VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A Virginia Beach teacher got a sweet sendoff on his last day teaching at Kempsville Meadows Elementary School.
The bittersweet moment was caught on camera by the school principal who helped organize the whole surprise!
Every single student and staff member present lined every single hallway at the school to bid farewell to their beloved art teacher, Mr. Mico Santos, on his last day.
They held handmade signs and cheered him on like the superstar that he is to them, hugging him and handing him gifts as he made his way through each hallway.
Santos told News 3 it is one of the most special moments he’s ever experienced, and he says will take it with him wherever he goes.
“It was probably the most gratifying, rewarding experience that I've ever come across,” said Santos, a former Kempsville Meadows Elementary art teacher.
“I've had a master's degree; I was Teacher of the Year 2019. And I've, you know, through my artwork, I've been in multiple art shows, but nothing, absolutely nothing, really, like shows me what I've done other than the love that was shared by all the students and staff members. That was everything I've ever needed.”
The celebration happened on April 28, but Santos' wife posted it on her TikTok last week, and it went viral!
It’s been seen hundreds of thousands of times across different platforms! As of Friday, it has more than 630,000 views on TikTok alone. Complex also shared the video, and it has more than 1.2 million views on the outlet's Instagram page.
@itsjoshell When the whole school loves Mr. Santos 😭 #formerteacher #artteacher #school #vb #mrsantos #teacher #teachersoftiktok #elementaryschool ♬ As It Was - Harry Styles
Santos is pivoting into the corporate world so he can spend more time with his newlywed wife.
