A caravan of comfort

A line of cars moves slowly up and down streets through several Wayne County neighborhoods.

Each vehicle bears a sign.

“We love you,” one read.

“NEE Strong,” was written on another.

“You are our sunshine,” a third said.

Behind the wheels of the cars in the parade are teachers and staff from Northeast Elementary School.

They honk their horns, cheer and wave.

Their mission was simple. They wanted their students to know that just because they weren’t in a classroom and that, for now, they were in contact only over the phone and by computer, that their teachers had not forgotten them.

And when they found dozens of children who read a Class Dojo post announcing Tuesday’s drive-by waiting for them on porches and driveways, it was clear to principal Julie West that the school remains a family, COVID-19 or not.

“The moment we would see them out on their porch, waving and literally squealing and shrieking when they realized it was us, it was one of the most rewarding things that I have experienced in my 27-year career,” she said.

And it was, if only for those few minutes, a return to the normalcy many students and educators have craved since North Carolina schools were closed earlier this month.

“I want parents and students to know that, No. 1, just because we aren’t physically with you in the building, it doesn’t mean that we’ve forgotten you or have abandoned you in any way. We’re here to help in whatever way we can,” West said. “But I also really want our parents to understand that we would, a million times over, rather have them back in school in class than on this, quote, vacation. I don’t think that’s how any of us see it at this point.”

And seeing those students was therapy for their teachers, too, West said. The changes that have shifted education from white boards and face-to-face contact with “their kids” to computers and video chat haven’t been easy.

“We are all aching for normalcy,” she said. “We want the kids in the building. They are the reason we come to school every day. It’s who we are. It’s what feeds us. It’s not the paperwork or creating the lesson plans. It’s the kids. That is what we are so desperately missing.

The idea for the caravan came when other educators across the country began posting similar events on social media.

But Mrs. West and her team knew that simply driving through neighborhoods honking horns wasn’t going to generate the type of response they wanted.

So, they created a “route” to ensure as many Northeast students as possible could be a part of the experience.

And they told the students, via Class Dojo, to expect a “surprise” Tuesday afternoon.

But don’t believe what unfolded earlier this week was a one and done.

West and her posse of dedicated educators and staff members are already planning on hitting the road again.

“It is my hope that from now through the entire closure, every week we’ll have a different group going through the neighborhoods,” she said. “Just to, again, raise the spirit of our kids.”

The truth is, she knows those parades will not just be helping Northeast’s students. Their teachers need those horns and signs just as much.

“We miss the kids terribly,” West said. “The other day, I think it did us just as much good as it did for them.”

Yes, the gesture was seemingly simple.

But for West and the Northeast family, it sent a message she hopes will resonate until their hallways and classrooms are filled again — and beyond.

Because for some children, the school is not just a learning environment.

“It does worry me for a lot of kids — and not just ours. And I know (the district has) made efforts to ensure they get fed, but as you know, we fill an awful lot of roles for students. We’re not just teachers or principals,” West said. “We are, sometimes for some children, their safe place to fall every day. So, it really worries me — the mental and emotional health of a lot of our kids. And I think once we come back, we’re going to be dealing with the impact of this far longer than May 18 or whatever the day is when we finally come back.”

So, they will load into their cars and greet their students with loud honks, sign waving and smiles.

And they have other plans in the works, too — from weekly virtual lunch sessions with the school’s social worker to teachers volunteering to mail handwritten notes to each child in their class.

“We’re just trying to be creative in how we meet their needs. I’m not very tech savvy, so I’ve definitely had to broaden my box, but I think right now, none of us needs a box,” West said. “We need to be as creative as we can in terms of figuring out new ways to meet our students’ needs as a family. And my staff, they are coming up with all kinds of creative ways to stay connected. It’s an amazing thing to be a part of.”

After all, West and the Northeast teachers and staff say, it is absolutely now — and always will be — about the kids.