On Jan. 21, the PTSO dropped off the first of a series of small gifts to every senior’s home. The gift included a pair of 2021 glasses and a short poem describing the intent of the gift. According to the poem, seniors can expect more small treats to arrive on the 21st of each upcoming month. 

With a senior year vastly different from what the class of 2021 expected, the PTSO still wanted to find a way to help the seniors celebrate this huge milestone. 

“[Senior year] is the culmination of your academic career,” said PTSO member Rachel Barton. “I really hope [the seniors] know we are thinking about them and we are excited for them.”

With such a unique year bringing the loss of so many traditions, a gesture like this goes a long way in trying to make this final year at WHS as special as possible for the seniors. 

“I appreciate that we’re receiving gifts and I think it’s an extremely kind gesture,” said senior Matthew Meixner. “Even though the gifts may not be extremely luxurious, it’s still something to look forward to and I was pleasantly surprised to find something for me on my porch when the glasses came in.” 

The whole idea was planned just weeks ago at the beginning of January. According to Barton, one of her colleagues pulled inspiration for these gifts from a Facebook post. Despite the large population of seniors at WHS, the PTSO still felt the idea was feasible. They quickly figured out the budget, gathered the supplies, and solicited volunteers to help with the drop-off. 

A number of senior parents helped assemble and deliver the gifts to students in their local elementary school districts. All drivers were encouraged to drop off the gifts between 1:00-3:00 p.m. to avoid spoiling the surprise. 

February’s gift plans are already underway and the monthly gifts will eventually culminate in a larger surprise at the end of the year, said Barton. With such an unpredictable end to their last year of high school, these gifts are something fun for seniors to expect each month. 

“I know that the school is doing their best and there are a lot of things that aren’t able to happen this year, which isn’t the school’s fault,” said senior Emma Sugrue. “I think that the gifts are definitely a nice gesture to remind the seniors that this is still supposed to be a really fun and important year for us.”