Leadership: DDSB Administrator Creates a Song to Help Fight Against COVID-19

Posted On Thursday March 25, 2021
Cartoon Students with masks walking over grass with road going off in the distance
Photo: The song cover illustration for Six Feet Apart (Fight COVID), written, composed and produced by Durham District School Board Secondary Vice Principal Shaundell Parris.

Administrator and song writer composes a song to help students follow health and safety regulations

Since March 2020 the world has been coping with the COVID-19 pandemic, including Durham District School Board (DDSB) schools, families and staff. DDSB@Home Secondary Vice Principal Shaundell Parris, was inspired to write and produce a song to help students to follow the new health and safety regulations and stay safe.

“There were lots of signage and sanitizers in every corner of the school, but we decided it would be wise to enhance the visual reminders by adding an audio component to ensure we were meeting the needs of all learners. I put my creative juices into action.” said Parris.

Parris has been an educator for over 20 years, but her other passion is music.  She is a professional singer, song writer, vocal coach and educator and she was the choir director of The Femtones; an all female acappella group that was based out of Pickering High School.

The song is called Stay Six Feet Apart (Fight COVID), and was written, composed and produced (with assistance from professional producer Towa) by Parris. Stay Six Feet Apart focuses on various ways students can stay safe, like avoiding hi-fives with friends, staying six feet apart when standing in line or walking down the hall when there isn’t a lot of people. It’s a catchy song that is being played in various schools across the board such as J. Clarke Richardson Collegiate, Carruthers Creek Public School, Valley Farm Public School and Cadarackque Public School. She has received great feedback from schools about the song.

“The song is relatable, friendly, informative and removes the fear that might surround people about COVID-19,” says Kay-Ann Sundiata a teacher from Carruthers Creek Public School. 

Anyone interested in hearing Six Feet Apart (Fight COVID) can visit YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvUCbcbzSE8. It is also currently being streamed on various platforms including: Tic Tok, Spotify, Amazon, iTunes, Apple Music, etc.