By: Jeremy Dobin and Alexa Szafranski (12th Grade)
Senior Ella Zaret never anticipated to experience her final year of high school virtually, lacking all the perks the senior class usually inherits. Yet last Thursday, a little bit of her burden was lifted when the school hosted a special event for the newly crowned seniors.
‘‘The senior event at school was super fun," said Zaret via text. “The best part was getting to see my classmates after so long. Although I didn’t have time to talk to everyone, seeing them made me realize how much more I missed them and how special our class is.”
With chairs spread six feet apart in front of the welcome center, students were given crowns to decorate as well as a written activity to reflect on the past and write their hopes for the future. Students were served a delicious dinner of burgers and fries and got to hang-out while maintaining a safe distance from one another.
On the field, a megaphone--disinfected between use--was passed around allowing students the opportunity to share their thoughts on their classmates, the event, and anything else.
“It was really nice to see our class together again, I really missed that,” said Yehuda Cohen (12th Grade) via text. “It felt like no time passed since we were last together in person.”
The students concluded the event by sharing their written activity on the field next to the gym where the new high school building will be. For many, the field had been a host to events like PE from early childhood.
“The field has been a part of my life since I was in Pre-K. I’ve really grown up on that field, whether it be Color War or for PE, really it’s just always been there,” said Esther Nahon (12th). “So saying our goodbyes and farewells and wishing each other well on the field was really sentimental and a little emotional, but really bittersweet because we were saying goodbye to the past and welcoming the future that’ll hopefully be there.”
Rabbi Guttenberg, Dr. Jones, Dr. Lieber, Rabbi Bossewitch, Morah Twito, Mrs. Enis, and Mrs. Schapiro were all present to facilitate safety as well as catch up with the students. For new High School Principal Dr. Jones, this event was particularly special because it was his first time spending time with the senior class in-person.
“Starting as the high school principal remotely has been the strangest, and at times, the most challenging experience I have had in education. Seeing the seniors last Thursday reminded me why I am so happy to be your principal and how much I can't wait to get back to learning, activities, and events in-person,” said Dr. Jones via Email. “It may not have been what it would have looked like without COVID, but it was still wonderful to be together.”
Although the event was supposed to be finished with Tashlich on the nearby bridge, mother nature had other plans and brought a downpour. Even though this ruined what was scheduled, students enjoyed the hilarity of the experience and getting to laugh as they struggled in the rain.
“Probably the best part of the event was the Tashlich with the rain,” said Ben Reinberg (12th). “It was just so funny getting stuck in it, like a sign from G-d that we were too good to need to do Tashlich.”
With the gathering’s success, the senior class is optimistic about the rest of the school year, even with COVID-19.
“The event got me really excited to go back to school in a couple of weeks,” said Mary Berkowitz (12th). “The fact that we could have fun, even social distanced, showed me that the rest of the year has the potential to be a great one.”