Although some students don’t see the point of getting out of class and going to presentations on LEAP days, there actually is a purpose behind them.

“We have aligned our presentations with the graduate profile and each of the grade levels is given a particular pillar of the graduate profile so we make sure the presentations coincide with that,” assistant principal Kristen Kinnard said. “One example would be engaged in a healthy lifestyle is for the 10th graders, so we brought in someone to talk about drug and alcohol abuse and we will bring in people that are going to talk about the appropriate use of social media and texting and driving and things of that nature because those coincide with being engaged in a healthy lifestyle.”

Certain pillars are assigned to each grade each year: 9th grade – being fair and respectful, 10th is engaged in a healthy lifestyle, 11th is well rounded and leadership, and 12th is community service. Although the presentations are over the pillars of each grade, they seem a bit routine to some students.

“I feel like we hear the same presentations over and over each year, so there’s nothing new,” junior Audrey Swanson said. “By this point we already know everything in the presentations because we have heard them so many times.”

It may seem like students receive the same presentations consistently, but the repetition only comes certain times of the year.

“We do try to change up by grade level, but you will see some that are similar like during red ribbon week where everybody had the same presentation,” Kinnard said.  “So there are certain times of the year when you’ll see some of the same things, but that’s just to reiterate the importance of not texting and driving or staying away from alcohol and drugs.”

Some students dread sitting through these lengthy presentations, yet others enjoy getting a break from their normal schedules.

“I would rather go to presentations than be in my classes,” sophomore Drew Hawley said. “It’s a lot better than sitting through class all day and it is good to have a break.”