Picking between green or yellow was one of the many choices that struck us as kindergarteners, but now the days are filled with decisions that will outline the rest of our lives. In order to make these decisions, we must absorb the lessons that occur on a daily basis.

We can use the excuse that we are only high schoolers, and therefore unable take any responsibility for our lives. However, taking advantage of our opportunities brings us to a much more mature place as we handle situations with wisdom.

The school’s newbies, the freshmen, came into high school for the first time in August. Although they have the ultimate excuse of being just freshman who are not accountable for anything, they are faced with decisions of maturity. As they join varsity sports teams or lead small groups, the freshmen have big expectations to fulfill.

No longer freshmen, the sophomore class has no excuses for immaturity. Required to work in groups, present projects and prove themselves, the jump from 9th to 10th grade nudges students onto the path of growing up.

The juniors are also faced with the responsibility of being upperclassmen. Although they still remain under the seniors, they are expected to be examples for those below them. Developing the diligence vital to score successfully on the SAT and ACT also comes into play.

Seniors finally sit at the top of the totem poll, setting the tone and example for all the other students. The class, only months away from graduation, makes decisions for the next four years of their life as they move into college and select careers.

Even though we all count down the days until our own graduation, our classes and activities contain many chances to develop our morals, values and ethics. Often, we need wise mentors to teach us the necessities of life.

The Feather staff believes that each year of our lives, we are faced with the option of making everyday a learning experience. This year alone, each grade, as well as the whole student body, has grown tremendously.

At the beginning of the year, the school’s theme was introduced as “We Are One,” which gave us the challenge of fulfilling that goal, and choosing to learn continually throughout our daily lives.

We propose that the students reflect on the lessons they learned this year and apply them to the coming years. As the seniors graduate and the classes move farther up the ladder, maturity is needed to continue in growing up.

In addition, the student body should be obliged to regard our teachers as mentors who are here to teach us. They contain knowledge that can be imparted on us, helping us to become the people we are meant to be.

When entering into spring break and returning for the final months of school, The Feather staff encourages students to continue growing and developing into responsible young adults. As we each prepare to take on the role of the class before us, we need to take responsibility for our actions and strive to be reliable and successful.

For more editorials, read the Feb. 15 article, EDITORIAL: A different kind of ‘superfan’.