Some local students are spreading love to their community by creating virtual valentines wishes for healthcare workers at Guelph General Hospital.
Jenna Pacheco is a Grade 4 teacher with the Wellington Catholic District School Board and organizer behind the initiative. She is working with her students and other virtual classrooms to send over 100 valentines to the hospital.
Pacheco says they aim to bring a little happiness and joy to the healthcare workers.
“As soon as I told them that we’re going to be sending cards to the hospital, they (the students) were so excited and started thinking of different ways to design their cards,” says Pacheco.
“And they were all thinking of poems to write, or little sayings that they thought would make everyone's day at the hospital a little brighter, it was really cute.”
With the pandemic affecting traditional Valentine’s Day celebrations in schools, Pacheco says she is trying to find ways to make it as normal for her students as possible.
“I’m just trying to really engage them in whatever we’re doing and really keep their traditions that they normally celebrate, as much as we can virtually.” she mentions.
Pacheco adds this year it was important to focus on directing their appreciation toward people who have also been adjusting to the pandemic.
“I feel like a lot of people are worrying right now instead of appreciating what everyone has been trying to do to kind of make this pandemic a little bit easier,” she explains, “Like, appreciating the students for being online, or appreciating the parents for taking the time to help them with homework, or appreciating healthcare workers.”
“I think that instead of feeling that worrying or kind of feeling that anxiousness, we should kind of direct our attention to appreciating all of the people and everyone trying to get through this pandemic.”
Being an online class, she mentions that students have had to learn new computer skills to make these cards for healthcare workers, and believes these workers will be impressed by their efforts.
“They’re learning to navigate computers so well that they all turned out really nice,” says Pacheco, “I think it’s going to bring a smile to their face.”
By starting this tradition, she hopes that the school board will continue building upon it in the years to come.
“Even next year... all of the Wellington Catholic District School Board can create these Valentine’s Day cards, and yeah, it’s just something that can continue on.”
