NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — On a beautiful day during an unprecedented time, Oceanair Elementary teachers and staff created a procession of cars in a parade to wave hello to their students.

“They’re excited and ready to make it happen,” Principal Lenthia Willie-Clark said Tuesday.

For weeks, they’ve been making sure their students know how much they are loved and missed by sending emails, posting on social media, and putting together heartfelt video montages. But this week, the educators decided they were hitting the road to bring people joy.

“They’re so excited to be able to see our children,” said Assistant Principal Candiase Driver. “We haven’t seen them in almost a month and a half now, so this is going to be a great opportunity to say hello to them and let them know that they’re still in our minds and hearts. We’re a family here at Oceanair. We’re not just administrators and teachers and students and parents. We are the Oceanair family.“

The work of educators is never easy. But this year and this semester in particular it’s probably taking more creativity than ever — to not only teach kids but encourage them during tough times.

Encourage — that’s just what Oceanair Elementary teachers and staff did. Street-by-street, car-after-car, the teacher parade carried the purpose of encouraging more than just the little ones learning at home.

“Also to encourage our parents who are the first teachers right now to our boys and girls,” said Willie-Clark. “We want to just thank them and encourage them because we miss them right here at Oceanair Elementary School. We’re taking it one day at a time. Safety is first and we want to make sure our boys and girls know we still care. And learning is still taking place even while school is out.”

While the future is still uncertain, this was about family. And sometimes, families have to get creative to lift each other up in tough times.

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