TORRINGTON – While students and teachers in Goshen County will be taking their first steps onto new ground this week as the curriculum moves entirely online, teachers and students from Torrington schools braved the cold and blowing snow on Friday to see each other in person one more time.
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TORRINGTON – While students and teachers in Goshen County will be taking their first steps onto new ground this week as the curriculum moves entirely online, teachers and students from Torrington schools braved the cold and blowing snow on Friday to see each other in person one more time.
When those same teachers and students left school on March 13, the Friday before Spring Break, they didn’t know that might have been the last regular school day of the year. Governor Mark Gordon announced on Friday that school buildings would remain closed until at least April 30. But as COVID-19 – the novel coronavirus that’s responsible for thousands of deaths in the United States and many more around the globe – spreads and shows no signs of slowing down, teachers and students are wondering if March 13 might have been the last regular day.
And so, with snow blowing in their windows and signs taped to their windshields to remind their students how much they care, teachers from every school building in Torrington formed a parade some 40 cars in length simply to wave to some familiar faces around town. School Resource Officer Jeff Ryall led the way in his Torrington Police Department patrol car, blaring the siren to let kids know their teachers were on the way.
Gerald Wilmoth, a teacher at Torrington Middle School, was one of the chief organizers for the parade.
“As a teacher, I have really missed seeing my students and have talked to other teachers and students who feel the same way,” he said. “So finding a way for everyone to have the opportunity to see each other while social distancing and staying safe was great for everyone.
“We had about 35-40 cars participate in the parade. I thought that was a great turnout.”
Despite the bitter cold, Wilmoth said he and his colleagues got the chance to greet a lot of students, many of whom made signs to greet the procession.