Arroyo Grande High parents, teachers salute Class of 2020 with signs and cheers
Cheering parents and school officials handed out special commemorative signs to Arroyo Grande High graduating seniors at a drive-through celebration in the school’s parking lot on Thursday.
Students graduating in the Lucia Mar School District will each get a “senior accomplishment sign” to announce their graduation after a group of AGHS parents quickly brainstormed and researched ways to celebrate students who’ve seen their senior year overcome by the coronavirus pandemic.
The signs will be placed throughout the community in yards, windows and more, according to a media release by Lucia Mar School District.
Lopez Continuation High School handed signs out Friday. Nipomo and Central Coast New Tech high schools will give out signs on Tuesday, May 5.
Sarah Paddack and Brandy Pasquini, organizers of Thursday’s event, said parents realized a traditional graduation ceremony likely was not going to happen, at least not as planned.
“We all kept brainstorming, what can we do something for these kids? How can we still feel this moment?” Paddack said.
A Facebook group of Lucia Mar parents came up with an idea to print 500 signs using a local printer, Burdine Printing, to create signs for each of the 470 graduating seniors to display in their yards or windows.
“We started talking about it over the weekend,” Paddack said. “By Monday, the idea for the signs was launched, and within 48 hours, we had all the money we needed raised.”
Arroyo Grande Principal Dan Neff said the parents and volunteers did all the work.
“I helped with some logistics and coordinating with the other school principals for the parents, but it was all their idea,” Neff said. “It was awesome what these two (organizing) parents did, and what the group has done for the kids. My part was pretty minimal.”
Buff Thiesmeyer, AGHS student body president, stopped by to pick up his sign in his bright yellow Volkswagen Bug.
“We need to give the parents and faculty some recognition for all the money they raised for the students,” Thiesmeyer said. “It was really so cool to have the community come together.”