First responders and administrators held a parade in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week on Tuesday in Groveland, Merrimac and West Newbury. (Courtesy Photo Pentucket Regional School District) 
Members of the West Newbury Police Department participated in a Teacher Appreciation Parade on Tuesday. (Courtesy Photo Pentucket Regional School District)
WEST NEWBURY — Superintendent Justin Bartholomew is pleased to share that the district partnered with local first responders to hold a Teacher Appreciation Parade Tuesday.
The parade recognized Teacher Appreciation Day, which took place on Tuesday, as well as Teacher Appreciation Week, which began Monday and ends Friday. Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, communities are rallying this week to recognize the critical role educators play in the lives of their students and thank them, particularly for their efforts to continue to engage students through remote learning.
Administrators were joined by members of the Groveland, Merrimac and West Newbury Police and Fire Departments as well as Atlantic Ambulance during the course of the parade, which was held in three segments in each of the district’s towns. The parade began at 9 a.m. in Groveland behind the fire station on Main Street, at 11 a.m. in West Newbury at the Middle School and 1 p.m. in Merrimac at the Dr. Frederick N. Sweetsir Elementary School. First responders from each respective town participated in their segment of the parade.
“This was a really special effort, and we’re thankful to everyone who participated in this parade,” Superintendent Bartholomew said. “It was really great to see the community come together, even in these times of social distancing, to spread some joy, show our teachers we appreciate everything they do for our students, and celebrate our Pentucket pride and spirit.”
The parade included members of the Groveland, Merrimac and West Newbury Police and Fire Departments, who drove police cruisers and fire engines, Atlantic Ambulance Service, Inc. and administrators.
“Teachers are working tirelessly right now to make sure our young people continue to learn and grow, all the while remaining a source of positivity for students as they’ve navigated the challenges of learning online, adjusting to completely new schedules, and so on,” Merrimac Fire Chief Larry Fisher said. “We’re so thankful for the work they’re doing and wanted to show our support during this difficult time.”
The parade passed by the homes of teachers that live in each of the three communities, and was also enjoyed by students living in each of the three towns.
“We all have kids that go to local schools, as well as family and friends that work in education, and we wanted to come together today to show our support for them through this unprecedented time,” West Newbury Fire Chief Michael Dwyer said.
“We were honored to show our support for the educators who inspire us.” Director of Operations for Atlantic Ambulance, a division of Cataldo Ambulance Service, Inc., Robert White said. “As first responders, we are proud to serve and support our communities. We acknowledge and appreciate the resilience of our teachers who continue to provide important resources for our communities during this difficult public health crisis.”
Pentucket closed its school facilities in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic and remote learning will continue through the remainder of the school year, per a statewide order to prevent the spread of the virus.
“We’re happy to have had this opportunity to come together, show our appreciation for our educators, and spread some positivity in the community,” Merrimac Police Chief Eric Shears said. “Adapting to remote learning has been no small feat, and our educators deserve to be recognized for all of their hard work.”
“We’re fortunate to have a tight knit community between our three towns, and this parade highlighted that,” Groveland Police Chief Jeffrey Gillen said. “Thank you to all of our teachers for everything you do — our young people are fortunate to have hardworking educators working on their behalf, especially during this challenging time.”
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