LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — After weeks apart, the Mary Todd Elementary School community in Lexington put on a parade so students could see their teachers.
Mary Todd Elementary Assistant Principal Monica Ballard explained the parade Wednesday morning was all about reminding everyone they are still a community.
"We miss our children, first of all, and we wanted to be able to we've been out of school for two and a half weeks now three weeks, and we wanted to be able to put eyes on them and see them and lift up their spirits and really drive through the neighborhood and notice where all of our kids come from and really give them and bring them joy," Ballard said.
Dozens of vehicles full of smiling teachers lined up at the elementary school before parading through the Joyland and Winburn neighborhoods with signs and balloons taped to their cars.
Parents told LEX 18 they felt the parade was a much needed 'event' for not only their students but their whole families.
Ballard explained their goal of the parade was for the whole community to know their school family loves them.
"I think that our kids and our parents in our community really stepped up today. I think that our kids know that we care about them and we want to see them," Ballard said. "And that we're worried about them, and they're worried about us. We saw signs all day. We miss you. We love you. Thank you for everything. Like, those are the messages that kids understand that they don't get to see us every day and that we don't get to see them. So I think that joy is really what came from us today and lifting up people's spirits."
A parade is not the only way the school is being creative. On Tuesday, nearly 400 Mary Todd students received a way to enrich their learning experience.
"We handed out almost 400 Chromebooks yesterday," Ballard said. "And they were so excited like kids were in the cars they just wanted to see people, they wanted to wait, they didn't get out we had a drive their service. We handed them straight into the car so the adults, but the kids were just so happy to be here they want to be back in school, but obviously they know that we can't always get what we want all the time, and it's better for them to stay healthy at home right now."
