This year, activities for the Class of 2021 at Sacred Heart Greenwich are operating differently than in the past, due to the coronavirus pandemic.  Mrs. Marcie McDonald P ’14, Academic Dean for the Classes of 2021 and 2023 and Dean of College Guidance, as well as members of the student body, including senior Grace Lillis, Senior Class President, are altering the annual events that typically take place throughout the school year in order to comply with the current health regulations and to still maintain a sense of normalcy.

Last spring, the Class of 2021 elected Grace, who is in her fourth year at Sacred Heart, as Senior Class President.  Grace, who is also the co-captain of varsity cross country and varsity swimming, attended numerous student council meetings throughout the summer.  In these sessions, she, along with the other members of student council, planned and began preparing safe events for their classmates that still follow Sacred Heart tradition but are adapted to follow COVID-19 protocols.

For instance, the format of the senior class bonding event changed.  In previous years, seniors attended a Major League Baseball (MLB) game for their class bonding.  This year, however, seniors watched a movie on the Sacred Heart front lawn while social distancing.  Mrs. McDonald attended this year’s senior bonding after not seeing the class for almost six months.

“The ability to move around and interact with different people, playing different lawn games, gave it a real community feel,” Mrs. McDonald said.  “I think everyone appreciated the new approach to the traditional Senior bonding event as it allowed for a great deal of interaction amongst all of the members of this amazing class.”  

In addition to senior bonding activities, the Class of 2021 also visited St. Birgitta’s Convent in Darien, Connecticut September 14 for their senior class retreat.  At the retreat, the seniors wrote letters of advice to the current freshman class, as well as to their future selves. 

While adjusting to the new normal, the senior class has not let the changes dampen their spirits, and they continue to strive to be role models for the younger students in the Sacred Heart community.

“Myself and the senior class are working really hard to keep our masks on and distancing ourselves,” Grace said.  “Outside of school, we are also making sure that we are not putting ourselves at risk to cause a problem to the school.”

The seniors exemplified this year’s theme of Grit and Grace on Senior Day September 16 which, due to new regulations, was particularly hard to arrange.  This is because the totality of the grade exceeds the new maximum capacity of Caroline’s Core Center.  Instead, the Class of 2021 celebrated outside so they could social distance while still enjoying the Sacred Heart tradition.  That day, the seniors decorated their cars, wrote their last names on the window of the Core Center, and dressed in red, their class color. 

“The Class of 2021 is a really cohesive group that celebrates each member for who she is, and affords everyone the ability to be themselves and feel respected as an important member of the class,” Mrs. McDonald said.  “This year’s seniors find joy in all things – often turning the mundane into something fun, intriguing or elaborate.  Their creative, collaborative approach to everything is inspiring.”

Featured Image Courtesy of Ms. Haley Sonneland