Although students and teachers missed out on typical end-of-the-year events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Thursday's elementary school parades brought some closure.
North, Callaway Hills, Pioneer Trail, Belair, Moreau Heights and Lawson elementary schools held parades Thursday.
Teachers cheered, waved, held encouraging signs, blew noisemakers and yelled "have a good summer" while students and families stuck their heads out their decorated car windows, smiling, waving, honking and holding signs that read "thank you," "we love you," "we miss you" and "have a good summer."
Belair Principal Elizabeth Milhollin said she and the staff planned this parade because many teachers, students and families expressed they needed closure for the school year.
At the beginning of the school closure, Belair teachers drove by students' houses for more than two hours and didn't make it to every neighborhood, Milhollin said.
"We thought this way anybody who wants to come through will get to come through and we can wave and wish them well," Milhollin said.
Milhollin said it felt wonderful to be able to see the students' smiling faces.
"Not hugging them is really hard," she said. "We missed them so much - probably as much as their parents want them to be here, we want them to be here."
Belair second-grade teacher Beth Isenberg said she was thankful to get to see her students one last time and receive closure, because it was her last year at Belair.
"It didn't have the typical end-of-the year feeling, so at least this way we can see them one more time and remind them how much we love them and we're going to miss them," Isenberg said.
North Elementary fourth-grade teacher Michelle Stafford said seeing her students again gave her hope.
"It warms my heart," she said. "It puts a smile on my face and it makes me know that this is just something we're going through, and it'll get better."