Just before 1 p.m. on Friday afternoon, students from elementary school in Ladner stepped out of their homes and onto sidewalks, driveways, and lawns. Joined by parents and siblings, many bearing hand-made signs, the kids waited for the chance to wave hello to some very important people: their teachers.
About 25 cars formed a "parade," that weaved its way along a designated route, as teachers, school staff, and the principal honked and waved and shouted hello to the students they haven't seen in over a month.
Port Guichon principal Niels Nielsen organized the Car Parade.
"I'm alway trying to find ways to build community," said Nielsen.
When his own children's school in Langley held a similar event recently, Nielsen reached out to the school principal to ask them how they put it together. After running it by the higher-ups in the Delta School District for approval, he and the staff went to work drawing up a route map.
Photo by Lindsay William-RossAbout 190 students attend Port Guichon, and Nielsen explained that they needed to draw a route that could accommodate a long line of cars without clogging traffic, while also passing by as many students' homes in the catchement as possible. Since they couldn't drive down every street, the school wanted to make sure that they could pass by enough grassy areas where families could potentially gather - at safe distances - to still catch the parade.
The teachers were more than happy to take part, with about 25 of the school's 27 or so staff able to participate. The "Car Parade" even included a special assist from Delta Police School Liaison Program coordinator Sgt. Cathy Geddes, who took second position in the parade behind Nielsen's lead, and was able to not only greet the students but also help with a little traffic direction along the way.
The last in-class instructional day for these students and teachers was back on March 13. Schools across B.C. were closed to on-site instruction during the two-week spring break that followed. During the first week of April, Port Guichon students and parents were contacted by teachers to begin the process of arranging for distance learning, tailored by grade level and often to the student themselves.
For many teachers, the switch to doing thing this way has been necessary but hard.
Mary Ann Scarr teaches a Grade One and Two class at Port Guichon.
"Under this new teaching model, I have adjusted, as all of us have had to do during these unprecendented times," she said. "There have been many learning curves for sure, but with all we do, our focus is what is in the best interest of our students."
For Scarr and her colleagues, this means not just the math and reading and other daily lessons, but also focusing on the children's mental well-being.
"I truly miss the personal interactions of the childen, and all the fun of our energetic classroom," said Scarr.
Grade 1/2 teacher MaryAnn Scarr greets student Nolan William-Ross. Photo by Lindsay William-RossScarr added that she knows her students are doing okay, but that there are challenges.
"My sense is that the children are missing each other and myself very much, but they understand the reason as to why these measures are necessary. I feel they are coping well, this due in part to supportive and understanding parents."
Nielsen said he knows the Car Parade was as important to the staff as it was to the kids. He says Port Guichon has a passionate and dedicated staff that miss the students dearly. Seeing the kids for him, he said, was "for sure a double-edged sword." It was so exciting to see everyone and felt amazing, "but made me miss having those kids in school."
"The best part of our job is working with kids," added Nielsen. "Port Guichon is a school that is full of laughter and community, and a staff that cares about each other and the students."
Ultimately, it really comes down to connection, particularly in these challenging times.
"We need to as a community find ways we can connect, in ways that aren't always connected to curriculum," explained Nielsen. "The school of today is about relationships and connections, and making sure we are teaching the whole child." Right now, though, "the connection piece - that's just really hard, that's what everybody is missing," said Nielsen.
The teachers certainly share that view. "I hope our car parade offers a great connection to our students and families, something that has been terribly missed," added Scarr.
As the last car passed by and families began to fold up their signs and return inside their homes, there were definitely a few teary eyes among the adults, and lots of smiles from the kids, who seemed to really enjoy the Car Parade.
"I was happy that I could see my teachers," said Nolan William-Ross, 6, one of Scarr's Grade One students, after the parade. Schoolmates from the same block agreed.
Until school is back in, Nielsen said he is continuing to look for ways the teachers and the students to stay connected, and he also hopes that other schools can draw inspiration from what Port Guichon did with the Car Parade.
"I wish we could have a parade every day!" joked Nielsen.
