JHS Adopt-A-Senior returns for 2021

As schools inch toward normalcy, it has been far from a regular school year for the class of 2021 at Johnston High School.

Students have been attending on a hybrid model for most of the academic calendar, with a few days of full distance learning mixed in when COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations escalated during the winter. Seniors have not been able to enjoy the perks of their final year at JHS, and while Superintendent Bernard DiLullo said there are plans to hold some events this spring, Wendy Forbis Buono and Genevieve Ferruccio are reviving a program aimed at putting them in the spotlight.

Adopt-A-Senior became a popular concept at several high schools around the state last spring as the coronavirus pandemic took hold and abruptly canceled or altered several high-profile celebrations like prom and graduation. Johnston was no exception, as Buono led the charge in getting sponsors for dozens of kids so they could enjoy their time in the limelight before departing JHS.

Buono said Ferruccio contacted her about renewing the initiative for this year, so now they are both administrators of the “Johnston High School ‘Adopt a Senior 2021!’” Facebook page. Names and pictures of students are posted daily for people in the community to support, offering a care package as kids prepare for their final weeks as a Panther.

It’s been especially difficult on the class of 2021, Buono said, because they also had their end-of-year junior activities stripped from them in 2020.

“So far, it’s going really well. We actually have more members probably than what we had in total last year, and more people are getting added every single day,” Buono said during a phone interview Monday. “The only thing is we kind of got started a little bit earlier this year, so it’s a big investment for somebody that’s doing it financially. If you’re doing this once a week until graduation, that’s a huge time commitment and monetary commitment to make, so when people have asked me things, I say there’s no rules in the group. Literally the only rules in the group are to be nice and kind. Everybody’s dealing with a lot of stress.”

Buono was compelled to get involved last year because her son was a senior, leaving school early before graduation to complete his Army training. She said he never got to experience a conventional commencement, both for high school and the Army.

“His graduation from Army was all virtual,” Buono said. “We didn’t even get to experience that. He’s a freshman at URI, all of his classes were completely online, so from my perspective, because he’s the only kid I’m seeing, it’s amazing that he hasn’t given up. That he doesn’t have a bad attitude over everything that’s happened to him.”

Buono said her advice to parents and seniors enduring the same difficult spring this year is to avoid letting minor setbacks bring them down. She said she has said the same to her son and daughter – both of whom are in the Army/National Guard and dedicated musicians – “what in your life changes if something doesn’t happen?”

“The Army was a big deal, so if you didn’t complete that, that was a big deal. Your life could change, but when graduation happened last year, I said to my son, ‘You’re not going to walk the stage, but you’re getting your diploma, you graduated high school,’” Buono said. “That one little hiccup in life isn’t going to set you back. You still graduated. You still got that accomplishment. You still achieved something. That’s always something I’ve really drilled into my kids.”

Buono later said that the group is also accepting Johnston residents from private schools. Those who would like to join the effort can head to the Facebook page, where there is a roster of students looking for a boost.

“There is somebody who [said they] just wanted to stay there and watch this, [they] don’t want to participate,” Buono said. “I’m like, we’re happy to have you here. Just be kind, and if you’re getting some sense of happiness out of this, then stay. Offer kind words of encouragement, and if you just want to be a spectator, that’s fine, too. Just join the Facebook group.”

Buono said she hopes Adopt-A-Senior becomes an annual tradition in Johnston. She said the program has “really brought our community together,” as she reconnects with elementary teachers her children had and neighbors looking to lend a helping hand.

“It was just nice to see people in the community that I haven’t seen in a long time and it’s just something that, good brought us together again,” Buono said. “I think it’s shown a lot of community spirit … I just try to always be positive and good. I just get so much happiness out of this.”