GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The coronavirus pandemic has put a stop to many events, including homecoming dances and games, but one school is working to keep the tradition alive.
Students at Grand Rapids Christian say they knew going into the school year that things would look a lot different. But with the help of school administrators and student council, they were able to pull off some fun homecoming events while keeping student safety in mind.
“Our goal with Homecoming Week was still to make it a time for students to build camaraderie to celebrate our school. Specifically, we think about our seniors, we want to celebrate our senior class,” says GRCHS Principal Brad Mockabee.
So the staff and student council went to work, trying to find fun activities for the students to take part in while making sure they are following social distancing guidelines.
“We can't physically distance at a dance, and the number of students we're allowed to have together is limited, “ says Mockabee. "And so we knew that a dance wasn't an option. So our focus was how could we do some fun, safe events, some of them certainly had to happen virtually."
While it wasn’t the homecoming many seniors expected, it was a fun way to keep the spirit alive.
“I think it turned out well, I think one of the main goals of homecoming is to have school spirit really high,” says senior Pieter Boer. "Everyone's really excited to be a student here. And I think that was successful. I think we achieved that goal. Everyone felt like the community feeling was really strong."
