Have you ever wanted to take care of a sack of flour? No? Well, the seniors at Hawthorne High School get to! However, this isn’t just a normal sack of flour. IT’S A BABY!!!!!!

At some point in your senior year, you are going to have to take part in what is known as the “Baby Project.” The Baby Project is when two students, in the senior class, work together to take care of a baby/sack of flour for a week.

However, there is more to this project than just taking care of a baby. This project prepares you for everything that could come beforehand, a wedding for example. Everyone needs an invitation for their wedding. For this invitation, each couple will start to make decisions together; like where, when, and what the theme is for their wedding.

Now that the couples have had their wonderful weddings it’s time to prepare to start their lives. However, some planning is essential. So, the seniors then have to start the “Budget Project.” The students are given a list of different things that they would have to pay for, if they were newlyweds about to live together. Then after figuring out their salaries, paying taxes, they are left with the amount that they have left to pay for everything that they will need and spend on, like furniture and food. 

Now comes the time for everyone to know about the baby. Every couple must introduce their child with a baby announcement. They show the name, height, weight, date and time of birth. Right after these are handed in, the babies are born and are ready to be taken care of.

This is the part of the project that every grade knows best. The senior class will be carrying around a baby doll attached to a sack of flour. Throughout the week, seniors are required to carry around their child. Teachers watch to make sure they are taking care of the baby properly. Things, like holding your child incorrectly or leaving the baby alone, will deduct points from their grade. Journals that the seniors are required to write, tell the health teacher how the baby is doing and shows how well the student is working with his/her partner. Each entry includes feedings, sleeping hours, diaper changes and milestones, etc. spanning over 24 hours. Learning how to write these journal really show the student how much goes into taking care of a child.

This is definitely not a project seniors can fly through without working hard. Everything from the creativity in their wedding invitation, to how they hold their babies walking down the hallway can affect their grade. However, it can be a fun project if they work hard and be creative. So if you are a senior, hope you are doing the best you can, and if you are not, then good luck your senior year!