With the help of generous donations by the SCA, the Verona Police Department and teachers of Verona High School, the VHS Student Council hosted a drive-in movie on Wednesday just for the senior class. Due to the pandemic, this was the first class event that has taken place in over a year.
After weeks of changing and modifying plans to host a safe, socially distanced event, Student Council was able to show “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” in the VHS parking lot on a giant drive-in movie screen. For many students and teachers, this was the first time seeing each other in person since March 2020, so the event was not only fun but meaningful.
Trish Hemsley-Cartotto and Angela Salisbury, VHS Student Council Advisors, had been wanting to host an event for seniors to give them an opportunity to be together as a class and a drive-in movie seemed to fit the bill. Then last week, when Gov. Phil Murphy upped the outdoor gathering capacity, they were able to ditch the cars, and it became more of a movie under the stars.
“It was so nice to see students together, in person, and being able to catch up with them. It is why I went into teaching. To form those types of relationships with my students, and this past year, a lot of that was lost. This was the first time, in a long time, that something school-related felt ‘normal’ and I was really happy we were able to pull this off for our seniors,” says Salisbury, a first-year advisor.
And the seniors appreciated every minute of it. “Since senior year has been so unconventional, the drive-in movie gave me an opportunity to see peers and teachers I haven’t seen in months,” says Evan Silvia, senior class and school president. “This was a wonderful high school memory that I will cherish for a while.” School Vice President Sarah Cole, agrees and adds, “During these unprecedented times, seeing our teachers and friends in a school environment has been limited, so it was awesome having this opportunity to enjoy a great movie and catch up with our classmates and teacher.”
