Blackmarsh Road is a busy street most days, but on Monday around noon the cars were bumper-to-bumper, honking horns and making noise.
It wasn’t road rage — quite the opposite.
Teachers and staff at St. Teresa’s School on Mundy Pond Road organized a motorcade through the school’s catchment area to wave hello to their students and families.
It weaved through Mundy Pond Road, Empire Avenue, Cashin Avenue, Hamilton Avenue, Jensen Camp Road, Blackler Avenue, and many streets in between — a journey that lasted roughly two hours between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Standing to the side of Blackmarsh Road was a child with his parents, waving excitedly as the cars — festooned with balloons and uplifting signs — went by. Across the street, an elderly woman pulled back her curtains and was also seeming to enjoy the parade of positivity, waving her hand and smiling as the cars honked.
There were roughly 50 cars with more than 40 staff members, as well as police and a school bus. Many of the vehicles displayed signs that said, "We miss you," "Be safe," and "Bonjour" — a nod to the fact that it’s a French immersion school.
“Parents were holding up signs, and tears were coming down their cheeks — and students, as well.” — St. Teresa's School principal Kyran Dwyer
Young children, students of the K-6 school, held signs of their own for the passing teachers to see as they drove by. "Go Tigers" "Thank you," and "Giving U social distancing Hugs," read a few.
“In the situation that we’re in with the COVID-19 crisis, we’ve been reaching out to our school community through email and Google Meets, Google Hangout and Twitter and stuff, and the response we’re getting back is people are unsettled with the uncertainty with what’s happening, and how long it’s going to happen for,” said school principal Kyran Dwyer.
“We felt that maybe just doing a gesture like this would sort of pick up the spirits of our students, families, our staff — everyone involved, even just the general public as well.”
Dwyer said the motorcade was emotional.
“Parents were holding up signs, and tears were coming down their cheeks — and students, as well.”
What an amazing motorcade and the response from students, families and staff was overwhelming, emotional and very positive. Thank you!
— St. Teresa's School (@StTeresasSchoo1) April 6, 2020
Thank you to @RNC_PoliceNL for honourig the motorcade with your presence especially Constables Hawley and Cashin! pic.twitter.com/DEIFKvCl41
He said the school staff really wanted to show their appreciation for their students and families, and how much they missed them, “but the other thing it hammered home to me was how much they miss us.”
Parent Kayla Phillips said the motorcade was so special for her family, including her two children who attend the school.
“The girls have been missing their friends and their teachers so much, (and) this brought the biggest smiles to their faces, and the warmest feeling to our hearts,” she said, and thanked the school for “making our day.”
Dwyer said it’s been a challenging time trying to support students from a distance.
“You’re always worried that you’re missing somebody, or you’re not able to reach out and you’re not able to get a hold of them. And we constantly let parents know we’re an email or a call away, and that’s important to have that link for just the sense of checking in and getting an email back or hearing a voice — it’s comforting.
“And when you’re not seeing them every day — what’s normal when we’re in school — you know, every one of them are important to you, but there’s others that just need you a little bit more, and so it’s like a missing connection.”
But for a couple of hours on Monday, that community connection never seemed stronger.
