With the second semester starting, Cherry Hill East parents and staff have come together to honor and commemorate the seniors. A variety of treats and special activities have been planned to give the senior Cougars a proper farewell. The first of these events took place on February 21, and will continue on the twenty-first of each month until the end of the school year. At the first event, seniors had the opportunity to drive up to East and receive an individually wrapped donut and hot chocolate from Dunkin’. Over the course of the next few months, seniors will get the chance to interact with peers and receive gifts and treats to help them celebrate their special year. From donuts to merchandise, the seniors will feel honored for all of their hard work.

This has been a challenging and unprecedented time, but many seniors remain optimistic. Luisa Glass(‘21) says “[she] appreciates the effort that the parents and teachers put in so that [they] could have this experience.” While no event can make up for the pre-COVID senior experience, Glass says that “it was very nice to interact with other students at this event since [they] haven’t really been able to otherwise.”

Mrs. Dollarton, a math teacher and mom of a senior, served on the event-planning committee. She says that their goal was “to celebrate the CHE Class of 2021 and hopefully make them smile.” The seniors have so much to look forward to in the upcoming months, and “they should put March 21, April 21 and May 21 on their calendars” for more senior surprises!

Alexa Gershon (‘21) also had a positive experience at this event. Gershon says that “it’s amazing that [they] are still able to have socially distant events that make [them] feel excited to be seniors.”

Although peer and teacher interaction has been heavily compromised due to the pandemic, Amanda Rosten (‘21) expresses that “[she] could really tell that the teachers and parents thought of [them] a lot while planning the event and [she] really loved getting to see her friends and teachers.”

Rosten and multiple other classmates enjoyed this experience, and are looking forward to the next event on March twenty-first.

Since the pandemic started, the Cherry Hill East class of 2021 has unfortunately not been able to experience the senior year that they had imagined. The event not only brought smiles to everyone’s faces, but encouraged a sense of community within the senior class as they came together to commemorate the final months of school. If a pandemic can’t stop these seniors, what will? Parents and school administrators are adding a spirited finish to help make this year one to remember!