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Died December 27, 2020.
Dr. Sue A. Shook Elementary School, El Paso, TX
First Grade
Zelene Blancas, a first grade bilingual teacher who posted a viral video of her first grade students giving each other friendly greetings two years ago, died from COVID-19, according to a former co-worker.
Blancas, who taught at Dr. Sue Shook Elementary School, allegedly died of COVID-19 and passed away this week, former Socorro ISD colleague Patty Flores said on social media.
“Ms. Blancas was a dedicated teacher who loved her students and provided a positive, loving environment for them. She had a light that shined from within and was a positive influence on all those around her,” Flores said in an email.
In her social media post, Flores said she and Blancas worked together as fourth grade bilingual teachers.
“She was my colleague and friend and simply a beautiful person all around. She will be greatly missed but her legacy of kindness, love and joy will carry on with all those who were blessed to have known her,” Flores said.
According to a GoFundMe page seemingly started by her family to raise money for her treatment, Blancas tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct. 20, had to be hospitalized on Oct. 24 and was remanded to the intensive care unit.
An update was posted to the GoFundMe page this week, stating Blancas was still fighting in the ICU as of Dec. 26. The GoFundme page had raised $18,250 of its $15,000 goal with more than 400 donors to the campaign as of Tuesday afternoon.
Hundreds of people were still donating money to the fund on Tuesday, some writing comments praising Blancas for her character and her work teaching children.
Flores said she worked with Blancas three years teaching fourth grade, before Blancas began teaching first grade and Flores moved to teach at another elementary school within the district.
“Regardless of the grade level she taught she was an inspiration and motivation for her students,” Flores said. “What she taught all of us about creating that positive environment, even during long distance learning, will never be forgotten.”
The video showing Blancas’ students giving one student high fives, hugs and handshakes received more than 13.6 million views in November 2018 and had 22.2 million views as of Tuesday.
According to a prior story written about the viral video in the El Paso Times, the video showed an example of a new educational initiative at the time called social-emotional learning, which teaches young students how to cope with their emotions, handle conflict and develop interpersonal skills.
One student was chosen at random to be the recipient of friendly greetings and classmates chose one of four greetings from a set of four greetings pictured on an adjacent wall.
As the students left for the day, they lined up and chose which greeting to bestow on the selected student, allowing students to feel in control of greetings they receive and allowing them to go home happy, Blancas told the Times.
“I want them to go home feeling like I’ll be waiting for them here the next day, or for them to feel like they’ll have a safe place to come back to and learn in a safe environment,” Blancas said two years ago.
Friends praise Blancas for teaching, advocacy
Viry Lujan’s children loved their teacher, Ms. Blancas. Lujan’s son was in Blancas’ class two years ago and her daughter was in Blancas’ most recent class.
“My children loved her very much, just like us,” Lujan said. “The news really broke our hearts, we’re going to miss her a lot. She was an excellent person and she easily won everyone’s heart.”
After Blancas’ video of her students went viral, she became involved in a nonprofit organization called Pinksocks Life, Inc. which aims to promote human connection around the world “by socially supporting other public charities,” according to its website.
A Pinksocks member sent Blancas a pair of pink socks after seeing her video and then 32 pairs of pink socks were given to Blancas’ first grade class. In 2019, Blancas’ now second grade class gifted pink socks to her new first grade class.
Following the 2019 mass shooting at an El Paso Walmart, 1,337 pairs of pink socks were sent to students at Shook Elementary School and on Nov. 19, 2019, a “Kindness” pep rally was held, encouraging students to wear their pink socks on Mondays and teaching them about kindness in the process.
Nick Adkins, co-founder of Pinksocks, said Blancas was an example of the best of humanity.
“The ripple effect of love and kindness that she put out into the universe through teaching her kids through the years is immeasurable. Ms. Blancas and the entire staff and students at Shook are what we should all strive for each and every day, each and every now. She lives on in the love that she taught and spread. I am grateful for her. We all are,” Adkins said.