Our Lady of Lourdes teachers, staff and students parade the streets

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Signs that read “OLL Strong” and “We Love Our Teachers” could be seen throughout the village on March 30 as members of Our Lady of Lourdes School took part in a teacher and staff parade. Keeping a safe distance from each other, students, teachers and families of OLL drove and walked through the village to uplift their school community.

With schools still closed until at least April 29, OLL showed their school spirit and brought some cheer to the village. OLL Principal Kathleen Cotilletta said that teachers had proposed the idea to her. She informed parents ahead of time and shared routes teachers and staff members would take so that parents would know where and when to cheer them on.

“The teachers came out in full force and decorated their cars, and I was overwhelmed,” Cotilletta said. “A lot of parents told me that this is just what they needed and that it lifted their spirits. We pulled this together in a matter of hours and they’ve been rocking it since then. We’ve had very little problems, and I’m really proud of our teachers at Our Lady of Lourdes.”

Cotilletta, who started her career at OLL in August, said that while dealing with this pandemic has been a challenge, she has remained optimistic. “The thing is none of us have ever experienced anything like this,” Cotilletta said. “We’re all in this together and navigating uncharted waters, but I have an unbelievable support system with Father Duffy so we’re making it work.”