Holidays

Today we celebrated, as it were, the holiday of Valentine's Day. Celebrations today seem so much less that what I remember from my elementary days.

Today, we aren't really allowed to have a "party." We may have a small celebration with an exchange of cards. I make sure that my students know that IF they choose to participate, they must bring a card for everyone. In addition, there may be no special cards or gifts for anyone distributed in school. So, our celebration is the distribution and opening of cards and a small treat.

I do however fondly remember the school celebrations of my youth. Valentine's parties with shoebox mailboxes decorated with heart doilies and stickers. Washington's birthday with cardboard hatchet boxes and hard candy cherries. St. Patrick's Day with irish potato candies and shamrocks. Yes, some of our celebrations seem less today than in the past.