Teachers, students use ‘drive-by’ to say hi!

Elementary school students in the Kellogg and Wallace school districts were treated to a pretty special moment last week when their teachers participated in “drive-bys” through the towns that their respective districts serve.

Teachers and staff from Pinehurst Elementary School cruised through the towns of Pinehurst, Smelterville and Kellogg last Wednesday afternoon, while educators from Silver Hills Elementary School waited until Friday afternoon to hit their towns.

PES Principal Mike Groves was first approached by teacher Callie Hegbloom, and while he initially resisted the idea, he advised her to see if her fellow teachers would be interested in it as well.

“The interest was immediate and huge,” Groves said. “The teachers wanted a chance to show the kids that they still care about them and miss them.”

Some of the educators decorated their vehicles, while others rode in a school bus.

The drive-by gave the students and teachers the ability to see one another, something that has become an emotional topic for both groups.

“It was important for both the students and the teachers,” Groves said. “The students got to see their teachers to the best of their ability and let them know that they still matter. It was as important, if not more important for the teachers, many of whom bawled during the drive.”

SHES Principal Todd Howard expounded on Groves’ statement by explaining just how close these bonds between staff and students can really be.

“The events are a way to lift spirits and morale for both students and teachers,” Howard said. “For over half the year, students spend a large portion of their day with teachers. Many build a unique bond and get in a routine where they rely on one another for a host of things. The soft closure put an immediate halt to that interaction. Participating in the drive-by allowed both the students and staff a chance to say hi and see that everyone is doing OK. Even though it was a very brief interaction, it provided a positive focus, put smiles on faces and rekindled those relationships.”

Putting together an event like this while ensuring proper social distancing requirements are still being followed can be challenging, but thanks to help from the districts’ transportation departments, as well as local law enforcement, the event was pulled off safely and timely.

“Timing of the event was such that most people were not asleep and every area we visited had multiple students awaiting our arrival,” Howard said. “In many places, the students had made signs to communicate back to our staff. There was a lot of ‘We Miss You’ and ‘We Love You’ shared between the students, parents and staff.”

In uncertain times, this was a simple and effective way for these educators to communicate how much they care for the children they work with and an even more positive way for those students and families to show just how much they reciprocate that care.

“The event was very important to everyone involved,” Groves said. “Seeing their students out there waving and holding signs showed that the kids missed their teachers as much as they missed their students. It allowed both groups to see that they still matter to each other.”