Teachers and administrators at St. Mary’s High School wear masks and stand apart as they prepare to deliver lawn signs and pizza to every senior May 1, 2020. (HOPE E. TREMBLAY/THE WESTFIELD NEWS)
WESTFIELD – Seniors at St. Mary’s High School usually spend a lot of time together, including during lunch.
They sometimes make lunch together at the school and pizza is a favorite. So, when Principal Matthew Collins and the teaching staff wanted to do something special for the 31 seniors, pizza came to mind.
“First, we got every senior a lawn sign and decided to deliver them on May 1, then I added the pizza,” said Collins.
Wanting to bring a bit of that spirit of breaking bread together to each senior, Collins turned to Domino’s in Westfield to purchase pizzas, thinking the restaurant could produce enough pizzas in a short time span to feed all the students who live across the region.
What happened, he said, was unexpected.
“I told them what I was doing, and they donated all the pizza,” Collins said.
The St. Mary’s School bus is decorated with messages for the Class of 2020. (HOPE E. TREMBLAY/THE WESTFIELD NEWS)
Collins and teachers met May 1 in the St. Mary’s parking lot where they began their special delivery convoy, with Collins driving the school mini-bus with three teachers on board and the rest of the teachers driving in their own vehicles. They delivered signs and pizzas to surprised seniors in Holyoke, South Hadley, Springfield, Longmeadow, Feeding Hills, Russell, Montgomery, Granville, Westfield and Southwick.
Collins said he definitely underestimated how long it would take. Originally, he planned for three hours. Instead, it took them eight hours. What he hadn’t factored into the schedule was spending a few minutes – socially distant – with each senior and their families and the travel to the different locations.
The effort was well worth it.
“The looks on the kids’ faces was absolutely priceless,” Collins said. “They were so surprised and excited to see their teachers.”
Collins said that was also Principal’s Day, except he didn’t realize that until he received an email from one of the seniors letting him know how much he has meant to her as her principal. He said between that message and seeing the students’ faces in person, it was a very special day.
“To see the kids in person was really what I needed – it was almost therapeutic,” Collins said. “It helped us as their teachers as much as it helped them.”
The school bus was decorated with the names of every senior and the words “strong” and “resilient,” which Collins said perfectly describes the Class of 2020.
“This class has been through so much in their four years,” he said. “Friday was one of those days where we knew we made a difference.”
On May 4, Collins once again set out to make some special deliveries, this time to the homes of every St. Mary’s High School teacher to recognize them during Teacher Appreciation Week. He brought St. Mary’s tumblers and treats to 10 teachers from Tolland to Windsor Locks, Conn.
This week the senior class was also honored with a billboard by the Westfield Massachusetts Turnpike entrance featuring photos of every graduate.
“We just want them to know they are important to us,” Collins said.
