TORONTO -- More than 100 families and educators took part in a surprise caravan to show to a retiring teacher their gratitude.

Craig Leach taught grades five, six and physical education at Macklin Public School in Toronto for 31 years. He started the job when he was just 23 years old.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an in-person send-off wasn’t possible, so teachers, staff and former colleagues made signs and got in their vehicles to surprise Leach at his home.

“I was fortunate enough work with him for about 20 of those years and he is an excellent teacher and an excellent person, and we are going to miss him,” John Empey from his car window said.

Leach said when the pandemic started he was a little worried because he lives with asthma and had pneumonia last year, but with physically distancing and seeing his students do assignments, things got better. Then came the surprise.

“It would have been great to do it at the school but this is really good instead. I feel really honoured they went to all this trouble for me,” Leach said.

“I love them. I can’t wait to back and supply teach with them.”

Leach then joined the caravan so families could offer their wishes from a safe distance.

In some cases, he waved to former students from different generations in same household.

”It was fun to see people’s faces again. Because we’ve been stuck in our houses,” Grade seven student Jaala Prescod, who was taught by Leach in Grade five and six, said.

“He was an amazing teacher when I was younger, so to be able to have my daughter experience that with him. I think it was a great opportunity,” Prescod’s mother, Joanna, said.

”It shows the dedication he had to the school and students. He was always putting in extra time for his students,” Kathryn Pinto, who was taught by Leach and now has two boys who were also his students, said.

“I loved it [the surprise]. So much thought put into it. All the signs and how much cars there were,” Pinto’s son, Matthew who is in Grade 5, said.

Principal Denise Walter Mclean said about 50 vehicles joined the procession, with more than 100 families coming out to show their support.

“It was just like a rainbow. You have all these rainy days just based on what’s happening,” she said.

“And then you have a day like today.”

Walters Mclean said it’s very rare for a teacher to work at the same school for such a long period of time.

“It’s a testament to how good of a school it it. I mean no teacher would stay there that long if it wasn’t a great school, and it is a great school. So we just wanted to show him just how happy and proud of him we are,” she said.

Leach said the Macklin school community really cares about people and he’s lucky he was able to work there for so long.