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LAPLACE – When COVID-19 cancelled Riverside Academy’s junior ring ceremony scheduled for April 1, Rebecca Simon of LaPlace ensured her children wouldn’t miss out on that special rite of passage.

Twins Chloe and Kelson Simon had an unforgettable junior ring ceremony Wednesday evening, social distancing style, from the comfort of their front yard.

A RA Class of 2021 poster flanked by red and blue balloons served as the décor as Rebecca Simon gave a speech at the podium. The Becnel and Aucoin neighbors watched intently and cheered from across the street. By the end of the event, the twins were christened seniors with shiny class rings from Roussel’s in LaPlace.

“I love making memories with my kids, and I didn’t want this special day to go unnoticed,” Simon said.

When school closures were announced mid-March, Riverside Academy initially planned to re-evaluate the situation on March 30, one day before the junior ring ceremony. One of Simon’s neighbors jokingly said, “Well, you can always do it in the yard.”

“We laughed and joked about it,” Simon said. “After it came out that we aren’t going back to school any time soon, I woke up and thought, I need to celebrate them today. This was supposed to be their day. Let’s have a little fun and make some memories.”

There will always be senior year to experience prom in all its glory – tuxes, restaurants, limo rides and all. Ring ceremony is different; the spring before senior year is the only time to truly experience it.

Kelson and Chloe are holding up well, completing online schoolwork and attending Zoom meetings with teachers. Chloe’s soccer and basketball season ended in December when she sustained a stress fracture in her leg. After working up her strength, she was looking forward to playing softball this season.

Being away from her team has been the hardest part, but the impromptu ring ceremony gave her a chance to smile.

Kelson was most looking forward to attending the LHSAA bass fishing regional tournament. It would have been a special occasion because this is the first year Riverside Academy has had a fishing team. With the COVID-19 cancellation, it will become a goal to achieve during his senior year.