Windham – It was a wet, dreary day in a serene small-town that was interrupted by the sounds of blaring horns, cheers and sirens last Friday afternoon as the Windham Exempted School teachers and staff paraded through the community.
Onlookers could hear them coming long before they were seen, the students waiting for them, began cheering as the vehicles arrived. The teachers and staff wanted to convey to their students how much they missed them and send their thoughts to the graduating class.
Each car was decorated with signs, banners or shoe polish greetings. Some were “We love our seniors,” “We love our students,” “We miss you,” “Congratulations Seniors,” and such. It was a sight to behold and just a snippet showing of how much the teachers and staff misses their students.
The group was led through the village and township by a Windham Village Police Cruiser and ended with two school buses. They had a preset route, posted on social media prior to the parade so their students could greet them and see them, even if it was from a distance.
Younger students were yelling their teacher’s names while the older ones just waved. Both young and old were holding signs and waving. The parade stopped at every senior’s house and Principal Justin Christopher, wearing the proper PPE, presented each student with a senior sign.
Although meant to be a happy occasion, there were tears — lots of them. One saw tears of joy, tears grieving what should have been, could have been, and just sentimental tears from the parents. As Jeff Stanley always said “Everyday is a Great day to be a Bomber!” and it surely was a great day!
