TAES first-graders take part in ‘Hearts Across America’ initiative
W HEN FIRST-GRADE EDUCATORS AT TRACY AREA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL decided to give the new “Hearts Across America” program a shot, they had no idea how much of an impact it would make.
Needless to say, the group — Jessica Vandam, Amber Tietz, Susan Meyer and Shelbi Grimley — was more than pleased with how things turned out.
The goal is to collect something from all 50 states; as of Wednesday, it was 44 down, six to go at TAES.
“I saw it online and presented it to the first-grade team, and they went with it,” said Vandam, a paraprofessional at TAES. “They all thought it was a really neat idea, and it just exploded.”
The program started on social media, when the first-grade group posted a message encouraging relatives of the students and other to send Valentines to the school.
The invitations landed in loving hands all across the United States, and the response, everyone agrees, has been nothing short of incredible.
The teachers really had no clue as to how many Valentine’s items they would receive, said Vandam.
“It’s so neat, and the kids just love it,” Vandam said. “They’ve got family from all these places, and they’re receiving these cards and talking about their families that are in these places.”
But it’s not just cards that have been coming to Tracy.
“We’ve gotten a variety of things,” Vandam said. “Somebody sent a board game, somebody sent a $5 donation; we’ve gotten a couple books, some stickers. We’ve also got facts from the state that people live in.”
Meyer also mentioned that the students have gotten many cards from Tracy alumni mentioning their fond memories of growing up in Tracy, as well as attending school with former first-grade teachers Bonnie Johnson, Virginia Surprenant and Millie Horsmann among others.
The class has been tracing their progress on a large map that is surrounded by individual file folders that contain the Valentines, showing off the nationwide exchange.
The initiative is not only fun for students, but educational as well, as they learn about the country’s geography.
“We decided to enhance our knowledge about other states across the country by participating,” Meyer said. Friends and family have shared with other friends and family throughout the United States. We have learned many interesting facts about each state and are so thankful to all for supporting our project.”
