As part of the “Valentines for Veterans” program, the Elementary School Council gathered all of the crafting materials - including red and pink construction paper, sticker, glitter and glue - needed to make a perfect valentine and distributed them to each classroom.
On Thursday, the students then decorated their personalized valentines, which carried heartfelt messages of gratefulness for the veterans. Student council co-advisor Lauren Carfora said that the project was mutually beneficial for both her fourth grade students and the veterans.
“It’s such a great service project for all elementary students,” she said. “They are encouraged to be good citizens and recognize the sacrifices made by these veterans to protect our freedom.
“As my students have pointed out, many of these veterans are in need of some love and may not have people in their lives to do that. By making these valentines, the students are doing something to make someone else feel good.”
As part of the project, students also collected various sundries and home furnishing items, which will be brought to the James J. Peters V.A. Medical Center in the Bronx.
“When given these types of opportunities, the children truly thrive and learn how to be more empathetic, while broadening their awareness of the needs of others,” student council co-advisor Susan Engelhard said.
Carfora added that this is the latest example of the elementary school keeping in line with the district motto.
“This is a great example of citizenship, which is one of the four dispositions of the Bronxville Promise,” she said. “Empathy, kindness, compassion, these are the qualities we want to develop in our children and this project helps to foster that.”
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