Published April 8, 2020
By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — A dreary, rainy day failed to stop the elementary schools’ faculty and staff from lifting the community’s spirit during two parades on Friday, April 3.
The two elementary schools hosted the parades in order to support students’ and families’ well-being in the wake of the COVID-19 virus closing the town’s schools through at least May 4. After watching similar parades online, Summer Street School teachers Michelle Robert, Deb Guenard and Lisa Forrest proposed to Superintendent Jane Tremblay that the elementary schools host the parades in order to bring the community together.
“They thought it would be an important way to connect with students,” Huckleberry Hill School Principal Melissa Wyland and Summer Street School Principal Dr. Karen Dwyer said.
The two parades featured each school’s faculty and staff driving their respective cars, many of which were decorated, throughout different neighborhoods while repeatedly honking their horns and entertaining spectators. Students, parents and community members stood out in front of their homes in the pouring rain while cheering and holding signs that expressed their appreciation to each school’s faculty and staff.
“Our hope was to provide our students with a joyful and uplifting experience during a very challenging time,” said Dwyer and Wyland. “We wanted our students and families to know that we miss them and are thinking of them. Our goal was for students to know that we are still here for them even though we are not in our school buildings.”
The parades were incredibly emotional for the entire community, as tears of joy and sadness were shed throughout the event.
Huckleberry Hill PTO Co-President Jes Doherty said she was blown away by the “outpouring of love and support” that the elementary school’s faculty and staff provided.
“The parade offered a bright light in a dark time, and on a rainy day, to help keep the spirits up in our community,” said Doherty. “Horns were honking and Pioneer Pride blue and gold was flying. Oh how we miss our teachers. The photos and videos shared from our Huckleberry Hill School students and families warms my heart. Special thanks to Principal Wyland and the staff for putting this magnificent event together. Stay safe and remember we are all in this together. We truly are so fortunate to be part of such an amazing community and family.”
Summer Street School PTO Communications Director Kathryn Price agreed.
“The Summer Street School staff parade was an incredibly special moment,” said Price. “It really spoke to the dedication of these adults to our children that they would all show up for this in such an incredible way. Last week had to have been an extremely difficult week for our teachers and staff, given that our new distance-learning model launched Monday. What was so touching about the parade was to see the depth of the relationship between our staff and our kids. It would be hard to say who was more excited to see each other and be a part of this moment. It was incredibly emotional to see the devotion on both sides, and illustrated so clearly what teachers mean to children and what children mean to teachers. It was a moment none of us will ever forget during a time that none of us will ever forget. I am so grateful to our teachers both for the day and for how much they care about my kids.”
Dwyer and Wyland noted that both schools’ faculty and staff were incredibly emotional during the parade as well.
“The number of people participating in the parade and viewing the parade shows what a strong community we have,” Wyland and Dwyer stated. “The outpouring of love and support shows how important our school families are to our students, staff and families. We are grateful to be part of this incredible community.”
While Dwyer and Wyland acknowledged that the situation is incredibly difficult, they said, “We can get through this challenging time together.”
“We want our families to know that we will continue to support them academically and social-emotionally, and their teachers and administrators are here for them,” said Dwyer and Wyland. “Please reach out to us to let us know how you are doing and how we can help you.”
Superintendent Tremblay said, “The parades were a gift to our community during this challenging time.”
“It brought a lot of happiness to our families, students, faculty and staff,” said Tremblay.
School Committee Chairman Jamie Hayman concurred with Tremblay’s viewpoint.
“Seeing the joy on my daughters’ faces, and on the faces of the faculty and staff as they drove by, reinforced the fact that our educators’ dedication and love of their students is what makes Lynnfield Public Schools so special,” said Hayman.
Selectman Dick Dalton and his wife Carmela dressed up in Lynnfield attire to cheer on Summer Street teachers along the parade route.
“We’re so fortunate to have these dedicated men and women educating our children,” Dalton stated on Facebook. “Thank you for all that you do.”
Selectman Chris Barrett watched Huckleberry Hill’s parade with his wife and their two children.
“Mr. Rogers said it best, ‘When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say look for the helpers,’” said Barrett. “I was reminded of this Mr. Rogers quote when I saw the smiles on my kids’ faces as the teachers drove by them to help lend a helping hand to lift their spirits during this very difficult time. The outpouring of happiness that spread across our community as a result of this teacher parade reminded all of us that Pioneer Pride will always be strong in the Land of Pioneers. Our teachers have been the one ray of sunshine that our kids have clinged to as they look forward to brighter days ahead.”
Dwyer and Wyland thanked the Lynnfield Police Department for leading the two parades. Police Chief David Breen, who led Huckleberry Hill’s parade, said it was an honor for local police officers to participate in the event.
“With the recent drastic changes in our lives, the sickness and sadness for many, the parades offered us a glimpse of hope and happiness,” Breen stated in a Lynnfield Community Group Facebook post. “I know many were emotional. Tears of joy and sadness were shed, but I think that is the start of any healing process. We certainly are not out of the woods yet and must remain vigilant with regard to preventing spread of the disease. But yesterday’s event showed that there is great compassion and love shining brightly here in Lynnfield.”
Dwyer and Wyland extended their heartfelt appreciation to a number of people who worked tirelessly to make sure the parades were a huge success.
“We want to thank the Lynnfield Police Department for helping us navigate the traffic and make the parade a success,” Wyland and Dwyer stated. “We want to thank the families and staff for coming out on such a windy, rainy day. We want to thank the teachers, Michelle Robert, Lisa Forrest and Deb Guenard, who developed the idea and created the parade routes. Thank you to Lisa Ternullo, Cindy Band, School Resource Officer Alex Doto and Chief Breen for helping create the route for Huckleberry Hill School.”