How You Can Help Your High Schooler With 'Senioritis'

High school students of Chapel Hill high school in North Carolina, rest at a restaurant, after being rescued from a Greek cruise ship off the island of Santorini, Thursday, April 5, 2007. Nearly 1,600 passengers and crew were rescued from the Sea Diamond cruise ship after it struck rocks and took on water. No one was injured in the incident. Most passengers were from the United States, Canada and Spain. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Senioritis: An insidious germ cloud that roams a myriad of high schools, lurking in the shadows between the cafeteria and the decrepit boiler room…seeking to devour wayward 12th graders! Cuidado! It’s the dilemma that parents and high school seniors face as they navigate through their senior year.

“Not many teens realize that the minute they set foot into high school, they are sending a message to their teachers and peers…a message that rings loud and clear to others,” says Belinda Soto, a Fairfield County high school English teacher. “I’ve witnessed the demise of an ambitious 12th grader, enthusiastic about the A.P. English class lectures and readings in September. But she made a complete 180-degree turn and by March of the following year, unfortunately, she wasn’t prepared for the A.P. exam in the spring.”

Here is some advice from the pros on 'senioritis.'