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Bull Run Kindergarteners Send Valentines to Seniors

Young students learn kindness and correspondence in the same lesson

Who: Miss Herbst’s Kindergarten Class

School: Bull Run Elementary School

Accomplishment: Students mailed homemade, heartfelt Valentine’s Day cards to senior citizens suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

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Key to Awesomeness: These Centreville citizens remind us that you’re never too young to make a difference in someone else’s life. 

Two weeks ago, in conjunction with their upcoming letter writing unit, Jennifer Herbst’s kindergarteners wrote and decorated Valentines for elderly residents in the memory support program at , an assisted living community in Wilton, Connecticut. 

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Herbst, whose mother is employed at The Greens, said, “I thought it would just be fun to have the kids practice writing letters to those people and brighten up their day and do something special for them for Valentine’s Day.”

Students made up to two cards each and came up with their own messages to send to their new friends, some of which included “You’re fun,” “I love you,” and “You’re stylish.”

Seniors at The Greens were delighted by the children’s letters and many have already sent replies. They wanted to Skype with Miss Herbst’s class, but the classroom computers lack the appropriate software. 

“I loved this project,” Herbst said, “I think they [her students] learned how to make somebody else feel special.” 

The students’ correspondence with residents at The Greens has also taught them the practical importance of letter writing. Miss Herbst noted that with today’s children growing up around text messages and emails, many of her students didn’t even know what stamps were. 

Now, they’ll have the opportunity to practice their writing skills and learn about the postal service while building upon the friendships they’ve made at the assisted living community. 

Miss Herbst, who plans to make the Valentine project an annual event, said, “My kids are so excited to get mail back. We’re going to keep the correspondence going for the rest of the year.”

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