Editorial — A time to remember: Massena Central parents continue Adopt a Senior program

Previous classes of seniors, however, didn’t get to take advantage of all the benefits of their last year in high school. The novel coronavirus forced the cancellation of numerous events.

In 2020, so parents made sure that these seniors grasped how much they meant to others. They began the Adopt a Senior program to let the students know how special they were to the community of Massena Central School District. In addition to the Adopt a Senior effort, parents helped organize a senior breakfast, fast food gift cards, senior banners, T-shirts, a “postcard selfie wall,” senior picnic, yard signs and senior parking spots.

Kerry Perretta, a teacher at Massena Central High School and mother of a senior student there in 2021, explained the rationale of this initiative.

“They’ve reached the pinnacle. They’ve been waiting for this moment their whole career. We want to remind them that they are special, and we are proud of them and all the things they’ve been able to accomplish,” she said in a Courier Observer story published Jan. 23, 2021. “A group of parents did it last year. They did it right around graduation time. We wanted to move Adopt a Senior away from graduation this year, just to keep it separate from graduation.”

As part of the Adopt a Senior program, each student fills out a My Favorite Things form. This will contain information such as the student’s favorite candy, restaurant and hobbies.

That information is sent to the person adopting a senior. People who adopt each senior will either send that student something from his or her list or a gift of the adoptive person’s choosing.

The good news is that the Massena seniors this year don’t face all the restrictions that previous classes confronted. They’ll be able attend their senior prom and graduation ceremony with their classmates.

However, organizers want to keep the Adopt a Senior program going. This is a wonderful way to let these students know that others are thinking of them.

Josie Hardy is overseeing the Adopt a Senior program this year. She said that even though these seniors won’t be losing out on final year activities, people in the community expressed their desire to continue this effort.

Anyone who adopts a senior is asked to post a short biography and picture of the student with his or her gift on Facebook and/or Instagram. This will ensure that these students receive additional recognition from members of the Massena community for their academic achievements. We commend everyone involved with this program. It makes this final year that much more meaningful for the seniors.

Gifts are scheduled to be delivered between March 13 and March 24. People wishing to participate in the Adopt a Senior program should end an email to mchsadoptasenior2023@gmail.com for more information.