WEST COLUMBIA, SC -- When you’re a teacher, it’s hard to go for days -- or weeks -- without seeing your students.
So educators at Congaree Elementary came up with a plan, which they dubbed the “Wednesday Wave,” to let their students know how much they miss them, with the closure of South Carolina schools to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Wednesday afternoon, the teachers -- driving roughly 2 dozen cars painted with signs like “We Miss You” and “Congaree Proud” -- pulled out of the school’s parking lot and, flanked by a South Congaree police car, honked and waved their way through the school’s neighborhoods. Kids and their families stood on driveways, front porches and yards, some carrying signs, to let the teachers know they missed them, too.
Other Lexington Two schools, including Saluda River Academy for the Arts and Busbee Creative Arts Academy, also have followed suit with their own parades, to the delight of students and teachers alike. Several schools also have done virtual parades, including Northside Middle, Springdale Elementary and Cayce Elementary, while schools including Wood Elementary, Airport High and Brookland-Cayce High have posted special social media salutes to their students.
Congaree Elementary Principal Chris Dickey summed up these efforts.
“We needed this,” Dickey said. “I think this parade was a way to keep us all connected. It shows that even though we’re not in the building, we’re still together.”