By Surella Rodriguez - Monsignor Edward Pace HS
Photographer: COURTESY
The Pace Spartan welcomes freshman and transfer students to the Miami Gardens high school during the Ohana-themed welcome parade, Aug. 17, 2020.
MIAMI GARDENS | Unable to host its traditional Spartan Experience in person due to COVID-19, Msgr. Edward Pace High School came up with another way to welcome its freshmen and transfer students to the 2020-21 academic year.
Traditionally, the Spartan Experience is where new students tour the campus, meet the faculty and learn about the school’s rules and regulations. The pandemic made it impossible to host the annual event in person, but the Pace staff still went all out to make the new students feel like family. They turned the Spartan Experience into an Ohana-themed welcome caravan Aug. 17, 2020, followed by online orientation the next day. Online classes began Aug. 19.
Faculty and staff — dressed in Lilo and Stitch-themed “Ohana” shirts — waved as the new Spartans drove by. Administrators and teachers cheerfully shouted, “Welcome Home, Spartan,” held up signs, and distributed bags stuffed with goodies from Vicky Bakery, Pace knickknacks, the “Spartan Survival Guide” booklet and matching Ohana shirts.
“The point was to make this transition into a new school as fun and stress-free as we can," said Melissa Sanchez, Pace activities director and 2013 alum. "Considering the pandemic, we know this is a difficult time for our students and we wanted to instill the family environment and that this is their home, hence the celebration and family theme.”
The new Spartans received an orientation via Zoom the following day with student leaders and teachers hosting/supervising the presentations.
Although unprecedented, the event maintained the Pace tradition of bonding with the newest students. Why Ohana? Well, as a wise Disney character put it, “Ohana means family and family means no one gets left behind.”
Not even during a global pandemic.
