'Teachers on parade' is a big hit with students in Menifee

A Herk Bouris Elementary School student watches the parade of teachers drive by during one of Monday's "parades". Photos courtesy of MUSD school Facebook pages

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Sheryl Coenen felt a wave of sadness, frustration and emptiness come over her about noon one recent school day – Friday the 13th, in fact.

Coenen, a first grade teacher at Herk Bouris Elementary School in the Menifee Union School District, and her colleagues were informed by administrators that school would be shut down for at least several weeks because of the coronavirus. They were instructed not to inform the students until the end of the school day a couple hours later.

“Usually when we take breaks from school, there is time for us to mentally prepare and time for the students to mentally prepare,” Coenen said. “This was an unusual separation. We were almost going through a grieving process.”

Teachers everyone know that their students are like a part of their family. Working long hours for relatively modest pay, they devote their lives to not only the education, but the nurturing of the children assigned to them.

So even though they are providing learning resources online and answering emails from parents, the teachers of several MUSD schools are taking “social distance” road trips this week. They have mapped out a route through streets surrounding their school and are driving through neighborhoods in a parade of sorts, waving to children who were notified and ready to greet them.

The results have been heartwarming for all involved, Coenen said.

“A few of the kids were crying; a lot of them were jumping up and down,” said Coenen, who joined about 30 other Herk Bouris teachers in a parade while similar events were playing out in the neighborhoods of Ridgemoor Elementary and Ta’awila Elementary on Monday. Callie Kirkpatrick teachers did the same thing on Wednesday and teachers at other schools have discussed similar plans.

Photos and videos of the parades are popular on Facebook this week, with parents and teachers exchanging messages about the fun events.

“Thank you so much to the amazing staff and teachers at HBE!” Lindsay Gamboa wrote on a Herk Bouris page on Monday. “Today was so amazing. It meant the world to the kids, as I’m sure it did to all of you as well. You all are the best!”

According to Coenen, Herk Bouris teachers drove from as far away as Corona to take part in the parade. Many said it was raining on the drive over but stopped just long enough for the parade to take place.

“We teachers felt so appreciated!” wrote Herk Bouris teacher Angela Stogner. “I loved seeing so many families together smiling, waving, and holding up signs. Thank you to you all! I miss you!”

Jenna Evans, the PTO communications liaison for Ridgemoor Elementary, was asked by teachers there to post a map of their route on Facebook.

“The teachers put this all together because they have been missing their students like crazy,” Evans said. “RES has the most extraordinary teachers around. It was an emotional morning for teachers, students, and parents alike. We are truly blessed to be a part of such a wonderful community.”