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Teachers drove by their students' houses honking, smiling and waving with signs that read "we miss you" and "we love you" as students and their families stood in their driveways smiling and waving back. Some held similar signs.
Teachers at Lawson Elementary School, West Elementary School and South Elementary School held parades this week.
Xavier Adams, a fourth-grade student at Lawson, said he was so excited to see all of the teachers, especially his teacher, Amanda Schreiber.
"Our teachers did a very nice thing for us," Adams said. "It makes me feel amazing that the teachers love us so much, and everyone was saying hi. Everyone. It made me feel really good during this terrible time."
Schreiber and Jenny Uptergrove, another Lawson teacher, planned the Lawson teacher parade after seeing videos of teachers across the country doing them. Schreiber said it's been difficult to not be able to see her students.
"Their smiles, hugs and love of learning are what encourage and inspire us teachers day in and day out, so Jenny and I felt it was our job to send some love and encouragement to our kids," Schreiber said.
Jefferson City resident Bethany Yarnell said her children spent 45 minutes creating signs to hold up when the teachers at West Elementary drove by. The signs read "West is Best! We (heart) West" on four pieces of poster board.
"My kids won't ever be able to express how it made them feel because kids aren't wonderful at sharing emotion, but the looks on their faces said it all," Yarnell said. "They knew as each teacher waved and drove past that they were missed, they were cared about, and they weren't forgotten."
Yarnell said she could feel the love pouring out of their car windows, and she was thankful her children got to see their teachers.
"I got emotional as we watched the parade, knowing my kids would have loved to run up and hug each and every one of the teachers and knowing the teachers would have welcomed them with love and support," she said.
West Elementary Principal Heather Beaulieu organized the West Elementary teacher parade because she knows the teachers and students missed each other, and we all need to be shown love during this difficult time.
"It benefits the kids and the teachers and the parents just to see that we still are working hard for them and care about them and just want to make sure they're OK," she said.
West Elementary music teacher Nicole Wolfe said she is glad the teachers got to show the students they're still thinking of them, and they still care about them, especially because some of them don't have that support at home.
"This is such a strange thing for them to not have a friendly face to see and someone to say hi to every day, so I think that's a big deal," Wolfe said.
West Elementary art teacher Susan Paige decorated her car to look like a skunk and taped a sign to it that read "This stinks, but we'll make it through together."
"We miss our kids, and we worry about them," Paige said. "I guess we feel like we can connect in a way that's safe for everybody and tell them we love them and we're here and we're thinking about them."