Usually, the start of summer vacation is a cause for celebration among students and staff, as homework and lesson plans are replaced by road trips and days at the pool. This year, however, the season is a little more bittersweet.
Different schools have found different ways of saying farewell to their students in these unusual times. For St. Bartholomew Catholic School, farewell came in the form of a “Goodbye for Summer Drive-By Parade” on Friday from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
“Our principal, Helen Heckman wanted to do an event that could provide some closure for the teachers and the students and the staff,” said school communications manager Kelly Glick.
Families were invited to drive through the school’s parking lot, where they were greeted by teachers holding signs and wearing summer gear, such as Hawaiian print shirts. At the parade’s end, they were given popsicles and ice cream by none other than the school’s principal and vice principal.
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Glick noted that most of the school’s staff was present. She estimated that about half of the school’s 200 families passed through the event.
“It was definitely a sad ending to not have our fourth quarter,” she said. “I’m sure that’s how it felt for a lot of schools. But I feel like this was kind of a nice, fun way to say goodbye with, you know, looking on the bright side.”
St. Bartholomew Catholic School’s current planned start date for students in the fall is Aug. 6.
