WELLINGTON, Fla. — The Class of 2020 will not be able to walk across the stage and have a traditional graduation ceremony, but Wellington High School is helping inspire the students during this difficult time.
One by one, cars pulled into the community center in Wellington on Monday, and the trunks were loaded with a stack of signs.
“It’s a sign of hope that we still recognize all your hard work is not going to be put aside,” said Virginia Santoni, who teaches algebra and geometry at Wellington High School.
On Monday, Santoni and other teachers volunteered to pick up the signs to help celebrate the graduating seniors.
“We’re going to put up big signs saying that, 'We’re Proud A Wellington Senior Lives Here,' and I’m gonna honk my horn and let them know they’ve been signed,” Santoni said.
The signs are being placed in the front yard at the homes of the more than 600 seniors at Wellington High School, and the village signed an executive order allowing the temporary signage.
“We’re not going to knock on any doors. We’re not going to make a big scene of it. We’re just going to make sure that our children are recognized for the hard work that they’ve put in over the last 13 years,” said Cara Hayden, principal at Wellington High School.
Hayden said the signs are a gift to the students, and a way to honor them in a safe and socially distant way.
“I hope it gives them some sense of pride, I hope that it makes them know or helps them that they’re loved and we’re thinking about them,” said Hayden, who added there are also a few other surprises for the seniors.
A virtual graduation for each school will take place starting May 29 and will run through June 5.