Heritage Elementary has heart

Helen Keller said, “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.”

Heritage Elementary 5th-grade student council members believe in doing acts from the heart. For the past seven years, the group of Highland Village children has been selling heart-shaped candy grams on campus to raise funds for a local worthy cause of their choice.

Beginning Feb. 3, students took on the challenge to sell more than 1,500 candy grams to students, teachers and campus employees. This year, all proceeds raised will go to organizations helping the victims of the recent tornado in Red Oak, Texas.

“Our goal for this project is for our students to see the value of helping others and learn to become more selfless,” teacher Jennifer Evans said.

Students have found the project to be a huge success.

“Our candy grams are pretty popular and we are excited how this will help out the people affected by the tornado,” 5th-grader Reece Roome said.

In addition to this beneficial, yet festive fundraiser around the Valentine’s Day holiday, teachers took the learning experience a little further for students. To practice their writing skills, Heritage 5th graders mailed hand-written letters to 5th-grade students at Daniel T.

Shields Elementary in Red Oak Independent School District — a school affected by the tornado.

“I think it was a good cause to write the letters,” 5th-grader Carter Montz said. “Our letters might cheer up someone.”

Fellow student council member MaKenna Harris added: “I think it is kind of cool writing to them, because you get to meet someone who may be going through a rough time and see what they are like and learn about their school.”

Evans desires for the experience to stay with students for many years.

“As they continue their journey through life, my hope for our students is they will continue to be compassionate and self sacrificing,” Evans said.