Home Our Diocese Christ the Teacher School first-graders express appreciation in #ShowYourHeart video

Christ the Teacher School first-graders express appreciation in #ShowYourHeart video

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First-grade students from Christ the Teacher Catholic School in Glasgow showed their appreciation to those who continue to work outside the home during the coronavirus pandemic. The video was spurred by an online campaign called #ShowYourHeart.

The children made hearts thanking letter carriers, grocery-store employees, delivery drivers, first responders, sanitation workers and others who are out and about while almost everything is closed. The video was posted on YouTube.

One of their teachers, Debbie Ortiz, said the idea came from Twitter. She said the students were inspired by “how a simple heart in a window, on a mailbox, or even a trash can could unite us in showing our appreciation to all essential workers.”

Ortiz and Kristen Van Heest, the other first-grade teacher, and their aides, Beth Rotenberry and Denise O’Mara, reminded the students how many men and women are helping their communities in this unprecedented time. They mentioned first responders, retail workers, mail carriers, grocery store employees and more. Ortiz and Van Heest also made hearts and showed them to their students.

It was part of a remote religion lesson. The hearts were submitted at the end of March.

“As the photos started to come in, we were inspired to see how many children included a picture of themselves or with a family member. Their smiles made me remember that hope is never lost,” she said.

Katie Yandell, who takes photographs for Christ the Teacher, collected the photos and created the montage that was posted online. The video was sent to the parents of first-graders as an Easter gift, Ortiz said, and the reactions have been “overwhelming.”