A Florida principal lined her school's driveway with senior portraits to celebrate the graduating class
- When schools closed due to the coronavirus, Farica West, a high school principal in Graceville, Florida came up with a creative way to honor the senior class.
- West enlarged the portraits of each of the 30 seniors and lined her school's driveway with them, My Panhandle reported.
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The class of 2020 is missing out a number of longstanding traditions, including prom and graduation ceremonies due restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic. But one high school principal has at least made sure her senior class was honored in a special way.
At least 32.5 million public school students in the US have had their education interrupted due to the pandemic. Farica West, the principal of Poplar Springs High School in Graceville, Florida, felt particularly concerned for the senior class at her school. To so show her, and the community's appreciation for them, she printed out, and enlarged, the portraits of the 30 students in the senior class. She then lined the school's driveway with each of the photos to celebrate them.
"I wanted to give the students and the community hope," West told WTVY.
A principal came up with a creative way to publicly honor the senior high school class
Poplar Springs High School serves students from pre-K through twelfth grade, and many seniors have been in school together from the early years.
While Florida schools have a tentative reopening date of May 1, it's unclear if students will actually return to the classroom this year.
Amid uncertainty, Poplar Springs High School's display has been heartening to students.
"Seeing this display is really, really encouraging because you start to see that everything that you've worked for is not a complete waste," Peyton Brannan, a senior at Poplar Springs School, told My Panhandle.
People from nearby states have traveled to see the display
People from as far as Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama – have driven by the display, My Panhandle reported.
To West, what matters most is supporting and celebrating her students during this time.
"These students have missed so much already," West told WTVY. "They have missed senior trips, some missed the final sports events, and I wanted to give them one final memory they can cherish their entire lifetime."
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