Utah Teachers Connect With Students Through Neighborhood Parades

RIVERDALE, Utah – Schools across Utah have been reaching out to their students through teacher parades during the COVID-19 pandemic.

One parade took place Friday in the neighborhoods around Riverdale Elementary, as around dozens of cars driven by teachers, faculty and staff weaved their way through the boundaries of the school.

“It’s been tough, just out of the routine, you know?” said teacher Nancy Wright. “And then you just wonder how they’re doing, and if they’re hanging in there, and their mental well-being, and you know, you just worry about them.”

Teachers said they miss their students and online learning just isn’t the same on both sides of the screen.

Many of them were still holding out hope that they can have just a little chance to get school back in session before summer — so they can say goodbye.

“I teach first graders, so I miss their little teeny faces, and also as a parent, I’m getting the online perspective from the other teachers, and it’s kind of hard too,” said Christy Hancock. “And so I can only imagine what they’re going through. I would love to see them and make sure that they’ve been learning what we hope that they are at home, but then also yeah just to say goodbye before the summer, because it’s only a couple of weeks.”

For students and teachers, seeing each other on the road, from an appropriate distance, was good enough for now.

“Yeah, it was really nice to see her, live,” said fifth-grader Izik Villalobos.

Other parades took place in Lehi and Tooele in just a small sampling of how much that teacher-to-student relationship matters.

“It’s fun to see all of the cars and all of the people that I work with because I love them,” Hancock said.

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• Avoid close contact with people who may be sick
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Additional Resources

If you see evidence of PRICE GOUGING, the Utah Attorney General’s Office wants you to report it. Common items in question include toilet paper, water, hand sanitizer, certain household cleaners, and even cold medicine and baby formula. Authorities are asking anyone who sees price gouging to report it to the Utah Division of Consumer Protection at 801-530-6601 or 800-721-7233. The division can also be reached by email at consumerprotection@utah.gov.