Staying connected is hard to do in the midst of a pandemic, especially between teachers and their students. But the teachers, administrators, and staff of Mount Vernon Community School District found a creative way to connect with students from a safe distance.

In a show of support for students and their families, MVCSD teachers from every building drove through the streets of town in a Teacher Parade on Apr. 15.

The parade started in the parking lot of Mount Vernon Middle School, where the teachers decorated and lined up their cars before the parade made its way through town. As they went by student’s houses, many teachers honked and waved. 

The parade was a way for teachers to tell students that even though they couldn’t be in the classroom with them due to COVID-19, that their teachers were still there for them and missed them. 

Many students watched as the parade of cars passed by their houses. One of those students was freshman Isabel Hawker. Hawker said that she liked seeing all the cute decorations on the teacher’s cars and that it was really cool to see most of her teachers drive by her house. “I miss getting to see them daily,” said Hawker.

Another student, senior Kaylia Wirfs, took to twitter to voice how seeing her teachers pass by made her feel. Wirfs expressed in a tweet that watching the parade “made me ball my eyes out.”

The parade wasn’t just an emotional experience for the students. MVHS band director Scott Weber said that as he participated in the parade, he cried most of the time. “It is just as hard on the teachers to be apart,” said Weber, “I hate not being with my band.” 

Weber took part in the teacher parade because he misses his students. He said that his favorite part was getting to see so many of those students and seeing the smiles on their faces, from a safe distance.

Spanish teacher Erica Nichols also took part in the parade. Nichols said that her favorite part of the parade was seeing the large amount of staff vehicles lined up and decorated before the parade. “It was an absolutely massive turnout,” said Nichols, “We couldn’t get enough of everyone smiling and waving.”

Nichols said that it was great to see so many of her students and connect with them while maintaining social distancing.

“I thrive on being around people and making connections with people… I think that’s part of why I enjoy being a teacher so much! I was crying, smiling, laughing… the whole gamut. It was such a memorable experience and, yes, I enjoyed it very much.”