The beginning of the COVID 19 pandemic in 2020 provided the catalyst for the development of arts based resources to assist teachers and students reengage in learning when schools reopened after lockdowns imposed in New Zealand. This article presents the preliminary findings of a case study research project into an online resource to support teachers through the arts, Te Rito Toi, developed in response to COVID 19 and the lengthy closure of schools when children were forced into extended periods of physical isolation. The study reveals that the arts provided a way for teachers and students to rebuild relationships centred around love and care.