Because we’re all still sheltering in place to help “flatten the curve,” this year’s high school grads won’t be participating in commencement exercises that cap four years of secondary school learning — for now anyway.
Rev. Michael Reilly, principal of St. Joseph by-the Sea High School, and several faculty members thought they would remind graduating seniors that they are sincere in their commitment to postpone the event — and the school prom — to a later date.
So, they conceived a plan titled “We Love Our SEA-NIORS Campaign” to pledge their the prom and graduation would come off — and all else they deserve will indeed take place at a later date.
So on Saturday morning Reilly and faculty gathered at the Huguenot school in preparation of delivering 18-by-24 inch lawn signs to the homes of 270 graduating seniors.
Each volunteer was presented with a list of student’s names and addresses, along with signs before venturing out.
Deliveries spanned from shore to shore throughout the day that was coordinated by the school’s Director of College Placement, Alexis Petruzzelli.
“We love our students,” said Petruzzelli, who also is the creator of the “We Love Our SEA-NIORS Campaign.,” before adding, “It’s a small gesture to let our students and their families know that we’re all in this together.”
“We did this for our seniors because we want them to know that we’re thinking about them,” said Reilly. “I want the sign to be a visible symbol that our kids will get a graduation, their prom and everything else they deserve, and it’s not a matter of ‘if’ it will happen, it’s a matter of ‘when’ we will be able to do it. When they see that sign, I want it to remind them that we are committed to them.”