LYNN HAVEN, Fla. – A first grade teacher in Florida went above and beyond for one of her students who was feeling down because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Like most children, 7-year-old Hannah Close isn’t able to go to school right now, so she participates in her classroom’s Zoom sessions each evening. But one night, she got really sad and kind of shut down, according to her mother, Kelley.
The next day, Kelley says her daughter’s teacher, Mrs. Katie Ricca, decided to come to their house and hangout for a while.
“They chatted, read books, and just talked,” wrote Kelley in viral Facebook post about the teacher’s heartwarming gesture.
What makes the moment even more sweet is the fact that Ricca has a lot on her plate herself, with five kids of her own at home.
“This woman has FIVE kids at home and STILL she sat in my driveway for an hour to make sure Hannah was okay,” wrote Kelley.
Kelley says it meant a lot to her daughter seeing her teacher come over.
“She was delighted seeing her at our house to hangout,” said Kelley. “Afterwards, we talked about it and she understood that her teacher had come over to make sure she was doing okay.”
Hannah may only be 7 years old, but her mother says they talk about what’s going on in the world.
“She knows this is a tough time and people are struggling with various feelings,” said Kelley.
Kelley says Ricca’s gesture reminded her that we’re not alone during this crisis, even if it may seem that way due to social distancing.
“Yes, we're home alone during this quarantine, but we're all going through it at the same time and feeling a lot of the same things,” said Kelley. “And even though I'm nervous, anxious, and constantly wondering if I'm doing the right thing for my kiddos, I've got all their teachers (especially Katie) right next to me helping us along.”
