Coronavirus in Illinois: Lockport school teachers organize drive-by parade near students' houses

LOCKPORT, Ill. (WLS) -- The staff at Lockport's Milne Grove Elementary School organized a drive-by parade near their students' homes Wednesday morning.

The educators took social distancing to a whole new level, reminding their students they are all in this together.

With a police escort in tow, a couple of dozen staff members greeted their students from a safe distance in decorated cars, reminding them that even though they are not in the classroom together, they are very much on their minds.

It's the faces students and teachers are used to seeing every day, but for now, everything has changed.

"It's been eye-opening," second grade teacher Michelle Bolte said. "You make a connection with them, but you realize how much you miss them."

The idea behind the drive-by parade is to brighten up the spirits of students that are learning from home, away from their school friends and beloved teachers.

"We are such a close-knit community here; the teachers are all friends, we are close with all of the families, we're a small district and we all really miss each other," librarian Laurie Tumino said.

The teachers planned to drive all around town, stopping to see over 200 students.

"The kids have communicated with us a lot through Google classroom and Zoom that they miss school, and they miss us, and we just want them to see our faces and feel appreciated," Milne Grove Principal Jaime Koziol said.