SIGN OF THE TIMES

Connor Barber was shocked when he stepped outside his home. 

“Come on out!” said Kiante Jones, principal of Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons School in Schenectady, N.Y. Jones and Vice Principal Patrick Moran were dressed in their school’s academic regalia, waving Barber out to his porch.

A graduating senior and valedictorian, Barber wasn’t expecting to see his principal or vice principal standing on his front lawn. Then again, no student was. What was even more unexpected was the gift Jones had in his hand: a sign made for Barber congratulating him on graduating. 

“This is awesome. I was not expecting this,” Barber said, holding up his sign. “It’s so cool, it’s nice to see everyone again. I haven't seen anyone in so long, it's just really nice.” 

On May 6, NDBG faculty surprised all 43 students of the senior class with congratulation signs. Teachers and staff drove to each student’s home across five different counties to deliver the signs and congratulate them on the milestone. 

Jones and Moran made sure to visit their valedictorian, Barber, and salutatorian, Noah Decker. Barber will be attending Providence College in Rhode Island, and Decker is going to the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, N.Y. 

The idea for bringing signs to the seniors was a collaboration between the four Diocesan high schools and the Catholic School Office. The Diocesan office helped design the signs and covered all the costs, ensuring each high school graduate would get one.

“We are certainly not going to let a pandemic get in the way of our desire to congratulate our seniors on their noteworthy accomplishments,” said Giovanni Virgiglio, superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Albany. "We will continue to lead by example for them and find creative solutions for whatever obstacles come our way.”

The gesture comes at a needed time for the school’s senior class. Across the country, proms are canceled, graduation ceremonies are postponed, and last goodbyes are being said through phones and computer screens. It’s not the send-off most kids had in mind. 

“We have to work with what we’ve got,” Barber said. Outside of online school, Barber said the NDBG senior class has been “talking every day.” “Everyone is texting and FaceTiming and keeping in touch the best that we can. Nobody can see anyone so it's tough. We’re still keeping in touch and talking to each other and helping each other through this.”

NDBG faculty wanted to offer some help to their students as well. 

“I’ve taught most of them since they were middle schoolers,” said Richard Harrigan, History/ IT teacher for NDBG. “I've watched them go the whole way through. It breaks my heart having to do this but it's important we continue doing things like this.”

On May 1, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that all schools in New York State would be closed for the rest of the year. Jones said that the students have “shown such resilience” in the wake of all the changes. 

“With us closing, and then the extended closures so unexpected for the school community, I think the kids have done an amazing job.”

Harrigan added that after the governor’s announcement he “must have talked to half of the senior class” about the decision.

“It was really hard. So I think it will be good to see each other for that reason, to show we’re still in this.”

NDBG was the first school to drop off the signs to the seniors, followed by Saratoga Central Catholic School on Friday, May 8. The SCC seniors were greeted at their homes by faculty and staff who honked their car horns and waved purple and gold pom poms. SCC Athletic Director Alphonse Lambert said it was an “awesome, feel-good day.” Catholic Central and Bishop Maginn high schools will drop off their signs at later dates.

“I think, like a lot of other schools, we’re looking for gestures to let our seniors know that we’re still thinking about them, that graduation is still a special experience and to preserve it as much as possible despite how depressing this is,” Harrigan said. 

“These are social milestones in our American society we all look toward and they might have them taken away through no fault of their own. We're just trying to let people know we love them, we miss them, we’re thinking about them, we’re praying for them.”