WOODBURY, MN — In Mrs. Larrier's classroom, the kindergarteners can be seen reading emails addressed to them.
“Happy Valentine's Day, Mr. Larie's class,” one of the students reads aloud.
After a short appeal to parents and social media, cards and letters will be delivered to Royal Oaks Elementary School ahead of Valentine's Day.
“At first I thought it would be great if we could get all 50 states. Then it just exploded. We had tons of cards coming in every day. One day I had about 100 cards in my hand. We put them in. The kids were so excited,” said kindergarten teacher Katie Larie.
After reading the cards and letters they receive, place them on the map outside the classroom.
“Last week we started receiving a lot of stuff from different countries. It's great to see it. We weren't expecting that, so we had to get a world map,” Larrier said. said.
A message of kindness from far away India.
“It was a family thing. Two little kids writing about their school day. The school had a pool. The kids were really excited about it,” Larrier explained.
Though warm wishes continue to arrive from new countries, only three states remain: Delaware, Rhode Island, and West Virginia.
“I'm going to tell my parents when it's all over,” one kindergartner explained.
“When I look at this wall, I see how many kind people there are in this world and how it takes just a little bit to make the world a better place,” Larrier said.
That's an important lesson. That kindness is love in action…these kindergartners are learning that from an early age.
“Valentine's Day is a day to show people how much we care about them and how much we love them,” one student said.
Following the success of this year's Heart Across the World (over 200 cards and growing), Ms. Larrier plans to continue the project in future classes. He said there is. If you know someone in Delaware, West Virginia, or Rhode Island who can help you achieve your goals, please contact us at:
Royal Oaks Elementary School
Inside Mrs. Larrie's classroom
7335 Steepleview Road
Woodbury, MN 55125
