On Friday, June 5, students and their families waited at bus stops across town as Phippsburg Elementary School staff boarded a bus decorated with balloons and a banner that read “PES Kids Rock”. The bus pulled up to each of its usual bus stops honking its horn while teachers waved pom-poms and blew bubbles, wishing students a good summer. Principal Sandra Gorsuch-Plummer said she handed out 115 freeze pops, according to a news release. Gorsuch-Plummer and her school staff used the event to connect with their students before sending them on summer break at a time where the school building had been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.“There were a few tears, but they were all from parents,” said Gorsuch-Plummer. While this has been such a struggle for both teachers and parents, I think this whole experience has brought us all closer together. I’m so glad that we did the bus parade. As I told my PES teachers, my heart is full.”