Home Our Diocese Yard signs provide a connection for stuck-at-home St. Elizabeth High School seniors

Yard signs provide a connection for stuck-at-home St. Elizabeth High School seniors

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St. Elizabeth High School senior Colin Hockenbrock stands with his stepfather, Jeff Everman, and mother, Kelly, along with their dog, Waffles, in the front lawn of their north Wilmington home. (Dialog photo/Mike Lang)

More than a dozen faculty and staff members of St. Elizabeth School spent part of April 23 delivering a gift to each of the members of the Class of 2020: yard signs showing the soon-to-be graduates that although they are not on campus, they are together.

The school’s director of advancement, John Pierson, navigated the streets of Wilmington’s northern suburbs delivering the signs. One of his stops was at the home of Claudia Offutt, who admired her sign in a Vikings t-shirt. Offutt appreciated the gesture.

Claudia Offutt received one of the signs that were distributed to St. Elizabeth High School seniors. (Dialog photo/Mike Lang)

“When we’re all at home, this is the best way to feel like a community. We were kind of excited to see these. It just keeps us connected,” she said. “It’s still kind of a way to be VKNation.”

Offutt was joined by her parents, sister and brother. She said things are going smoothly in the Offutt household.

“I actually get along pretty well with my siblings. We’re doing well. We have a lot of family game nights,” she said.

Colin Hockenbrock also received a sign courtesy of Pierson. Hockenbrock, wearing the stay-at-home staple hoodie and shorts, said he doesn’t mind having school at home and that he is getting all of his work done. He liked the gesture from the school and noted the efforts to keep this year as normal as possible.

“It’s good knowing that they still care. I know for other stuff, too, like the prom, they’re trying to reschedule it. It shows they care about us,” he said.

Offutt is hoping that some sort of prom can be held, along with graduation. She said a bunch of teachers have had competitions and games online, and the students have been communicating with each other since they were sent home in mid-March.

“We’re trying really hard to stay engaged and make it feel as much like the end of our senior year as it can. We’re all still in it together.”