Senior Care Packages Honor Graduates and Lift Spirits

To honor the graduating Class of 2020, Director of Student Activities Melissa Krein led an effort to ensure that every Loyola Academy senior received a special care package at home during the first week of May.
“As a school, we felt it was important to honor our seniors and all that they have contributed to our community and to let them know that they are missed,” says Krein.  “It was only through the support of so many faculty and staff members as well as a team of senior parents that this was able to happen as seamlessly as it did.”

The care packages included a Class of 2020 yard sign, a senior t-shirt, the Class of 2020 composite photo, an LA cookie, the St. Ignatius medal, a daily Examen card, the letter each student wrote to himself/herself as a freshman, a note from Fr. McGrath and Principal Heintz, and a Class of 2020 face mask. 

Each item was carefully selected to remind seniors of their time at Loyola and to lift spirits during what is a challenging time for the graduating class.  

A team of volunteer parents, faculty and staff members divided the Class of 2020 by geography and set out with maps across the city and suburbs to visit each and every senior Rambler home. Knocking on doors and ringing bells and then witnessing the surprise and smiles - from a safe distance -  was well worth the effort to personally visit each residence...466 in total!  

“It was so nice to connect in person with some of the seniors and their parents,” says Counseling Assistant Beth Stanton, who teamed up with Vice President for Athletics and Fitness Genevieve Atwood to deliver care packages in Chicago and Winnetka. “Every family was so appreciative of the gesture, and I realized how much I miss face to face interactions with our LA community. Although we are all communicating through technology, there is nothing like seeing students faces in person - even being 6 feet apart! We are blessed to have so many awesome students and parents in the Loyola community!”

The initiative was well received, and the outpouring of support from grateful senior parents validated the monumental effort:

“There are not enough words to thank you for your help in making the seniors feel so special today with the gifts and the yard signs.  Amazing!  What an incredible community we all belong to.  We are grateful!  Many thanks to all the teachers and staff who made this possible.  Thanks for our entire family!”

“We got the care package and the sign.  My son is a quiet kid.  He was really moved. He thoughtfully reflected on the special feeling of community and care that is LA!”

Many thanks to Ms. Krein and the legion of faculty/staff and parent volunteers for making this project a huge success.


Learn more about the Class of 2020 here.
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