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‘We miss you’: Drive-through parade held for St. Joseph’s

Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry St. Joseph Catholic School teachers greet students as they pass by in the parking lot of the school Friday during a Drive-Through Teacher Parade.

School has been out for two weeks so far and teachers at St. Joseph Catholic School were missing their students.

On Friday, the teachers held a Drive-Through Social Distancing Parade.

“We miss the children,” music and computer teacher Judi Danielson said.

The entire staff — every teacher, the principal, the secretary, the custodian, an aide, and the pastor — and some with family members spread out in the parking lot, maintaining appropriate social distances. Teachers and family members held signs ranging from ‘We miss you’ to ‘Go Away, Corona.’

At 11 a.m., parents brought their children to the school, driving slow loops through the waving staff.

Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry St. Joseph Catholic School students (from left) Clara, Gideon, and Adelina Schmidt wave to teachers in the parking lot of the school Friday during a Drive-Through Teacher Parade.

The parade lasted more than half an hour.

“We didn’t know” what kind of turnout there would be, Principal Nancy Warner said.

She was hoping for at least 20 cars Friday morning.

“I think there were probably three times that,” Warner said. “It was wonderful. It was great to see everybody, saying and hearing ‘we miss you’ and ‘we love you’ and genuinely feeling that and knowing that they feel it, too.”

“I didn’t think we’d get that many people,” Danielson said. “That was awesome.”

Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry St. Joseph Catholic School student Richard Anderson waves to teacher Judi Danielson in the parking lot of the school Friday during a Drive-Through Teacher Parade.

Some of the cars even went through the loop more than once.

The event came together quickly.

Warner said the staff came up with the idea during their Thursday virtual staff meeting.

“We were worried that Warren County would be told to stay home, so we decided we’d better do this soon,” she said.

An email was sent out Thursday inviting families to the event.

The staff has maintained contact with the students and families, recommending enrichment activities, Warner said. “The teachers have been fantastic with coming up with learning opportunities within the curriculum.”

“The instruction is there for everyone,” she said. “We have been offering virtual lessons. We asked families without tech to let us know and we’ve been providing hard copies.”

But Friday was about staying in touch. “It was great to see everybody,” Warner said. “It was wonderful.”

Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry St. Joseph Catholic School students Anabelle and John Harvey stand up through the sunroof of their vehicle in the school parking lot Friday during a Drive-Through Teacher Parade.

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