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THE SKINNY

• It’s Almost Here

• Your Money Minute

• A New Era For Cancer Research

Featured Story

The Tassels Are About to Turn

Finals week, last day of school, and graduation dates across Southshore as students close out the year

It’s that time of year again, Southshore. Across Lennard, Sumner, East Bay, Riverview, and Spoto, the final stretch of the school year is here, and for seniors, everything is building toward one moment. Graduation.

For many, the books are already closing. Classes are winding down, schedules are lighter, and the focus has shifted from assignments to what comes next. College. Careers. The unknown.

The last day of school is Friday, May 29, marking the official start of summer. But for seniors, the real milestone happens before that.

Here are the key graduation dates across Southshore:

• Sumner High School: Saturday, May 23 at 8:00 a.m.

• Lennard High School: Sunday, May 24 at 8:00 a.m.

• Riverview High School: Thursday, May 28 at 6:30 p.m.

• Spoto High School: Friday, May 29 at 11:30 a.m.

• East Bay High School: Saturday, May 30 at 11:30 a.m.

For students, it’s a stretch filled with lasts. Last games, last events, last moments with people they’ve seen every day for years. And for parents, it hits a little differently. It’s pride, excitement, and the realization that things are about to change.

Across Southshore, you’ll start to see it everywhere. Caps and gowns. Packed ceremonies. Proud families. Photos that will stick around long after the moment passes. Because this isn’t just the end of a school year. It’s the start of everything that comes next.

Monday Money Minute

Teaching Teens About Money Before the Real World Does

One of the smartest things parents can do for their teenagers is help them start building good financial habits early. Because the reality is, most kids graduate high school knowing how to solve for X… but not how credit works, how to budget, or why overdraft fees exist.

One easy starting point? A teen checking account.

Right now, Chase Bank is offering a $125 bonus for teens ages 13–17 who open a new high school checking account with a parent or guardian and complete qualifying transactions.

Beyond the bonus, accounts like these can help teens learn:

• How debit cards work

• How to track spending

• How to avoid overdrafting

• How digital banking and transfers work

• The importance of saving money early

And while credit cards for teens can be a touchy subject, some parents are also choosing to add their teenagers as authorized users on low-limit cards to help them begin building credit responsibly before adulthood hits all at once.

The important word there is responsibly. A credit card can be a tool or a trap depending on how it’s used. The goal isn’t teaching kids how to spend money. It’s teaching them how to manage it. Because eventually, every teenager becomes an adult, making financial decisions on their own.

Things to do

What’s Washing Up on The Shore This Week

Your Weekly What in the World

New treatments are changing how cancer is fought

For decades, progress in cancer treatment often felt slow. This year, that’s starting to change. Across multiple studies and clinical trials, researchers are reporting results that are giving doctors something they haven’t had much of in this space before. Momentum.

One of the biggest breakthroughs is coming from immunotherapy, a type of treatment that trains the body’s own immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells. In a recent colorectal cancer trial, patients received a short course of immunotherapy before surgery. Nearly three years later, none of those patients had seen their cancer return. For a disease where recurrence is a constant concern, that’s a major shift.

Another area seeing long-awaited progress is pancreatic cancer. New drugs targeting a mutation known as KRAS, once considered “untreatable,” are starting to show real results. In some trials, patients are living significantly longer compared to standard treatments.

Behind all of this is an even bigger shift. Doctors are moving away from one-size-fits-all care and toward treating cancer based on its genetic makeup. Using tools like genetic sequencing and AI, treatments are becoming more personalized and more precise.

It’s not a cure. But for the first time in a long time, it feels like real progress is happening.

Southshore Spotlight

Hand in Hand

Some losses never fully go away, but no family should have to carry them alone.

Hand in Hand helps provide peer grief support for children and families navigating the loss of a loved one through the Patrick Wesley Wheeler Foundation. Their mission is centered on turning grief into connection, support, and healing for families who need it most.

Nominate your local hero by emailing us at [email protected]

We Know a Guy…or Girl

Send Out Cards

In a world of texts and quick messages, a simple card can still go a long way.

SendOutCards makes it easy to create and send personalized cards and gifts without ever stepping foot in a store. It’s a simple way to stay connected, show appreciation, and make someone’s day with something that feels a little more meaningful.

Interested in joining the list? Shoot us an email to [email protected]

“Keep it Local!”

Foodies Only

Eggs Up Grill

If you’ve got a restaurant, food truck, or even a lemonade stand, it could be featured here. Email us at [email protected]

Let’s Go, Lennard!!!!

Well, Southshore, many tried… but only one remains.

It should come as no surprise that Lennard’s girls’ flag football team is still standing this late in the season. They’ve been building toward this moment all year.

On Friday, May 15, at 12 pm, they’ll take the field in the state semifinals against Harmony at the AdventHealth facility.

This one has all the makings of a game you’ll be talking about for years.

If you can make it, get out there and support the Lennard girls as they stampede toward history.

Girl’s Flag Football

Lennard vs. Harmony

Advent Health Facility, May 15th @ 12 PM

Got news, events, or press releases that the Southshore needs to know about? Submit them here. (We’ll do our best to add press releases in our regular rotation.) If you’re looking to run an actual ad, go here instead.

Until next time,

Keep It Local.