Three days after receiving their diplomas and tossing their class of 2007 caps, this year’s Mercer Island High School graduates will be heading back to the classroom.

Due to last winter’s tempestuous weather, the graduates are required to spend their first Monday of freedom in “Senior Make-up Days,” which beckons a good question — will they show up?

“I have a few students who already told me they were coming, but who really knows,” said social studies teacher Dino Annest, who’s scheduled to lead a film critique as part of the curriculum.

According to the “Senior Make-up Days” schedule, graduates must report to MIHS at 10 a.m. the Monday following graduation. Although the school day will only last four hours, students will have to repeat the morning ritual again on Tuesday and Wednesday.

“State law requires that seniors must attend 175 days of school,” said associate principal Craig Olson. “And because we missed so many days this year due to snow, the seniors have to make-up three days of instruction after graduation.”

Yet in truth, the make-up curriculum is more fun than study.

On June 18, Annest will lead the seniors in a session on American film, a longtime passion of his. Students will gather in the auditorium to watch and discuss clips from some of America’s most influential cinema.

Annest, who has both studied and written on American film, said he hopes the four-hour session will give students a taste of academic film critique, since the high school doesn’t offer this among its electives.

“The kids know that film is one of my favorite interests,” the social studies teacher said. “We’ll discuss everything from film devices to how American film has changed over the last 90 years. Hopefully, it will be interesting for them.”

On Tuesday, June 19, a handful of MIHS graduates will return to share their college experiences in an open panel with seniors, and then a festive barbecue and field day will cap-off the make-up schedule on Wednesday.

Graduating senior Nana Ito, for one, is looking forward to the plan — especially the barbecue.

“I think it will be fun to see everybody for one last time,” she said. “I know that I’ll miss them after graduation.”

Well aware that seniors would be reluctant to show up for another three days of class, administrators and faculty met with the high school’s leadership class, AP comparative government, to brainstorm a make-up schedule that would be both academic and fun.

“First we discussed it among faculty, then we went to the seniors and they generated a list of activities,” Olson explained.

Although both sides seemed pleased with the outcome, Olson expressed skepticism over whether all 360 seniors would actually show up.

“We think we have some pretty good activities to offer, but I’ve got no idea how many students will actually show,” he said, pointing out that there wasn’t “much we can do if they don’t.”

Senior Ryan MacMillan confessed he would be absent.

“I’ll be in California doing college stuff,” said MacMillan, who’s off to St. Mary’s College next year.

“If you think about it logically, there’s not much they can do,” added Ito. “I mean, we’ve already got our diplomas and they can’t put us in detention for not showing up or anything.”

Olson echoed this observation.

“The only thing we’re telling kids is yes, the [make-up] days are required,” he said. “But really there’s not much we can do but hope they show up.”

For more information, go to www.misd.k12.wa.us.