VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – Every Monday WAVY News 10 is featuring local teachers who stared down the pandemic and found special ways to reach their students in this land of virtual learning. It’s part of our Virtual Victories series.

“Really my most important focus is on building relationships with the students and their families,” said Suzanne Tate, an English and journalism teacher at Blair Middle School in Norfolk.

When the new school year started virtually, Tate decided her students and their families needed a personal touch.

“I thought how in the world can you develop a relationship with a person without having met them? So, it has been a high priority for me to try to get to students’ homes, taking them books, taking them some supplies. Just making a connection with the parent.”

Tate began reaching out to students in her class individually to meet with them, socially distanced of course.

“Honestly what I did is I used all the zip codes and I said okay, I’m going to group the kids by zip codes and then each day after school I’m going to make an attempt to hit, like, five houses or 10 houses. I would just have books in my car, and I would have snacks and supplies.”

In an attempt to reach more students, she even set up masked meetings outside community centers where her students can pick up free books and snacks.

“I just tried a variety of things to let them know we care about them and let them know we’re here to help them.”

Tate is quick to point out many of her fellow teachers at Blair Middle School have done an amazing job this school year reaching out to kids and their families and strengthening relationships with them. She also says her school has had two drive thru events to boost morale for students and to give them supplies they need.

In Virginia Beach, Amanda Yarborough also makes sure her students know she cares. She teaches students at several schools whose first language is not English. During the pandemic, she began hosting a Friday night story time.

“You know right now during the pandemic we can’t have those special after school things like reading night or fun nights at schools, and so this gives them something to look forward to every Friday night. The kids love to come a little bit early to story time and I know some of the children’s pets and stuffed animals very well,” said Yarborough.

You might wonder why, after long weeks, Yarborough would give up her own Friday nights?

“I wanted them to have something to look forward to during the week they could talk about. I send out messages to their parents on this app called Talking Points, which is wonderful because it translates for me, and so just Friday nights, it’s something special. It’s kicking off the weekend. I know as a child for some reason Fridays were always more magical, and so for me, it’s just like Fridays should be special. We should continue making it special. Some of these kids that are virtual, they’re staying at home and then on the weekend, they’re still at home, and so I wanted it to be a fun kickoff to the weekend that this is something special.”

Yarborough focuses on books with immigrants as main characters. She says it’s important that children see themselves in the books they read. It’s a Friday night effort that will no doubt leave a lasting impact.

“To me, I’m not so worried about the kids remembering me, but them being able to watch them grow and being an ESL teacher, the goal is they’ll acquire English, and they’ll no longer need me and when they no longer need me, that is the best part.”