Here are a few fun facts about some members of the Philip Simmons Middle community:
- Eighth grader Ari Brown-Lemon “has the best smile”.
- Fifth grader Mason Runk “slays at the drums”.
- Fifth grader Aiden Moore’s “got style”.
- Valentine’s Day at this school means everybody receives a Valentine.
Lots of students showed up to school on Feb. 14 armed with balloons, presents, teddy bears and heart-shaped boxes of chocolate – but most of them were probably not expecting the surprise that awaited them in one of the main hallways of the school.
All of the school’s teachers participated in writing sweet messages to every single student – all 435 of them – on cut-out hearts that they taped to the walls near the gym.
This is a collaborative effort that started several years ago but then went on a hiatus during the pandemic. Art teacher Lexie Benardot was excited that the school was able to bring the event back this year.
Several weeks ago, parent volunteer Agnes Tchoryk took the time to start cutting out red and pink hearts for the teachers to use for their Valentines. Last Friday after school, teachers wrote every child’s name on a heart, plus some sort of sweet message to the students – things about their smiles, their hard work, their talents and more.
On Monday after school, a handful of teachers and staff members got together to start hanging up the Valentines in the hall. They went up pretty quickly; staff rocked out to a Valentine’s Day playlist created by Principal Charla Groves as they decorated walls, windows and trophy cases with the hearts.
Groves said because of this tradition, Valentine’s Day is one of her favorite days of the school year, comparing the day before to feeling like Christmas Eve.
“It’s just so heartwarming – it’s so sweet,” she said, adding, “Everybody wants to be seen and loved. I just love seeing them receive that.”
Several staff members mentioned older Valentine’s Hearts that are still hanging up inside the cafeteria from a few years ago; the names on those hearts belong to students who are now 11th graders at Philip Simmons High – “and we don’t take them down because it’s a sweet memory,” Groves said.
When the students started showing up to school Tuesday morning, they were guided to the hallway outside the gym to check out the display of heart-covered walls.
Some students did not immediately notice that the hearts had names written on them; when they learned to look for their name, a lot of them doubled back down the hall to seek their Valentine.
Many others not only looked for their own names, but helped their friends look for their names as well. Benardot was eager to snap a few photos as the students found their Valentines.
“I love seeing their excitement,” she said. “I love seeing their reactions and the instant gratitude. It kind of breaks your heart in the best way. It’s sincere and it’s honest.”