The class of 2020 didn’t get to experience its entire senior year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Schools shut down after spring break.
The good news is it’s not too late to create lasting memories and celebrate the achievement of high school seniors in a different way.
Warren County High School, Boyd Christian School and Covenant Academy have created an opportunity to Adopt-a-Senior. The goal is to acknowledge the seniors with love and support from their community. Anyone, or any business, can participate. The only requirement is kindness.
The schools are doing this through Facebook. Those adopting can send seniors items such as notes of encouragement, mementos, gift cards and gift baskets -- nothing expensive, just whatever you’d like to do. It was also suggested to consider buying local.
The procedure is easy. A senior who would like to be adopted has added their picture with a little background information about themselves to their school’s Facebook page. If someone wants to adopt them they write “adopted” in the comment section. From there, addresses and further information will be shared privately.
“The goal for this Facebook group is to lift these seniors up and to let them know, we as a community, know this is a tough time for them and they are not alone,” said WCHS senior sponsor Teri Rhea Pennington. “I can’t speak for them, but I believe these seniors are having many different emotions. The last of their senior year has been taken from them. My heart is broken for them. They are missing out on so many memories.”
WCHS seniors can be found at www.facebook.com/Warren-County-Adopt-a-2020-Senior page. This is not done through the school system or the high school.
Pennington added, “There are over 400 seniors at the high school. We would love for all seniors to participate, but they do not have to. It is up to them.”
WCHS graduation is set for Friday, June 12.
Boyd Christian School has 24 graduates this year. Boyd senior Jamison Brock said, “It’s unfortunate but there’s nothing we can really do about it. I think the moments we’re missing because of the quarantine are the moments I’ll miss the most.”
Ashley Vandagriff said she is personally loving the time off to do stuff she normally does not get to do like slow down and spend more time with loved ones. She also said, “The realization that my senior year is ending right before my eyes is hitting me, too.”
Boyd senior Kaylee Hash sees the silver lining of this unusual time. “The pandemic has overall had an effect on me that has helped shape me into a better person,” she said.
Boyd Christian School’s assistant principal Jessica Akers said, “We very simply want to let our kids know we haven’t forgotten about them and just because we cannot be together does not mean that we aren’t thinking about them. We want them to have a special year. From what I’ve seen, T-shirts, cards, yard signs, and candy are all thoughts. There are no expectations or limits. Simply people being given the opportunity to show someone they care about them and they can show that however they choose.”
Seniors at Boyd Christian can be found on a created Facebook event page: www.facebook.com/events/2599542816969029/?active_tab=discussion
Boyd Christian School’s graduation is set for June 11 at Central Church of Christ at 6 p.m.
Covenant Academy has nine graduates this year. To adopt a senior you can contact Tina Lassiter, fundraising and event coordinator, by email: tina.lassiter@covenantacademylions.com.
Seniors information can be found on the school’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CovenantAcademyLions/. Scroll through the newsfeed to find out who has and has not been adopted.
“I saw other schools were doing similar things and thought it was a great idea to show extra love to our students,” said Lassiter. “My oldest daughter, now 30, reminded how important those final school days are to those kids. It’s not just about the milestone of prom or graduation. It’s those last days spent with friends before everyone goes separate ways to different colleges, etc. No one knew going into spring break that we would not return to school for the remainder of the year.”
Covenant Academy has not set a graduation date at this time.
Some seniors have been adopted and can be adopted by more than one person. The main goal is to have every senior adopted and feel special. If you don’t have access to Facebook, Jennifer Woods at the Southern Standard at 473-2191 so you can obtain contact information about another way to Adopt-a-Senior.
