There might not be a lot of floats and marching bands involved, but there will be lots of love for students who are learning at home during a parade in Airdrie today (April 9).  

Staff and teachers from Airdrie's Heloise Lorimer School will be led by RCMP School Resource Officer Constable Jason Sherbo through the communities of King's Height's and Ravenswood as they tell students and their families just how much they have been missed since school ended suddenly with the suspension of classes due to COVID-19.

Grade one teacher Marlene Copithorne says this is just a way to let students and their families know that, despite the quick way classes ended, they are still connected to the school community.

"We just want to reach out to out students and their families and just let them know that we really do miss them.  This ended so abruptly, we ended on Friday thinking, 'okay, see you next week,' and then school was suddenly, kind of, over with.  So there's a lot of emotions that come with that and we just want to make our students know that we're still here, we're still connected to them and we want to support their families and them as they learn at home and just let them know they're part of the community."

Copithorne and the rest of the Heloise Lorimer staff thought that today, the final one before schools take their Spring Break, was a perfect time to have a parade.  She says the teachers are really missing their students and they want to be able to wave to them and say, 'we have your backs.'  Of course, Copithorne says, all this will happen while following the rules of social-distancing.

"That was something we included in our communication to parents," she says.  "The emphasis on that was, if they are self-isolating, make sure they are staying two-metres apart, and if they're in self-quarantine they need to be staying on their own property."

Copithorne says the change to the way school is being held has not only been difficult on teachers, staff, students and their families, it's also been tough on Constable Sherbo who works most often in the context of schools connecting with students and teachers.

"That also came to an abrupt halt but he's reached out to us and suggested that kids can go out on a scavenger hunt, looking for RCMP vehicles, looking for RCMP people out and about in the community just as something to do.  He's also reached out to us to let us know he's there to support us in any way that he can so he's very excited to be our 'parade marshall'."

Copithorne says the staff and teachers are excited to be out in the community, "To show our support and to show our care and love for our students and their families."

The parade will start at 2:00 pm.  You can see a map of the route below.

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