Valentine's Day~

     If you're a teacher, Valentine's Day is one of those magical days.  The students come bursting into the room in the morning, anxiously digging through their backpacks to get their little valentines out.  They run over to your desk, and proudly give you their specially picked out valentine.  Their little eyes are looking closely for your reaction, hoping to put a big smile on your face.  Within 3 minutes, your desk is cluttered with gifts of love- many handmade with such care.

     They head back to their desks, surprised and delighted by what awaits them.  Simple little valentines from me, a sweet little note, and a bag to decorate before collecting their treasures from their classmates later in the day.  It's an exciting day to be a kid...

The simple pleasures of Valentine's Day!

       
     I help to run the 4th grade Student Council at my school.  This year, my friend Nancy suggested that each child in our school make a valentine for another random Southdown student.  Then, on Valentine's Day, the Student Council members would go into every classroom, and each child would pick a valentine out of the special box.  We decided to call this project, "Spread Some Love at Southdown." We thought it would bring some joy, especially to the children who didn't get many valentines.

       

Our box was filled with beautiful valentine notes from children of all ages.

     I asked my own students to write out a valentine to put in the box.  I suggested that they write something positive or encouraging on their card- something that would make them happy if they chose that valentine out of the box.  That's all I said.
     When I saw what my students created, I was brought to tears.

Who wouldn't want to choose this valentine out of the box?

So thoughtful!

I wish you could have seen sweet Richard carefully writing out this card for a stranger... priceless!

I hope an impressionable child chose this beautiful note and takes it to heart.

     If ever you begin to doubt that there is any good left in the world, just look towards the children.  They remind me day after day that there is love, innocence and hope in every single one of them.  I believe that it's up to us, as adults and teachers, to bring that love out, to keep the innocence in tact, and to never, ever, squash their hope.  Children truly are incredibly beautiful.

     I wonder when it is that some of us adults lose those simple, precious traits....