ROCKWOOD – Students at Sacred Heart Catholic School sent hundreds of handmade Christmas cards to veterans that will be distributed by the Acton Legion and the Canadian Armed Forces this Advent season.
Kindergarten student Lucy said the cards will brighten the veterans’ Christmas this year because “it made [their] hearts have love.”
Kindergarten teacher Elizabeth Strachan, who led the school-wide project with Grade 3 teacher Amanda Cunningham, said it was an “initiative for love, empathy and kindness.”
During an interview with the Advertiser in their kindergarten classroom, students Lucy, Everly, Giulia and Skylar proudly recited In Flanders Fields from memory.
Strachan said students learned the poem in preparation for Remembrance Day, and lessons about remembrance led into lessons about Advent, particularly empathy and giving.
Along with kindergarten teacher Ashley Underhill, Strachan said she teaches “the gift of giving at Christmas that brings as much joy as getting.
“As part of our Advent lessons, we wrote a letter to Santa asking him to give to children, less fortunate, families in need and the lonely.”
Skylar said she asked Santa to bring friends to lonely children.
Everly said it’s important at Christmas to “give to people that are needy.”
This includes “people that don’t have a house,” Skylar said, as well as people who “don’t have water,” Giulia added.
Students at Sacred Heart Catholic School in Rockwood created hundreds of hand-made cards for veterans and people in the Canadian Armed Forces this Advent season. Submitted photo
It was educational assistant Jennifer Huber’s idea to connect the lessons of Remembrance and Advent by teaching the students to practice empathy and giving by creating Christmas cards for local veterans and soldiers.
Everly said the card she made was red and silver and she decorated it by drawing a green Christmas tree.
On the card Everly wrote “Merry Christmas” and “I love you.”
She said she loves veterans “because they fighted in the war.”
Lucy worries that veterans may feel sad at Christmas, but feels the cards will cheer them up.
Giulia said she thinks when a veteran receives her green and gold Christmas card it will make them feel “good and happy.”
Skyler and Everly agreed that their cards would bring joy to recipients.
