FALL RIVER – The Durfee Class of 2020 woke up to a surprise celebration this morning, courtesy of their teachers and staff at B.M.C. Durfee High School.
Signs reading “Once a Hilltopper, Always a Hilltopper, Class of 2020” appeared on lawns all across the city in celebration of the students. In all, 70 teachers and staff members had signs places on their lawns
“We started at 8:15 this morning and they were all done by 10:15,” said Durfee Vice Principal Melissa Fogarty.
Though the Class of 2020 may not be able to go into school due to COVID-19 closures, that doesn’t mean this monumental time in their lives is going to go unnoticed, Fogarty said.
Even as they were placing the signs in lawns Monday morning, the teachers and staff members were getting cheered on from those driving past, she said.
They left no stone unturned in their mission to celebrate the seniors by sending out signs to area towns for the 10 students among the 449 Durfee seniors who live outside the city.
All of the students in the Class of 2020 got a heads-up phone call from the school Sunday night telling them to be on the lookout for something special today. Fogarty, Class of 2020 advisers Jessica Pereira and Kim Tiburtino and Mike Costa, dean of the History Department, originated the idea for the signs. When they put out a call to the staff, they had 70 people sign up in two hours, she said.
This weekend, Fogarty, Perreira, Tiburtino, Costa and Laura Iannaccone, a class adviser to another grade, put together a motivational Tik Tok video for the students, as well.
Hey@Durfee2020 with a special surprise coming tomorrow, enjoy a special treat on this warm Sunday ☺️@MelissFogarty@MistaCosta360@LauraElyse_@kimtiburtinopic.twitter.com/lWuSCfqhnY
— Jessica Pereira (@JessAwesomex0)May 3, 2020The signs are just one of a few ways they will be celebrating the seniors this spring. Though she didn’t want to give away the details, Fogarty said students can also expect some other surprises on June 4 and 5.
As for the Class of 2020 graduation itself, she said they are discussing some type of graduation celebration and expect to make an announcement later this week.
“There has to be some type of closure for the students, staff and their families,” Fogarty said.