Valentine’s Day tends to be quite the event in elementary and middle school. Students tend to be filled with excitement around this time because they’re waiting to see who will give them a Valentine’s Day treat or card.
The issue though, is that some kids may feel left out.
How do I know? I was one of them.
When I first moved to Canada, I had a difficult time making friends so during my first year in school, I didn’t have friends, which means that I didn’t get any candy or cards. It made me feel so sad.
The activities in this article will help you celebrate Valentine’s Day in a unique way at school while ensuring that every child feels included.
Actionable Steps:
#1. Special Gifts of Love
Have your kids write a reflection about all of their gifts and talents. I find that a lot of students have a difficult time with this activity, especially middle and high school students. Therefore, it’s a good idea brainstorm with them. You can model it for them by using you as an example.
This is an excellent way to build their self-esteem as they indulge in some self-love.
#2. Words of Love
Teach your children different words that are related to Valentine’s Day so that they have a better understanding of the occasion. It’s also a great activity to engage children in literacy development when all they’re thinking about is having fun and the candy that they’ll receive.
Teach your children using the following resource:
#3. Cards of Love
Have your kids make cards for everyone in the classroom. They can write a special note to each child. These notes can be given to each child on Valentine’s Day or they can be taken home to attach to candy. This way, parents don’t have to make labels as they’re already done and every single child gets a special note in your class. No one is left out.
You can write these cards of love using the following resource:
You can also get it as part of a bundle with the following resource:
#4. Classroom Community of Love
Give each student a post-it note and pair them up with another student. Have them write down a special note for their partner stating what they appreciate about them. Then take all of the notes and post it up on a bulletin board in the shape of a heart.
This is can be integrated into your Language Arts unit and it can help develop your classroom community.
Recap:
Let’s recap really quickly. Today, we looked at the following:
- The importance of creating inclusion on Valentine’ Day.
- Four ways to celebrate valentine’s day in a unique way in school: special gifts of love, words of love, cards of love, and classroom community of love.
Free Resources:
If you’d like to get started on your goal-setting journey, check out the FREE High Achiever’s Goal Setting Journal by CLICKING HERE or on the image below.
Next Steps:
If you found this video beneficial, would you do me a favor? Share this with your family, your friends, your loved ones, your co-workers or someone who you think could benefit from this. Thank you!
I’ll see you next Friday at 5:30pm PST.
Until I see you next time, remember to create, experience & teach from the heart.
Take care,
Charlotte
Disclaimer: I’m a teacher and a parent. I’m not a medical professional, so please don’t take this as medical advice. The advice that I provide in my videos and online are strategies that I have used in my own class or at home that have worked beautifully.
