they may be more likely to jump on board with this new endeavor. They have a connection with all of the senior students and will be able to help you tremendously with this event.
Find a parent who has done this before and ask them what they did and what worked for them.
Set Up for Senior Sunrise
Let’s think about the setup. Scouting out the location is a great way to get a game plan in place.
Tables. Do you need to bring tables from home or will the school or senior sponsor have some available upon request? You will probably need at least three for all the food items.
Cooking Supplies. Do you have electricity where you are setting up? We didn’t and need a generator. Items to bring include, but are not limited to: Griddles (multiple), a cooler, mixing bowls, flippers, bowls for toppings, mixing spoons, measuring cups, a generator, bright shop light for set up (turn it off before the kids get there), extension cords, etc.
HELP: It is okay to ask for help!
Most parents are willing to pitch in and donate items or money. You could ask them to pick up supplies, fill the coolers, get the table cloths or decor, pitch in money, or just leave how they can help up to them. I think it is appropriate to ask, but also let them know that it is ok if they can’t contribute or help at that time.
The Day of the Senior Sunrise
Give yourself an hour or more before the students get there to get everything out and ready. Something unpredictable could come up and you might need to run back home last minute or need to change something up. Be flexible and give yourself plenty of time to set up and take it all in.
The early morning sunrise with the kids surrounded by their fellow seniors is a special way to start their last year of high school.
Other Helpful Post
Planning a Baseball Senior Night
A Mother’s Prayer for Her Son: Powerful Prayers!
Praying for Your Teenage Athlete: Give Spiritual Support with These 5 Simple Prayers!
I want to come! You thought of everything, I’m going to share this with my friends that have seniors this year.
Thank you so much for reading and even more so for sharing! Glad to be of help.