With Valentine’s Day in the month of February, some may find themselves asking, “where is the love?” Sixth graders and teachers at Martinsville Middle School found that answer through gifting nursing facilities around the area Valentine’s cards for each of their patients.
“With times being as hard as they are and the limitations due to COVID, the last thing we want is for our elderly to feel as though they aren’t being thought of or loved,” said sixth grade English teacher and AVID Coordinator Morgan Belton.
Over an icy weekend, Martinsville Middle School’s sixth grade English teacher Ashley Cassidy found the idea on Facebook and knew it was something that needed to be done. Reaching out to her colleagues, the group made it their mission to recruit others and accomplish the idea of showing love. Students were then giving the task to create cards including little notes or Valentine’s Day jokes inside.
“Once the students were presented the idea, they simply took off,” said Belton.
One student, Abbigail Campbell, said that everyone should be happy during the holiday. “Old people make me happy, and I know some do not have anyone and so maybe this will make them happy.”
Rebecca Vernon, sixth grade Math teacher, said that her students were more than willing to create the cards and wanted to create multiple cards.
“We want our students to learn about kindness and how to be and show compassion towards others,” said Vernon. “This isn’t the only mission of kindness and compassion that the 6th graders at Martinsville Middle School will be conquering. They are looking to find opportunities each month to show these traits and up next is project Butterfly Hugs.”
